I am living and working in Uganda with Amazima Ministries, but my eyes are set on eternity.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Friday, March 18, 2011




It seems by the end of the day my brain is non-functioning which makes creative blogging difficult. I'm sure my brother will have some comment about how even fully rested my brain is only partially functioning so I'm going to preempt him.



We have completed the chapel! It took a bit longer than anticipated, but I should have learned by now to anticipate that my anticipations will be inaccurate. Ha what a horrible sentence.





A few details on the building process (not sure anybody will find any of this interesting, but here ya go):
-the slope of the land made the top side about 5 feet higher than the bottom which means filling which a ton of dirt. We had to bring in about 12 dump trucks full and wheelbarrow it all into the center, wetting it and packing as we went.
-We used 7,000 bundles of grass on the roof
-Each brick cost $0.04 and are homemade in the village; one of the boys we have been working with and teaching has saved his money and started his own brick making business where he rented a small plot of land and hired two others to make bricks for him.
-We used a final plaster coat of cement to make all the walls and floors nice and smooth. Basically it is cement without the gravel and applied at a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
-We didn't paint any of the walls cause we don't want to present ourselves as big and fancy. Perceptions to the locals is constantly on our mind.
-The poles used on the roof and for supports are eucalyptus poles, but we are not blessed with the cute Koala bears that most associate with the tree.
-We can fit over 400 children inside the building (probably closer to 600 if we seat them Ugandan style. By Ugandan style I mean on top of each other. Personal space doesn't exist here so much)
-We had the 10 young men (8 from the playground project and 2 new ones), 2 experienced construction workers, and my foreman Sam working on the project
-It took us about 2 and 1/2 months to complete the chapel construction





After finishing the roof we found that the span was a bit too far for the poles and the ones in the middle had been pushed out about 1/8 of an inch from the weight on the. This doesn't seem like much, but it is a major concern for the longevity of the building.

I had my trusted welder make us some beams with plates in the middle that we could bolt together to draw the poles back into position. We then reinforced the roof with poles running lengthwise to keep them from again pulling apart. Praise God it all worked out. I am now confident in the structural integrity of the building which is kinda important.




Here are some completed photos of the children enjoying the solace from the intense Ugandan sun. The project turned out marvelously and will open so many doors for future missions opportunities in the community. We are dreaming up so many different ways to use the building and excited to see how God is glorified through it.




5 comments:

  1. The chapel looks great - the construction facts were very interesting (really!). I'm glad everything turned out well and am excited to hear how God is using the new building! : )

    ReplyDelete
  2. Incredible. Thanks for sharing the pictures and notes, Brad!! We can hardly wait (so I guess it's good we don't have much choice) :-) to hear the good news of how God receives additional glory through your work and this beautiful project! Seeing the children inside is already pretty emotional. Just praising God . . .

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bradley my husband and I stopped by Amazima on a Saturday with our team that was volunteering at Sonrise Baby Home. As we waited to meet Katie, who was waking napping girls...you chatted with us. There was something special about you, something remarkable in a brother in Christ who was serving the Lord so beautifully that left quite an impression. As two do-it-yourself folk with backgrounds in engineering we enjoyed every word you spoke about the playground project and were in awe of what God was doing through you and the young men on your team. Now, to read about and "see" the chapel is so glorious, producing a heart-filling praise of our Jesus for what He is doing through you and for our brothers and sisters in Uganda. Just wanted to rejoice with you! Also, before a year has passed since our meeting (this July) we will be returning to Jinja to bring home our children. A son (3) and a daughter (5) who the Lord has chosen to bring into our forever family. We are so excited and give God all the glory.
    johnsonfamily-outoftheboat.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. It looks amazing, Brad! Such a blessing to all the children. Rejoicing with you!

    Blessings,
    The Patzers

    ReplyDelete