Yesterday we were to start a house for a family in Buena Vista but a few complications arose over the weekend and we had to move quickly Monday morning to secure a new 12x12 family because the timing for other families in que was not right. Brock sent me a note that there was a family that was on his heart that he had visited in the past that lived in a small cornstalk hut. Yesterday at 9am we set out to find the house and see what God had in store. We found it pretty quickly and the cornstalk hut was still there. Once we found Sandra, the wife and mother, and her three year old son Jose Daniel we asked if we could come in and talk to her. It was one of the cleanest little houses with a dirt floor I've seen. We asked how they were doing and how the house was holding up. Seems like an odd question for someone living in a cornstalk shack but she answered that all was well and they were content. We asked what happens when it rains there (the house sits in the middle of a steep incline) she said of course the rain and water runs right through the house.. It's hard to imagine that "normal" is sleeping on a bed a few inches off of the ground and waking up to water running underneath you and over the floor of your entire house. The rainy season here means daily heavy downpours for several months.
Brock and I looked at each other and said "let's do this". We told her that we wanted to build her a house and that we needed to start in a few hours. She looked at us as if to say "Are you serious?" After a few quiet minutes I asked her if that sounded like a good thing. She couldn't hide her smile any longer as she told us yes - this is very good! When we were leaving she hugged Brock tightly and cried. He told me later she said "We thought you had forgotten us" He reassured her that God never forgets us and that His love was great for us. I came back a few hours later to take pictures before we started to take down their old house and her husband Juan was home for lunch and they had already begun to take the house down. They were so excited and thankful. They thanked us several times. I told them that we were excited for them and more so to be used of God to show His love.
I'd like to introduce you to our newest 12x12 family:
Sandra, Jose Daniel and Juan
el cocina
la estufa
They had just moved the bed out before I arrived to take the picture but this is the one room cornstalk house with blue tarps to hold back the cold. Last night the low was 51 here.
Sandra and Jose Daniel at their front door
beautiful flowers in front of the house
Jose daniel next to the house
