How To Build A House 101

Monday, November 19th

Ntshongweni, South Africa

Eleven saint from Christ Lutheran Church, Phoenix, Arizona

The foundation had been laid, the team arrives and Gogo (Grandmother) Florance is thrilled that the long awaited day has arrived.

Group photo

My ministry partner Ginger Taff leads us in a praise song.

I've know Gogo Florance for a long time, the world's sweetest woman currently raising 12 orphans.

Drew West, the project leader explains how to build a house.

It begins with cinder block.  Lots and lots and lots of blocks.

Very heavy blocks, so we line up and pass them up the slight incline towards the foundation.

Set in piles three wide and four high

Pastor Thwala arrives on sight.

This team has worked together on many building projects.  From Left Pastor Frank, Bob Funk, Pastor Thwala, Drew West and Fioni the local builder.

Ready, set, build.

The supplies were stored in the families existing home.

First mix 6 wheelbarrow loads of sand, add 3 bags of cement, add water and gently mix.

This is hard - difficult work.  This mixture is very heavy.

Four shovels resting in the mortar.

 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb,^[a] with a plumb line^[b] in his hand.  And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”

“A plumb line,” I replied.
Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; 
Amos 7:7-8

Tea time... this was a British colony after all.

With the mortar plopped on the floor, the work begins with 'buttering' the end of the cinder block with a healthy dose of mortar.

Seventeen year olds Natalie and Georgia are the butter-ers.

We all begin in one corner, then one team takes the back wall and the other takes the side wall. 

This is a hard working, experienced crew.

Heidi Frank has come to South Africa many times to build houses for the orphans :)

She knows exactly what she is doing and does it without stopping.

Working quickly through the mortar and time to mix more.

The wall is raising.  I felt like Nehemiah.

Working up an appetite.  Catered lunch of wonderful sandwiches.

Creative ... a house built with love.

Getting the corners exact.  Getting the walls exact.

This woman is a childhood friend on Gogo Florance and came to help out.  She owns a tuck shop and brought us 4 bottles of soda to share.

What a wonderful friend.

Me, Gogo Florance and her dear friend Joyce.

The last corner is set perfectly.

Four o'clock and one tired crew - 7 cinder blocks high on two walls.  Not bad for the first day.

End of day one and God saw that it was good.