Summer of Change

A blog from summer intern Jess Hehrer

The beginning of the third day...

Our third intern build was a success. We managed to build a single home with only five interns on site. We definitely cannot take all the credit though. We had some incredible help from Josh Crabbs and Brandon Culp on the second and third day.  The pastors in the area also came out to help us sporadically throughout the week. We definitely wouldn't have finished as quickly as we did without their help.

The first day just about killed us. We had to lower the right side of our house three inches, and raise the left side over a foot. Three of us were there to work on the slab. Three people trying to shovel packed stone. Oh my! 

David broke the pick ax, I broke the mallet, and everyone's sanity broke. For some of it, I was bent over using the claw end of a hammer - trying to loosen up the dirt so we could shovel it out. My back was completely cashed, and I spent the rest of the week regretting the hammer idea. The only thing we got done on Monday was the slab. We were all so exhausted. We went back to the church and passed out. At the end of the day, I couldn't even make guacamole because I was so weak. 

Luckily, the Lord provided us the strength and the motivation to push through and finish the house by Thursday morning. What a blessing it is to be able to provide a home for someone. To have the honor of being used by God, and being that person. The person who is right in the middle of providing a miracle. I tell you...if you have never experienced a miracle as tangible as building a home for a family who has nothing...you are missing out. It changes you. It breaks you. It builds you up, and prepares your heart to overflow with compassion. I would recommend anyone to come to El Paso, TX and build with Casas. Or Del Rio, TX or Guatemala. Just do it. :)

I remember hearing at the beginning of the summer, that by the end of our internship we will be frustrated with each other and ready to go home. I kind of understand what they were getting at with that. Everyone is tired, everyone misses home, and everyone is developing their own style for building homes. The more confident we become, the more personalized our styles are becoming. Instead of building a "Justin home," some of us are building Jason Roth style homes, or Mikell West style homes. We are taking the skills that the staff has taught us over the summer, and customizing them to fit our own personalities. At the end of the week all the houses look the same, but the way we get there is starting to vary. It takes a lot of patience and discipline to work together as a single group with everyone wanting to lead the build their own way. I think we managed it well, and I think that as an intern group we get along super well on the work site. 

I am blessed to work with people who are patient, kind, hardworking, and diligent. I spent most of the week in a terrible mood and it was evident by my actions and attitude. Instead of being "thrown off the island," I got an encouraging letter that broke me of my selfish self-pity. Nothing could have impacted me more than a single note did. I love the people I work with...and even though I am ready to get home and see my family and friends...my life will never be the same without the people who spent a summer building with me and helping me grow into a better person. I can't begin to express the impact they've had on me. I love them.

In Christ,
Jess