lovepakistan

T.I.P. - This Is Pakistan

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Our time in the village has now ended and these last few days have been spent tying up loose ends and transitioning the rest of the project to the folks that will remain here in Pakistan to see the project through. Considering the pace this country runs at (we've now coined the phrase T.I.P. - "This Is Pakistan") and the limited time we had, we made some significant progress in getting the Garhi Khairo village back on its feet!

By the time we left, we had purchased all the bricks, mud, and cement necessary to get all of the homes up to roof level. Getting to this point was a huge milestone and was the most time-consuming part of the project because most of the supplies were swept away, still under water, or available only in adjacent towns with impassable roads blocking the tractors and trucks needed to deliver the supplies. Somehow, they didn't seem to have any problem getting more chai out there though...

In addition to the difficulties in getting adequate building supplies, our final week out in the village ended during a religious holiday called muharram. Nearly all of our masons and laborers took the full two days off, which put a dent in our ability to finish any of the homes. However, it turned out to be a great way to end the trip, as it allowed some time to further bond with the villagers, share stories, and look back over the previous two weeks' progress. It also gave us some time to get our intestines sorted out and let the Cipro work it's magic.

In summary, four homes are almost ready for roofs, the foundations have been cut and brick laying has begun for the remaining homes, four fresh wells were bored to supply clean water, and a road was made to reconnect a group of widows and orphans to the main road so that supplies can be delivered to them.

Although the project isn't finished, we have set up an installment program to ensure that the construction will complete in our absence. We assessed the progress on each house and allotted enough money to pay for the labor for each family's house until they reach roof level. Once the walls are completed, they will receive another installment to purchase roofing supplies as well as an installment to pay for labor to complete their homes.

We've passed along our assessment of each home, our estimates for materials and labor, and all the accounting for where the money was spent to the missionaries here so they can visit the village in a few weeks and assess where things are. The villagers were extremely grateful for the generosity all of you have shown them and were astonished that strangers like yourselves would be willing to help them. It is such a foreign concept for anyone to give their own resources to help someone in need, much less American Christians helping Pakistani Muslims on the other side of the world. It is truly incredible to be a part of this and to see first hand the opportunities the flooding has created.

The three of us also want to thank you for your prayers and support... this trip would not have been the same without you! From fishing in the flooded fields, to battling gaurd dogs, to sleeping next to donkeys and chickens, to painstakingly writing receipts for every money exchange, to laughing at the useless handmotions we tried to use when language wouldn't work, to sharing stories and songs around the campfires, this trip has been an impactful experience for everyone involved and we know this was time well-spent. Please join us in praying that the relationships formed during our time here will continue and affect lasting change in the village of Ghari Khairo.

Another cup of chai

The past week has been full of mud, sand, bricks, motorcycles, sign language, chai and donkeys.  Many of the Garhi Khairo people decided to settle in new locations, so we spent the last week with 11 families on a 2 acre plot of land owned by one of the men named Dost Mohamed.

 

“Ocean warzone” is the best way to describe Garhi Khairo and the surrounding lands; and the monsoon rains stopped nearly 5 months ago.  Homes are completely demolished, roads are destroyed, and farmland is underwater as far as the eye can see. People say some of the water was nearly 16 feet deep at one time.  Downtown Garhi Khairo is abuzz despite a crippled smattering of fallen buildings, shops, and precarious power lines. 

 

Wherever we go people are drinking chai at the closest shop.

 

Reconstruction or repair is planned for 19 homes.  Eleven homes will be built on Dost Mohamed’s property, and the rest are scattered throughout the nearby area.  Tractors leveled Dost Mohammed’s property, and one water pump and three foundations were cut as of Friday.  In the surrounding area two more foundations are cut, two wells are installed, and a tractor is blazing an access road to some isolated homes, including a set of widows.

 

Everyone we stop to talk with insists we share a cup of chai with them.

 

Plans are set for the remaining homes and repairs, but access to bricks and masons has been slow.  Treacherous road conditions and water damage is limiting the amount of useful bricks for building.  All construction costs have increased, including masons, and created some minor setbacks.  Please pray that resources access and availability will improve and construction will proceed in a God magnifying way.  Many more construction materials will become available if a road opens to nearby Shidadko.

 

Each morning the people serve us chai for breakfast.

 

The people are thankful for our influence.  Everyone greats us with a humble, personal handshake.  We can tell the people receiving new homes are concerned that financial support will end once we leave next Saturday, but continue to assure them this is not the case.   Missionaries in nearby Shikarpur will continue to support the village once we’re gone, and rations are being distributed by other organizations.  In an effort to prepare a transition relationship Giardo and Hakim, two Pakistani Christian men working in flood relief, visited us in the village on Friday.  We return to the village today for our last week of work.

 

We pray the people see the reason for our presence and actions amidst the urgency.  Like cups of Pakistani chai, God is constantly filling our cups.  We pray the Garhi Khairo people recognize the full cup presented before them.

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Open roads

We've spent the last few days installing an ethernet network at the Shikarpur Christian Hospital.  We installed conduit, routed cables, and set up a server and client computers.  The finished network will have 8 client computers, and so far the server and 4 computers are operational and 90% of the conduit is installed.

Tomorrow we will travel with the Wiley's to Ghari Khairo to meet with the people and begin the reconstruction process; survey the condition of the village, roads, and resources.  The people just returned from Hyderbad to Ghari Khairo, because they were waiting on aide packages promised to them by another NGO.  This limits us to two weeks in Ghari Khairo. The three of us will spend this whole week in the village with them.  Gavin has had a cold for two days, and Matt started having some intestinal problems.  Please pray for the reconstruction process, relationships with the village, and healing, strength, encouragement, and protection for us.  We'll post a blog update next weekend.

The Mud challenge

The mud is the primary threat to reconstruction in Garhi Khairo.  According to the village leaders, the mud is so soft that cars and tractors would get stuck.  The village needs approximately 30 homes, and the amount of salvageable material needs assessment.  Please pray the mud is dry enough for reconstruction to begin, a safe return for the people of Garhi Khairo, and ample resources and labor for reconstruction.

Today we attended a flood relief meeting hosted by IASC Pakistan Floods Shelter Cluster; which is a forum for exchanging information on shelter relief efforts in Pakistan.  We gathered useful technical advice, particularly from a presentation by IOM, the International Organization for Migration.

Tomorrow, we travel with Terry and Joanie Wiley to Shikarpur where we'll work to install a network of Ethernet cables at the Shikarpur Christian Hospital.

The first step...

As-Salaam Alaaikum!  We’ve arrived in Hyderbad  Our path has already been paved with numerous blessings.  We packed six boxes of supplies and gifts, and each one came within 1 lb of the 50 lb weight limit.  Our backpacks were too heavy to be carry-ons, but were checked free of charge.  During our six hour layover in Dubai, we visited one of Matt’s long-time friends.  All of our luggage made it to Karachi.  We were able to push our taxi 2 km after it ran out of fuel on the highway half way to Hyderbad.  The highway patrol recruited a truck to tow us another 6 km to the nearest CNG station, where we refueled to complete our trip.

 

We drove to the IDP camp to meet the people of Ghari Khairo to discuss reconstruction strategies.  We were warmly greeted by all and met with the leaders in a tent.  Despite the mud, they plan to return home by the end of the week.  We’ll travel ahead to survey the village and begin working on the hospital networking project.

 

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$15,000 Raised...And Counting

Friends, it has been so encouraging to see your generosity and support over these last few weeks. With the money you and Valley Church have donated, we have reached (and surpassed) our initial target of $15,000.00! We are deeply grateful for your contributions and on behalf of the villagers and our friends in Pakistan, we sincerely thank you. The $15,000.00 may seem small in light of the billions of dollars of damage, but for these 36 families, you have helped make a difference. Thanks for your willingness to demonstrate love in such a tangible and powerful way.

But the story doesn't end here. While we are on track to help this small village rebuild its homes, it isn't the only one in need. Our plan is to continue raising support to for other villages and to continue the flood relief efforts even after we return home. So if you haven't donated yet, you haven't missed your opportunity! Check out how you can still Get Involved.

This has been an awesome experience so far, so thanks for being a part of the journey!

80% Funded!

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Westgate church, we have received $12,000 for rebuilding the village! On top of that, they have offered to cover some of our personal expenses as well. It is humbling to see God move in such powerful ways, and incredibly exciting. This is a humbling stewardship we will carry out with great reverence! We feel like shouting, laughing, crying, and thanking God all at the same time. Let's keep after this and see how much more He wants to do.

 

-Gavin, Matt, & Adam

 

We Have a Project, And We Need Your Help!

A few days ago we got word from our contact that there is a small village that could use our help. Parts of the area are still under about three and a half feet of water, but people have started returning to their homes. The village is accessible by car for the most part. However, the last two kilometers are still flooded so we will have to walk in. There is also a 1/2km stretch where we will have to wade through water to get to the village. Unlike most of the other villages, these people's homes were for the most part untouched by robbers. Some wooden beams and some bricks were carried away by the flood waters, but most of the iron girders, doors, and windows remained. This means that the homes can be reconstructed for a relatively low cost. We have been asked to oversee the reconstruction of this village (purchasing, overseeing construction, etc.)!

And here is where you come in: There are about 30 houses that we are estimating will cost about $500 to rebuild. 30 houses x $500 per house = $15,000 to rebuild the village. 

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We are so excited to see this trip coming together and would absolutely love to bless not only the people of this village, but our missionary friends who are feeling overwhelmed with this disaster. We can't imagine what it will be like to live with these people and work side by side with them. Join us in praying for the funds to be raised and for a longer lasting impact than a few simple homes. If you'd like to donate, you can do so on the WorldVenture website, or here on ours. If you choose to donate on WorldVenture's site, please send us your name so that we can be sure your donations are allocated for this effort. They will also provide you with a tax deductible receipt. 

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. - Matt 7.25