The
homes are built on the outskirts of town where there are dirt roads, no streetlights, no garbage collection, and no mail service.
Running water and electricity are only beginning to be brought into some of the homes in the area. Our family this year was
blessed to have a well and pump and electricity – at least most of the day.
Designed
for a team of 12-15 people to complete in about 2-1/2 days, the home and the material is measured exactly so that there is
little waste – but also no room for mistakes or modifications. When completed, the home measures 11’ x 22’
with two bedrooms, two windows, one door, a concrete slab floor and a stucco-exterior. A simple design yet palatial to this
family and the others we met.
The
days were sunny, dry, and a very pleasant 80o – about perfect for the work in front of us. The nights cooled
down to the upper 40s, but we stayed warm enough in the sleeping bags and tent. Out in the clear air of the desert, the sunsets
and sunrises were just spectacular! And the scenery is so different, of course, from Missouri,
Kansas, Michigan, and Florida.
Since most of us had not done
anything like this in quite a while – if ever – it was a learning experience for everyone! In an effort to fit in with the
local conditions and standards of the people in the community, we did all of the construction work by hand – no power
tools or heavy equipment! – from mixing and pouring concrete, to cutting and nailing lumber, to the roofing and stucco.
It was the hardest work we’ve done in a long time, but very satisfying. The family we worked for was wonderful, and
so appreciative of their new home. Other local families were coming by to ask if we could build them a home as well! Maybe
next year. Will we go again? Kitty says maybe … Greg is already planning on it (do you want to be part of the team in
2006?).