The BEFORE part of "Before and After"

Hey all...well, sorry I have not written in months...it seems I forgot I had a blog. Well, not really... but busyness is more like it. Anyhow...I would like to fill you in on some projects that we are doing here in the month of July. We (Mil Palmeras) are hosting two summer teams from the US. During their time here they will be doing several small home projects. I would like to show you the "before" pictures as well as the "after" pictures - once the projects are complete. There are nine projects in all - here are two of the nine.

The people who own these homes are poor - dirt poor. Most have handicaps and some sort of disabilities.

Margarita:

About five years ago she was sitting in her house when a truck plowed through her living room and severely injured her. Leaving her paralyzed from the waist down and with out the use of her (mangled) left arm. She lives in a 10x15 foot house with and son and a daughter. Her kitchen is on the back porch (or where a back porch should be). The kitchen area is 5x10 feet (10 being the width of the house). The bathroom is an outhouse with two thin wood strips for the wheelchair to pull up and in. The shower (no pic) is several sticks in the ground with bean bags sown together for privacy - all that coupled with a open sewage drainage ditch just beyond the bathroom and shower area - that actually floods during rainy season and gets within 5 feet of the house...nice huh?

During this project we are attempting to:

1. Give her a wooden floor for a kitchen area.

2. Replace the roof over the kitchen.

3. Build a walkway/ramp from the kitchen to the bathroom/shower.

4. Build a accessible bathroom and shower for her.

Some pictures:

Kitchen area and roof.

The outhouse with wheelchair boards.

Mario:

Mario was in an auto accident that burned 60% of his body and crushed his legs. He needs a walker or wheelchair to get around. His wife is also mentally handicapped. Their house is leaning about 15 degrees and we are going to try to straighten the house and make it upright. ALSO - they own the piece of property they are on, but have a small problem. Because they are handicapped - and because there was a small space available from their house to the fence - someone "squatted" on that piece of property (becuase they can't defend themselves) and built a house (yes, your read correctly). On each of the 9 projects (six with this first team and three with the 2nd team) I am placing men from the church to be responsible for a house. I just so happen to have a lawyer that wanted to help with this house...so, Lord willing justice will soon be served...AND, their house will be a better place to live.

If you look you can see the house leaning to the left.

Here is another pic - house leaning to the left.

Also...the little house in front before the fence is not theirs!

Will post more pics as the projects are finished!

Thanks for reading!

Marshall

Took one on the chin today...

Hey there...well, nothing like news happening in your life to make the blog post! And, I wish this was going to be good news...but, that is life sometimes.

I love swimming and the Lord has blessed me to be able to have several swim classes throughout the week. On Monday and Friday mornings I do swim lessons with a missionary family who is home schooling their children. So, this morning...I showed up at 9:30 and had class till about 11 or so. Today's class was probably the hardest I have pushed the kids. They are age 10, 8, and 7. They did great...and I walked away thinking that was a great class. I walked out to my truck (not even 15 feet from the entrance to the place) and the drivers side lock is missing.....oh no!

Yep, I was robbed. They got my back pack (which I normally take into any establishment that I go into). They got my wallet (the wallet I have had since I was 15). Inside was $60, my credit card, debit card, peruvian drivers license, and my florida one as well. Also, a book that was borrowed (Same Kind of Different as Me (if you have not read this...it is a good one!)). And, I lost my leatherman...as I just had put it in my backpack the night before. (My credit and debit cards were canceled in time and new ones are on the way). THEY DID NOT get my peruvian carnet as it was at my house...and I had a copy in my wallet!

Soooo.....yep, I am pretty mad...and am actually lucky I did not see the guy doing it. On the flip side though....from the first moment I saw it...I was just flooded with this peace...and was really surprised at how calm I was.

Pray for him/her...whoever. Theft here is HUGE...and its almost not worth having anything cuz it is just gonna grow legs and walk away.

Pic 1 of lock missing on door...

Pic 2 of lock missing on door....

Pray for thieves!!

Marshall

Mil Palmeras Baptism Feb 2010

Two posts in one day! Can you believe it???

Mil Palmeras had it's annual baptism at Cashibo Cocha yesterday among some rain and biting piranhas! Praise the Lord for the 22 who came forth and were baptized!!!

Below are some photos:

All four Mil Palmeras Pastors in the water with the first baptism.

Artulo leaving the baptism area...

Marcos getting baptized...

The church family watching the baptism...

Miguel had to step out because his finger was nipped by a piranha...

The group that was baptized - notice my hands are OUT of the water!!!

Thank you!

Keep praying for us!

Marshall

First Official Social Project for Mil Palmeras

Hi all! Sorry it has been a while since my last post, but I'm back with two posts this time! First off I want to talk about our first social project that we did this past weekend (Sat Feb 20, 2010). About four months ago I was made aware of an elderly lady (Gloria) whose house burnt to the ground. As a church we decided to help her and moved to get her at least a roof over her head.

The pics below are from that project in October.

I am in charge of social projects for Mil Palmeras. This was our first "official" social project for our church. We had about ten guys that showed up and gave their time. We purchased the wood and nails needed and showed up Saturday eager to work. The following pics are from this Saturday where we returned to Gloria's house and built her a floor for inside her home.

The beginning - making post holes!

Cross beams in place and now laying down the floor!

Gloria, her two grand daughters and a neighborhood friend!

Getting it done!

Final touches!

Group shot!

Thank you for reading about and looking at pictures from our first official social project!

Marshall