Building a Home, Sweet Home

Blog post written by Naomi Thomas (age 16), Beaverton, OR

This is my first trip to El Salvador and I loved being part of building a house. We spent two days preparing the house. The first day was construction and the second day was the shopping, decorating and dedication. After breakfast on the second day we loaded up the Sus Hijos bus and truck with presents and other items for the home. We headed to Walmart for decorations and supplies to make the inside of the house look good. The team split into groups and we were given shopping lists of what we needed to buy. My group got kitchen stuff. I got to shop with my Uncle Mike and cousin, Hailey. Once we loaded all of the stuff into the remaining space in the bus, we were on our way to the house!

When we arrived, the family was waiting anxiously with big smiles on their faces. All of the furniture (two bunk beds, a rocking chair and kitchen table) were brought into the house. We got to decorate inside and bring them their new pets, a male and female bunny. It was really great to see how happy the kids were when they saw their new pet bunnies. Sus Hijos has lots of bunnies at their missions house and they are able to give them to families. I have a pet bunny at home, so this was special for me. Once the house was ready, we locked the door and gathered with the family to pray over the home. The team gave the mom her brand new house key after the prayer and the family entered the home for the very first time. I was assigned the job of taking pictures from inside the house, so I got to be the first one to see their reactions. I got teary watching the kids jump up onto their bunk beds. They were so excited to see their stuffed animals, gifts and very own beds.

While we were building the house on the first day, I met the family that lived across the street. They were in a very humble shanty on the side of the road. Despite their conditions, their kids were joyful and full of life. I really connected with the little girl, who told me that she wished she could have a new house like the one we were building. That really impacted me. We were able to hand out Christmas gifts in the community after dedicating the house. This sweet girl came with us in our truck and we got to spend some time together. I will never forget the family that we built for, or the neighbors who watched. There is so much poverty in El Salvador, and getting to be part of the solution in the name of Jesus is what I hope to do for the rest of my life.