***Santa Cruz UPDATE***
May 2013
The building is virtually finished. It is hard to believe that after many hard years of fundraising and construction that we are almost there. It is looking great. Also, ministry is increasing within the building. Counselling training courses have been going on in the building all year, as well as different courses related to counselling issues. Recently, we added the 'discipling disciplers' training course, with two separate groups taking place, and soon the training of volunteers will begin. Please pray for the kitchen equipment that remains in customs, and for the gas connection. Also, please pray for the funds we need to cover last remaining details, and unexpected recent costs. We calculate that we need $20,000 usd to finish everything up.
April 2013
We are working really hard to finish the details of the building, and solve the challenges that remain that are preventing us from opening. Please pray for the kitchen equipment that we are trying to release from customs, and also for the gas connection to be made soon.
March 2013
Some of the products from China have arrived, and others are still on the way. The building interior is looking really good now, and we are concentrating our efforts on the Cafe and Events Salon.
These two areas are the main areas that still need to be finished, and which have a small funding shortfall. We are praying for what still needs to be finished, and finding ways to creatively make the funds that we have stretch. We are also starting the process for the licences we need to function. Please pray for a smooth and swift application process.
January 2013
As we launch into 2013, we are filled with hope that the long journey towards opening the El Alfarero Santa Cruz project will soon be over. We were able to raise and receive the matching grant funds, and they are now being put to good use. We are awaiting the arrival of the solar panels and kitchen equipment from China, which should all be here by the end of March. (Later than we had hoped). As soon as they arrive, we aim to instal them and open. In the next months we are finishing the installations and equipping so that the opening won't be any further delayed. Please pray with us.
October 2012 - The inside of the building is progressing well.
In October we also began a series of local fundraising dinners, with the aim of raising the $35,000 we need for the matching grant. So far, they are going really well.
September 2012 - the refuge for young women moved in during the month of August, and now the child-care centre have also moved in. Praise God for these big steps forward.
Here is a picture of the child-care centre.
August 2012 - we received a sizeable donation from an anonymous foundation in the States, and the offer of a matching grant of $35,000 from a donor in the UK. These are both great pieces of news. Please pray with us as we try of raise the $35,000 needed to activate the match.
Here is a photo of the car park going in.
July 2012 - the fence is down and the car park is being levelled.
July 2012 - Good things happening in the 4x4 Campaign, which is allowing us to continue with work in the building. So far, around 88 responses to the campaign, with the UK being the most pro-active in getting involved, followed by supporters in Bolivia. A huge thankyou to all who have participated. Please continue to publish the campaign, as we have extended the deadline!
For more information, please contact project directors Graham and Debbie Frith at graham.frith@sim.org, or call locally 65050797.
***Check out the El Alfarero, Santa Cruz group page on FACEBOOK***
May 2012 - The '4x4' Campaign is launched. Looking for 400 donors willing to give $400 (£250) each, which would enable us to open. We are aiming for 100 donors in the USA, 100 donors in the UK, 100 donors in Bolivia and 100 in the rest of the World. Please consider being one of our 400! You can make a difference.
April 2012 - Things are very tight, and big donations that should have been arriving have not arrived. Looks like we may have to stop again. Heart-breaking.
March 2012 - It seems like the building is going to take longer than anticipated, and cost more than we had expected. We are negotiating with the construction company to try and finalise the details. Please pray for these delicate negotiations, and please get in touch if you know if anyone who would be willing to help us over the finish line. Here is a picture of the front of the building.
February 2012 - We wre able to finish up the matching grant in January, paying a total of $35,000 to the construction company during the month. We still need $30,000 to finish the build, and we are on course to finish around the end of March, if we can raise the necessary funds. The equipping is going ahead apace, but we still need around $100,000 USD, especially for the industrial grade kitchen equipment, which we need for the events centre. Please do pray for these funds - we are now so close, and could potentially open in April, if the monies come in.
January 2012 - we are in urgent need of funds for the last construction payment of $50,000. Please by in prayer for that, so that the construction doesn't halt again.
November - a generous donation allows the equipping process to get going. We now have a third of our equipping funds, and we lack one months construction money only. Please pray for the urgent need of further equipping funds - we need a further $200,000 USD to finish. And praise God for his continued faithful provision.
October - Funding received from the People's Church in Canada, to pay for a further month's construction. We now have two more construction payments to make, and we are not far away from being able to make one of those payments soon, thanks to the matching grant. Please pray now for matching grant funds, and especially for equipping monies, as we need to be signing contracts with suppliers now, and getting the equipping of the building underway.
September - Next payment made at the beginning of this month, thanks to the activation of the first of three matching grant payments. Please do keep praying that we can activate the remaining two matching grant payments soon, so that we can finish up the construction. Apart from construction funds, we are also entering into the equipping phase of the project at this time.
August - Construction is up and running again after a two-month break. Please pray that we will not have to stop again, and that we can smoothly finish the building by the end of 2011. Especially we need to take advantage of the current matching grant option, whereby all donations up to a value of $75,000 will be doubled.
Mid-July. Good news - we have recently heard that a foundation is donating us $50,000 USD, which, with what we already have, is enough to re-start the construction. We should be back in action with a matter of days. Furthermore, the same foundation is offering us $75,000 USD the form of a matching grant. This means that, if we can secure funding from elsewhere, they will match it, up to a total of $75,000 USD. (Effectively, with the 50k, the 75k and the matching 75k, we would have $200,000 USD, which would take us close to the finish of the construction of the building.) Of course, this means that we need to find the matching $75k from elsewhere. This money can come in from donations of $1000 USD or £700 GBP or more, and can accumulate up. The foundation is willing to disemburse the funds in amounts of $25,000 USD at a time. Please pray with us for this funding, and if you can help us reach it, return the home page, where there are details for online donations.
End of May. Sadly, our current funds are not enough to make the next payment, and so, for the first time since construction began, we have had to halt the construction. We pray that further funding comes in soon. In the meantime, this is how the building is looking. Beautiful.
May 2011 - We have been able to make a half month's payment to enable us to continue through to May 14th. We are praying for funding beyond that. The main thing is that we still haven't had to halt the construction until this point.
May 12th. - We have received enough funds to continue through until May 28th. Praise God.
.jpg)
February 2011 - Project Directors Graham and Debbie Frith wrote this:
As you know, we were scheduled to stop the construction tomorrow, due to lack of funds, thus forcing the redundancy of as many as forty construction workers, as well as the temporary laying off of our Christian architect and engineer. Well, today we have a had a BLESSED DOUBLE WHAMMY. Firstly, news overnight of donations from the UK and the US that would allow us to make a half months payment, and keep building for a further two weeks. Then, just as we were rejoicing at this provision, and authorising the construction company to keep going, whilst in a meeting on the building site, we received a further phone call from the International SIM office in the US, informing us that an anonymous foundation had given $100,000 US (£65,000) Wow! The only thing we could do, with tears in our eyes, was praise God. Amazing. We then proceeded to inform the construction company Director, who is not a Christian, and he was gob-smacked, and then everyone else. The whole team here is rejoicing. We now have enough for two months work - so we can pay up the month we are currently behind, and the following month (March) as well, and keep going til April.
Many thanks for your prayers, and your messages, and for walking with us in this rollercoaster ride of faith. Today has been a GREAT DAY!
(This is the construction beginning, with the two universities behind it.)
(Construction after four months)
(Construction after 6 months)
For donations to the El Alfarero, Santa Cruz project, (including online giving) please go to this page:
http://www.sim.org/index.php/project/91140
or directly for the UK
http://www.sim.co.uk/Give
For more information, please write to project directors, Graham and Debbie Frith, using the Contact us... form.