At the Church Building, Part 2

Apr 30, 2012

This will be a long, randomish post of the pictures I took at the church building since my first about it with some random narrative. I have not gotten them very well organized, so they may not be quite in order.

Above the ceiling tiles

Behind the sloping ceiling-above the window which is beside the front door-before the ceiling tiles were put in

Papa John says that he's board. I mean bored.

Papa John spent a lot of time putting in cupboards.

Eric emptying the machine

Putting on the trim in the sanctuary

Paulie sweeping upstairs

Cutting the trim

Tim sweeping the steps

Plastic was hung over the blue sound panels so they wouldn't get wet when we buffed the balcony.

The sound booth doubled as an office and storage area.

We had some problems with the yellow machine, so some of the floor was hand-washed. Makes you appreciate the machines!

Ed fixing the machine, with Tim's help.

I always make myself think of The Princess Bride saying "the machine".

Mr. Taylor "supervising"

The first practice in the new building!

Up to this point, the majority of the work I did was sweeping. There was one broom really suitable for the job, a horsehair broom, which I had not discovered at first. Unfortunately it got rather matted down, and there was one place that would leave a line of dirt. Yet it was still better for the dusty floors than the other stiff brooms.

Then, one morning when I came in, Ed told me he had something to show me. "We got something for you." They had gotten two horsehair brooms, and we had only to put them together. He and Paul did.

A most beautiful sight! Ed and I were very excited.

"Only one thing left to do," Ed said, "and your broom will be ready. We just have to write your name across the front."

We never did, so I'm not sure which one is mine. I didn't do a ton of sweeping after we got them, but I enjoyed what I did. "I don't mind sweeping the whole church if I have these brooms!" I told Ed.

The yellow machine shuts off if you turn it high enough to do the major cleaning on the floors, so we were introduced to buffing. We were very blessed by being given the use of two buffers for little to no cost.

We used the yellow machine to suck up the water used in buffing.

Most days, I took a bit of time off to wander around taking pictures.

When the sky is this awesome blue, the contrast between it and the building is striking.

A lot of pallets!

Mr. Killy through the pallets

Through the back doors

Mr. Walls and Joe Stuart put the edging on the stage with Wesley's help.

Ed sweeping the balcony with one of our beautiful brooms

Eric and Mr. Killy

Mr. Slick hanging the sound panels

For several weeks the youth group came to the building and worked for a while.

Despite our joking, there wasn't an accident or a murder; this is some sort of fireproof sealant.

One day the Wing boys, Anthony, and Tim and Paul helped Ed, buffing the balcony. Buffing involves laying out water (Anthony with the mop), using the buffer (Ed with the machine), and sucking the water and soap up (Tim with the green machine, called a squeegie, I think). This is to be done as quickly as possible, for if the water dries, the soap leaves white streaks on the floor.

Ed taught me how to use the buffer. The first time I tried, the machine swerved back and forth, and I wondered how anyone could do it. It is directed by moving the handle up and down-up to go left, down to go right, and the higher or lower the farther and faster it goes. It sounds so simple, but it takes a bit to get used to. Ed lowered the handle and it was easier, but I still felt uncertain with it.

Then Ed had to go get more water. He told me I could start and to back up carefully at the walls. With trepidation, I began, and suddenly, I could do it, easily. I wasn't as good as the boys, especially at heeling, but it didn't swerve back and forth anymore.

Heeling is when you tip the buffer to one side so that only the edge touches, which will remove tougher spots. Since the handle is how you direct it, heeling is hard to keep steady.

Jonathan and Papa John fixing the cabinets

The small kitchen, the only one for now, with the sink installed

A lot of water is required for cleaning the floors, but for a long while we had no running water available in the building. Ed made many trips with his jeep to our generous neighbors to fill buckets.

The weeks of beautiful, warm weather were a blessing, and many days the doors were propped open.

Filling the areas around the sidewalk with dirt made it look so nice!

The guys made fun of me for going around with my camera sometimes. They told me I should take a picture of them replacing a light, as the lift wasn't quite tall enough, so they had to use a ladder on it.