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)

30th June 2010

I wonder if I could encourage you 'register' as a follower of this blog. It is good to know that folk are reading the blog.
On the right-hand side of the page you will see a button 'Follow'... just click on it and follow the prompts.

Also, don't be shy about 'comment'ing, or asking questions. At the end of each posting you will see the word 'comments' - just click on it, a text box will appear, and you type in whatever you want to say - easy!

30th June 2010

OK - you can breathe again!!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon Bishop Rubin had a meeting with Bill van Dongen (our Churchwarden), regarding other parish business, and passed on all the submission documents and plans which he had signed. We are on our way!

Now we need to get the docs to Angela (the architect) so that she can prepare them for the Muncipality (the plans need to be coloured in).
Over the weekend Mike Jahnig will sign the engineering sections.
And then the whole lots goes into the Municipality for approval.
There are varying stories about how long approval takes, but apparently permission to start the earthworks can be given quickly.
Now we lots of prayer please!

Meanwhile out on the site things are happening fast.
Peter Berkely is doing a great job moving forward with the preliminary stuff - ordering the storage and accomodation containers and supervising the three youngsters who are clearing the grass and scrub from the building site. We have bought a new 'Springkaan' - a three wheeled industrial mower which chows through the undergrowth with amazing speed - and with this and the bush-cutter the site will soon be cleared.
Peter also discovered that heavy-duty paving blocks were being sold off at a local development site at a fraction of their normal cost, so bought 400 sq. metres of them ... it all makes savings!
Rob Wacher is erecting the electric fence and has reached more-or-less the half-way mark.

Financially, we are so humbled as folk drop off cheques and make deposits into our bank account.
How the Lord is blessing us!
Please pray that we keep our eyes on Him and that every cent is spent in the way He wants it spent.

Please keep the Project Team in your prayers - John Cook, Angela Plekker, Peter Berkeley and Keith Duane.

25th June 2010

Submission documents safely delivered to the Diocesan office.
Tracy, the Bishop's secretary, will call when they have been signed - Monday/Tuesday?

24th June 2010

So here we are bowling along at a good pace!
The fence is being erected the normal cost and that is moving smootly.
Peter heard that the 400 sq. meters of pavers at the site of Seaton Delaval were up for grabs at 25% of their cost, so we have invested in them for the 'skirts' of the building.

John Cook has been spending time with Angela Plekker preparing all the submission documents for the Municipality. Tomorrow they will be taken to the Bishop's office for signature, and next week they will be submitted.

It is coming together!
Keep trusting!
Unless the Lord builds the house ....