Sheila, her husband Jorge and son, Alexis (4) live in Baja Vera Paz. Jorge is a distributor, and she is a homemaker, taking care of Alexis during the day.

The couple have been in their current Habitat home for a year now. The house sits adjacent to the home of Sheila’s mother. Prior to building their home, the family was renting and when Sheila and Jorge found the program through Habitat, it was Sheila’s mother who gifted her a plot of land so they could build their home.

Sheila shares, “we really wanted this home because we wanted to put our money into something that is ours, rather than using that money to pay rent for a house that would never be our own.” It is apparent how Sheila feels. When asked, “how do you feel having your own house?” She responds, “staying in a house that is not your own is not the same, now we feel so happy! We are so grateful to God for my mom and for the opportunity to build with Habitat because now what we have is truly our own.”

When asked about her plans for the home, she says: “We’re thinking about fencing the house, but much later, for now we are just enjoying it, I love everything about this house, it is ours, and here I am very happy.”

Of the group of volunteers, Sheila remembers, “they were very kind, helpful and did not hesitate to help and work alongside my family and the builders.” Sheila still has a photo of the group and shares, “I’m so grateful to know you, for the company that you came and gave and for your friendship, to come so far and to help us here in Guatemala. We care so much for you all and hope you are very well.”

Maria Elena, her husband, Concepcion, and daughter Allison (6) have lived in their Habitat home for 2 years now. Prior to their Habitat home, they had lived with Maria’s parents for six years. “The difference is here we feel more comfortable and there is more space, it is much better than living in one bedroom,” says Maria Elena. “I feel happy and content to have what we have because we are adding to the home little by little, and it is ours.”

When asked what she likes best about her new house, Maria Elena shares, “the walls, here we feel less heat, it is very cool. I like that the bathroom is inside the house instead of outside. We had to leave to go outside at night. Now there is no danger to use the bathroom.”

When asked what changes the family would like to see, Maria Elena says, “we have plans to make the house bigger and to paint it, but all of that in time.” The family also raises chickens. “I love having the chickens here, with the animals, I feel less alone, because Allison is at school, while my husband is at work, taking care of them gives me something to do,” says Maria Elena. Her husband, Concepcion is a traffic police and Allison is now in the first grade.

Of the group of volunteers, Maria Elena remembers them well. Maria has photos of the group and remembers how kind they were. “They were a big group and came from different states, I am grateful because it was a great help. They helped to put the house up so quickly and they came with so many different skills, and other ways of thinking,” she continues; “the joy, the happiness that they came with has stayed in the house. It was a great joy to meet and know you, I wish you many blessings.”

Bayron Eliseo, his wife, Yolanda and their two children Candice (13) and Christian (9) live in the town of Rabinal, Baja verapaz. For 12 years, they lived in the former house and wanted a new home. Their former house was made of adobe, and was not well built.

The couple is happy to have something of their own and have been in their new Habitat home for 3 months now. “We found Habitat when a man came to volunteer here named Hector and was working. “He told me that he was associated with Habitat and shared with me about the organizations services.” says Bayron.

For Yolanda, her favorite part of the house is:  “todo, everything in this new house is my favorite.” Bayron agrees, “it is the ample space that we have here that I like most about this house, because the other house was so small,” she continues,  “with the new house we feel more at home.” As for plans in the future, the couple plans to paint and face the house. 

Of the volunteers, the couple had this to share: “they were helpful and I enjoyed that they came to work with and to help us,” says Bayron, “I was at work most of the days while Yolanda was with them group. Bayron works as a carpenter and Yolanda creates and decorates ceramic pottery from home, which gives her more flexibility during the days time.

To the group, the couple says, “thank you for coming and working with us, we know you came from far and are so grateful that you came to be of help to us. Even the builders were sad when you left and so were we. Now we have this house and we hope that you will come back and see us again. It was a great experience to be involved in the construction,” says Yolanda, “and now the end result is our own, beautiful, new home!”