Habitat: March 2008 Archives

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

My entry today is going to be a jumbled mess, and I know it.  There are too many things to say.  Too many angles to take.  Too many people's thoughts to relay.

I am at a loss for words.  Or, I have too many words to say. 

I am surprised.  Or, my suspicions are confirmed.

I am seeing the temporal pain.  Or, I am seeing portions of the eternal blessing.

This was a crazy day.  It started off normal, waking up at 5:15.  At the worksite, some groups had no work to do.  Some groups worked too fast and ran out of materials.  Some groups had plenty to do.  There were numerous situations on the worksite which frustrated or at least attempted to frustrate.  For many, this was a trying day because it was juxtapositioned next to a day in which encouragement, productivity, and excitement reigned. It was apparent that today was different--harder.  All I know is that there are no accidents in life.

Before I go into any details of the day, let me just tell you a story:

            Tuesday I got to spend a lot of time on the worksite with one of our AmeriCorps workers.  These people (AmeriCorps) are the volunteers in charge of coordinating our work on each site.  This girl, Sam, and I got to talk for a while about many things, just life I guess.  Turns out that I know a lot about her life now.  First and foremost, she isn't a Christian and she has made some lifestyle choices that I am entirely opposed to.  Second, she is doing "fine".  I always assume that those without knowledge of Christ are admittedly suffering, that they think their life sucks, and that I have the answer to fix their problem.  But, what can I do when someone who doesn't know Christ, seems ok?  All I know to do is love.  All I know to do is be joyful.  All I know how to do is be a light.  She doesn't think she needs love.  She doesn't think she needs joy.  She doesn't think she is in darkness. 

Now, let me just finish the story of today.

Eight of us left the worksite and headed back to the church we are staying at.  We were caravanning with another van and we pulled up next to them at a light.  We decided that it would be fun to get out and do a Chinese Fire Drill (a game where you get out the car and run around and then get back in).  It turns out that the traffic light changed back to green in the middle of our run around the car.  As we dashed for the doors, a boy on our team tripped and fell just as our other Taylor van accelerated.  The other van had the misfortune of rolling over his ankle. It was nobody's fault, it just happened.  He got back in the car, promptly announcing that he had just seen his leg bend and split into two.  The car group worked together to get directions and navigate to the nearest health clinic in extreme traffic (who claimed that they couldn't treat him).  Meanwhile, car members were working feverishly to keep Paul's mind off the pain.  We laughed and we joked.  We asked him questions to concentrate on answering.  We screamed with him every time the car accelerated and decelerated.  Finally arriving at the hospital, we waited for what seemed like an hour and a half (perhaps it was more like 15 minutes) to get a wheelchair for our cripple.  We said good bye to him and Dusty and made our way back to tell this crazy story to the rest of our team.

So, basically, we made a silly mistake. We did something very unintelligent.  There was a freak occurrence and one of our team members leg's was broken.  This may sound odd, but this was one of the best car rides I have ever been a part of.  I laughed more in those 30 minutes than I have in a very long time (and I know some funny people).  I saw a true sense of community.  I saw a peace that passes understanding.  I saw the joy of the Lord as our strength.  Not only did I see all these amazing things right after the fact, but I also, upon thinking it over, realized what a unique opportunity it gave me and my team to share what makes our lives as Christians highly unique, hopeful, and peaceful, despite trials.

The whole time I had been looking for a way to reach my AmeriCorps girls through some trial in their life, some flaw, some inconsistency, or some painful event.  It turns out that God turned the tables on my thought process and, again, proved me ill equipped to plan the course of human history.  By giving us a trial, a problem, that by anyone else's standards was the most unfortunate of events, one that would cause panic, uneasiness, blame or sadness, He really gave us an opportunity to show how we are different.  Before this occurrence, I struggled to find a way to show WHY we were different.  Here it was, and thanks be to God.

I was in charge of devotionals the next morning, and I had stayed up late, basking in the glory of the so-called, "bad-day," which I prefer to call the day of opened doors.  I should have been tired, but God had given me strength through the joy I derived from that previous day.  Upon talking with a group member, he shared some verses that served to perfectly encapsulate the situation, not limit its effects, but describe all that we had been gleaning from the day's events.

1 Peter 1:3-9, " 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

These sufferings are for such a little while.  They are physical trials, in a spiritual battle.  In this case, an physical injury has turned out to be a spiritual blessing, for His power is made perfect in weakness. 

This time spent reflecting on the previous day's events in the morning before we started work was truly a blessing.  The AmeriCorps girls said how much they enjoyed what we had to say.  Sam, in particularly, made a point to come up and tell me that she wasn't "religious" but that after the devos for the past two days, it made her want to be "religious." This was comforting, just to know that she had tasted something that she hadn't yet experienced.  It gave her the reason behind why we seemed so different than all the other groups (a compliment she heaped on us often).

If you think of it, commit the AmeriCorps workers to your prayers.  I know that I, along with the rest of my team, have loved on these people and shared about our faith.  We have done what has been asked of us, but now it is up to those Christians who happen to be  in the program already.  Pray that this would be an open door for those people to slip in and be a catalyst for change in their lives.

Hi all-

Well, after our third day of work I am happy to report a fantastic day. At my job site tonight we got to experience the best part of habitat for humanity, meeting the people you work for. Mapwina has three children under 5. She applied for a Habitat home with a picture of her old living arrangements. Mapwina and her 3 kids shared two beds in a one room home. She struggled to make ends meet and went to Habitat for help. The joy Mapwina brought to the job site warmed my heart more than I can describe. As Mapwina came up, she did not greet me with words, she quickly walked up, wrapped her arms around my waist and just stayed there. I looked down quickly and ask her if she was okay, and all she could manage was "thank you." The sense of gratitude this woman showed warmed my heart more than you can imagine. However, that wasn't the only thing the day was going to bring us.

The day before a small section of our team, roughly 14 members, were informed that Habitat was doing a silent auction in conjunction with the Sony Ericcson Open. This is a major tournament in both the men's and women's tennis tours here in Miami. Part of the auction was that two of the players agreed to visit the job site and do some volunteer work. So, as I stood their painting the living room of Mapwina's home I was awestruck by two players both ranked 15 in the world, Nadia Petrova and Ivan Ljubicic. Now, these people may seem like nothing to you, but as someone who follows tennis I was freaking out to be standing next to one of the Russian wonders, and a man who could hit a serve at 150 Miles per Hour. My exact quote to the teammates on my feelings of this experience was.....

"I feel like a 12 year-old girl at an *NSYNC concert in 1999."

Yes, I did a little dance as I stood next to Ivan and Nadia, we talked about their future matches and reminisced over matches with Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova. Needless to say, it was incredibly cool to be working with world class athletes. However, what was cooler was their attitudes on the sight. Ivan and Nadia came in and picked up a brush and painted. They were friendly and pleasant to talk to, in fact I learned that Ivan is married and is on tour for 45 weeks of the year. Also, Nadia is actually an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity and works around the world on Habitat sites.

Today was good for a variety of other reasons, getting some chill time at the beach after a hard days work, an authentic Cuban dinner, getting our pictures up on Getty Images (yes, search Habitat for Humanity...we're there), and getting a free hat. However, today would have felt completely empty if it wasn't for Mapwina.

So, what makes the best day ever?

Seeing true Joy in someone, seeing their dreams come true, and knowing that your two hands had a genuine part in it.

Until Next time,

                -Nate Baggett

Monday, March 24, 2008

                It seems like all I've done so far is have fun.  When I wake up at 5:40 tomorrow morning, I might be singing a different tune, but I doubt it.  So, today, a few kind souls got up extra early to make a grocery run to get breakfast food to make us a delicious pancake breakfast, using some semi-workable griddles.    We enjoyed breakfast, packed ourselves a lunch, and then headed to the beach.  We to a somewhat overcast South Miami beach around noon and the games began.   Soccer, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball were the sports of choice at first.

After an hour or so, a few of us decided to run and jump in the water, which turned into a buoy swim.  After a little while of floating way out, more people came to join us.  Pretty soon we had a 15-person buoy party.  We easily floated in the ultra salty Atlantic Ocean, planning out the multi level restaurant that we will be opening in Miami.  We all picked our roles for this company, I happen to be the taste tester--apparently I have no skills.

Some of us left the beach to visit Sam's Club to do some shopping for the remainder of the week.  After filling up 4 carts at Sam's and picking up 3 fans at Walmart, we were ready to head to the meeting--or not.  Turns out we took a little longer than expected and we couldn't make it to the Habitat Orientation that the rest of the team was currently attending. 

At that meeting, the team listened to the presenter talk about this history of Habitat, beginning with Koinonia Farms (where we stayed), Jimmy Carter's involvement (whom we listened to and met), and Millard Fuller (whom we also met and worked with).  Basically, I am told that it was a really cool thing to watch the slide show involving all these people and places, and to have already seen them first hand.   It gave us a sense of solidarity with the ministry of Habitat for humanity.  These foundational aspects of Habitat were no longer abstract ideas, but tangible people and places.  Cool. REALLY cool.

We got back, before everyone else who was still at the meeting, and I got to take a nap...which is why I'm still up at 11:20.  There are a few of us still up, listening to beautiful music be made by 3 fine musicians in our group.  There are about 7 more people scattered about the fellowship hall, spending time in prayer and in the Word.  I love this. I love being in this room full of worship and fellowship.  This is what life is about I think.

But, I suppose sleep is essential to the quality of both these things, thus, I'm going to hit the sack.  Goodnight, and keep praying for us--many people must be praying right now, because everything has run quite smoothly and according to plan.  Nighty night.

--Annie Dimond

Saturday, March 22, 2008

The first day presented a challenge right away in the morning.  We were split into two groups; the first group worked in the morning and the second group worked in the afternoon.  I was a part of the first group; we arrived at the house, signed our waivers, and got to work right away!  The task was to rip off a roof that was covered in three rotten, peeling layers of shingles.  Underneath, we found many soft spots in the wood boards as well.  For being an older home, the roof contained many angles and dangles; it was more than just a two big sections; I would estimate 1200 square feet total!  I worked with the crew on the roof; after ripping off shingles for a while, we were instructed to tear down the chimney.  It extended about three feet above the roof; I worked with Travis Camp and Luke Wynsma to tear it down brick by brick!  However, what was even more incredible was the grounds crew!  Standing knee deep in shingles, they had everything cleaned up perfectly as fast as it was torn off!  By noon, we had almost the entire roof of shingles and the gutters ripped off and in the dumpster!  We began to clean the roof of loose nails and pieces of shingle.  The afternoon group took over at about 1:00 a.m..  They replaced rotten boards and added nails in loose boards.  They added a lot of nails to secure each board!  One area was totally stripped down to the rafters and replaced with a sheet of plywood!  Some of the students worked until 7:00 p.m. to finish tar paper on our section of the roof.  Many of us were full of blisters from a day of hard work.  With the exception of one small section in the back of the house, the roof was totally ready for shingles after our work!

Let me backtrack and emphasize that the need here was very apparent here!  In fact, what I saw when looking through the worst area in the roof was shocking!  The water damage had caused a huge section of the ceiling to collapse, exposing the attic to the living space below!  About the equivalent of a full sheet of drywall was totally open to the attic.  There were three women living in the house: Jackie, Dorothy and Mayme.  Can you imagine watching your home deteriorate, but not being able to fix the problem?  After searching for help over a period of several years, these women were losing hope of ever getting help on their home.  Being persistent in prayer, God hooked them up with the Fuller Center for Housing.  Only one week after getting the good news, work was being done for these women, and we we're the first to get it started!  The Fuller Center for Housing was founded by Millard & Linda Fullur, who also founded Habitat for Humanity.  We were privileged to meet Millard Fuller himself; he has impacted so many people!  After being finished with Habitat for Humanity, he started the Fuller Center for Housing in 2005.  In just three years, The Fuller Center for Housing has been expanding exponentially!

The Americus Times-Recorder published an article about the day:

http://www.fullercenter.org/site/DocServer/03232008.pdf?docID=2001

In summary, our first day was a huge success!  The teamwork was amazing; there was no complaining and everyone worked hard to contribute in their own way, seeing the project to completion!  Others contributed in many ways too!  There was a team that did an excellent job preparing pasta, meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and brownies for dinner.  All I can say is that I am looking forward to next week with much anticipation; it's going to be amazing!

--Joel Wyse

Friday, March 21, 2008

Maybe you don't identify with this, but, I LOVE CAR RIDES.  Our group left Friday morning; and from the moment I sat in the car, until the moment I laid down to sleep (a time of about 17 hours), I loved my life.  Not that I don't love my life at other times, and in general, but this--this was special.  A group of 11 students and our "mom," Andrea DiSanto, quickly became a little family (with less fights than those I remember with my siblings on family car trips).  We played "Hot Seat" to quickly get to know many random, and personal, things about our car mates.  We each picked 2 songs on the iPod and tried to guess whose music taste fit each song.  We had long sessions of talk time, where conversation ranged from campus life to guy/girl relationships.  We played the "in 10 years game," in which we pretended that we were back together for a reunion and we were telling each other what had happened in the last ten years.  We were graced by Eric and Steven's lovely voices, raised in silly song.  We stopped at Chick-Fil-A (which was a treat in and of itself) where I was the first participant in the altogether unsuccessful saltine cracker eating contest--I can still feel the sodium in my body.  Nearing the end of our journey, we all estimated the time of arrival.  I guessed that it would take 8 more minutes, and others were more ambitious, guessing that it would take 25.  Well, we were all very wrong. 

Right after we guessed the ETA the van in front of us pulled over on the side of the road.  It turns out that Dusty had taken pity on a man who had, unfortunately, run out of gas on the most back road of back roads.  We quickly called the vans behind us in the second shift of the trek to get some gasoline to bless to this halted traveler.  We found out later that the other group drove around, stopping numerous places to ask for directions to an open gas station and when they were finally able to find one, they filled up their empty nalgenes and waterbottles to bring this man some fuel for the remainder of his journey.  I was proud of my team.

When we finally arrived at our destination, an intentional Christian community called Koinonia, there was a bit of confusion as to where we would all be staying, but it all worked out and we ended up splitting up the group with about a fourth staying on the commune (as we have come to call it), and the other three fourths staying in their community center a mile or two down the road.  The average bedtime was about 3am and the average wake-up time was 7:45am.  You do the math.  There were some tired kids, but proving what a stellar group they were, the attitudes were a typical of those who only rested for 5/8 of the suggested sleep time.  And again, I was proud of my team.

We had a bagel breakfast together and then split into 2 Habitat work shifts.  And here is where my story if different from the rest of the team.  Five of us volunteered to work on with Koinonia to clear brush.  So I, along with 4 others, headed back to the commune to move logs, sticks, and trees into monstrous piles for their weekly brush burning (unfortunately that happens on Mondays, not Saturdays).  We rode around on the flat bed trailer of the tractor through some of the most beautiful green grass, trees, and fields I've ever seen.  The weather was optimal, the breeze, soft, and the mood, sublime.  We reluctantly finished our work and headed back to meet the group for lunch.  I sat on the playground as I ate my sandwich, still loving the weather. 

After a short trip to the other work site to see what the majority of our group had been working on, we went back to the community center with the first shift where we enjoyed some chill time together.  In this time I played with a football, a Frisbee,  a kickball, a soccer ball, and a volleyball--that's my idea of a perfect afternoon.  Along with the various leisurely sports activities, my friends Phil and Steven started a little project of their own which I was excited to join in on.  Challenged by Andrew Smith's words to, "leave this place better than we found it," they decided to rake up all the millions of billions of leaves that littered the play yard/back yard of the community center.  I was proud of my team.

Finally the other group arrived back and everyone woke up from the naps they were taking to replenish the missing hours of sleep in order to eat a delicious meal of pasta with meatballs, garlic bread, and salad.  The garlic bread, made by my wing mate, Heather Tyner, was TO DIE FOR.  After dinner we all played around a bit more in the yard and then started shower shifts.  The job of cleaning up the leaves being unfinished, and darkness already descended, we were at a loss for what to do.  However, again, the group rose to the challenge and we had about 12 people outside putting millions of billions of leaves in large black trash bags.  We finished the task while others took their shower shifts.  No one complained. I met a few new faces.  The yard looked GOOD.  I was proud of my team.

At this point, I happen to be the only person not showered, maybe that's why no one is sitting by me right now J.

--Annie Dimond

The group of 55 students and faculty/staff are packing up for the trip which will leave around 10am Friday morning.  The trip South will be made in five 12-passenger vans with a stop halfway for the weekend.  A preview for the week includes: work projects, small group time, group meals, and a few fun activities but you'll have to come back to read more about those.