Tell and Rick are preparing the metal for the roof of new building that will be used for school office.

This is the inside of the school office, Steve will install the wiring.

Cattrina has prepared lunch along with Debby and Chloe's help.
Needless to say, we are eating well!

 This is the school office as we drive in on the property,.

 Rick and Tel have the roof on in a few hours.....great work guys!

Pastor Antonio used to be active in the sheet metal business, so helps us get started right for the siding.

 
School office faces the courtyard of the class rooms.

Candice Rose has her English class, and for a couple days, Chloe  has been her assistant. What a joy that emulates from the room during class.
Our tools are stored in the back of the room, so we have plenty of opportunity to observe as we are in and out of the classroom during the day.

 Siding is installed on the office.

Ed Capps is always on the go, usually out and about Guachochi, gathering materials and supplies for us. When he is back on the school grounds he is helping us wherever needed.

This a the new Chemistry lab building going up with some local contractors doing the work. Two more teams are following us in the next two weeks, so this building will get a roof installed then.

Much of the cement is mixed by hand, but another classroom addition is ready for the floor to be poured with cement, so this mixer is to be used. It still requires a lot of man power, as the water, sand, rock, and cement is shoveled in by hand, then carried to the floor in a wheelbarrow.

Tell and Rick provided all the construction workers with a Coke......very much appreciated by the workers!

Tell is celebrating his 21st birthday here in Mexico.

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Tell  had a birthday cake at lunch, then got a special song at wednesday night church, and then another special supper at the Capps after church.

Here is the new classroom being built, all the cement work is done by hand, very labor intensive. Joel is the contractor, and is also a missionary sent out by the local Church here that was pioneered by the Capps.

The office should be roofed, sided, wired, and insulation installed by noon on Thursday.
Well done team!!!!

I finally have a minute to give an update.....
We arrived at the Capps home in Guachochi, a little after 4 PM on Sunday. Unloaded our gear and then ate a quick bowl of soup that had been prepared earlier for our arrival. We all quickly changed clothes, and then headed to the evening church service. Several people that Chloe and I have come to know over the years greeted us, and of course Candice and Josh Rose are like family, so it was great to see them. When we got back from Church we had another bowl of soup, and then, needless to say, it did not take long to head towards bed. Rick, Tell and I all accused each other of snoring.......then at breakfast Debby said Ed had kept her awake for the same reason.
Today it took us awhile to get started at the school, unloading tools, looking the place over, and figuring out just exactly what to do.
Chloe was helping Debby all day, and they brought us lunch. That was a treat and a good break.
Rick and Tell attacked the roof and got it covered with tin, while I drew out a electrical plan mounted boxes and then pulled all the wire. By 5:00 we were all bushed and ready to call this first day done!

We have made it to El Paso, and after 12 hrs of traveling and then another 6 hrs of visiting, we all went to bed.  :)
It's 6AM now, all is quiet, and I reflect back on our travels yesterday. With all those miles we saw a lot of nothing.......but then again, by looking beyond our perception of what we want to see, there was beauty in the different landscape of the desert. The flatland, hills and mountains were full of color (mostly browns and gray shades with a touch of yellows and green. Chloe was driving our last leg, and started seeing 'road runner' birds, so we were all waiting to see Wiley Coyote at anytime!
Only one close call while driving, when someone came over a hill passing a truck and car. They saw us, and went to the ditch on our right. No where for us to avoid a possible head on, from the right or left, so Tell held course, and both vehicles shot by on either side of us. Thankfully the 'passer' kept his vehicle up right, got back on the road, and we all continued on.
Today we will be in El Paso to purchase tools and material and finish loading the van. There are numerous sacks of clothing and some toys we will go thru, and then pack those in extra suitcases to cross the border, otherwise a 'duty tax' is imposed on all the donated items.
For those still facing cold weather and snow, it was 84° when we arrived here yesterday.

Well followers, I'm finally back to bring you some new post as we begin another trip to Mexico.
Rick McCabe and myself left Gillette, Thursday afternoon at 3:00, drove to Cheyenne and met Tell West (came over from college, UW @ Laramie). Traveled on to the Blum's (Judi, my middle daughter) in Ft Collins for supper around 7:30, and there met up with Chloe Haas (Casper College and my granddaughter). Spent the night at our gracious host Laurel Bond home (Laurel would like to have joined us on this trip, but teaching duties kept her a home). We were all up at 5:00 AM and on the road at 6:00 enroute to El Paso ( actually Chaparral, NM which is just North of the city). There we will meet and stay with our missionaries, Ed & Debby Capps, until we cross into Mexico Sunday morning.

Well, I am full of apologies, to all that follow this blog. I have been very negligent in posting, so please accept my sincere apology. This past year, my granddaughter Chloe graduated from High School (at the same time we normally go to Guachochi with the CHA group)......so, we did not get to join the group. In the meantime, Ed and Debby continue their ministry, and we stay in touch as often as possible.
I had thought about a 'end of year' trip, after Christmas and over the New Year, but the Capps have decided to be State side during that time, to spend time with their daughter Karie and family. Ed thought  anytime after that may work for a team. I have not checked with all the schools, but plans are being discussed to make a team trip, sometime in the March 11th -19th time frame.
I will post more as plans formulate.
Steve B 

    Myself and Grandson Luke have spent the last two weeks with missionaries Ed and Debby Capps, along with a group from Christian Heritage Academy, Oklahoma City, OK. We meet in Chaparral, NM and then travel 500+ miles south of El Paso, TX to Guachochi, Chihuahua, MX. The first few days are spent working on the Christian School campus, and then we travel 45 miles from town to work at the 'ranch', where the Capps have a ministry with the Tarahumara Indians.
   

This ranch is on a bench 1000' down from the rim of the canyon, accessible by a foot path or aircraft.....'no road!' All building material/supplies are transported down by a cable winch system (I have many more pictures within this blog) and we climb in and out with our own power.
    This trips purpose, was to finish the 'airplane hanger' by installing the sheet metal for the roof. Their was also painting to be done, installing a roof on the adobe Sunday school building, and installing windows and doors on another building. There is a multitude of 'other' task that a carried out, along with these major projects.
    Hopefully we can get some videos uploaded soon to this page too....check back! 

We have made it back to Guachochi this evening, and are leaving early in the morning for the border....so, no pictures for now!
A tremendous amount of work was accomplished in the last few days. I say 'Congatulations Parents, you are raising some very fine young adults!