Mocuba Center Update

The Mocuba Training Center Construction Project is underway. Belarmino and Juka sent us some photographs that I think help you understand the process a little bit.

In this first photo, you can see the workers in their morning 'plan-of-the-day' meeting which includes Bible Study and prayer. They meet under this temporary shelter that provides badly needed shade. You cannot imagine how strong

the sun is. Note the staged block in the background brought in by wheel barrow from the main road (will explain in later photo!).

The next series of photographs show the well drilling attempts with the equipment we are using. This equipment is capable of penetrating rock layers but their experience tells them that if we have hit rock at 60 meters, there is not alot of point of trying to penetrate it - need a better location because most wells in the area hit water at about 40 meters.

This equipment is very similar to the equipment we used to drill our well at Picoco, where we had to penetrate a rock later to hit water.

The banana trees in the background are the edge of the property - the trees are actually on our land. The corn behind them is not - well a few plants are, but only a few.

This photo shows the time of prayer and celebration as the first stone (the cornerstone!) is laid for the project.



"Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.'" 1 Pe 2:6

Jesus is our true cornerstone.

In the background, you can see the new road coming in to the project site. That is also a "Praise the Lord" as we've been negotiating for that road for a long time and now we can bring the supplies directly to the land instead of wheel-barrowing them from the road adjacent to the trees in the background.

These other photos show the general progress of the foundation and walls of the first building. It is progressing well. We are a tad over 1/2 way through our funding right now, mainly because we're paying for water to be brought in and we've stock-piled materials that are being used for construction. It seems about where we should be although we are finding construction is a bit more there than in Maputo because we have to truck the supplies in from Nampula and Quelimane, which adds quite a bit of transport costs. I am not worried just yet as this is normal on construction projects; you spend more in the first period of the work.

This last photo is Belarmino's son, Junior, who just started walking! This is their first child in over 19 years and they are thrilled beyond measure at this blessing in their lives.

Blessings on this Easter.

Dave & Ann

"If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty." 1 Cor 15:12

"...they [two angels at the tomb of Jesus] said to them [the women who went to the tomb and found it empty], "why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen...." Luke 24:5-7

He is risen indeed...