Thank you, from Habitat Jamaica!

Thanks in large part to you; we had a very successful work trip to Jamaica.   We can testify to the changed lives in the 4 families touched by our trip.  We worked on the homes of 3 families and we raised over $8200, nearly enough to build a home for a fourth homeowner.  With Habitat’s program of recycled house payments the house is the gift that keeps giving for as the home is repaid, the money is recycled to build more homes.

 

Here is a picture where one Habitat homeowner lived in prior to their new home.  As you can see it is very substandard with no electrical, plumbing and leaking roof and walls.   In such a home there is little hope for the future as shelter was a daily struggle.

 

The above home was replaced with a small but sturdy Habitat home.  The new home, only 18 by 20 feet, has two small bedrooms, a kitchen, bath and a living/eating room.   Like in the US the homeowner must repay the cost of the house with an interest free loan and invest their sweat equity. 

 

Words can hardly describe the change to the family as pride, hope and security replace the hopelessness of the old home.

 

We worked hard on the trip as we:

  • Moved more than 20 tons of material by hand as we mixed, carried and poured cement for a septic, stairs, patio, floor & retaining wall.
  • Cut, bent and tied steel for the above tasks.
  • Plumbed two homes
  • Wired 1 ½ homes
  • Cut and installed trimming on 3 homes
  • Painted the ceiling of one home
  • Buried 3 sewer pipes
  • Prepared the local office for business
  • Leveled and poured a pad for a 600gal water tank
  • And hung several doors.

As Habitat is a Christian Ministry we stayed spiritually grounded by starting and ending the week with a worship service and morning and nightly devotions.  It helped that we had a beautiful place by the sea where we could meet and pray.

 

As with most Habitat trips we saved some time for fun at the end of the day. We went to the ocean or waterfall to rinse the grime of sweat and concrete away. 

 

We also provided some much-needed economic assistance to many small shop owners as many of our group purchased gifts and souvenirs.

 

 

 

 

We experienced many new and different foods as we tried bean stew with pigtail, fried and curried conch, chicken foot soup, cow tongue, Jamaican apples, Nesberris, fresh Papaya and boiled green bananas.  What an introduction to the local culture!

 

All in all we had a great and safe trip and it is difficult to say who gained more from the experience the local homeowners or us.

 

Again thank you for your support and prayers, as without you the trip would not have been a success!

 

 

 

With God’s Love