House #4

Javier Carrillo is 22 years old and Gloria Yamileth Romero is 17 years old and they met when Gloria was 14 years old. Gloria and her mother would go to the soccer fields in the evening and sell food to make a little bit of money. One day Gloria’s neighbour asked if Javier would play on his team. This is how Gloria and Javier met and began to fall in love. They have now been living together for 3 years and have a healthy 15 month old daughter named Katia Yamilth Carrillo Romero who was born in San Salvador. Javier and Gloria would love to get married some day; the only reason they have not already is because they cannot afford it. It cost roughly, with all expenses, about $100 to get married. But they love each other very much, and their family is very supportive of their relationship. Where the new house was built, Javier and Gloria will be surrounded by other family members on Javier’s side. They lived in the neighbourhood with Gloria’s family but did not like it as much because there were not as many people and they had to travel farther to get necessities.

Javier works as a farmer when there is a good harvest. If there is not a good crop, then Javier is one of the
workers that is first to go. Gloria stays home and cleans, cooks and takes care of Katia. They are very poor and often the first thing that they cut when they are struggling is food. Javier worries that in the future his daughter will need help when she is grown up and he will not have the resources to help her in the way he wants to.

Though they are extremely poor, this family loves living in El Salvador and love each other so very much. They love being together and just spending time with each other. All three sleep in the same bed and they love that closeness. They try very hard to not have any bad memories because life is too short and they would rather enjoy it. They love going to church together and they are both believers. They thank God for the house that was built for them and see it as a blessing from God.

Though this family was very quiet and not very talkative, Bethany and I both feel very blessed to get to talk to them and to learn about their lives. It was very obvious to us their love for each other, their daughter and for God….and also their love for Soccer!

by Rebecca Geense & Bethany Skirrow

House #3

We had the opportunity to build a house for a woman whose house had been destroyed during the earthquakes. Although we didn't get the chance to see the destroyed house in person, we did get to see pictures and were blown away. She would not have made it through another winter in that house, and we were so blessed to have the opportunity to help build her a new safe home that will last for years to come.

Her name is Maria Antonia (aka Tanya) and she is 63 years old. She grew up right in San Felipe where we were building her new house. She had a hard life – growing  up in poverty in a poor household with 17 brothers and sisters. She spends her days cooking, cleaning and going to get food and water. She is watched over every day by an 8 year old neighbor boy. One of her favourite things to do is eat beans!

She came to know Christ after a long life of hardships including a random shooting that injured her, while she took care of her 3 kids. She became a Christian last September and attends church regularly in San Felipe. She has 3 children that are all grown up and living on their own. One of her boys died as a baby and she was led to believe that this was because a neighbor had visited a Wizard and had her baby killed to get back at her. It was when she became very ill that she prayed to God to be healed against the Wizards and since then has come to Christ.

She has been praying and waiting for this house for 2 years now. She never gave up hope for a safe home against the dangers of the village, not only for the weather but for the people and animals that live there also. One of the hardest things she has had to face in her life was a bad marriage to her first husband who was not a nice man. One of the best things in her life was when she met her second husband who died 12 years ago.

This was an incredible experience to get to know her and her story and we have been blessed to be part of this incredible blessing from God.

by Becky Morris & Erica Byleveld