Tree Houses

Now you can see what we went to Ecuador to build. The pictures are in order of how we constructed the tree houses. We got about 95% done on them and now the El Refugio staff will take it from here to complete them.





The first step was securing the support braces to the trees




Next we built the frames on the supports





After that we put the decking boards on and attached the upright posts for the roof frames and railings





Then we hoisted up the roofing frames and attached those to the poles and tree







The final step was to attach plywood to the frames. We then stapled a layer of plastic and finished them off with grass on top. Pretty cool looking, huh?



Here's the team on the final day standing in front of our handy work. You can see two of the houses behind us and the supports for the fourth house next to us.

It was such an honor and a blessing to be a part of the team. For me it was a very unique and refreshing missions experience unlike most I've been on in recent years. This time around was an opportunity for me to focus solely on being a team member and servant vs. being in a leadership role and having to make a bunch of decisions. It took a little getting used to, but it was a nice change of pace for me. Our hope and prayer is that many Ecuadorian youth will have unique and meaningful encounters with the Lord while spending time in the trees. We most likely won't come face to face with any of them until eternity, but the thought of Him meeting them there made all the aches, pains, and treks up and down the trail well worth it.
Thanks for being a part of the adventure with us through this blog and for partnering with us through your prayer support!