12th July 2010 - The project team

Here is the team -
Rob (author), Peter Berkley (site manager), Angela Plekker (architect), John Cook (project leader) and Keith Duane (finance)

12th July 2010 - Turning the first sod

This morning we turned the first sod.
Sadly Bishop Rubin was unable to be with us.
We (about 30 of us) enjoyed the time of prayer and blessing and digging out the first sod near the foot of the rugged cross.
The spot we chose was approximately where the altar in the Phase 1 church will be. Here is one of the prayers we prayed -
Almighty God, the heavens cannot contain you, yet you are pleased to dwell in the midst of your people, and, through your Holy Spirit, you have moved us to set apart a space on which to build a house of prayer.
Accept and bless the work which we have now begun, that it may be brought to completion to the honour and glory of your Holy Name
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.
After the service and photographs we escaped out of the wintry wind into the offices and enjoyed coffee and muffins, thanks to the Waterberry.

9th July 2010 - IMPORTANT INVITATION

You are invited to join us on Monday morning at 8.00am for prayer on the new site.

The earth-moving machinery is due to start work once the surveyor - Rohan Kullin has completed laying out the pegs.

Bishop Rubin will be joining us for the prayers and will symbolically "turn the first sod".

8th July 2010 - Look what arrived today!

Now we are getting closer to the exciting part!

8th July 2010

Yesterday the site was a hive of activity!
The containers arrived and were placed in their locations.
There are two containers - one is located at the top of the site, near where all the building will happen. It is to be the accomodation container for the members of the builder's team who will live on site during the building operation to act as guards for all the material that will be on site.
The other container is located between the rectory and the offices and will be a storage container to be used as a change-room for - the men clearing the grounds, the gardeners, and the guys who are going to start making the loffelstein-type bricks for supporting the banks. We are planning to run a hosepipe to the container and fit a sink so that the men will be able to wash at the end of their working day. Two porta-loos are also going to be delivered to the site.

Meanwhile our very own vegatable ministry, run by Denis Fortune, is well underway in front of the rectory. Ground has been cleared and the soil turned in preparation for the planting of seeds. Denis is planning to use about an acre of ground to grow vegetable for sale to church members.

The electric fence has been completed and today, after the final connections were made, has been 'energised'.

The young men clearing the ground have been working very hard cutting down weeds and brush. There are piles lying drying ready to be burnt when they are dry.

Peter B really is doing a great job getting all the preliminaries done.

Angela has been trying to 'energise' the Muncipality into giving permission to start the earthworks - but to no avail ... yet.
Peter has asked Rohan Kullin, the surveyor, to come and mark out the platform for us, which he will do early next week.
Nigel Slevin is due to bring his machinery on site on Monday (12th).

As you can see we are 'poised for action'!

6th July 2010 - Letter to the Muncipality

I am posting this in full as it tells that things really ARE happening!

Dear Njabulo

UMHLALI ANGLICAN CHURCH – plan no 10/07/580

Permission to Start Earthworks

With regard to our conversation earlier today, please find above the Plan number for the submission which was lodged on Monday this week - 5 July 2010.

We are hoping the council can assist us by allowing us to commence with the earthworks portion of the project. Since our earlier meeting in Feb this year, the rezoning has been finalized, and now we have been able to formally submit the plans.

As discussed we are still hopeful of getting greatly reduced earthworks rates from one of the church parishioners. This is Nigel Slevin, who is still working in the near vicinity, but is expecting to have to relocate his plant shortly. Your assistance in this regard will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Angela Plekker
EWALD PLEKKER ARCHITECTS

4th July 2010

The final submission document was signed by Mike Jahnig at lunchtime.
Tomorrow we will submit to the Municipality.

(Today we met our new Rector and his wife - Peter and Clare Houston - they will be starting in the parish on 1st April 2011)