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NOTE: You can left-click on any picture to enlarge it and/or view all the photos as a slideshow.
This Google Earth satellite photo of the Buchanan area shows the locations of the two Pillar properties, which are about a mile and a half apart. The Atlantic Ocean, which is not far away, can be seen at the bottom left. Also note the shallow bodies of water toward the top of the photo--these are arms of the slow-moving Benson River system that drains this low-lying coastal region and eventually flows into the ocean (off the photo) to the northwest.
This is a closer view of the PROJECT BUCHANAN property, a 9.6-acre peninsula of undeveloped land, covered with grass and low coastal scrub. The useable west-to-east length of the land is approximately 1000 feet.
Two days after we arrived in Buchanan, Paula and I walked up the road with Gabriel to see the new land... I was the photographer on this trip, so I didn't get into too many of the pictures!
After a 40-minute hike from Gabriel's home, we finally arrived at the property.
We stopped for a few moments at the southwest corner, ...
... then we walked further along the shore to another lookout over the water.
From a higher location on the land, this view southeast over the river and the surrounding mangrove wetland is magnificent!
We noticed immediately that there were termite hills almost everywhere!
In fact I counted no fewer than 55 separate termite mounds on the property!
We expect no particular threat to our buildings. In the tropics the ubiquitous termite is usually taken into account and special construction is used to minimize the impact of these potentially destructive insects! Termite hills can actually be very useful as a source of earth material for making tough weather-resistant "dirt blocks". We may want to consider using this type of block in the construction of the smaller buildings on campus.
As you have already seen in the satellite photos above, a sizable portion of this property is covered with low trees and scrub. On the ground this dense vegetation made it difficult for us to determine the best locations for buildings and other campus components (such as a soccer field and other sports facilities). After going to town to purchase an ax, several machetes (known as "cutlasses" in Liberia), and a few other hand tools, we asked Gabriel to hire several young men to start "brushing" (clearing) the land. By doing this, we hoped that the "up's and down's" of the west-to-east "ridge" of the peninsula would be easier to see.
By midday everyone was ready for lunch...
... and for some "time out" to sharpen cutlasses.
For several days the team worked very hard, ...
... including Emmanuel Sieh, who is a senior high student at the Pillar school in Buchanan.
This is the view eastward as one enters the west end of the property. Here we hope to build a house that will serve as a residence for a Pillar teacher's family as well as a security place for the storage of construction materials and tools. Farther onto the property, you can see where palm trees and other vegetation will have to be cleared to make room for the soccer field.
A west-to-east distance of about 250 feet along the top of the ridge was found to be fairly level and, in my opinion, would be the most suitable location for the construction of the two 2-story school buildings that have been proposed, as well as a small auditorium between them. We tied small white plastic bags in the trees to indicate the approximate locations of the back corners of one of the two classroom buildings.
Even further east, beyond the school buildings, there is room for a basketball court.
This area in front (south) of the school will require further clearing and some landscaping.
Down the same slope from the school is this lower shelf of flat land. I anticipate a simple road entering the property from the west and winding along this southern side of the peninsula. "Hey, Paula! Wait for me! I'm just trying to get another picture!"
A few guest cabins could be built on the far eastern point of the peninsula (seen above) and be rented out to visitors in order to help with operational and maintenance costs.
In this final Google Earth satellite photo of the PROJECT BUCHANAN property, I have sketched in my suggested layout for the campus. Of course this proposal is provisional and may have to be modified as we move forward with construction (hopefully in January 2010).
Already we've encountered just a little wrinkle in our travel plans! (What did I tell you?)!.Apparently the airline we were hoping to use next month has not yet received full clearance to start its newly-scheduled service to Liberia, and therefore it has been forced to cancel its June flights on this new direct route to West Africa. Since there's a good chance this could happen again in July, our travel agent is attempting this week to arrange for an alternate carrier!.Unfortunately this change in travel plans will necessitate our flying first to Europe and then south to Liberia -- a much longer route which we had been hoping to avoid (29 hours one way, instead of 17)! Also, our trip (going and coming) will be delayed by a day..Our new trip dates will probably be July 7 through August 13... unless, of course, the first carrier gets its clearance before July 6, in which case we might be back to Plan A!.Either way Paula and I are still planning to be in Liberia for 5 full weeks this summer! I'll keep you posted!
Yesterday we reserved tickets with our travel agent! Our travel dates are now "certain"; Paula and I expect to leave Denver for Liberia on July 6, returning 5 weeks later on August 11! But check out the footnote below....*.Allow me to add a footnote to the concept of "definite"...let's just say, our plans (to go to Liberia this summer) are only as "certain" as any of us can make plans to do anything!.I remember when I was very young in Africa, when certain older missionaries would talk about their plans (very definite plans, as far as I could tell), they would often add: "D.V." At the time I wondered: Why the "D.V."? What does that mean? Later I found out. (No, it didn't stand for "Digital Video..." before the "...Disc" was added!) "D.V." is an abbreviation for an old Latin expression, "Deo volente", which means: "God being willing". Well, that's simple enough! But then I would ask myself: Why didn't they just say it in English? Does Latin make it more "spiritual"? And why use the abbreviation? Perhaps they're not sure of the Latin pronunciation or spelling!.But seriously, the old-timers had good reason to add the "Deo volente" condition to the plans they were making. First, they recognized that they weren't in control. Who is? More importantly, they had a few good Bible verses to back them up! Like James 4:14-15: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow... Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" Or what about Proverbs 19:21: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.".As far as those old missionaries knew, their bold plans were also good plans and they were honestly trying to do the right thing for the kingdom of God. But just in case... just in case circumstances would later indicate that "the Lord had other plans" (another expression they would often use), meaning that they would have to modify or give up their own, they were always careful to add those two simple letters: "D.V."
This Google Earth satellite photo of the Buchanan area shows the locations of the two Pillar properties, which are about a mile and a half apart. The Atlantic Ocean, which is not far away, can be seen at the bottom left. Also note the shallow bodies of water toward the top of the photo--these are arms of the slow-moving Benson River system that drains this low-lying coastal region and eventually flows into the ocean (off the photo) to the northwest.
This is a closer view of the PROJECT BUCHANAN property, a 9.6-acre peninsula of undeveloped land, covered with grass and low coastal scrub. The useable west-to-east length of the land is approximately 1000 feet.
Two days after we arrived in Buchanan, Paula and I walked up the road with Gabriel to see the new land... I was the photographer on this trip, so I didn't get into too many of the pictures!
After a 40-minute hike from Gabriel's home, we finally arrived at the property.
We stopped for a few moments at the southwest corner, ...
... then we walked further along the shore to another lookout over the water.
From a higher location on the land, this view southeast over the river and the surrounding mangrove wetland is magnificent!
We noticed immediately that there were termite hills almost everywhere!
In fact I counted no fewer than 55 separate termite mounds on the property!
We expect no particular threat to our buildings. In the tropics the ubiquitous termite is usually taken into account and special construction is used to minimize the impact of these potentially destructive insects! Termite hills can actually be very useful as a source of earth material for making tough weather-resistant "dirt blocks". We may want to consider using this type of block in the construction of the smaller buildings on campus.
As you have already seen in the satellite photos above, a sizable portion of this property is covered with low trees and scrub. On the ground this dense vegetation made it difficult for us to determine the best locations for buildings and other campus components (such as a soccer field and other sports facilities). After going to town to purchase an ax, several machetes (known as "cutlasses" in Liberia), and a few other hand tools, we asked Gabriel to hire several young men to start "brushing" (clearing) the land. By doing this, we hoped that the "up's and down's" of the west-to-east "ridge" of the peninsula would be easier to see.
By midday everyone was ready for lunch...
... and for some "time out" to sharpen cutlasses.
For several days the team worked very hard, ...
... including Emmanuel Sieh, who is a senior high student at the Pillar school in Buchanan.
This is the view eastward as one enters the west end of the property. Here we hope to build a house that will serve as a residence for a Pillar teacher's family as well as a security place for the storage of construction materials and tools. Farther onto the property, you can see where palm trees and other vegetation will have to be cleared to make room for the soccer field.
A west-to-east distance of about 250 feet along the top of the ridge was found to be fairly level and, in my opinion, would be the most suitable location for the construction of the two 2-story school buildings that have been proposed, as well as a small auditorium between them. We tied small white plastic bags in the trees to indicate the approximate locations of the back corners of one of the two classroom buildings.
Even further east, beyond the school buildings, there is room for a basketball court.
This area in front (south) of the school will require further clearing and some landscaping.
Down the same slope from the school is this lower shelf of flat land. I anticipate a simple road entering the property from the west and winding along this southern side of the peninsula. "Hey, Paula! Wait for me! I'm just trying to get another picture!"
A few guest cabins could be built on the far eastern point of the peninsula (seen above) and be rented out to visitors in order to help with operational and maintenance costs.
In this final Google Earth satellite photo of the PROJECT BUCHANAN property, I have sketched in my suggested layout for the campus. Of course this proposal is provisional and may have to be modified as we move forward with construction (hopefully in January 2010).
