Time to Build!

We are getting closer and closer to the actual time to build our house, many of you have expressed interest in coming over to help us build. We are asking all individuals to talk it over with their families, along with their churches and share with their congregation. We are looking for people who are ready and willing to work, and because of its remoteness, it will be first come first serve. So all you construction, electrical, and plumbing guys, we are asking you to consider coming over and help us build our house in the tribe.

How we see things going…

We are looking for 7-10 men and 1 woman for 3 weeks. Now whether it is a new crew every week, or if some stay the whole time that is entirely up to each individual’s schedule. We think it will take about 3 weeks from start to finish; we are a drive-in location and we will do our best to prep everything before the actual build time. We think 7-10 men will be perfect, not too many and not too little, and one woman to help Nicole cook and help with some logistics. We are expecting people to understand that when they come this is several steps down from camping… no running water, no electricity, etc. for those interested, we will have some things for you to be aware of so you can be prepared. We can talk about that later. Our targeted time is; September 5-26^th. This will be after a busy time for us, hosting other teams and conferences, this gives time for the container to get to Vanuatu, and it is still during the “dry season” so the rivers are not flooded.

Week one-three: Like we said, if just one crew comes or it is 3 crews that come staggered on top of each other that will be great. But this is what we are looking for: Week one, we have at least 1-2 guys gifted in concrete, and then 1-2 guys gifted in framing. Week two, we are looking for 1-2 guys gifted in both electrical (this is going to be in solar-power, so we ask you spruce up on this topic, we have a manual you can read ahead of time) and then another 1-2 guys gifted in plumbing; just basic PVC connections. And then week three, at least 1-2 guys gifted in finishing work, making shelves, doorframes etc.… We broke it down as such, because if YOU are gifted in say “cabinetry”, and you can only take one week off, it would not be the best use of your skills to come the first week, but actually for you to come the last week. We hope that makes sense and is clear. We are also looking for 1-2 men who might not be good at building but are basic laborers; there will be labor jobs each week with digging and helping alleviate labor for the skilled workers. For the woman slot, we ask that it be either a wife of one of the men, or someone who understands that this is not a “relaxing trip”, this is jungle living and is expected to help, some women might be great cooks, but not so great at roughing it.

We have the plans of our house all drawn up, each board and each piece laid out, so for you builders we can send that to you ahead of time so you can be prepared. We are open to suggestions and will trust you and your better judgment in the build process. Please contact us if you are interested in coming, we are not expecting you to sign “in blood”, but we would appreciate your commitment to this ministry. Logistics-wise, we can steer you in the right direction in how to get here. You can expect to pay around $2,000 round trip to Vanuatu from (Pittsburgh). And then expect maybe $500 in country for expenses… and other expenses like souvenirs and buying us gifts are up to you J . Wherever you come from, aim your ticket to be in Brisbane (Australia) airport sometime Monday night or early-early Tuesday morning (our time). There is a direct flight from Brisbane to our Island on Tuesdays, making the trip easier and a little bit more cost friendly. If you need help with other logistical things please do not hesitate to ask!

Thank you for considering us and we are excited to see you over in Vanuatu! We are humbled to call ourselves YOUR feet to the unreached, Seth and Nicole Stokes.

Exterior House Plan