By Review Staff
Work on a core Jubilee project began even before attendees began arriving after noon Tuesday, Aug. 8. Volunteers in Mission descended on a partly constructed house in Santa Rosa. That’s where Serafin and Adela Duran will call “home”, soon, as a result of Habitat for Humanity, many United Methodist’s work hours, and their own labor.
When the keys change hands, the Durans, their daughters Edith and Fabiola will move from a rented apartment in Windsor. Serafin Duran is a worker at Rued Vineyards in Healdsburg, north of Santa Rosa on US Hwy. 101. His wife is battling cancer, and wasn’t up to attending their introduction at Jubilee.
Ground was broken for the Duran’s home, March 11. Volunteers from the Santa Rosa area worked on Saturdays to prepare the foundation and infrastructure, with the intent of “blitz-building” most of the home during the five day Jubilee.
The “blitz-build” project revitalized the Sonoma County HfH according to building contractor John Davenport, husband to UM Pastor Gayle Pickrell.
Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller visited the project Aug. 9 and told the men and women, “Jesus, himself said, when we give water, or food or clothing or provide shelter, even unto the least, its like you have done it for Jesus. And you are building a house for a family whom I’m sure most of you did not know before you started working here. But, God knew them, and now you know them.”
Fuller said that Habitat for Humanity wouldn’t exist without United Methodists. “There would be a gaping hole if the Methodists went somewhere else,” Fuller said. “It is deeply imbedded in your theology to get outside the church and do something... to be of help to those who are in need.”
In Guatemala, for example, HfH volunteers and home owners have built 5,000 houses. Now building in more than 140 cities there, Fuller said 40 percent of the homes were built just last year. Organizers there predicted they’d hit 10,000 in another five years, but Fuller thought he’ll be back to help dedicate that one in less than two years.
Calling home building by volunteers a “new frontier in Christian missions”, Fuller said, “What we have seen in this ministry we call Habitat for Humanity is the emergence of a new social and religious movement in the world, which is propelling humanity. And, the Church of Jesus Christ is leading this movement, and this (movement) is to eliminate the scourge of poverty, housing and homelessness from the face of the earth!”
“Its the message of the Gospel, to get on that different road,” Fuller advised. “That low road of service which takes you to the high road of Heaven. That’s the way you get there,” he said, as he told the story of the first house the ministry built. Fuller said he and his wife had been led to give up a successful business and wealthy way of life to help people out of poverty and homelessness.
Habitat for Humanity website: www.habitat.org
Habitat for Humanity online magazine: www.habitat.org/hw