|
Jun. 8, 2009
Start of another house
As we've been working on the house here in the city, another house is being started in a Quechua village. The past couple of years we have been unable to spend time as a family in the Quechua village where we have decided to focus our language study and ministry due to the lack of a place to stay. We could stay a few days at a time possibly with some Quechua friends, but not for several weeks a month.
Our good friends from that village made the decision to let us use a piece of land they own to build a house for our family and one for our partners. Last year we had hoped to get that started but the deed to the land and other important papers were not in order. This was not good because it came to light that someone who had heard the news that houses were to be built on that land, was planning to claim the land when the houses were finished! (apparently he did have some sort of small right to do this) By the time the papers were in order it was well into the rainy season so we've all been trying to patiently wait until the rains ended and it was dry enough for the building to begin.
Last month things got underway and now the walls are going up on our partner's house! Shane and our partner went up a few weeks ago to check things out and take pictures. So here's what it looked like then.
You will notice the trench dug in a rectangle there. That's the start of our partner's house.
Things are done differently for a Quechua style house. It's all made of rammed earth. They first dig a foundation trench and put in rocks and maybe some cement for a solid base to work from. Then they used a rectangle form to make the big earth "blocks". (as we take pictures of the process I will post those so you can know what I'm talking about later).
As you can see this piece of land is on a major slope. This has caused some challenges in planning where the houses are to go and how to work with all the different levels. But I think we figured out something that should work out well for both families.
The houses at the top of the picture are the style of house that we are making too. Each house is two levels tall with a tin roof. Our house will be down below the dug up area off to the right of the picture where there's still grass and weeds.
I am sure it looks quite different now!
And speaking of looking different, here's our little friend who was born in July last year at our house! She's getting so big!
|
| •
Post A Comment! •
Send to a Friend!
|
Comments
|
|
|
|
Posted by 
Jun. 10, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Sending you blessings
-Mary