Building Hope: How New Homes Lay the Foundation for a Brighter Future for Families
Cross Catholic Outreach
We mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities around the world.
I want the friends of our ministry who gave so generously to build sturdy new homes in Guatemala to know how much their acts of compassion achieved. In addition to lifting families out of abject poverty, protecting them from storms and giving them a secure place to call home, those donors let families in that area know how much they are loved by God and the Church.
I wish every one of those donors could have been there when Father Francisco Hernandez told us, “You are the face of God to these families, and we will continue to keep you in our prayers!”
Fr. Francisco, who ministers in these remote villages, clearly sees the Lord working through our recent Rise Up With Joy campaign. Moved with compassion, U.S. Catholics gave generously so the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu could build 64 cement block homes for families living in leaky, dirt-floored shacks. The campaign also expanded agriculture aid, initiated a health ministry, expanded a scholarship program and distributed more nutrient-rich meals than ever.
I recently was blessed to meet some of the faithful families touched by these gifts. Despite the overwhelming poverty in rural Guatemala, their joy was overwhelming! They had only one way to explain all of the changes in their long-suffering villages — it must be the work of the Lord!
To help you understand how transformative this outreach has been, let me share the story of one of the specific families blessed by this gift of a new home.
The Gift of a New Home and New Joy
One of the new homes we were able to provide has blessed the Morales family with strong walls, a sturdy roof and a gift they value above all — safety for their children.
“We always feared, especially for the girls, that we would be bitten by snakes,” explained Sylvia Morales, a grandmother who lives with three of her granddaughters and their parents.
I am touched by the gratefulness of Sylvia’s daughter, Sandi. Rains no longer soak her daughter, Antonia, and turn the old home’s dirt floor to mud. “It feels so good to know she is safe,” Sandi said. “We don’t have to worry about the storms during the night, especially those times when we had to wake up Antonia and move her because she was getting wet.”
The family had always hoped and prayed for a sturdy house but were frustrated by low-paying farm jobs that left them with only enough money for food. “My sons used to say, ‘God is going to bless us with a home,’” Sylvia said. “Now, I tell them, ‘Look! God has provided!’”
This is our second year of building new homes in partnership with the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu, and we look forward to reaching many more families!
A Joyous Celebration
Our team members will long remember a joyous house-blessing ceremony that was filled with prayer, laughter and the grace of God. Housing recipients profusely thanked the Lord — and everyone who supported our campaign!
Sonia Ortiz offered this heartfelt message to our friends: “You are the channel God used so we could have a safe house. I thank you so much.”
As a mother, I am touched by Sonia’s joy and that of the other moms who can now protect their children. Maxima Quinteros said her heart used to break every time rain fell upon her leaky, dirt-floored shack. “My children would say, ‘Momma, it’s raining, and we are getting wet. As a parent, it’s very sad not to be able to provide something better for our children. But thanks to God, we are safe now.”
The ceremony was highlighted by Fr. Francisco praying for each family and blessing the house keys they would receive — the first house keys they ever owned. Maxima said her precious keys would always remind her of the generous U.S. Catholics. “May God bless you because God is working through you. We carry you in our hearts. We never tire of praying for you.”
Contagious Joy
I praise God when I see the blessings of safe homes come to more and more remote villages, thanks to our faithful supporters. Mothers in these communities are filled with joy that their children are waking up safe and dry each morning — and so are their neighbors!
“Other families see their neighbors receiving a home and feel very happy and grateful to see their neighbors get a new home,” said Victor Garcia, the housing technician for the diocese’s Caritas outreach. “It gives them hope that they will receive a new home too.”
Our friends who gave so generously to our Rise Up With Joy campaign nurtured this growing sense of hope by funding:
Minor Otzoy, assistant director of Caritas, said he feels “the presence of God” every time he meets with a family celebrating a new home, a harvest or even a simple meal. “When a blessing comes to families through Caritas and Cross Catholic, it is like paradise for them.”
Author: Michele Sagarino, president of Cross Catholic Outreach