More to it then just "Brick by Brick"

Katunda Baptist Church, the building, is a work in progress.  Katunda Baptist Church, the people, the body of Christ, IS GROWING!!! 

Tyler and his mud-mixin feet.
Faithful to the work, the members gather for several days to work on bricks for the walls of the new church.  Tyler was very excited to go each day and help with this work.  He sacrificially gave up schoolwork to go play in the mud.  Actually, he did the labor and then made-up the work for school as well.

Kaiphus, Reuben, and Tyler

Duncan Kakoma has been a part of every construction project of Katunda Baptist Church.  Several years ago he helped carry bricks from another location to the present spot to build the walls of the former church building.  He was so small and it would take all his strength just to carry one block.  Today he stands taking a break from shoveling the remains of the old bricks he carried to make mud for new bricks.

Do not judge them by their size.  These young boys carried their weight throughout the day.  Hands of all colors and sizes would form those bricks throughout those days.

Much water is needed.  The water had to be brought from a nearby stream
and carried to the church.

I remember sitting at the meeting as they discussed what preparations needed to be made for the molding of the bricks.  It is quite an undertaking and if one thing doesn't happen or they are missing one necessary supply, the work comes to a halt and the days can be lost until they get what is needed.  Sometimes, getting what is needed, can be a little more tricky then you might think.  They do not have a Lowe's or Home Depot to run to and pick up any necessary forgotten items.

However, if you need more "cement", you just tear more of the "old church building" down and make more. Tyler likes "DEStructing" almost as much as CONstructing.  The people outgrew the original building quickly.  I remember some of the last few Sundays in that small building with children sitting on my feet to make room for each other.  We were all welcoming a new building where we could have enough room to stand and sing together.

Everyone plays a part in a days work, whether they lay a hand to the forming of those bricks or not.  The wonderful women of Katunda, when they weren't carrying water, would be found preparing food for all those working.

Bertha, Mwangolita and Pana.

Just another pot of nshima.

 Even me, whom they will not allow to stir the nshima pot, get to hold the babies while their Mamas cook.  

I mean holding the babies is an important job. Otherwise, they end up eating dirt like little Kaiphus does until I capture him.

But the work goes on and after three days there are over 600 bricks for the new walls.