1000 Homes Partnership: HFH Paraguay Global Village Trips: Day Four - Refreshed with Cool Weather-But Much More to Do!

Most of us had not heard of Paraguay before our trip here. But now, it seems to consume our thoughts and conversation. As we travel to our construction site in Limpio, we see stark contrasts of the modern and the antiquated; of wealth and of poverty. It is not unusual to see an ox-drawn cart amongst the frantic traffic or well-appointed estates next to small and rustic homes.

As we arrive on the site for day four of building, we are refreshed by the cooler weather and break we had the day before. We are also struck by the amount of work before us. The masons have placed the beams on most houses and are now ready to put the tiles on the rooves. We have much to accomplish to reach our goal of five houses in five days! Unfortunately, several of the volunteers are ill today. We miss them and hope they feel better soon.

Volunteers spring into action and help finish the tasks of scrubbing bricks, scraping floors, transporting tiles to the tops of the homes, digging and bricking the holes for the septic systems- and more. Windows have been set in some homes-along with other "finishing touches". We are also so thankful to members of the Paraguay military who have helped in so many ways.

Today, we also were entertained. During lunch, a famous harpist played several beautiful songs and at night, the Habitat families and staff hosted a celebration filled with dance and good food. We have been so well taken care of here. We are thankful to the staff, the families and the Paraguaian people for their loving spirit and hospitality. We leave part of our hearts with them all.

I highly recommend a Global Village trip. It will make you sweat, smile, and maybe even cry- yes it will change you! God's Blessings......

Gwen Stephneson, Loveland Habitat for Humanity