DIOCESE OF AITAPE CHURCH BUILDING PROGRAM

	News report No. 21 December 2003 Diocese of Aitape P O Box 179 Aitape Sandaun Province Papua New Guinea Ph +675 8572146 fax +675 8572156
Aitape Haus Lotu Projects

Introduction:
Welcome to the last report for 2003. This is the twenty first report in the Church Building program for the month of December 03. Progress throughout 2002 established agreements with all of the sub parishes, and saw work started at Amu, and plans in progress for the other nine buildings to be built. This year we collected gravel for Arop1, Arop2, and Pou and began work at Arop1, and Pou. At Amu this month, we completed the work on the concrete floor, at Arop1 the work on preparing and lifting up the frames was completed, and at Pou the foundations are almost complete and the walkabout saw is continuing its work cutting for the Pou Church. Design work was started on the Barupu and the Sissano churches with help from a Lae consultant.

Photo 1 Work on the Pou church: This photo shows the foundations for the Pou church. A new type of foundation is used here for this 'A' frame design.

During this month, the site drains for the Barupu church were dug (see photos 2,3 below).

At Barapu (photos2 and 3), the swamp has been cleared and drained. An army of volunteers from five different ministry parish groups with as many as 150 people present, came to help dig drains and cut bush. Photo 4 left, shows the finished cement floor at the Amu church. The local workers put in some long hard hours to finish off the 400m2 concrete floor so that it would be ready for their Mass at Christmas Day. It was a happy Christmas at St. Micheal's Church, Amu in 2003.

Photo 5 frames completed at the Arop1 Church:

Over at Arop1, the last of the frames were erected before the holiday Christmas break. There are four central frames with steel posts, two outer frames with timber posts, and a smaller span timber frame at the rear of the sanctuary. The frames have been temporarily braced for the holiday period. Next year the frames will be squared and braced for the purlins.

The projects were shut down on December 19th. A very Merry Christmas to you all.