DIOCESE OF AITAPE CHURCH BUILDING PROGRAM

	News report No. 14 May 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 fifth report for 2003. This is the fourteenth report in the Church Building program for the month of May 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. Last month we began work at Arop1.
This month we continued with the foundations and cutting timber at the Arop church.

Concrete Foundations at Arop

Photo 1 Foundation pads and ground beams in place. This view looks toward the gravel stockpile where the tower will be located. In the foreground is the corner post pad, and running to the left will be the wall connecting to the sanctuary

Timber cutting at Arop

The timber cutting operation also continued at Arop. Unfortunately we had some hold ups with breakdowns early in the piece. A filter blockage appeared to be an ignition problem at first. We also had problems with flat batteries, improperly sharpened blades, all of which takes time to reorganize when in a remote and inaccessible location.

To the left Emil after having brought the engine to town and back and it still does not go. We removed the batteries and took them back to town for a recharge. Below some of the cut planks are carried to a safe stockpile, ready for transport to the church site. These are 200 x 50 x 4.5metres long. In their green state, these kwila timbers are very heavy. We arrange the local Youth and sports clubs to do the carrying to the stockpile sites.

Photo 2 Close up of the walkabout saw engine

Photo 3 Carrying the cut timber planks.

Other Sites and other news:

The large quantity of bolts and some tools have arrived from Australia. This month we counted stacked and sorted the bolts into the different churches, and the different church contracts.
Discussions on the new roads are ongoing.
Some preliminary drawings on the Pou church design have been started.