Building Houses and Building Friendships

Today was filled with a lot of hard work and cement mixing, but we also had the opportunity to sit down with the family we are building for and really get to know them, with the help of our translator, Charlie. We asked them questions about their daily routines, how long they have lived in the community, and were able to make jokes and laugh with them. It was similar to the Day in the Life experience, where we really got to connect on a more personal level with community members.  Cement mixing and sand sifting are crucial; but aspects such as setting aside time to ask how the contractors are doing, having conversations with the family, and playing with the kids, are pretty important too.

-Erin, LiveDifferent Builds Volunteer, Gonzaga 2015

Today was the first day that I was able to join the group and although I only had an hour at the actual site, I can already imagine how life changing this experience will be. I got to meet the family, who were so kind and welcoming, and was able to play with the young kids around the build site. Even though I can’t speak Spanish, I was still able to use hand gestures and actions to connect with the family and other community members. I look forward to continuing my experiences with the LiveDifferent group throughout the rest of my trip; I’m excited to be building the actual house but also to build long lasting bonds between myself and the people of the community.

-Lexie, LiveDifferent Builds Volunteer, Gonzaga 2015

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