Coastal Home Visit

In January we received a call from a pastor down the coast in Puerto San Jose explaining to us that a couple from his church, Omar and Ruby, were in need of a home.  Pastor Ronny informed us he had a team coming to work in March but needed IDC to help lead the construction.  A recent motorcycle accident damaged Omar's knee so badly that he could barely walk and could no longer work as the caretaker of the church.

 Omar and Ruby lived in a shelter made of palm brances, much like this picture:

 

The climate where we typically build homes is much different than the climate at the beach.  Pastores, the local community we typical build in, is approximately 5000 feet above sea level and the average temperature is around 78 degrees Fahrenheit and only changes by about 10 degrees all year round. Puerto San Jose at the coast is at sea level, only 14 degrees north of the Equator.  It is HOT!  The average temperature is 91-100 degrees Fahrenheit.  Omar's home would be our first build in a warm climate.

Luis and I made a trip to visit Pastor Ronny, Omar and Ruby last week.  We were eager to see how Omar was healing, how Ruby and the children were, and also to check out how one of our homes was holding up in the hot climate.

Omar and Ruby's new home:

 

Pictured below is Omar, Ruby and their 3 children, along with the neighbor's child.  Omar and Ruby take care of him while his parents work.  He wears bandages over his head and body because he was badly burned from falling into a large pot of boiling beans.  Omar and Ruby are a blessing to his family and are so thankful they have a safe, secure home for children. 

The family was very hospitable.  They were even concerned because Luis and I were wearing long pants and heavy shirts.  We were sweating in the shade!  They cut fresh coconuts from a tree and "Abuelita" (Grandma) insisted we have some watermelon.  

So how is one of our metal homes fairing in their climate?  It is hot inside, as we anticipated.  The family is not bothered by this because they are used to the heat and they assured us the metal home cools down quite nicely at night.  Their in-laws have a block house that warms up during the day and stays warm well into the night.  Therefore, we believe the metal structure was a good choice for them.  We suggested extending the roof of the shelter in front of the home so that it would provide additional shading.  This would help with overheating.  

Omar, Ruby and family, along with Pastor Ronny are pictured here:

Today, Omar is a fisherman.  He is able to take some of the non-sellable fish home to feed his family and share with others.  He expressed his gratitude for their new home, telling us the money he would have had to save for a new home, is now being used to send two of his children to school!  Praise God!  As an expression of his gratitude, he gave us his bounty of fish.  I tried to refuse, knowing they needed the food more than I did, but Pastor Ronny said Omar would be insulted if I did not take it. So, after a long day traveling, I took them home, put them on the grill and shared the gift with my family.  We talked about how this was not just a gift, but a sacrificial gift from a full day's work.

Once again, I am so honored to be here and meet incredible human beings.  I am humbled daily.  Thank you for your support and encouragement.