Plugging Away

     The guys are still plugging away at chruch construction.  Leif still goes one day a week, as he is able, to help.  This past week, they tackled the floor in the main room.  This was no small job! 

They measured everything to make the floors as even as they could.

     This part of the floor was harder to do because they had to use a jackhammer underneath where the old stove sat.

     There is actually a huge pit underneath the entire floor.  But this is the old door to the "cellar" (a.k.a. the hole) where they used to store potatoes.  They closed this over, as we now have a basement in the new addition.  I feel like each year we are here, we learn all the more what a HUGE part potatoes are in Russian culture.  Almost everyone I know has either a locked box in their hallway outside of their apartment or a garage that they rent or space underground near the bus stop that they own or rent, or a cellar... all for their yearly supply of potatoes.  I asked Vera last week if it was actually less expensive to rent her hole in the ground and buy potatoes from her friend than to just buy them as needed at the store.  And she said that the quality is far better if they are local Russian potatoes.  And that makes it worth it to her.  I never thought of it before!  Our apartment is so warm that I just buy a small bag at a time for the refrigerator (which is far more than I ever bought in America!).  But it would take some great convincing for me to buy a special box for the hallway to store huge sacks for the winter!

 

Here they are, insulating the floor.

It took lots of screws to pin the plywood down.

Already it's looks SO much better than it did!

     The guys have a goal to have this whole room completed by Easter (which is a month later than Easter in America).  Our church has been full each week, and this new space will triple the seating.  It will be nice to have.

Jump, jump!