The first week of deconstruction has concluded and it is amazing what has been accomplished. Half of the ceiling wood has been removed, the choir loft, baptistry and the platform are gone, a third of the walls no longer have plaster or lath, and the fellowship room is filled with wood of various widths and lengths awaiting transport to the Rebuilding Exchange or storage for future use.
Our deconstruction trainees have filled the dumpster, removed nails from the wood taken from the ceiling and walls, organized the wood by length in preparation for transport and learned how to preserve tongue and groove wood. The project supervisors have said that we are currently salvaging about 80% of the materials. As the trainees improve their skills, it will likely go up to 90%
We thank God that everyone has been safe during the work with the exception of a few blisters. The rain on Tuesday and the heat on Wednesday was a physical challenge, but everyone recovered and is standing on the Word, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Needless to say, all the trainees were happy to see the weekend arrive so their bodies could recuperate.
The work will begin again on Monday, August 29. The forecast calls for cooler temperatures and dry. Thank you, Lord.
Tongue on Fire 