KC Central Team to Nicaragua - Construction

Hello!  We hope the New Year has started off well for you all.

We returned from a trip on January 7th and have been busy making plans for 2011 ever since.  It looks like the Seminary will finally be able to start the ESL classes soon in partnership with the Costa Rican government.  We have a final meeting at the end of the month and classes will start in February or early March.  This has been a long time in the making, but it looks like we are making progress.  YEAH!

David is keeping busy taking trips to the districts and training in many different areas in evangelism and discipleship.  He loves it!  He is in North Costa Rica today, will be in Panama next week and Nicaragua the week following. 

This blog is all about the Central Team from Lenexa, KS.  That was our home church just before leaving the USA for Guatemala, so we have many friends there.  It was wonderful to see them and to make some new friends too. 

We did so much in 10 days that I cannot tell it all on one blog.  This blog will focus on the construction of the new church building.  There is a new chapel factory in the Nicaragua South district and this was the 3rd building to be built using that facility. (The idea is that the materials are prepared beforehand in the chapel factory and then transported to the site to the local people can more easily put up the structure). 

The construction site when we arrived.

This is how things looked when we arrived.  The ground had been prepared and the columns put in.

Josh (in green), and many from the team with their shovels.

David and David, seeing the lay of the land.

Our good friends David and Jodi Cooper were the team leaders.  It was awesome to work with them...two of the nicest and patient people we know!  Here are David and David talking about the project on day 1. 

Each day the work continued, bit by bit.  Everyone on the construction team worked very hard to break up the ground, haul materials, shovel the dirt, etc...

Kevin and Angel, showing off their muscles.

Here is the project after a couple of days.  The roof is almost complete!






It was an exciting moment when the cement mixer arrived!  That was an unexpected help, but the work would never have gotten done the old-fashioned way.  Too much floor and not enough time.  (Of course it took 2 days to get the motor started, but finally Jerry got it figured out.  Thanks, Jerry!)

Faith, Kayley and Katie with Sarah in the background.

Of course, it wasn't all work.  There were plenty of times for fun too. 

The work was completed in time for the final service with the team.  It was great to be able to worship together on the new floor with a completed roof overhead. We know the church in La Paz Centro will grow even more having this new building.  We hope to hear soon that the walls have been put up so the building can be completed.

Beautiful views of volcanos in Lake Managua.

KC Central Team

Thanks to the KC Central team for working so hard!  You all did a wonderful job!

And next week, we'll tell you more about the other mission projects that the team was involved in (Children's events, Women's workshops, Jesus Film showings, compassionate ministries projects, etc...)

One more thing...the kids went back to school today.  It was hard to get up and get going so early after having a month off, but I am hoping for good reports when they arrive later this afternoon.  Thanks for all your prayers.  We appreciate you!

The Webb Family
David, Shelley, Joshua and Kayley