The Alameda House

Today the team from Alameda got to build a house by ourselves. The family we built for, has 6 children and was in desperate need of a new home. We actually met the mother the day before because her house was right down the road from that day's build.

That day Mark pulled Kevin and I off the build site to go "tour" this family's home. Their home was made from scraps of metal, sticks, and other materials that the family had scrounged from who knows where, and was only about 5 feet tall. There were very few nails in it. Most of the metal was tied to the stick frame by thin wire. The sheet metal on the roof was only held down by rocks and other random items. The possessions inside the home were not any nicer than the rusted metal that made the walls and roof. So, Mark made the call to build her a new home, and the next day (yesterday) the team from Alameda did.

The build itself went really well. We had everyone from the Alameda team there to help, and everyone pitched in. We had 30ish people there to dig holes, swing hammers, hold boards, and play with the neighborhood kids.

Every day I'm amazed by the people of Honduras. As far as possessions, they have nothing that we wouldn't consider trash. Any American would have thrown away that stuff years ago. BUT, their spirit, and love for each other is something we're desperately needing. In our devotional the other night Mark made a statement that I believe is true. He said their lack of possessions draws them closer together, and all our "stuff" pushes us apart. I never thought I'd be jealous of the people here, but I am. It's really hard to describe their sense of community, and family, but those bonds are stronger here, than I've ever seen before. Day after day, we see this as we give food to some of the Honduran workers that work along side of us. These boys will work all day with us without a bite to eat, and when we hand them food, the first thing they do is pass it on to the little children. Its amazing to witness.

We finished the house right before it started raining, and for the first time in a long time, that family was able to sleep without getting wet, and that's a great feeling.

-Korry