Friday, May 10, 2013

Las Botijas

Have I filled you all in on the work in Las Botijas?  I do not believe I have.

The blog sized story:  we know a missionary couple (Aaron and Jennifer Vesterberg) that bought property several years ago in this community about one and a half hours from Tegucigalpa...on the same road we take to Comayagua...but turning off about half the way there in Zambrano, then another 30-45 minutes up the mountain.  This actually puts it only about ten miles from Sampedrana...as the crow flies of course.  Population...seems more populous than Sampedrana, but we have not conducted a thorough census...that is just guesstimating, asking around, and using our eyes as we drive back and forth. 

The Vesterbergs had been doing missionary work and lots of farming on this fertile property, when God called them to move back to the USA. 

To move back home, they needed to sell the property first.  They put the word out.  No takers.  I found out, and passed the word to a donor in the USA that bought the Hill Climber coffee property in Sampedrana.  He was interested, and was able to make it happen. 

For 2013, transitioning from the Vesterberg's ministry, we placed someone in the house to watch over things and grow the farming efforts.  Actually his name is Javier, the brother-in-law of Gender, former pastor in Sampedrana.




This is a temporary move, as we are praying towards Gender moving there at the end of the year when his son finishes his first year of school to grow the work further, and seriously look into then building up a Church body there. 

For now....we are offering work to Javier and some others, starting a nursery for more coffee....40,000 plants to be started at first, plus also clearing some of the other land that will need to be cleared if we are to plant 40,000 plants!




The great news is that we are off on the right foot, because not only is Javier willing to work, but that we are offering work to others there that are interested, not day work but per plant or section of land to be cleared.  This is great for finding self starter kind of people...and when paid by the piece instead of by the day, people work much faster...making more per day for them, and getting us along much quicker at the same time.  Almost too quick for us to keep up at times! 

You can see here that there has been some coffee already planted as well.

The property is actually four different properties, two with some of that coffee.  There is still much left to clear and prepare for more of the nursery coffee when the time comes later this year, including some actually forested areas we can use for lumber for more buildings...when the time comes. 

The main property is where the house is located.  In addition to the house itself, there is a covered porch, storage area, parking, and a detached building with more sleeping space. 

All of this is fenced in for greater security, but at all times it is necessary to have someone watching over things...lest things start disappearing. 

The house is bordered by a road, to the right in this picture, and then in the form of  a U of sorts, with more grazing property for the oxen, and cleared property that was previously used for vegetable farming...something we might be undertaking at a later date if we have the resources for it. 




On one edge of the property where the house is, there is a Church building that had previously been built. 

You can see it in the background past the gate to the house in this picture...beyond some of the other cultivation. 

Notice the beautiful sky as well.  The altitude here (5,100')  is above that in Sampedrana which is around 4,200', just a little lower than the farm above Sampedrana at 5,600-6,000', and has a great view of the greater valley below. 


In the last month since we took over Oscar also went out to add a roof to the Church building, as it is adobe based and without a roof, it would not have lasted long. 

No windows or doors yet, but that will not be necessary until we use it as a Church meeting place, or for some other function if the future Church starts meeting in another location. 

That is something to consider further down the road. 



Those are the basics right now.  God has kind of lead us straight away into another work that we were not seeking out, but is opening doors for sure.  We are now looking for help to keep cultivating and getting the ground ready for all the planting that will be coming soon.  Getting coffee started and going well until it produces can be costly.  It takes patience (and investment!) to see it through, but if all goes as planned, would start contributing back quite a bit to help support the mission here locally, as well as another area to provide employment, products, and a body of believers. 



 

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