Presentation Day

Today was the first day since we have been here that I didn't bounce in the back seat of the 4-wheel drive vehicle to get to the new site for Promesa, it was the first time all week that I didn't climb up and down the sides of mountains over 11,500 feet in elevation, it was a day for pulling all the work that had been done in the past week together and preparing for a presentation to the Pastors of the local churches who are the leaders of Promesa.

The team of 13 architects, engineers, surveyors, and construction managers spent this day combining the information, challenging one another and supporting one another.  It was brought up a few times that these eMi trips become a wonderful example of the body of Christ.  We all come to the table with different backgrounds, different giftings, different interests and different ideas.  But we also come with a common calling.  We are all there because we know that Christ called us to this work.  And so we set aside all the things that separate us in the professional work world and we experience unity in the body.  Isn't that Christ vision of the Church?  Why do we have to travel halfway around the world and live with strangers for a week to experience this?

Hard at work - in the homestretch

Enjoying some pastries at a local
Panaderia

It has been a wonderful week with a wonderful group of men and women.


Here is one of the graphics that we used with the ministry this evening to show what the school could look like at build out.

Thank you for all of you who have been following this adventure and covering our team with prayer.  We have had a wonderful trip, and it has been awesome to get to spend a little bit of time with some of the Quechua kids.

Deep into Design

It seems like the days are getting longer each day that we are here in Peru.  Doesn't have to do with the season, but more a function of the amount of work to be done.

The site that we are Master Planning for a new school that at full build out will have a capacity of around 1,000 kids is a 35 acre site that is very steep with multiple valleys intersecting the site.

From the dirt road at the bottom of the picture above, we are working on laying out a new road that would provide access to the grove of trees that looks like it is kind of glowing.   That grove is about an acre in size and is about the flattest land on the whole site (18% slope!).

The access into the land and the slope of the land are the greatest design challenges that the team is tackling this week.

Today, we will wonder into an artisan market here in Cusco and enjoy some of the local excitement.  After that, we will be trying to get the design wrapped up so that we can present to the ministry Saturday night.

On Wednesday, some of our team visited Machu Picchu, and a handfull of us spent the day in Cusco.  Here are a couple pictures from that day.

in the Plaza de Armas

Yummy meat market!

Team members John Pillar and Anita Wong

Bill Tatum sharing some of the conceptual plan with the ministry.

Praises:  

• On going health and safety.  Our team continues to be healthy and safe!
• As the team works more and more together, great relationship are being built

Prayer requests:

• Today should be the final field day.  Pray that the survey equipment cooperates (we have had some issues) and that the field crew can collect the necessary information.
• The late nights and long work days are starting to wear on the team.  Pray for excellent sleep when it is time to sleep, and alertness when it is time to be awake.
• Pray that when it comes time to communicate the teams vision of the Master Plan to the ministry that we can clearly communicate through the language barrier.
• Pray for the family that we all left at home.  They have been missing their family for a week now.  Our families miss us and are ready for us to be home.  Pray for God's grace for our families.