Building update

Here are photos that Grant Haun and others have sent to me recently... They speak of all the progress still taking place at UCBC, which is for the students!

It's incredible to see how much has been done to the buildings, since I left in July. And I can't wait to see it all in person, when I return soon! Enjoy the photos :)

This first photo shows how the construction workers actually build up the walls... The wood slabs and sticks are scaffolding. The bucket in the hands of the man in the middle, holds concrete, the mortar for the bricks.

This second photo shows the men lifting up the braces for the roofing of the Welcome Center. 

This is not easy work!

Here is a close-up of the work those men did on the structure of this building!

The next several photos show different views of the Community Center... And the progress that is being made!

To think we were breaking ground for this very building at the beginning of November, 2008! That was when we started to dig the foundation... In December the first of the foundation went it. January and February of 2009, we started building up the walls... And in July they were preparing the floor for concrete!

To see this building nearly ready for classes for this Academic year is incredible! And so exciting! I love to see how God provides... He really is providing and at the perfect time as well.  Without this building, we would not have the needed classroom space for all of our current students and their different faculties of study, not to mention the new class of 60 students coming in this year!

 Here is the Community Center with the first Academic Building in the background on the far right.

This is inside the Community Center... Concrete floors and students holding classes already! Notice that the windows aren't finished yet, and neither is the door. But there are walls and a floor, not to mention the roofing is up! So the students meet in this new classroom, which is a whole lot better than meeting on the outside porch (where they had been).

The back side of the Community Center (this was taken less than two weeks after the ones above)... Can you notice the changes made in that amount of time? Compare to the sixth photo above! :)

Here is an inside view of the roofing and braces for our new building.

And this is a view of the hallway inside the Community Center...

We are doing this Community Center in two stages. The first is the more practical side. When this phase is completed, it will have 16 classrooms and offices. But this is only for one half of the building. The second is the "community," part. We will be building an auditorium that will seat 1,600 people! In addition, there will be a radio station on the top section of the building. This hallway will divide the building into two - separating the classrooms from the auditorium. For now, it will just be a hallway connecting all of the rooms and offices.

There is the Community Center. Still under construction... But making progress and creating the chance for dreams to become reality for the people of the DR Congo.

With love,
Bethany