Jesus, I Trust in You: Part 2

Over the mountains and through the jungle…Grandma’s house is on its way to being finished! (Read Part 1 of this story here.)

Together, you all have donated over $800 towards giving Ludi and Lope a home where they can be safe and comfortable in their elderly years. That kind of generosity goes a long way here in the Philippines!

Construction began the same week that one family and 22 college students were here on a mission trip from Camiguin Island. As part of their ministry schedule, a group of the students visited Ludi and Lope each afternoon to offer them some company as well as help out the work crew. What a blessing to have so many extra hands to kick off such a special project! And what a blessing it was to Grandma and Grandpa to have so many wonderful young people to talk to!

By the end of the week, their home had really started coming together!

As of our visit this past Sunday, all of the major building is complete, and all that remains are the finishing touches!

They are so pleased with their new home. The work crew has been amazing about listening to their ideas and incorporating them into the house, as well as making as many things accessible to Ludi’s wheelchair as possible. They seem to be filled with new joy and new hope, as well as inspiration! In fact, when we arrived on Sunday, Ludi was out of breath from getting in on the action.

“I’ve been cleaning the floor all morning!” she exclaimed proudly. The she proceeded to tell me how she had discovered that she could mop the floor with her feet, some rags, and a little pail of water, all from her wheelchair.

“The others are working, and I’m not the type of person to just sit around and watch. Your tatay (which means father, referring to Lope) tells me to rest, but I’m very impulsive, you know. When something needs to be done, I won’t leave it for someone else to do tomorrow.” Then she proudly emphasized, “I can work!”

Yes, she can. Apparently the night before she had also worked, going back and forth from their bathroom, filling up her little pail of water again and again to water their curing cement porch so it wouldn’t crack!

Before our visit ended, she became overcome with emotion as she expressed her thanks to us and asked us to extend her “deepest thanks” to those who had donated their home to them.

“Sammy, Lindsey, God is so good! Through you and your friends He has given us such comfort in our old age, a peaceful place, a home from which we will never be driven.”

She asked me for the names of the people who helped, and I wrote them for her in the cover of her prayer journal. Be assured, friends: you’ve got one powerful prayer warrior interceding for you and your intentions! Look out for miracles and answered prayers (and please share your glory stories with us so we can share them with Ludi)!

Please keep praying as the work continues. Please keep praying for their health. Please keep praying for their extended family to make peace. Here’s a list of some of the special things we’d still like to provide for them:

• window shutters
• insulated ceiling to keep the house as cool as possible this summer (Ludi gets very painful eczema all over her body if she becomes too hot)
• metal handle bars for safety in the bathroom
• hand-held shower head for easier and safer bathing
• sealer for exterior of the house to protect it from the elements
• paint for the inside of the house (her favorite colors are grey and green!)
• large can for storing extra water (running water where they live is not continuous)
• solar powered fan and radio (she loved listening to the radio at their old house with electricity)

With your support of the Give a Home Fund, we can meet needs like this for Ludi and Lope and for other families around the world living without adequate housing. It’s a beautiful thing to witness God providing above and beyond basic needs and showering this sweet, special couple with His blessings. He has blessed them materially, not only meeting their need for shelter, but giving them dignity, independence, and the little desires of their hearts that truly make it home. He has blessed them spiritually, by shining His light into their sadness and need and restoring their hope, joy, and trust in Him!

Thank you for letting God use YOU to do this great work by being so generous and by your prayers!

God bless you all!