"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Our official Ground Blessing ceremony was held on Sunday, June 25th to bless the ground before construction officially begins. The service was led by Pastor Bruce, and some of our congregational leaders and staff assisted with the event by turning a shovel full of dirt. Afterward, a potluck lunch was served to celebrate this historic occasion. 

To start the official construction process, machines were brought in to dig up the old dirt, fill in the holes, and level the ground. The size of the new property is starting to become a lot clearer.  

The grass is gone, and the work begins!

During the process of digging out the old dirt, the crew came upon a bit of Zion Lutheran Church history. Some people may remember that the old church building used to be located on the site where the new school is to be located, and while they were digging, the crew found some bricks and old foundational pieces from the old property. 

To facilitate the construction process, many of the old trees around the building site had to be removed. With that, we found that many of the other trees and bushes around the property were rotting, dead, or dying, and for that reason, we decided to have those trees and bushes removed, as well. 

If you have looked at the construction site lately, you may have noticed there is a large transformer by the air conditioning enclosure. This temporary transformer is being used to power the air conditioning units and building site currently, and when the new school is finished, a smaller transformer will be put in to  provide power to both buildings. 

New construction fences were placed around the building site to provide protection and safety for our school children. This will also help maintain a boundary between the building site and other parts of the church property. 

On Monday of this past week, underground boring work was done, so the electrical system for the new school and our existing facilities, both church and school, will be serviced by one underground electrical service line. The phone company also had to install the cables necessary for their underground equipment. The plumber has had a couple of delays in installing the new storm line. 

Many important tasks must be completed before the foundation can be poured and the steel structure for the new school is erected. For instance, the fire marshal is reviewing the final design of the floor plan, and upon approval, we should possibly see some actual construction beginning in early September. On the plus side, the sidewalk by the basketball court has been replaced. 

Work has now begun on the foundation for the new school. This phase of the project will take approximately three weeks, and it will include the footings, the storm shelter, and the elevator shaft.