Our summer is just around the corner. The air is changing, becoming dryer, but we are still having rain in the afternoons. Soon we won’t have any for six months and when it returns, it will be welcomed once again.
Rodney and I had a busy but wonderful three weeks in Maine. We were able to visit family, clean out Rodney’s dad’s apartment and have many times of sharing about Harvest Hands and planning for the future. We thank you all for the wonderful prayers that we received and the times spent with us!
I would like to share with you a little about one of our exciting future plans.
We have recently had the privilege of getting to know a church in San Filipe (near Alajuelita). CCA (Center of Christian Praise) is only about 15 minutes from the Harvest Hands house. This church is bustling with the life of Jesus. It has a school of about 300 students. It has two drug rehabs, a nursing home, a soup kitchen, a bakery and several other businesses that it has started, in order to help people in the community to have jobs.
Another awesome thing that this church does, that we are going to participate in, is that they build homes for the needy. There are many organizations that do this. However, there is a special manner that this is done here.
There is a small community called Jasmin. Here is a barrio of extremely poor squatters. Most of the homes do not have indoor plumbing and many have to walk a long distance to get their water. Their homes are shacks on the side of a mountain, which overlooks san Jose. It is impossible to even bring a car there at this time of year.
CCA is building homes for the people in this community, starting with those with the most need. These homes are built in panels, at the church, and are trucked to the site. Teams come and construct these homes in a week’s time! And the most wonderful thing is that one home costs only $3,500. And if these homes have to be moved, they can simply be unscrewed, put on flatbeds and moved to a different location. They were designed by a man who was homeless and who now works for the church.
Can you imagine the final moment when there is a celebration? The house is prayed over by all. And the family is then presented a new Bible and the keys to their new home!
We look forward to learning how this is done, so that we can do it here in Los Anonos. We have two, possibly three teams coming in 2009 to construct homes in Jasmin. What a blessing it will be!
I’ve included some photos here of Jasmin and of one of the homes that has already been built.
Blessings to All!
Rodney and Cindy
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thinking of you...
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