Last weekend, I got to help build a house. With mostly Spanish instructions. While wearing a medical mask.
That’s a mouthful I’d never imagine myself saying! But by the grace of God, this family has a new place to call home.
Almost 2 weeks beforehand, I saw an ad for a house building outreach with a church I last attended in March 2020, before COVID began. Since then, my faithful Sunday seat mate moved home with Jesus, and I still couldn’t put together the energy or emotions to have her empty seat beside me every Sunday morning.
Nevertheless, that outreach was still on my mind and heart. The outreach was set for Saturday. I registered Thursday afternoon, with my hands shaking, not really having any expectations for what I just signed myself up to do!
Friday night, we had a zoom call with all the volunteers that were able to. We spoke on details of the following day. Overall, there were 4 houses: 2 being painted and 2 being built by the team of about 60 of us. I felt a sense of relief! Me? No experience at all with a nail, hammer, saw, or really anything construction. At least I could be a helping hand in the painting, with many walls painted over my years of mission trips.
The next morning, we all gathered at the church to load up the buses. We were told that we’d receive a list of which of the 4 teams we were a part of through a group message while on our drive there. I was dressed in my clothes ready to be covered in paint! Guess what group I was in? House building #2. Let the nervousness begin.
This house was just a skeleton structure. It had a roof overhead and every other post on the walls, so we were in charge of nailing in the missing posts, putting the windows in place, assembling bed frames, and making sure the house was move-in ready. I tied my Home Depot canvas belt around my waist, filled it with nails, grabbed my hammer, and walked over to the wooden posts still needing to be put up, without an idea of what I was doing. Thankfully, I was with others who had participated in a house build before and I could learn from their tips, watch how they did things, and provide a helping hand after their instructions. The guys in our group were very patient with me in showing me how to hold the hammer, where to put the nail, and how to keep the board in its place. I even got a chance to help some of the girls who were struggling a bit and got to act as a translator for those who only spoke English!
The family was watching their house being built. We got the chance to play with the kids off to the side, and I even brought a couple packs of Starbursts to share with those kids, not only in the village we were in, but also those I passed on our walk back to the bus. Many times after I gave a kid a candy, they’d still keep eye contact with me as they walked home, only to open the door and bring their younger siblings my way.
After about 3 and a half hours, we were done! We got to get a few videos/photos with the family in front of their new house, just before handing them the keys. We were all screaming and shouting for them to open up the house while we were there. The father grabbed the keys and walked in first, with his family (6 others) walking quickly behind him. There, he broke down in tears, along with the rest of the family and everyone in viewing distance, knowing he now has a safe and secure place for their family to live. He has a home.
It was a 2 bedroom house with a small living room. The bedrooms were each roughly double the size of the closet I had most of my childhood (maybe 7×7). No electricity. No bathroom/running water inside the house. No stove, fridge, pantry, or sink. A house that I’m really not sure how a family of 7 could fit comfortably in. Yet they were full of thanks. Thankful for those sponsors who paid for the materials, thankful for the team who put the house together, and thankful to God for providing for his family.
What is it in your life you can give thanks for, that might be not up to your standards?
A busy job= employment and providing for yourself.
Lots of chores to do= a family to provide for.
Car troubles= having your own mode of transportation.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I am thankful that even though I had no experience at all before this day, I could still be used by this team, for this family, in the plans of God. I’m already looking forward to August’s Saturday outreach!
Living room/kitchen 
The finished house! 
He wanted to help build too! 
The girls’ native wear 
They have a home! 
Wiping away happy tears 
Lunch in Antigua with the team after the work was done!
(har)Perseverance on a mission 