The Sunday School Transformation—From Rough Beginnings to Pure Luxury

When we first arrived at Pukerau Church, we were truly starting with the barest of basics. There was no hot water—just a small tank that loved to overflow if you forgot to turn it off—and an outside toilet. For the first few weeks, we relied on my son’s bus, which had a gas shower, to get by.

Resourcefulness became our daily uniform. I immediately hooked up our dishwasher because it heated its own water for the dishes, giving us our first small win. But I knew we needed a permanent, accessible solution quickly. My husband was ill, and walking outside to the freezing outdoor toilet or the bus for a shower wasn’t going to work for long.

I was on a strict timeframe. So, I rolled up my sleeves, gutted one of the old Sunday school rooms, and got to work.

The Old Sunday School Room. Before!

I ordered a new 10,000-liter water tank, an electric hot water tap for the kitchen, and all the gear required to build a proper indoor bathroom from scratch. Piece by piece, I built a walk-in shower, installed a composting toilet, and created a freestanding bath that looked out toward the property's peaceful greenery.

The Old Sunday School Room is now the bathroom, oh the Luxury.

Swapping out the old wooden paneling and chalkboard for a gorgeous, nature-inspired botanical wallpaper transformed the space completely. Walking into that finished room for the first time, it felt like absolute luxury.

Of course, that bathroom build is safely checked off, leaving it as just one win down... and about 86 more jobs left on the list to go! But having that comfort made the church truly feel like home.

The Bath & Composting Toilet.