A Breath Of Heaven

connecting the dots.

2008-07-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

Its 11 pm Zambia time and we have completed the last day of work for this call. We were able to pretty much finish the tile in the kitchen and bathroom and that is saying a lot considering my hands typically lay on home row rather than on quick set.

Before we left, a word was given that said that the floodgates would open. It was hard for me to fathom especially because I have seen some pretty amazing things in the three consecutive summers I have been here. But it was true. Nothing could have prepared us for what God was going to do to us in the way of compassion for these children this year. The last couple years I have been so focused on the construction efforts that I didn’t really get to build relationships with the very people who would benefit from the efforts on the property. That all changed this year. With the vbs and the field trip to the local zoo, we had ample opportunity to get to know one another. I was able to specifically get to know the child who I sponsor monthly back home. How many people can say that? His name is Joseph. I already knew that – but now I know his history, how many siblings he has and how it isn’t easy being the orphan baby in the family in this culture. And as I wrote him a letter the day before I would last see him on this trip, I was able to make it personal and real – not a template driven outreach note- but perfectly REAL. What was even better than that was he read it and before I left him he was able to come to me and say:

‘you wrote this letter?’

‘Yes,’ I replied.

‘you will pray for me everyday (like I wrote in the letter)?’

‘Yes,’ I confirmed.

‘thank you. I will pray for you every night.’

Those words are more valuable than gold. A 10 year old orphan who sleeps on the floor and does not eat at night because he is a burden to his grandmother is going to pray for me. Do I deserve it – probably not. But I would never rob him of that joy.

It is hard to leave him knowing his plight. But my job is to continue the efforts of making sure the funding is there for the village and that we will be able to house these kids soon. These kids- I know their names. I know what they want to be when they grow up. I want to see them achieve it. I want to see Joseph grow up to be an amazing man.

It had me thinking…the first trip we only had land. The next trip we had an empty building. This trip were able to fellowship and build relationships with the very inhabitants of the building on the land of a vision. I praise God and his continues to connect the dots for me.

And now as I prepare for my last restless night in Zambia, I pray that God empowered us all to make a difference while we still can. I don’t know if and -if so- when I will return to my friends in Lusaka, Zambia, but I do know that they are my friends, my brothers and sisters, my hope for fulfilling my purpose. Mtendere Chewa and Endani bwino – Peace and go well.

-m

conference over

2008-07-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

it has proven to be more difficult than i anticipated for accessing this blog. it seems like the days and nights are booked solid with activities, construction, conference and ministry.

the conference came to its conclusion today. we had a great group of over 100 teachers representing 40 + pre-12 schools in Zambia. on the third day i gave a presentation on technology more specifically the internet. it went quite well. only about 20 percent had used the internet before the lesson, but they understood the efficient and research capabilities. the country has recently invested in a fiber optic backbone to maintain a high speed connection to some of the neighboring countries. this is a good start to turning around the economy through Information technology.

we held a graduation ceremony today for the teachers and one of the local schools had their children perform plays about being orphans. they were really good- so good that it made us get emotional. many of the team members have been battling sickness. praise God that I have been able to avoid it up until this point.

we will return to the sponsored orphanage and continue our construction efforts tomorrow. we hope to finish off the tile work for the home and have the roofing complete so that the next team that arrives next week will be able to work on plaster and painting.

all for now. i am pooped.

catching up

2008-07-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

it has been a few days since my last post. my intentions were to be more active on the blog this year...so much so that i brought technology that would allow me to access the internet any time of day rather than during internet café opportunities. This has proven to be more difficult as the internet café has been down and I have become a ‘café’ to the other team members… I should start an emergency mobile internet business here!

Much has happened in the past few days. The vacation bible school with the avila children was a smashing success. The team was worried at first because of what they believed was going to be a major language barrier. While it did exist, communication easily took place through collaboration and help for pone another. Once the children were comfortable with the ‘mazungu’ they wanted to be your friend for life.

We did this cool project where the children were broken into groups and each group brainstormed on ideas that made up their village. For example groups would complete ideas on food, agriculture, transportation, greetings, weather, architecture, etc. then after compiling that information, we gave the groups disposable cameras so they can take pictures of the items that they brainstormed. We will use the finished written section along with pictures to create an ‘Our Village’ book. What a great idea!

We also took the children to a game park. Here they were able to see chimpanzees, baboons, gazelle, bushpigs, warthogs, and lions. Some of them were able to swim in a pool and go down a high water slide. We gave our little caps that resembled different animals like monkeys, tigers, lions, etc. some of these children have never been away from their local compound. It was a really blessing to see their eyes open to this new experience.

We had church Sunday. I requested to return to BIGCOCA Chaisa to share with Pastor Blackson and his assembly. He has invited me back each year and I have taken to this group. We did the crusades at this compound two years ago. Chaisa is one of the larger but more poverty stricken – if you can believe that - compounds in Lusaka. I was up late the night before completing an update video for the church back in Wildomar so when I prayed to God for what he would have me share with the Chaisa assembly, I thought I was half asleep when what returned was marriage. I mean, come on, I haven’t been married a year and God wants me to talk about marriage! But I listened- and I shared with them the divorce rates in America, the changes to the institution as it was originally intended, the way marriage has been treated more like a contract than a covenant. I shared with them the duty that God has commanded in marriage. That if we love our spouse as if our self, if we care and nurture for it as commanded, than marriage would be victorious. Its simple. I think of a vision of wedding bands interlinked and fitted around the base of the Cross. When Christ is the center of the marriage, there can be no fault, no wrong, no anger. Its strict, but it preserves a loving marriage. It hit home. I asked for people who wanted restoration in their marriages to come forward and we’d pray for them. They did. Women who wanted their husbands to be equally yoked and to take care of the family to not leave them or stray. It was tough – these women were crying out for help. I just pray that God meet them I that place and pierce their husbands hearts and restore marriages.

We start the teachers conference this week. We expect over 150 teachers from all over the country coming to this 4 day event. This has grown from 75 last year and 46 the year before. The theme is Pressing On Phil 3:14

I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Trying to reach for the highest goal. Aiming high. We have many materials to share with them including notebooks, slate boards, calculators, rulers, staplers that have all been donated by people back home. We will be running centers and I will run one on technology. Now you might be thinking, why technology? They don’t have access, right? And the answer is yes and no. currently they don’t have access, but I believe that God has favor in this- His- vision and on the village grounds there will be a computer facility for accessing the internet and software. Information technology is becoming a major player for the countries of Africa. They are realizing that if they can build an infrastructure that can support the needs of IT, it may be the future of their economy. My hope is to give them a cursory understanding of the internet and how it can be used for simple research that can assist them with the lessons. I will be able to show them the internet using the technology I purchased for my own accessed before I left. I Pray that this center would be successful.

I ask that you, my reader, pray for the conference to be a success. That these volunteer educators who will walk 2.5 hours one way to make it to this event be blessed and transformed for they are responsible for the education of the children who will one day lead.

making progress

2008-07-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

I write to you as the power just went out. Apparently they have daily rolling blackouts to conserve electricity. So I am on battery power from the laptop and hope I will be able to post before it goes out.

we arrived in lusaka over 36 hours ago. today we went to the property to see how far along they have gotten with the construction efforts. it was amazing – there was a fully erected house on the same foundation where we were building the block last year. there were also two additional foundations laid and the framing of the house was done. the construction team was working on the roofing when we arrived. upon entry, i was greeted by some familiar faces. jimmy, john and charles were still a part of the team as was tembo. gone was mr. perry who had some difficulty with the transition to compressed earth block from cinderblock and cement. sometimes you just can’t teach an ole dog new tricks….

we are gonna work on a septic system and some finishing work tomorrow.

the missionary team was excited to see the progress. some of the team members are returning after 2 years when we only had land and some members are returning after 4 years when we didn’t have property but felt God was leading us to this vision to defend the fatherless. as team leader – and a seasoned vet after 3 consecutive summers here – i was really excited for the team. to me, it was if i was returning to my summer home – to them i know it made them feel immediately that they are in a special place and a special time.

my wife is in charge of the vacation bible school this year and it starts tomorrow. i am so thankful for God’s work in her. she has been an amazing warrior for the ministry taking on coordination of not only the vbs, but also the church yard sale. i am thankful that God has put her in my life and i am able to witness her growth.

while progress is being made on the village, we still have some things that need to be done. the constructed houses still require plumbing and electricity which can prove to be an issue as we will need to find a local worker and materials (power poles) to connect up to a transformer less than a kilometer away. we have had some trouble with materials ‘walking away’ from the site. while we have security on site, i am sure that if a thief needs it bad enough, they will find a way to get it. it is somewhat difficult to manage the construction when we do not have a primary stakeholder available in the country 24/7. we are hoping and praying that God will make way for those people to head back to zambia. we feel that with someone on site, we can establish a better accountability model and more effective and efficient project management.

i just wanna start providing homes to some of these kids. michael devine, a missionary for breath of heaven children’s ministries always emphasizes the difference in value of time in our two differing cultures. we (americans) operate on a business week with calendared 30 (maybe 15) minute time grids… filling in slots as we go about our busy days. in zambia , time doesn’t have those limitations. they can take a couple hours to hard boil an egg. i just pray God is gonna move mightily and make some things happen that will make the process even smoother.

But I know God is in control. God shared with me Psalm 107 verse 35 -38:

He turns a desert into a pool of water,
dry land into springs of water.
He causes the hungry to settle there,
and they establish a city where they can live.
They sow fields and plant vineyards
that yield a fruitful harvest.

He blesses them, and they multiply greatly;

He takes the land that we presented and He can turn it in to a refreshing spring for these orphans. He will draw them close and those who do hunger – not just for food, but for love and righteousness. In Him and through Him, they will reap a fruitful harvest. If it is in Him and through Him that these things take place, than no weapon formed against Him will prosper.

The light just turned on – in my head and in the compound. Lucky for me on both accounts.

third watch

2008-06-29T02:57:00.000-07:00

its 3am the morning right now. in about 12 hours i return to continue the work in lusaka, zambia in africa for a third year in a row. some things are different - i am married now. some things remain the same, like this energy for the vision that God has put in my and my wife's heart. i really can't explain it. this year has been hectic. on top of working 60 hrs a week, I am this year's mission team leader. there were times where i felt like throwing in the towel. but God doesn't not put anything in front of us that we can handle.

i am anxious. more so than i have been in past trips. possible the new leadership role? i dunno. i think it might be that I am going with a feeling of major expectation. the Lord has shown me amazing things in past trips. i saw my sister delivered and people healed, confirmation and a mighty outpouring. but at a recent team meeting, someone praying for us shared that while we may have seen some amazing things, the floodgates will open this year. that just psyches me up! i can't wait to see Him move.

i am hoping to be more web 2.0 ish this trip. i have brought some goods that will allow me to do some video and an unlocked aircard that will allow me to remain connected 24/7. i hope to show you who is reading this right now what i am doing out there instead of just telling you about it.

some of you have sponsored me to be here on this trip. I thank God for you...in essence you are here with me. for my family and friends that are in support of my activities out here, I thank you. without your emotional and spiritual support, i would be incomplete.

i plan to try and be more active on the blog this go around. i would love to hear comments from you.

all for now. better get some sleep or i am not going to be a happy camper in the morning. stay tuned.

Last Day

2007-07-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

here we are two weeks later. we have seen God do many miraculous things in all of us. He has fallen afresh on me and rededicated my life to this ministry. i am so happy that God had another call for me in Zambia. it is easily to get lost in the daily grind and great to know that there is more to this life.

today we will be finishing up at the property and having one last dinner for the first part of the team. Most of the first team will be leaving quite early tomorrow for London. While we will be leaving this place, another team from Mosaic, a church in the greater los angeles area will be doing some photojournalism activities on the ministry. May God be with them on their travels.

i will surely miss my Zambian brothers and sisters, but will continue to keep them in my heart. it is not a good bye, but a see ya later - i am sure of it.

Distribution of the Gifts

2007-07-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

The Lord is awesome. We had a time of worship and prayer last night and God was moving his mighty hand. I started to become weary of our efforts as it seemed like small obstacles kept forming to slow down production. In general, things move at a much slower pace here than in the states.

I spoke about it last week in Chaisa, but now I was feeling it. This made me feel bad as I was trying to encourage my fellow team members and the Chaisa assembly on weariness, but I was now struggling with it. But the Lord is amazing. I felt like I needed to pray for the team and our efforts and in doing so I was overcome with emotion. My sister came to my side and the rest of the team followed. Andy shared a Word. It was Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. It was from Galatians 6:9 - the same verse I shared one Sunday ago with the Chaisa assembly. I trembled in fear as I felt the Lord talking to me. Now the Lord has spoken to me before, but for some reason this was different. i felt like the Lord took everyone out of the room and spoke directly to me. Reaffirming the Word He shared with me already. I feel renewed and revitalized to do His work.

I know He is just. Our desires are to see this village save orphans. We hunger and thirst after the heart of the Defender of the Fatherless.

Coming Along

2007-07-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

We have a process down where we mix 10-20 tons of the material for one day and follow up with creating the compressed earth block the following day. Today was the block creation day. I am sore. We have a pretty good process down though. We made 300+ block today. Once we get the system down, we should be able to make between 500-700 blocks a day. We will need approximately 16000 blocks to build an entire missionary house. But we keep on keeping on.

Two of our team members went out to a village 2 hours away. They will be staying with the villagers for 4 days. Daily activities will include tending to the livestock, making the cornmeal soya porridge and just observing village life. The villagers have a special treat for their new found friends - they will be serving fried bushrat tomorrow. Sounds tasty :-s sorry, i have a heart for the zambian orphans, but I am gonna keep it real - I am not interested in southern fried rodent...

I am tired. That block work is no joke. But I am blessed in knowing that the fruits of my labor will soon be realized.

The Good News

2007-07-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

just a quick entry - we rested on Monday and went into town to look at the markets. We anticipated having a busy day of mixing materials, but to our unpleasant surprise, the material was not delivered. But we know this is Africa and time/productivity is not evaluated on 30 minute performance grids. We hope that things will be ready to go Wed.

The Good News is that today my luggage came. I will be able to wear some different clothes for a change. Praise the Lord!! All for now.

Deliverance Centre

2007-07-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

We continued our work on the first home. We were able to paint on a primer coat. I tried to avoid painting as my only pair of pants –no luggage, remember?- would be needed on Sunday for church. Because of the somewhat strong winds and the nature of the activity, Jacob and Andy were freckled with primer from head to toe. I became the on-site photojournalist while we waited for the materials to build block.

So what kind of block are we building? We have decided to go with Earth block. Earth block is block of compressed earth, in essence – dirt. Using a combination of lime, gravel and yellow dirt, we make a mixture that produces just the right consistency to support our project needs. We compress the dirt using a special compression machine and can produce between 600-1000 blocks in a workday. I thought it would have been a simple task – take dirt and compress it. But it actually requires the perfect amount of the different materials to produce block that will withstand the trials of time. I am blistered and sore, but the associated pains are no match for my excitement to see use erect a second house and save another 12 kids from the streets.
As mentioned before, one of the main reasons I am here this year is because of my little sister. I really want to see God pierce her. She is an enigma to me. I didn’t grow up in the same home as her so it is sometimes difficult to grasp what she must be going through as a teenage girl. She is such an amazing young girl and I sometimes get discouraged when I see her struggle with acclimating, her lack of self esteem, her fear of rejection and the misguided defense mechanisms she uses to cope with them. But then there are times where she lights up the room with her spunk, smile and servitude. I was convicted when I saw her minister to those who needed to be healed. She understands the power of God. She has seen it in others, but she seems to miss it when it is right under her nose directed right at her. We prayed for her and I broke down. My brothers in Christ have reached out knowing my desires for her and I just want to see Him fill her up. I would freely and cheerfully sacrifice more weeks without a change of clothes to see her hardened heart broken. I have faith that he will answer my cries.

UPDATE: Since we only have limited time in the café, I was able to put two posts in one up. It is Sunday and I was able to return to Chaisa where I shared a message. They are SO faithful. They worship God with such beautiful harmony. It really does something to you. It answered my prayers as I was able to see my sister convicted by the holy spirit – we were able to minister together. I was so happy and proud of her. God is doing something wonderful in her. Praise Him for that. The Pastor was pleased with my message on faithful works and has asked me to return again. I think I will have to take him up on that offer. My heart is with these Zambian people.

No weapon formed against us shall prevail

2007-07-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

My second visit to Lusaka to do the Lords work in Zambia, the construction of the children’s village which will provide homes for over 200 orphans, did not go without a few ‘hiccups’ along the way. Missing passports, second thoughts, lack of focus, emotions of depression and anger, defiance, and physical attacks back home. While I personally was not affected directly by most of these trials, it affected me indirectly through the ones I love. However, I was affected directly early in the trip as my luggage was lost. Yes – I have no change of clothes and all my toiletries were lost. But this is but a little inconvenience. I am actually surprised that I am not too concerned. I have been getting by pretty well- except I continue to get the occasional rib from the other team members saying ‘didn’t you wear that yesterday?’ Yet this team has come to my aid by providing an extra shirt here and a pair of shoes there.
The idea is that these things will not deter us from what the Lord has set us out to do. We might have had to go through some extra heartache, but we are here.
It was amazing to see the fruits of last years work in the erection of the first home. It really has strengthened my faith in his provision. Sometimes it can seem like an improbable venture. Building 14 homes in a village? Crazy. But He is awesome and worthy.

Another Call

2007-06-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

it has been almost a year since posting to this blog. its purpose was to document the Lord's work in Zambia with the Breath of Heaven's ministry team of 2006. It was a wonderful experience that has blessed me over and over. yet, 2007 has been a big year for me. i have been focusing on my wedding and all that comes with that. the farthest thing from my mind was going back to Zambia -at least right now.

but then I received a call from my father-a man I love and respect dearly- and i was told my 15 year old sister Vita May felt led to go to Zambia. with her age, he was a little uneasy about letting her go without family accompaniment. he was asking me if i would go.

this was tough- i was preparing a wedding and -honestly- i was concerned about leaving my fiancee one month before the actual day. money was an issue too - i had to save up for Zambia the year before and this year my savings were earmarked for the wedding. i told my father i would pray about it and when i did, God made it oh so apparent. i was not to be an obstacle to what God was doing in Vita. i was not to worry about my fiancee because he was protecting and comforting her. i was not to worry about money, because He would provide. with that, I spoke to my fiancee and she understood and said that she was not to be an obstacle of the Lord's work either. i received full sponsorship for the trip. God prepared our hearts and minds.

it was another call to do His work with a new team in 2007. i leave Sunday with mighty expectations.

Signs and Wonders

2006-07-18T05:06:00.000-07:00

we went to the Kampakete Village outside Lusaka. this was the Africa I think many of us envision when we see things on tv. the villagers live in small huts, bath in community wells and eat from the community pot. the children outnumber the adults 4 to 1. they all are fed one meal of porridge - a mixture of cornmeal, soya and sugar- a day, sharing bowls and eating without utensils. i sensed the children were in a surreal state - many have only hear stories of the mazungu or 'white man.' this was their first live encounter with them.

we played games and shared our stories. we held the children who were looking for comfort. afterwards, Pastor Benson gathered up all the children under an alluminum shack for the church building was destroyed by vandals. i was blessed to see that these children were faithful and obedient. the Bible says the joy of the Lord is the strength of his people. this was never more apparent than now - these children, with little to eat, wearing worn and torn rags, many of them without shoes, were delighted to play, have the clothes that Americans no longer deemed 'in season', and eat the one meal that they know day in and day out. and still, they know the sequential order of the books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and all in between, they sang songs of praise and recited poems that they worked on as a village. they performed dramas that explained the HIV virus, and how witch doctors have told myths to the people that the cure is to lay with young virgins - the younger the better.

it was hard to leave the children, and while they all feel they were blessed, each and every one of us on the team had mutual blessings. people believe that signs and wonders dilute the power of God and the teaching of the Lord because the sign becomes idolatry. however, while i have held onto finding confirmation in the small things in life, this village was the miraculous sign and wonder that many seek for confirmation - i encourage those to seek far away from the U.S. should they require water to be turned into wine.

Opening the Eyes of My Heart

2006-07-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

we prepared for Sunday services as a team of young adults (including myself) were to perform a mime that would be performed for the church. The mime is called Creation to Crucifixion which outlines God the Father as He created the Earth and Man, to Man's fall and to God the Son's redemption of man. we made it to church around 8:45 am to the sound of multiple prayers - zambians in all corners of the building pacing, praying, praising...apparently they had been there for several hours. some ladies, with babies strapped to their backs walked two hours to the church.

the worship in Zambia is a definite joy to the Lord - both harmonic and fluid- which makes churches back home seem like a distant second even on our best days. shouting to the Lord the way the Bible speaks of - all in unison- a beautiful sight.

we performed the mime drama - what better way to convey the Good News where language is a barrier? Bishop Peter asked the audience to explain the mime, and in a native tongue a gentleman retold the story using many gestures. i think he got it.

one of the most amazing sights was the offering. at home, I call and pray over the offering, which seems like a chore more than a blessing. the same old givers give and the consumers consume. in Zambia, the offering filled 7 baskets with men, women and children giving. after the offering was taken, i was preparing for the message only to have a call for the poor. the same people gave again. it lasted 4 minutes - which is a very long time for offering. i was amazaed and blessed at the same time.

the culmination of todays services was the call for prayer. at first, no one stood. then the holy spirit flooded the house and many came. i prayed over those that needed financial support - something that everyone needs in Zambia. however, this prayer request only comes after the Zambian people have sacrificed the little money they had to the church offering and the poor. i prayed on a woman who hoped her husband would be saved and was ailed by head and stomach aches. i prayed for a man who was backslidden and wanted to turn 180 back upstream and no longer be with the dead fish who flow down it. i prayed for a man who prays every day, but felt a need for a revival - this man is already a prayer warrior but wants to be better! Oh, to know a man of this heart back home. after prayer he wept, and I held him - something that i don't know if i could do back home.

it was an amazing experience. i spoke with Reverend Winston Churchhill - (nickname given to him by British Friends). he is a christian apologetic who is petitioning to censor the viewing of Dan Brown's affront on Chrisitianity. Pastor Ted sent him my way as I have been studying Brown's work and preparing a defense to teach to the young adults back home. Rev. Churchill proclaimed me the christian ambassador of his Zambian Ministry. not much of a declaration back home, but an honor for me here.

the crusades are next week. with what i saw today, i am sure it has only begun.

End of Week 1 - eyes wide open

2006-07-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

after taking rest once arriving in lusaka, we got right to work the following day. The men went to the property site to work. A team of 6 zambians have been contracted to build a wall to around the perimeter of the property, lay the footing for the first village house and pour concrete. The wall will require 2 weeks of 8 hour days to complete. They will be paid $150 USD (team total) for their 2 weeks of work. Their bare feet exposed, the zambians pic away the clay ground with limited tools. Our team uses some slashing tools to whack weeds (see right). even with large mule skin gloves, the blisters mount and the rotators ache.

the girls finished a 3 day teacher conference in which they taught local school teachers all around Zambia about the Gospels, reading, math, HIV/AIDS so that they may use these techniques and materials in their classroom. this was met with much joy since most teachers have no more than a chalkboard to teach with. we raffled off masking tape so that the teachers can hang up visual aids. We showed them american sports like ultimate frisbee and hacky sack - with futbol as the universal language, they caught on quick. they were so excited and it was a blessing to see them so excited about materials we take for granted in our schools.

we plan to continue this tradition by establishing this conference as an annual event. Bishop Peter plans to open it to different provinces in Zimbabwe and Congo. i am excited.

In Lusaka

2006-07-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

we arrived in Lusaka, Zambia about 11 hrs ago. we were met by Bishop Peter and his wife, Hilda. we received the vip services as soon as we got here, needing not to go through the common customs protocols, invited gladly after 24 continuous hours on an airplane or in an airport...the weather was a bit nippy upon arrival (42 degrees), but settled in at about 68-69 degrees. lots of sunshine though. we will be preparing for a teachers conference tonight - traveling to schools and teaching through games, etc. we are very excited :) all for now.

Made it to the UK

2006-07-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

we made it. it was a long flight that i don't remember much about because i slept through most of it. london is cold and gloomy. our connection to lusaka was delayed for 1.5 hrs. i hope to sleep through this flight as well so that i will be refreshed for the work that is before us. we are starting to board - all for now.