Building the Pastor's House!
Pastor Chipasha lays final row of blocks.
Foundation Nears Completion
[MORE PHOTOS BELOW]
5 December 2012
Septic tank and sewer lines are being dug. Cement blocks have nearly all been laid. Weather is good, allowing work to proceed quickly.
Phases of building project:
Phase 1 - Foundation Base - Cost $1500 - Complete
Phase 2 - Complete Foundation, Concrete Slab - $2150 (Backfill, $750; Slab, $1000; Labor, $400)
Phase 3 - Framing - estimate $4500
Phase 4 - Roofing
Phase 5 - Interior Finish
Phase 6 - Furnishings
Challenge: Gabriel estimates the total amount required to be about US $25,000. To contribute, click on the button.
1 November 2012
The foundation is partially complete, as you can see from the photos. The work is proceeding, and Phase 1 will be complete in one or two weeks.
1 October 2012
In September 2012 Pastor Gabriel told Grace Notes sponsors that he would lose the plot he had purchased as a homestead, unless he were able to make some kind of improvement on the property. To satisfy the legal requirements, he needed $1500 to pay for the first phase of building, laying a foundation for a house.
At the time there were no funds for this, but on October 1, a Christian believer gave a grace gift of $1500, designated for getting the foundation built! We transmitted this immediately to Gabriel; it didn't take him long to spend it! :-)
Gabriel began work immediately. He was in a hurry because he wanted to have the foundation laid before the November rains in Zambia. He engaged a brother minister, Pastor Silvester Chipasha, to design and build the foundation. He also recruited several young men to help, students from the Bwacha High School, who wanted to earn money to pay their school fees.
It will be much less expensive for the Nsofwa's
to own their own home than to pay rent.
[Family Photos]
Also, they will no longer be dependent on the whims of a landlord
(laws for renters are very relaxed). The house Gabriel and Ruth have
now is in the Mine district of Kabwe, which is very polluted. The new
location is several miles north, in an area with much fewer health
hazards. There will be more room for the family of seven; and Gabriel
will have a small office space for church and Bible College work.
Silvester Chipasha is pastor of the Tabernacle River of Salvation Church, in the Nakoli Township of Kabwe. He is a student at Grace Bible College of Kabwe. The young workers are Christian teenage students at Bwacha High School. They are orphans, and they need this work to help pay their school fees. Pastor Nsofwa visits this school every month to preach the gospel at assemblies. Contributions to this project are a direct benefit to all who are working here.
Project Photos (will be updated as work progresses)
Sylvester Chipasha sets blocks... |
...one block at a time |
Septic Tank and Sewer Lines Started |
Foundation Progress |
Pastor Chipasha Designs Foundation |
Gabriel and Silvester Prepare Materials |
Gabriel prepares concrete ... |
... heads back for another load. |
Bwacha High students mix concrete ... |
... then make a pour. |