YAO JIN VILLAGE, China – I have just returned home after a month in China where we were able to accomplish a lot in that time. We secured the final building approvals from the ministry of foreign affairs and the local government and finalized the house designs which now, thanks to a government subsidy, will be two-story buildings. (more…)

YAO JIN, China – Yao Jin village sits at the foot of a 2,500 ft. mountain named Jiu Ding Shan (9 peaks mountain). I had been eager to climb it to take some aerial shots of the village and this weekend I got the chance. (more…)

YAO JIN, China – We have collected our blueprints from the architect and we’re now in the process of getting final approval from the local government.

This has not been a simple process. Many hours have been spent in smoke-filled government offices discussing logistics and technicalities. Our plan has to fit in with the regional construction strategy and this has involved running from one government office to another getting various certificates and documents; but then, rebuilding an entire village should not be expected to be an easy task.

One of the documents required by the local government was a petition by the villagers stating they wanted our assistance. In our last meeting I saw that document being handed over. It was practically a work of art. Each villager had signed their name and then stamped their fingerprint in red ink next to the signature.
(more…)

Deyang City, Sichuan Province, China – We visited OBI’s school project bright and early Friday morning to be with the children as they went through their morning exercises. It was great as the “drill sergeant” had the kids fall in line at 7:00 a.m. sharp. (more…)

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China – Last week we were in Yao Jin with two construction experts from one of China’s largest property development companies.  An architect and engineer toured the village with us and immediately started to sketch rough plans for homes. (more…)

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China – It was raining hard yesterday and the village pathways have turned to mud. I visited some of the villager’s shelters and the mud floors are terrible. They need houses soon and hopefully we are moving toward that goal! (more…)

YONG MIN VILLAGE, China – Our water system in Yong Min is a complete success. We ran a water line 765 yards from a mountain spring into the camp of 300 people. (more…)

YONG MIN VILLAGE, China – Today we celebrate, for tomorrow there will be water.

Mr. Xu worked in Yong Min to establish how long a water pipe we would need to get water to the camp. So, this morning we went to the hardware market to purchase all the necessary components for the water system in Yong Min. The system requires 700 meters of piping and two large metal water tanks as well as all sorts of fittings and valves. (more…)

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China – Picture the scene: a man lifts a heavy block into place and then wipes the sweat from his brow. He and his fellow Chinese countrymen are in a hurry as they build a wall to protect themselves from potential threat. (more…)