House #6

With excitement and anticipation we met and shared with a family of six on day two of building. The father, Jose Alvaro Escamilla Amaya, and mother, Mario de los Angeles Ruiz are not married, but have been together for seventeen years. They are both from the village of San Pedro and met at the corn milling machine in the town. They became friends and their relationship blossomed from there. Their oldest child, a son Jose Alvaro, is thirteen years old and helps on the family farming plot. The one acre plot is rented and shared with another farmer. Their parcel of land is about a twenty minute walk away from the family home; They plant and harvest beans and corn from the land. There are three daughters in the family who help their Mom with household chores. The oldest girl is eleven year old Fatima Yesenia. Next are eight year old Jasmin Esmeralda, and little six year old Lorena del Carmen. The baby boy, Jairo is 1 ½ years old.

The family was very shy and quite reserved upon our first meeting during the house building day. The mother nursed her youngest to keep him somewhat quiet during our short time together.

When asked how Jose Alvaro knew God, he shared that his grandfather and father were Christians and had taught him about God. The family attends church.

The children go to the local school which is about a fifteen minute walk each way. School is half days from January through November. The government assigns which students go in the morning and which attend in the afternoon. The oldest two in this family attended school in the afternoon, and the youngest daughters go in the morning. The oldest children enjoy math including adding and multiplication, while Kindergarten for Lorena is all about learning letters.

Joel was interested in what they did during their free time. Gathering extra wood and water is often the tasks they focus on when extra time is available. The distance to get water is about a 30 minute walk.

We asked how we might pray for their family and they responded that their prayers for a safe and dry home had been answered by God. With this new house they were receiving, they needed nothing more.

At Wednesday evening’s church service in St. Vicente, the father attended the service which included Stephanie’s testimony of moving from grief to joy. That evening’s message and testimony seemed to soften the relationship with this precious family. The following afternoon at the Thursday key giving ceremony, the family was more open and receptive. After the service started, they sat and waited patiently for their turn to receive the key to their new home, a Bible, a hamper of food, toiletries, cleaning supplies and clothes and footwear. We were able to share with them again that God was the giver of this safe and new earthly home. However, more importantly, Jesus was preparing an eternal home for them as well. We encouraged them to leave a legacy of faith in Jesus for their precious children, just as Hosea had received the same legacy from his father and grandfather. The family was overwhelmed with God’s goodness and providence in their lives. We prayed for God’s hand of protection over them and the light of Jesus to shine from their hearts and their home.

After the celebrations of piñatas, our family rode with us on the team truck back to their new house.  The two youngest girls were treated to riding with Stephanie and Dennis in the cab. They clung to her and didn’t want to let go, but farewells were necessary and sad. Their new, safe and secure house waited, to be made a home of memories to God’s glory. May they always proclaim, “. . . as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

by Ron, Stephanie and Joel Giesbrecht