Wow. All I can say is that we are blown away by all that God has allowed us to accomplish in the past three weeks since announcing we were starting New Roots!
Nick and I bought an acre of land and started construction right away. We set the goal of having all of phase 1 complete in 3-4 weeks. But there was something that could potentially hold this up. Money. When we first decided to start New Roots, Nick and I agreed that we would invest $10,000 of our own money into Phase 1. Nick and I believe in the work we do here in Haiti and felt confident in investing this way. We knew this money would allow us to get started, but would not be enough to finish the project. However, within a week we had raised all the money needed to complete Phase 1! We cannot even begin to explain what a blessing and stress relief this was to both of us.
Nick and his crew have been working HARD for the past 3 weeks. They have been working 12+ hour days 7 days a week. They are getting tired, but the end is in sight. We are only a few days away from moving in, and then they will all be able to take a much needed break before we begin working on Phase 2.
There have been 4 main projects happening out on the property at this point.
1: Clearing the Land
Our property was previously a sugar cane field, and sugar cane is planted in mounds. Our property was so rough that you could hardly walk on it. A group of 10 older men from the community spent 6 days clearing and flattening out the land with their hoes! The whole time they talked, sang, and laughed, excited to have a few days worth of work!
2: Front Perimeter wall
The second project was to build a front perimeter wall. This will offer both privacy and security. You see, our family is a bit of a skeptical here and children and adults alike find it entertaining to simple watch us. In addition we need to ensure that all of our assets stay on the property. This wall will help with that!
3: Dig a Well
A big hold up during the first few weeks of construction was water. Our well had not yet been dug and therefore we had to hire between 3-12 women every day to haul water from the near by creek. They graciously walked the 200 yards multiple times a day with 5 gallon buckets on their heads. These women are much stronger than I ever will be and amaze me more than I can say! When the water container was full, these women could be found completing other projects such as tying rebar!
It took longer than expected, as do most things in Haiti, but we do finally have water! Life Water of Canada was able to drill a well for us. The found water at 80 feet. We will install a reverse osmosis system to ensure that the water is safe for consumption. This water will not only nourish our family, but will also be given to guests, program participants, and employees, as well as used for irrigation of our farm. In addition, we would like to eventually pipe the water outside our gate so that we can provide clean drinking water to our community.
4: Build a Guest Residence
The fourth and biggest project we have been working on is building the Guest Residence. This is a 600 sq foot home built out of block with an A frame roof. There will be 2 bedrooms inside as well as a shared bathroom and kitchen. Our hope is that the guests who come stay in this home will bless our ministries and employees greatly during their time with New Roots! The Guest Residence is on track for being completed this week!
Our family is so excited and eager to live out on the New Roots Campus. We are confident that this is exactly where God wants us. We have already seen his hand at work in providing for the safety of our crew and bringing the right people alongside to partner with us in his work.
Stay tuned for even more exciting updates!
