DIOCESE OF AITAPE CHURCH BUILDING PROGRAM

	News report No. 15 June 2003 Diocese of Aitape P O Box 179 Aitape Sandaun Province Papua New Guinea Ph +675 8572046 fax +675 8572056
Aitape Haus Lotu Projects

Introduction:

Welcome to the sixth report for 2003. This is the fifteenth report in the Church Building program for the month of June 2003. 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. This month we have nearly completed the foundations and continue cutting timber at the Arop church. Work at Amu is awaiting timber to be moved to the site by tractor.

	Photo 1 Arop1 church site. Some completed parts of the foundations. This shows the rear of the sanctuary. The four steel plates will be for anchoring some timber posts. In the foreground is a stack of timber that has been carried by hand to the church site.
	Another view of the foundations at the tower end. The position of the new church occupies the site of the former temporary church. When this was demolished, another smaller temporary church was built alongside beneath the trees. This is shown in photos 3 and 4 below. It is smaller than the old church due to lack of space. The new church is to the left of the temporary church shown here. Just below is the stell mesh stockpile.
Photo 2 Another view of the foundations

Photo 3 Another temporary church	Photo 4 Temporary church
Photo 5 Flooding on the road unable to get to the works today	Photo 6 Yalingi River is calm

There are many natural hazards on the road that leads to the church projects. To get to Amu and the Arop and Pou churches, you need to cross both of the rivers shown in photos 5 and 6. Photo 5 is 15 minutes out of Aitape. The road passes through swampland. During periods of heavy rain, floodwater washes over the road. There are deep potholes that are scoured out regularly and get churned to soft mud. Photo 6 shows the Yalingi River in a peaceful mood. This wide and untamed river has claimed many victims. Cars have been overturned in flash floods. The river course is constantly changing, and frequently floods.