After a two hour drive and a quick tour of the village, we started work Thursday at noon with a cleared site and  eight prefabricated concrete blocks.

Thursday noon

By the time we broke for dinner at 5:30 the frame was constructed and we, the roofing team, had most of our pieces measured and cut.

Thurs2

An 8:30 start in the relative coolness of Friday morning enabled us to make some real progress before lunch.

Friday1

By the end of the day, in spite of a break for a heavy downpour mid afternoon, we definitely had a house taking shape and had even begun the roofing. There is a kitchen with built-in cupboards, a living area, two bedrooms and a verandah, it is really quite spacious.

Fri2

On Saturday we began again at 8:30 and worked straight through until we celebrated the placement of the  final cap on the roof at 2:00 p.m.

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Sadly we had to leave early to make the drive north but we were on target to finish by the end of the day. The team had the painting well in hand, the doors were ready to hang and the interior walls were partially clad in plywood. It was really rewarding to look back at our little house in the forest as we made our way to the car, knowing that at least Juri and his family have a safe place to live.

Finishedintrees

We know that this is a long way from the type of holistic community development that we would like to see happening but it is a start and we are so grateful for the relationships that are beginning to develop.