Blog 5: Construction

The morning after we arrived we saw that construction had progressed quite a bit.  The walls for the first floor were up and so was the wall between the church and its neighbor. 

To lay the concrete ceiling of the first floor, which will serve as the floor of the second floor, the crew had to build load-bearing concrete beams that have a rebar center. 

They built the forms from repurposed wood taken from the building.  You see the wood on the right of this photo.

They also built the rebar structure that goes inside the forms.

They installed these at the top of the walls.  You can see a little bit of the forms on the top right of this photo.  The paint on the wood is green.

The next step was to fill the forms with concrete.  We had the concrete but no water.  Arelis, the church administrator,  found someone with a tank and a tractor that was able to bring water, which we carried in buckets into the church.

Then they were able to mix the concrete and carry it in buckets, up the ladder and into the forms.

A day or so later the crew took the wood off the concrete forms.  In the meantime, they had built the forms for the overhang.  You can see them behind the man.

Then began the task of taking the nails off the wood so they can use both the nails and the wood again.

While three men, out of a crew of 5, took off nails, the other two built the wall for the storage room in the kitchen.  The man wearing the yellow shirt is the construction supervisor.

Next week, they will connect the sewage to the street.  To do this they need to remove two rows of  tiles in the sanctuary from where construction begins to the front door.  They want to preserve the tiles since they are original to this 100-year-old building.  They will use the concrete saw with a guidance cart to do this difficult work.

The crew works very well together.  Pastor Alexis had a task for us, but materials were not available, and it would have slowed down the construction crew to have us work with them in their current tasks.  As Pastor Alexis had warned us, "be prepared for anything."  In this case it was to observe and do something else.  

  

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Although Pastor Alexis does a lot of things in the church, it would not run as well without Arelys.

Before becoming the church administrator Arelys had many different jobs. She has a large network of people–connections that are key to obtaining materials the church needs. 

So when the church needs transportation for camp and there is no bus to be found, she knows the person in charge who she can call to find the bus they need.  She’s out and about town a lot and knows when supplies come in and where to find them.  She is persistent.

 Insert Blog 5 Arelis photo here

On Wednesday construction was almost at a stand still because we didn’t have water.  Arelis knew someone who has a water tank and tractor and can bring the water for the construction.  Out she goes to talk to him and a few hours later we are carrying buckets of water in for the construction.

 

The next day, the shortage is the sheet metal for the concrete forms so the concrete is smooth. Construction would stop without it.  She finds alternative material and remembers where it can be found.  Arelis gets it and once again construction is back on schedule.

Not everything comes easily. There is something needed for the walls that is not available anywhere.  But she is sure that it will come at the right time because this is God’s work.

Arelys likes her job at the church even though it takes most of her waking hours. “The jobs I had before prepared me for this job at the church. I am very happy working here. God brought me here after I learned all I needed for this job.  His timing is always perfect.”

~  Rachel