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The 12x12 Love Project is
the beginning of an effort to eradicate abject poverty in a small Guatemalan
village. This dream started with one family who decided to leave the
comforts of their western lifestyle and move into this impoverished area to
show the love of God to a people in desperate need.
After experiencing the living conditions firsthand, they realized that for a
small amount of money ($3,000 U.S.) adequate housing could be built for a
family living in extreme poverty. This caught the attention of some
friends back in the US who made it their mission to raise the money to build a
single home. This then spread to a small community of Christ followers
who decided that it was more important for these people to have adequate
housing than it was for them to have a larger, nicer building to gather in.
The commitment was made to build 12 houses in 12 months for families living in
abject poverty. The response was tremendous. With no solicitation,
money began to come in, sometimes from the most unexpected places, and the
houses began going up. The stories are truly amazing and there was no
question that God was orchestrating it all. Having completed the original 12 in the first year, the vision has expanded, thanks to God's blessing, and more homes are being built.
It is amazing to see what can take place when people truly connect with something. Though they may be homeless and hungry, these are real people just like us. But they do
not have climate-controlled homes, comfortable beds, or clean drinking water.
In fact most of them sleep on dirt floors, do not have electricity or running water at all. Simply being protected from the elements is something they pray for.
We must consider if it was our own child, or grandchild, who was living in these conditions. A cornstalk
box or a single room tin shack... bitter cold in the winter and wet and muddy
during the rainy season. Could we possible allow that if we had the
ability to make a difference? Perhaps it would do us well to remember the
words of Jesus who said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Would you consider joining us as we seek to build houses for the "least of these" in Guatemala? The original 12 homes have been
completed, and we are now aiming to keep going until all of the needs in this
area have been met.
To learn more about how to get involved click here. |
