Day Five: Completing the House

This post is very picture heavy, so I'll go light on the words! 

The house we built was up a very steep climb.  It was very difficult to imagine going up and down this path every single day.  Many of us had to stop and rest on the way up!

Crystal presented Karla with a few new books that were in Spanish.  These books were kindly donated for us to be able to give out.  Karla and her brothers were very excited: 

Karla gave us (well....she gave Alicia!) a beautiful picture that she had colored:

On the back it read, (and this is loosely translated!) "May God be with you wherever you go.  Thank you for the house for my grandparents". 

Here is Karla modeling her new FCA shirt!  The Crusaders are now being represented in Guatemala :)  She loved her new clothes and it was so precious to see her react to them just as any other child would do.  She immediately wanted to try them on and show them off:

Before long, the walls were going up and the roof was being framed up: 

Karla let Alicia fix her hair for her....you could tell that she loved getting pampered a little bit: 

Then, her mother came over and Alison showed her how to french braid her daughter's hair.  Her mother was so excited to learn how to do this: 

Karla's mom was thrilled with learning something new and she was a VERY fast learner!

Karla's first french braid :)

And then it was back to the real work!  The ceiling panels were framed up, insulated, and covered with siding.  These panels also included two sky lights that let in a ton of natural lighting: 

The panels were secured into place and that completed the main structure of the home: 

Karla really enjoyed getting to watch the entire process.  She was very interested in what was going on and you coulde tell that she was excited about the new house: 

And as you can see.....we supported each other in many different ways: 

The new home let in alot of natural lighting, which was a stark contrast to the home they were currently living in.  With two skylights and two windows, this home felt so much more light and comfortable.  The family didn't run and lights during the daytime in their home, so they did all of their work right in the doorway so they could see: 

And as you can see, we adhered to all of the strictest of building safety codes:  

How many Baptist woman does it take to attach a siding corner piece?  We had to use some serious teamwork to get these jobs done!

Then, we attached the gutters, flashing, and doors: 

(Beth is serious with a drill now...  If anyone needs and power drilling done, she is the one to call!!)

Sometimes we had to work in some tight spaces, but with alot of determination...we always found a way to get the task finished: 

Karla and her mother presented us with thank you letters and drawings: 

We weren't able to completely finish the house, so our plan was to return the next day and present the family with their new home.  We wanted to buy some needed items for them and pray with them.  As we headed down the mountain, we felt a sense of immense joy and accomplishment.  Throughout the build, our team was able to stay focused on our mission.  Through all of the obstacles that we faced,  we worked together and in the end we were able to give a beautiful family something that they so desperately needed.  With God's help, this mission was made possible.  And because of His grace, this family has a true home. 

In Him,

The Guatemala Team