Key Giving Ceremony

 The key giving ceremony is always an emotional celebration for Salvadorans and Canadians. In just 6 short days the Lord unites us in ways we couldn’t imagine possible.  

The exchanges of words, hugs, tears and smiles fills all the empty spaces and can never be replicated or fully explained. 

Here’s a glimpse of some of the highlights:

One of two cakes the community bought to share with us 

Each family is given a Bible, the keys and words of encouragement 

Our team with our recipient families

Salvadorans and Canadians together 

EMCC National President praying for Clay Jones, CEO of Shelter 

One of four build teams

(Front Row: Christine, Karen, Sheema, Steve, Mike)

(Back Row: Deve, Amanda, Pat)

One Word - 2025

 At the end of the trip each person is asked to share one word. That one word is something that they can use to the inevitable question that will come their way when we get home: “How was your trip?”

The reality is that most people won’t want to listen to deeply. This one word provides an invitation for people to inquire further. 

Also by being prepared with this one word, each team member is able to share a little bit of what the Lord has be n showing or teaching them, while allowing them to continue to process some of the deeper things going on within them. 

Please take time to ask them about their week. Pray for the Lord to help them re-engage into daily rhythms as the process all they have experienced. 

One word:

Jim - grateful

Elaine - moving

Steve - togetherness

Bill - cooperation

Jamie - joy

Fletcher - peace

Zach - fulfilling

Logan - magic

Dylan - grateful

Monty - impressive

Lachlan - people

Nick - joy

Derek - accomplished

Byron- humility

Jesse - yearning

Luke - eye-opening

Christine - life-changing

John H - love

Pat - connection

Mike - Safety

Sheema - united

Amanda - family

Karen - hope

John C - lentos (glasses)

Deve- Amazing

26

 The first year we came, we struggled to build 4 houses. This morning we finished the last of 26 houses! 

26 families will be living in safe, secure and dry homes this Christmas. For most it will be the first time they have ever experienced these qualities that most of us take for granted. 

As our diverse yet united team shared tonight, we have so much to be thankful for. We have been humbled by the dignity, contentment and faith of the families with whom we have served. We have been blessed. We are blessed. 

Their lives have changed and so have ours. 

25 people from Ontario: 1 from Mississauga, 3 from the Ottawa area, 4 from Sarnia and 17 from Plattsville - together with Shelter staff, WGM staff and an incredible number of community members along with 26 families  some way, some how the Lord united us all, providing for all our needs and infusing our lives with Hope  

Amazing Grace

We are on our final build day. So far our team of 25 has built 24 homes. The recurring sentiment from the families is one of deep gratitude. Despite their living situations and lack of income/resources, the El Salvadoran families have taught us how resourceful they are. They have faced much adversity and still their countenance is one of JOY.


Last night while I was sleeping , the Lord provided a picture to me of a broken chain which was accompanied by the Hymn, Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone). I pondered on this the whole night.


[Verse 3]
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

[Chorus]
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace


It reminded me of one of the home owners, Dasye. She shared that she had been praying for years in Jesus’ name for a new home. She said to us “When I ask the Lord for things in faith, then I believe that God will bring the miracle. You need to ask in God’s name.”

We all need to believe and ask for things in Jesus Name! God is faithful and so we must be, too.


Sheema

Fathers

 At the end of today 24 families have participated in building 24 homes. Each home is the product of the love of God being displayed through generous donations of many people as well as the sacrifices of time, energy and comfort from 25 team members (and their families). 

In both of our team builds today we were humbled and amazed by the steady and loving presence of the father on each home. So often we find heart wrenching stories where moms are raising their children alone, often abandoned. Today was different. 

Edilberto is a single father of a beautiful 19 year old daughter. His wife left them for another man many years ago. The two them work hard together and they participate regularly ( 3 times a week) at their local church. His greatest desire is that his daughter would follow the way of Jesus all the days of her life. When asked about an important verse from the Bible, he shared from Revelation 21 - about the fullness of God’s presence and fulfillment of His promises for those whose names are found in the book of life. And then he prayed a prayer of blessing on our team, our families and our church communities.

The second father, Luis, is father to 5 engaging children. He and his wife, Leyda, have been married for 20 years! This is rare in any culture. More than that, he spoke of his children with words of grace and empowerment. And his children demonstrated honour to back to him. He and his wife spoke of being intentional to develop a sense of unity with their family and it shows. He also modeled a humility of spirit as he acknowledged that the process of removing their old house and building a new one has deepened his relationship with God.

Good men  Good godly men who work hard and love deeply are hard to find  today we found two because of the prayer and generosity of many  

Strength

 There’s a new way to spell “strength”; it goes like this: Y-A-N-E-T-H. 

Yaneth, is a single mother of 5 children. She is incredibly determined to provide and protect her children. She is full committed to being resourceful and hardworking in order to provide for the essential needs of her family. She would walk several kms to find corn to make $5. She collects cow manure in bags to sell as fertilizer to farmers. Each large recycled grain bag is $1. She will walk up the steep and rocky path to her home with 30 pounds of water in a container - on her head.  She will walk into town if she needs something: about 90 minutes each way. 

But these don’t make her strong. 

Her father left when she was young. Her husband died unexpectedly five years ago. Around that same time she underwent an emergency c-section during the birth of their youngest daughter. Two years ago her eldest son died in a tragic workplace accident. ( both deaths would be preventable in Canadian health and safety protocols). 

Despite so many reasons to be weak, to take the role of the victim, she instead chooses to find strength - divine strength that exudes contentment, grace and resolve. It’s a strength that refuses to be defined by circumstance. It’s a strength that rises above the material poverty of her day to day life. It’s a strength that inspires hope - the very hope we thought we were bringing. Turns out she’s got enough for all of us. 

Karen spent some time painting her nails, and those of her two sisters, and two little daughters. The joy and pleasure was unmistakable. Their expressions only enhanced the strength that was already evident. 

Yaneth uses quiet walks to find peace from God when life gets challenging. She enjoys telling her girls about the dad they barely knew: how he would work hard, and always wanted to provide for their family. She knows that God being her helper she can be dad and mom to her kids. Her one desire is for them to get a good education. With the provision of a new home, this becomes more possible. 

With a Shelter home, people are healthier because they are protected from the dampness. Students attend more school which gives them greater hope for the future. 

Thank you for your prayer and contributions to families like Yaneth. Your support is making a strong impact - on all of us. 

The Difference a House Makes

Today 8 families participated in building 8 new houses. It’s life changing. It’s hope instilling. It’s exciting and much needed. But it’s a hard choice to make. 

You and I, we might think it should be easy to say goodbye to old dilapidated homes. The roofs leak (like a colander as one family described it); the sticks and mud need constant replacing; and the black plastic doesn’t help too much in the wind or the rain.  The choice isn’t as easy as we would think. 

In talking to our families today we were reminded of the memories that have been made in their old houses. They’ve watched children grow.  They’ve shared gatherings and played games in their old houses. While it might have been in poor condition, it was home. 

The choice to take down their old home before a new home can be built isn’t easy for those reasons and more. One of the families shared that they know of other families whose homes are in worse condition than their own. However those families didn’t have enough faith to believe that a new home would come. They weren’t willing to let go of what they knew in order to experience what God would provide. And so they settle for the way it is instead of being renewed by the new way it could be. 

Shelter brings hope through the building of a house that becomes a home where new memories are forged, and new possibilities are opened as people are healthier, safer and protected from the elements. Often the realization of those possibilities involve the courage to live by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Perhaps some of us also need to be reminded and encouraged to let go of something familiar in order to apply ourselves toward discovering the new blessings God has waiting for us.  

A Walk in the Clouds

 Four thousand feet above sea level sits a small, beautiful and historically significant town of Alegria (it means “joy” in English). 

After breakfast at the OEF hotel we made our way down the winding highway.  It has been a few years since we’ve travelled this road: past San Felipe, past Rio Frio and then across the bridge towards San Miguel.  We’ve built homes for hundreds of people on this stretch of road, up to the peaks of the mountains and down into the valleys that run along the picturesque Rio Lempa.

And today we would take those memories and use them to engage in hope filled connections with 26 families.  We played some games, shared some food and began to share our stories with one another. It’s a humbling and powerful time recognizing that God has been preparing us all for these days.

In the afternoon we had a historical tour of Alegria, visiting the homes of one of El Salvador’s most prolific writers (Alberto Montferrer), who championed the cause of the poor in the early 1900s.

We then drank in some of the rich beauty of this country, at the hundred step lookout and a visit to the Laguna Verde (a sulphuric lake nestled in the crater of a dormant volcano.

Dinner at Pollo Campero, a short debrief and we were all ready to get some rest,  as tomorrow the building begins.

ES November 2025 Begins

We never take for granted the idea of smooth travel to get us from our homes, across the highways, through the airport, into the skies and transportation to our hotel. It’s a long day. Today we also navigated some unexpected circumstances and an amazing provision of God. 

So much to say, but it will need to wait. 

Breakfast at 7. Then off to meet 26 families  

Your interest and your prayer is appreciated.