October 22

Dear One and All,

Perhaps the last time I wrote, you could almost hear our cheers of gratitude to the Lord for our Registration as a Training Provider in Vanuatu.  That was most encouraging.

Now that Alastair and I are back around Santo, from our time in Tanna, we are more easily able to monitor progress on the new school building.

While Aore Clinic needed some final touches, and the Aore church maintenance and extension project also needed quite a few weeks of attention, we are about to put those two behind us and concentrate (mainly) on the school.

The Ambae Clinic, a replica of the new one at Port Resolution in Tanna, has begun, and the local village people are keen to get moving.  Alastair will fly over to Ambae soon to give instructions and arrange for delivery of materials, which we'll order and send from Santo. (read more)

July 13, 2009

Dear Friends and LATI supporters,

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" (Ephesians 5.20)

Just had to write again with the good news! Listair Advent Training Institute is a registered training provider with the Vanuatu National Training Council (VNTC). This was granted on July 9 for a period of two years, and renewable after that time.

This is none other than a miracle! When we began the process it was a long and daunting path before us, but God is gracious. He has blessed us and we praise Him for this recognition granted to our school.

We look forward to receiving the written confirmation, but in the meantime, a telephone conversation to VNTC this morning confirmed the good news. Alistair breathed a great sigh of relief when I shared the tidings with him.

He is putting the fascias on the clinic building just now, with his faithful helper and student, Botleng. He even hopes to get the roof on it today - 34 sheets of roofing iron.

We have a team of 24 volunteers from Sydney arriving here in Tanna this afternoon to turn an old aid post into a nurse's residence, including extending it to incorporate a bathroom and kitchen. So I'll busy myself with preparing a big pot of something hot for when they arrive. It will be five or six weeks until we return to the LATI site in Santo - the VNTC will probably hold an official 'presentation of certificate' - will be a special day for the boys who are continuing with their hard work, building the facility.

Have a good day,

Alistair and Jill

June 26. 2009

By now you will wonder if anything is happening with our new school. The last update I sent was soon after our groundbreaking on May 2 last year. There have been some delays and hurdles and it was early December before we had the floor poured, and it's taken until May of this year to reach this stage -




However the boys are continuing and by now they will be pouring the bond beam, then comes the top plate ready for the positioning of the trusses.

The boys have been faithfully plodding along with various interruptions and problems to face - they've made the blocks
themselves and done a lot of the work without having Alistair there to help them. We've been in Tanna during March and April of this year, and again since mid-June until the new clinic and the other clinic to be refurbished, are completed. The clinic work is giving one or two of our boys a chance to get extra training and experience.

The boys have made their own window and door frames and some of the boys are just now milling timber to make trusses - then comes the roof! We expect we'll be open and running classes in the new year.

Last Thursday we received word that the accreditation officer for the Vanuatu National Training Council would arrive at the building site to inspect proceedings - it's called an audit, and comes prior to the granting of registration of the facility with the Council. He was very impressed with what he saw and planned to visit Aore to see the machinery and facilities we've been using there for classes over the past years. However his schedule didn't allow the visit to Aore after all, but he has assured our future principal that he is very happy with everything and that our school will likely receive registration status at the Council next month. So that has been very good news to cheer us along.

We have been very grateful for your prayers and encouragement and support to provide for building materials. The boys are working hard and they will look after their school and keep it nice, after all their effort. The accreditation officer was impressed with the block work and told them they don't need to plaster it. So that was encouraging.