On Saturday, Nov 17, 2007, 16 young adults from the Focus ministry volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit Christian ministry dedicated to building decent, affordable housing in partnership with those in need in the city of Detroit. We started the day early, fully aware that we would be missing the biggest GAME of the year (only to realize later that our time was probably much better spent building homes)!
Once we arrived on site, we were greeted by our volunteer coordinator, site leaders and several other groups of volunteers. After a brief lesson on safety at the construction site, we split up into various groups to install siding on a house, complete insulation of some of the homes that were up for city inspection over the next couple of weeks, and clean homes that would soon be handed over to their new owners. We learned about all the detail that goes into building a home, laughed together when we made mistakes, shared a hearty meal together at Chicken Shack, and encouraged one another to press on despite the frigid temperatures!
This was my second time volunteering with Focus at Habitat, and each time I go I learn something new – not just about building a home, but about the people and city of Detroit and the mission of this organization. As we closed in on the site early in the morning, I noticed all the dilapidated homes; the seemingly deserted streets; the number of businesses that were boarded up. We were warned to heed caution in walking down residential streets because cars wouldn’t stop for us. We learned that as we were moving from house to house installing fiberglass insulation, an electricity meter had been stolen that afternoon from one of the unlocked homes under construction.
All this made me wonder - what difference were we really making in the lives of the people here? But God reminded me that it is not up to me to save the world, but through the work we did that day, He was demonstrating His mercy and compassion on people who have a real physical need. The experience allowed me to reflect on some of the basic things that I often take for granted, and to catch a glimpse of God’s heart for the people in these neighborhoods. There was one house dedication occurring that day – if only I had been able to see the faces of the family members as they received the keys to their new home!
At the end of the day, I think we all left in good spirits (with all 10 fingers and toes!) and smiles on our faces knowing that with every home we cleaned, each nail we hammered, and every glass fiber we inadvertently inhaled, we were part of something so much greater than ourselves.