Sleep Simulation: They Rocked!!!

"And what," you may ask, "did they exactly do during the sleep simulation?" Well, they didn't sleep much, i can tell you that. Comments on Saturday morning after sleeping on the floor Friday night ranged from "I feel pretty good, actually." to "Other than being a little stiff and waking up several times, i'm still doing better than i expected." Both were great places to start as the team trundled into the Community Center on Saturday morning to report to work. Those who participated were:

* Jodi Wagonmaker
* Brandy Huff
* Stephen Hinkel
* Allison Risser
* Gene Ort

What follows is a brief overview of how the simulation went after arrival.

7:00 a.m. - We did a brief intro and tour of the Community Center and the vision for what will be accomplished there. We also had some Krispy Kreme donuts present to provide some calories for the energy that would be expended. The team also acquired the necessary work gloves, masks and safety glasses they would be using for the day.

Shortly after the tour, Dan Blacketor recruited us to begin the "gutting" process at the newly acquired former "Dee Ken's Bar" space, and the team jumped in enthusiastically. Initial jobs included the removal of the lath and plaster ceiling, the removal of debris from the basement, and the loading of 4 industrial dumpsters in the alleyways. In the process, the team discovered some lovely "souvenirs" such as this "Ladies" sign that formerly occupied a spot atop the women's bathroom door.

Around 9:00 a.m. teams from 2nd Saturday arrived on 3 buses and provided additional labor reinforcement and a solid infusion of fun.

10:30 a.m. - During a brief break, the team admitted that while they were all a little stiff at start, the hard work was "working out the kinks" and they were all feeling pretty good.

noon - 2nd Saturday teams left around 11:30 a.m. and the team broke for lunch shortly thereafter. Lunch consisted of pizza from Barnaby's restaurant, as well as a few leftover Krispy Kremes.

2:00 p.m. - After lunch, the team set about joining the rest of the construction Team on the roof, and pulled off nearly 2" of rock, wood and other debris to make ready for the new roof that will be going in sometime in the next couple of weeks. At 2:00 p.m., team members were dismissed to run home and get a quick shower before heading back to GCC to meet and attend the 5:30 p.m. service.

5:15 p.m. - Meeting in the Atrium at 5:15 p.m. shortly before service, the team was in great spirits, but admitting some fatigue from the day's work coupled with the sleeping arrangements from the previous evening. Jodi joked that we might have to nudge her to keep her awake, but nothing of the sort was necessary as the team enjoyed the opportunity to hang out, relax and enjoy worshiping together.

Saturday night - After service, everyone departed for their respective homes with instructions to sleep on the floor again, and then "pay particular attention to how you feel on Sunday morning".

Sunday morning? - We'll share this evening during our next team training how each team member felt after engaging the sleep simulation, and i will record our findings in the comments on this post.