House Building

 House Building in Nicaragua...
It's a different program than in the U.S. The property in these pictures was bought a couple years ago. It's on a pine tree covered hilltop on the edge of Cusmapa. The clearing has a foot path going though it that many of the local farmers use to get to their fields down the hill about a mile.

On the one hand, one might say that all the people are crossing "my" property and be irritated. In God's economy, He has set up a continuous flow of encounters with the very people He wants to reach.

The top picture shows Fatima in the center, holding a niece. Three of her sisters are alongside and my oldest daughter Ellie as well.

Tom and Fatima's boys and my son Timmy are running up the hill playing army. Interestingly enough, this was one of the same routes that was used in the Revolutionary War in the 1970's.

The area around Cusmapa is the only part of Nicaragua that Pine trees grow. It's also the highest elevation town. There is a local craft business making baskets from bundles of pine needles. I'll try and get a picture up soon of one.

 Today that clearing has become Fatima's garden. Her Stepdad, Alfredo, and a friend of his did a lot of work to get the soil in shape for planting. He is a farmer for his work. The main crops in Cusmapa are corn, beans and coffee. he is a master at all of them.

The garden is coming along nicely!!! In the future, the hope is that other women will want to learn gardening and work with Fatima on it. It will be a good ministry opportunity to share Jesus.
It was surprising to me that very few people have any kind of garden at their home. There might be a tomato plant here or there, but not enough to feed a family. When I asked Dona Lupe about it, she said people would steal from anything growing at home. Plus the town water system is different. There is a big tank of water at the top of the hill. The town is  divided into zones and each zone gets water 1 - 2x a week, usually.

This is how lumber is made in Cusmapa.There is very little wood for commercial lumber and its quite expensive. Tom got permission to cut down a few of the trees on his property and the boards are made by chain saw. then they are stacked carefully to dry.

 This is Tom's cement mixer that he bought to build the school in Nagarote. That's right, all the cement work is done one bucket full at a time. There just isn't the availability of cement trucks that we are used to. Maybe in Managua, the capital.
Tom gets the gravel and sand brought to Cusmapa by flatbed truck. Then hauled by oxcart up to the property.

Tom's crew is mostly Fatima's brothers. This is one of them cutting brick. The brick is hauled in the same way as the cement. The road from Somoto used to resemble a logging road. It was about a 2 1/2 - 3 hour trip to go 20 miles. This year the government is bricking the road so maybe the going will be a bit easier. But it's very steep. The first time we went in on the bus I don't think the driver ever got out of 2nd gear.

Here is the house so far. This level will have a long room for their living room and church services. Plus a kitchen, office and bathroom. It will be one of the only homes with indoor plumbing.