Home, Sweet Home
Blog post written by Jenni Ramsey, Director, His Hands His Feet
McKinney, Texas
Psalm 34:18 says that God is NEAR to the brokenhearted. This week we experienced His nearness as our team completed two homes for two single moms. Both of these precious women have cried out to God in their brokenness, asking him for a permanent and safe "forever home." In God's goodness, He chose our teams to provide the answer to their prayers. It was an indescribable joy for our teams to hand over the keys to these women yesterday and watch in tears as they entered their homes for the first time.
In the morning the team completed the final paint touches on the exterior of the homes. We also painted two walls in the interior of each house. A concrete slab was poured for the entry way. The furniture arrived mid morning and it was so exhilarating to furnish and decorate the house. I felt like Joanna Gaines, doing an El Salvador style "Fixer Upper." The families observed us throughout the morning and even got involved with painting. Their eyes said it all. They told me over and over again how excited and grateful they were for their new homes. One of the moms lived in a wooden house in the community (see below). She described an incredible dream that God had given her in which a man told her that she would one day live in a concrete house, painted with two colors. We were absolutely blown away by how the Lord had prepared her for this gift!
Once the house was fully painted, furnished and decorated, the entire team gathered around the property to dedicate the home. Emotional words were shared by the Sus Hijos staff as well as both families. I was honored to pray over the house. The anticipation and excitement was indescribable. The team laid their hands on the families and walls to ask God for his protection.
Last night as I laid my head on my pillow before going to sleep, my heart was overjoyed at the knowledge that six women were snuggled safely in their brand new beds. Words can not describe the sense of fulfillment in my heart as I have been intimately involved in this process. Our team members from both Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Texas and Crean Lutheran High School in California worked tremendously for months to raise the funds for these homes. I am incredibly proud of our teams for their passion, dedication and love for both families and for making these moms' dreams come true. Thank you to everyone who worked so diligently to raise funds, send our team members and support all that was required for both families to finally have their forever home, sweet homes!
We completed our afternoon by delivering non-perishable foods and Bibles to the community in which we built the homes. The teams were welcomed by warm hospitality at every house. The community members were grateful for the gifts they received and opportunities to pray together. The Salvadorians opened their hearts to our teams and those sweet moments will not be forgotten. The families were also invited to join us in the afternoon as we distributed clothing. It was so incredible to observe the joyful faces of the grateful community members as they chose brand new clothes, which had been sent with the team from family members and friends. What a joy it has been to make dreams come true in El Salvador this week!