A team of 16 adults, college students and high school students from Rolling Hills Baptist Church returned recently from San Raimundo, Guatemala, where they built a home for Santos, his wife Armenia and their two daughters.
The 18’ x 21’ home came complete with tongue and groove lapped siding, tin roof and concrete floor. The keys to the house were given to the family during a dedication ceremony on the last day of the build.
In four days this team of 16 turned a plot of dirt into a dry, secure, three room home for the family of four. In addition the team provided two beds, an eco-stove and a water filtration device.
The build was conducted in partnership with Casas por Cristo (www.casasporcristo.org), a ministry based in El Paso, Texas that partners with local churches and volunteer teams from around the U.S and Canada to build homes for families living in poverty in San Raimundo, as well as Juarez and Acuña, México, and the Dominican Republic. They rely on the labor and resources of full time staff missionaries, local pastors and community leaders, and volunteers from across North America.
San Raimundo, Guatemala, is a municipality of around 30,000 people of both Spanish and Mayan heritage.
In addition to agriculture, many residents manufacture fireworks of various types as additional sources of income.
This is the seventh house completed by Rolling Hills — five in Juarez, Mexico; one in Acuna, Mexico; and one in Guatemala.
Rolling Hills Baptist Church worships on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am at the NCG Cinemas at Fischer Crossings, 55 Fischer Crossings Blvd., Sharpsburg.
For more information on Rolling Hills, visit http://WheresTheSteeple.org.
The home-building team, including RHBC members , shown above, kneeling: Renée Lebby, Frank Palomino. Short row of four to the right: Gladys Chamale, Marilyn Davis, Armenia Chamale, Santos Chamale. Next row: Nelly Cortavez, Laura Alldredge, Katie Alldredge, Emily Hale, Maddie Mercer, Ginger Rider, Ana Chamale, Sophia Cuneo. Back row: José Cortavez, Frank Mercer, Kathy Palomino, Jimbo Alldredge, Pat Hughes, Nick Rider, Jeff Jones, James League Not pictured, but also on the team, Dave Lebby. Photo/Special.
