Bell(towers) for the Prayer Mountain
Building project 2019
Symbolic picture
In 2012 Maria Prean received three bronze bells by the SOS-Children's village in Imst (Austria), which were made in 1958 by the bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck for this children's village.
What we know about the bells are their bang tone, the diameter and the weight.
Tone diameter in cm (approx.) and weight (approx.):
Bell 1 g/2 50,0 76 kg
Bell 2 h/2 38,8 36 kg
Bell 3 d/3 34,0 25 kg
Since more than 6 years these bells are stored in Maria's corridor on the Prayer Mountain and waiting to ring again for the glory of God.
The smallest bell shall serve the christian conference centre House Jacob as a house bell.
It is planned to make a steel bell cage working as a bell tower in the green compound in front of the reception. The big and medium sized bells shall be hung together as prayer- and farewell bells in a bell tower out of steel concrete, that shall find its place right next to the farewell hall, the cementary and the new emerging chapel with a view on Lake Victoria.
All bell towers shall be set up by local companies and own students from our vocational schools.
Currently the planning and static calculations for both bell towers in the 'Erzgebirge' (Saxony, Germany) operate at full stretch. Here God has led Maria and the married couple Schubert together in November 2017 during a church evening. Thomas and Catrin Schubert manage an engineering office for church architecture, bells and preservation of (historical) monuments in Schneeberg. After being invited by Maria and visiting Mukono and the Prayer Mountain among others last summer, the three bronze bells awoke from their 6 years deep slumber, were hung into a children's swing and eventually got to ring again.
Since then the bell project has gathered speed.
Besides the planning of the bell towers it is equally important to plan the bell equipment well, consisting of the bay, clapper and ringing arm. Thomas has contacted the bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck for the cause. The company was very pleased to hear that three of their bells have found the way to Uganda. The firm Grassmayr made an offer for renewing three steel bays, three new hand forged clappers, six ball bearings and three ringing arms with ringing ropes. In total the offer is worth about 4.000 euros plus transport fees from Austria to Uganda.
3 forged clappers in round bale constructive form, gross:
Bell I: 745 €
Bell II: 587 €
Bell III: 587 €
3 steel bays with ball bearing and strings, gross:
Bell I: 640 €
Bell II: 480 €
Bell III: 480 €
3 ringing arms with movable counterweight for balance and special ringing rope (each 7m length), gross:
Bell I: 215 €
Bell II: 167 €
Bell III: 143 €
Subtotal 4.044 €
The bell foundry contributes with 600,- Euro on this bell project. The planning and measuring of the bell towers through the engineer's office takes place without calculating further created costs.
Added onto that further costs for manufacturing and setting up of both bell towers:
Costs of foundation approx. 1.000 €
Costs of steel concrete tower approx. 2.500 €
Costs of steel construction House Jacob approx. 1.500 €
In total we currently calculate approx. 10.000 € for the bell project.
The plan is to build both bell towers this summer. For fixing and installing of the bells Catrin and Thomas will again travel to Uganda in autumn to help with the post works.
The bell project has become a heart's project for the couple. In many ways they are trying to get financial solutions for the sound project and to help implementing it, knowing, that the heavenly father has prepared the giver's hearts already.
So an art exhibition took place in the Elterleiner Church with faith paintings painted by Catrin during her stay in Uganda last year. After their return they could collect 365 Euro at a church evening as a starting point for the bell project.
Whoever is reading these lines and has it on his/her heart that these three bronze bells (and maybe even other bells) shall sound again on the Prayer Mountain for God's glory and prayer, is kindly invited to support this new project financially and in prayer.
P.S: In Uganda there are currently very, very few church bells ringin for the glory of God. Catrin and Thomas did not hear a single church bell during their stay in Uganda last year.
Current donations: 965 Euro
(30.04.2019)
