Answered Prayers

When Daniel Murphy came to look at the Habitat home in Elgin, a neighbor saw him and feared that another slumlord was taking over the property.

Over the years the simple two-story house had been condemned three times because of drugs, gang activity, and too many families living under one roof.The house sat empty for two years while neighbors prayed.

What they didn’t know was that Daniel was an answer to their prayers.

Blitz Build

Daniel is a member of Willow Creek who does construction work for a living. He volunteered his time to serve as general contractor for the Elgin site during the church’s 2008 Blitz Build, which undertook seven projects in seven days at the end of June. From Costa Rica to the Gulf Coast, Chicago, and the suburbs, more than 1,300 volunteers took part in building homes, schools, and community centers for those in need.

A Change in Plans

As they prepared to work with Willow on this year’s Blitz Build, Habitat for Humanity had located a house on Ann Street in Elgin to rehab. But at the last minute, circumstances changed and a new house had to be located.

The team scrambled to find another property, and in a series of events that had God’s fingerprints all over it, everything came together in time for a different Elgin home. The sale closed on Wednesday, a lien against the property was lifted on Thursday, permits were issued to Habitat on Friday…and Blitz Build began on Saturday.

“That just doesn’t happen,” said Daniel. “You don’t ever walk in on a Tuesday and get a permit by Friday. It never goes that smoothly.”

“Here we are on Ann Street with our minds wrapped around that house, and God said, ‘No, you’re going somewhere else,’” Daniel added. “We didn’t understand it at the time, but God was preparing the way for us. He was answering the prayers of his children.”

Teamwork

With the location finalized, the team dove into their work, essentially gutting the house from top to bottom. Because the house is located in a historic district, everything on the exterior must be brought back to its original 1910–1920 condition, adding to the complexity of the project.

“Our team meshed together even in the midst of so much uncertainty,” said Daniel. “Probably 75% of the people who volunteered didn’t have any construction experience. They came with their hands open, and whatever went into their hands—whether it was a hammer or a paintbrush or a scraper—there was someone there to show them, ‘You hold it this way, and you do it that way.’”

Keep On Giving

As if rehabbing a house wasn’t enough, the team went beyond that and helped a neighborhood church as well. On Tuesday of Blitz Build there was an influx of volunteers, so Daniel asked a nearby church if there was anything they could do to serve them.

The church said that for more than a year, they had wanted to paint their Fellowship Hall, so the volunteers happily took on that task. In appreciation, the church gave Daniel a key and said the team was welcome to use the freshly painted room for their meals and breaks.

Grateful Homeowners

The new homeowners are a young couple with a desire to work in ministry. After receiving the call that they had been selected for the home, they were overjoyed. “We were so giddy we barely slept all night,” they said.

More Work to Be Done

Daniel hopes to have the house completed by September, but more volunteers will be needed in order to make that happen. The list of projects to complete includes restoration of exterior woodwork, plumbing, electrical, drywall, paint, cabinetry, landscaping, building a deck, and installing a concrete driveway.

He looks forward to the day when they can plant the flowers and hand the keys to the new homeowners. And he encourages you to be part of that day by volunteering your time.

“Just show up,” he says, “and you’ll be used by God.”

Volunteer with the Elgin Team

Photos

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