As noted in the July 2022 PAMI Newsletter, we are thankful for an August 2021 $5000 gift from ReStored Thrift Store of Lakeville, MN that went towards a 5 x 7 m chapel, along with a 5 x 3 m back room with Comfort Room (i.e. toilet) & sink & a front to back sidewalk. Here is a video of church members singing a song of appreciation:
Here is a video of a kids song within the new chapel:
And here are a video and pictures of ongoing finishing done since last August. This included adding a 5 x 3 m extension off the back of the chapel (which can be either used as pastoral living quarters, classroom or meeting space, food preparation space, storage space, etc.), and cementing the floor of this back room. Note that a sink was roughed in but not yet finished with tiling.
The chapel (front 5 x 7 m) portion was improved with wall plastering/smoothing on a couple of the more prominent walls and addition of front double doors. More of the inside and outside walls still need plastering and painting.
For reference, you can see the following reports from Pastor Lorenzo Fugen:
Also note that the San Jose Bulusan Church also created their own Facebook page, which you can see here:
https://www.facebook.com/Bulusan-Christian-Church-PAMI-115272147737776/
For further reference, you can see the Aug 27, 2021 blog post. Note that the $5000 from ReStored covered both the $3300 of initial chapel construction, along with the additional $1700 mentioned in the Aug 27th post. Construction also freed up $40 per month that was previously designated towards Bulusan rent, which has been redirected to ongoing property improvements. Bit by bit, they’ve been adding doors, curtains, drapery, etc. Additional funds would be nice for further finishing (e.g. smoothing the inside and outside walls, painting, tiling, upgrading windows and ceiling, adding chairs/benches, adding musical instruments) and to add a kids Sunday school cottage. A kids Sunday school cottage hasn’t been built yet because funds were used instead to make the back room be full concrete rather than half concrete to be more storm resistant and longer-lasting, and for other improvements. Until a separate Sunday school cottage is built, the kids can meet either in the back room, outside in the yard, or in the cottage of a neighbor.
Here are other members of the San Jose Bulusan church that can help teach. Sister Carmela and Sister Cristy attended April 20th training along with Ptr Lorenz and received certificates given by Samaritan’s Purse, in preparation of teaching/discipling kids who will receive Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. They are still waiting for more teaching materials to arrive before the shoeboxes can be disbursed.
