Amazing Mountain Scenary

Going home from our village, we pass through a well-known deep and beautiful valley. Amazing sweet potato fields grown on sheer cliffsides, gorges waterfalls and lush forest.

A local friend and my 3 carpenters

On the far left is a local friend that goes on all my hikes with me (Yoshua is the Christian name he took.), and my 3 carpenters.

Our new super - duper trail

Nothing like a ditch-lined trail to keep feet dry from my house to the local evangelists' houses. And even better is that on either side is an extensive garden that is just now getting underway. We have shipped in all kinds of fruits and vegetable seeds and this, hopefully, will improve the local health within a few years.

The frame of our house

Much progress in a short time facing many adverse conditions.

In June we started. Had to cut wood and let the wood dry for 6-8 weeks. In August the work REALLY got started. I have tried to delegate; using a team of 6, with a manager on the coast. Still this is at least like a heavy part-time job.

Now, the house is over half done and 80% paid for and will be almost totally complete when we move there in December, only finer furniture, chairs and shelves will remain to be completed (and I want my workers to rest before they do this finer work that is more essential to our everyday enjoyment - who wants to sit on a splintery bench and try to work?.


The nearest aistrip has been 2 full day's walk away, and now that strip is closed due to water-damage, so that the nearest strip is now 4 days walk away --so I have to wait on heli transport to get most supplies in. The heli schedule is not always accomodating. Plus, my family has been sick this month. In short, challenges remain high, but progress hasbeen good.

House progress - temporary house

Even our temporary house is getting a few improvements - as the tables, our son's little school desk, zinc roofing replacing the thatching, and our large front porch attest to.

Aerial Shots of our house in progress

Floor is on.

Roof is on.

Some trails to the river are cut as well as trails to other houses. The garden area is cut and burned off and will be ready to plant soon, some areas already have bananas and various fruits and vegetables that I brought in.

You can plainly see where a future airstrip will be located beside the village too.

A newsletter will come out soon - email me for more info.