Never Alone

She figured it was a long shot, but decided to apply anyway. Elsa had always dreamed of having a real home for herself and her 28-year-old daughter, who has Down syndrome.

So when she heard about Habitat for Humanity, she filled out the application and turned it in, not really expecting to hear anything back. But deep in her heart was a mustard seed of faith. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.

Good News

“It was a big surprise for me when they called,” said Elsa, who learned in January that she had been approved for a home. “It was the best news.”

Elsa’s home was one of seven projects that Willow took on during its 2008 Blitz Build. From a community center in Costa Rica to homes for Katrina victims in the Gulf Coast and much more, this year’s Blitz Build made an impact on thousands of lives. Including Elsa’s.

Extended Family

Elsa’s brand new home is being built in Carpentersville, by the kindness of strangers she had never met as well as people she knows and serves with each week. Part of the requirement for receiving a Habitat home is that the owners and their family contribute 250 hours of “sweat equity” by working on the home. With her job and caring for her daughter, Elsa didn’t see how she could make that happen. That’s when her friends at Harvest and Casa de Luz stepped in.

Elsa has attended Casa de Luz, Willow’s ministry to the Hispanic community, since it began in 2000. Two years ago, she began volunteering in Harvest, preparing food for the folks who come to Willow Creek on Wednesday nights.

When they heard about her need, people from Harvest and Casa de Luz signed up to be Elsa’s “family” and volunteer the required number of hours that she needed to receive the home.

“That was a wonderful experience,” Elsa said. “The volunteers made me feel like they’re really people who love Jesus. They made me feel like I’m not alone.”

Extended Care

While working on Elsa’s home, volunteers got to know the neighbors who lived next door. In the course of their conversations they learned that the family had lost a son in a car accident the previous October. Still in the depths of their grief, they had let some things go around the property, including their yard. So Blitz Build volunteers took time to re-pot some plants, cut the grass, and even plant a new tree in memory of their son.

Forever Grateful

Elsa says she will always be grateful to God and the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and skills to build her home. And if you’d like to be part of the project, there is still more work to be done.

“I want to tell the volunteers thank you so much, and God bless them,” she said. “This home is a blessing from God. I know he gave it to me, and he’s going to provide everything I need.”

Volunteer

Photos

Learn more about Casa de Luz

Learn more about Habitat for Humanity