Update August 5, 2022 (updates from Eric):

Got to say this crew really gets it done! Really coming along. The rock has been hauled by hand and the floor area filled along with leveling the walkway outside. Since the soon to be resident is blind we want to make sure there's no obstacles. The roof is complete and so far no rain today. Rita's car is being used for truck duty.   A big thank you to Rita and all the crew!!!

 

August 4, 2022: 

Here's the great group of people here today to be measured! Much work ahead but that's a good thing.

 

  What a busy day at Rita's Office! We delivered two arms, Abel and Sandra, and measured five more. The young boy is going to need some custom design work that we will try and find help for. Pray for the right person to help! Here's Sandra and Abel.

 

 

 

The house progresses despite mud and rain but it's cleared up some. Rita is using her car as a lumber truck!

 

Progress on the house since lunch! The roof is going to be on today and the fill rock has arrived. That all gets moved to the house by hand.

 

 

August 3, 2022:

A great day as we delivered a new arm to Armando! He tells us that this will be a big help for corn planting which left his arm black and blue since losing his hand. He had also figured out how much easier it was going to be to sharpen his machete now. He is taking to it quickly and will be doing many tasks with it very soon!    Thank you God we can do this for people who need them.

 

 

And at the worksite:  days of rain and a lot of mud. This location has no vehicle access so everything has to be carried in on foot!

 

Update August 2, 2022 (updates from Eric): 

Prayers answered!    In a week of great happenings we have a big blessing. Huge thank you to Tom Burky and Fiona Burky. May God bless all you do abundantly! They handle our stateside affairs, keep an office for the organization, consolidate and send out shipments, are major donators, keep up our blog and now they have blessed the ministry with a third printer! A PrusaMk3S+ like our first.

 

We thought two would surely be enough but we are still growing beyond what we imagined. Especially as we are trying to add the above elbow loss arm. This fills the last niche in the walk-through but we still have one more spot on board.

 

This journey has certainly been a wild ride. We have donated nearly 40 prosthetics now. We have 5 more people coming to be measured just this week! Only three quarters of a year into this. We have no idea where God is going with this but we're certainly on for the ride! It's amazing what a bit of printed plastic can mean for someone's life.    Excuse the mess and yes some wire management yet to come.

 

 

 

 And today's another busy day at the house project for Rita and the crew. Included a visit from the future resident!  The weather here has been raining off and on all day but still moving ahead. God bless this hardworking crew!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 August 1, 2022:

We have started our next house project! This is for this blind gentleman who has been slowly trying to get it done as he can and with help from his church. But his current living situation needs to change and it would be a long time before they can finish.

 

 

 

Rita is out on the job with the crew today! There are existing footers and columns and part of the block work. They will be improving the drainage so it doesn't flood and finish out this basic house. We will even get some cover over the passage from the house across the footpath to the shared toilet.   We have a great crew!

 

 

And meanwhile on the boat: 

Progress on the above elbow arm! Still got a few more parts to track down which is a bit more challenging here but we will find them one way or another!

 

Next I have to fabricate the shoulder harness. Then make a driveline housing out of a bicycle brake cable housing. Then present this to a very patient recipient. There is a waiting line for these!

 

 July 29, 2022:

 

Monica finished the arm! So this should go to Sandra as soon as she can come for the final fitting. Our favorite days!

 

 

 

July 28, 2022: 

 An arm for Armando!

 

 

Update July 22, 2022 (updates from Eric):

July 21, 2022:

A big day for Cindy! She is a very happy young lady, I think maybe her mom was even happier. These are the days that make it all worth while. Tears all around and a blessing from her pastor.

 

We'll see her again as she will most likely outgrow this one in a year or less and we will happily make her another!    This was number 35, according to Monica.

 

 

 

Update July 15, 2022 (updates from Eric):

The parts for Cindy's new hand! Should be getting built on Monday by Monica. This is from a translucent material that looks much prettier in person.

 

 

 

 

From Tigre Lopez who recently got one of our arms...

 

My favorite occasions are delivery days.  Today was Jorge's day! He got our first CF PETG (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) arm. I hope this gets him back on the job soon as a welder and improves the future.

This is what we are about! By the grace of God helping those who need what we have.

 

From July 14, 2022:

Tigre with a fine looking arm!

 

 

Update July 13, 2022 (latest updates from Eric):  

 

Our  first carbon nanofiber reinforced PETG arm and it's for Jorge! A little more effort to use this material with thermoforming and a bit more costly but for the right expected use it may get used some more by us.

Just waiting on the coating to dry on the grip panel so it can be attached and then we will be ready to deliver!

 

 

 

 

July 10, 2022:

It really works out for the best that the printers are onboard and in the hallway next to where we sleep. 

 

Maintenance and troubleshooting are a big part of 3d printing:

 

We both listen for the tell-tale 'Tic, Tic, Tic' that signals a clogged extruder or a tangled wrap in the filament roll. This excludes the lesser 'tic, tic, tic' that is simply the sound made of small areas being worked on. Still enough to rouse us from sleep, although when the printers are running through the night we both are very lite sleepers, and we often get up to check the printing and machines.

 

Sometimes the print doesn't adhere in the first stages, no matter how well you clean the print plate. So the first hour or so there is extra diligence to make sure we don't lose the print. And sometimes we do.  The machines can be picky (the Raise 3d especially) and every print has its own special heat levels, extruder rates. Etc. 

 

So for every successful prosthetic, there is often a measure of fine-tuning, some hair-pulling and frustration when we lose a print. Our whole hearts are in this work and we want to bless people and give them hope. So even though he is often frustrated because he wants to do a really good job, God strengthens Eric to be good at what he does... God bless him!!

 

Thank you so much to everyone who supports this work through prayers, personal involvement, funds and much appreciated encouragement!

 

 

 

 

 

July 7, 2022:

 

The parts pile is getting bigger! Several days running round the clock. The beige group still has about seven more sheets to print before assembly. That's the above elbow arm. The blue parts are awaiting the last part on the printer and then some bending jigs in less expensive material. That's for a below elbow arm. Busy printers is a good thing!

 

 

 

 Update July 7, 2022 (update from Eric): 

A new arm for Ariel!

 

 

 

 

 Yesterday's IMS Facebook post from Eric...

 We just started the printing of our first upper arm loss prosthetic. There's a lot more printing and a whole lot more work in assembling, but if this works well, we have a line of people waiting for this. Will be printing most of the week, in the rainy season, with thunder already in the area. Hoping the inverter behaves in any power outages as it has been having "issues".   But that's one of the reasons we print on board,  is the ability to power the printers in an area with frequent outages. 

 

Thanks to Nate Monro and the NIOP design crew let's hope we can make this do well!   This link will show you what we are trying to achieve:    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4884632

 

 

 Update July 5, 2022 (updates from Eric):

Arm building!

 

 A new arm waiting for Ariel!