In 2008 my husband, Chris Tessier, decided to embark on a Habitat for Humanity build in Costa Rica.  He felt he was very blessed in his life in Canada, and wanted to extend his volunteer efforts globally.  This first step has lead him on a path that has brought him to three builds in developing countries.  In 2009 he travelled to San Vincente, El Salvador and had an experience that changed the course of his life.

In 2010, I decided that I wanted to share this experience and we decided to go to San Miguel, El Salvador with a team of 20 people.  As we progressed towards the trip, we were supported by so many people who saw the value in our fundraising efforts.  Joining the team comes at a cost of over $3000 per person, in addition to the holiday time away from our jobs, so fundraising was necessary.  Our biggest advocates were Dick and Peggy Bakker who generously supported our efforts at the Third World Bazaar.  They donated coffee and a central place to sell it.  All donations went directly to the build, and over the 6 weeks through October and November Chris and I raised an INCREDIBLE $1100 dollars in coffee donations. Not only did Peggy and Dick offer us this wonderful opportunity, but the generous staff pooled their hard earned money and gave us an additional $100.  We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for a cause that has become an important part of our lives. We are so grateful to the people who donated to our build and helped us support two families in San Miguel who will now have a home for Christmas. 

While building these houses, in conditions that were so unfamiliar to us and surrounded by a team of like-minded team members there was a clear sense of purpose.  If you think you cannot make a difference  in this world, I will argue that no matter how small, we all have the ability to make change and to help others.  I saw it and felt it first hand with a team of 20 strangers who are now such an important part of my life. This is a quote from the blog written by Chris, and I believe is sums up how we both feel about our experience.

"We have moved sand, then crushed stone, then rock and then moved them again. We have moved dirt, brush, sewage and bricks.
We have moved ourselves in the process. One cannot help but be moved by the joy of the children, the pride of the families, the generosity of the people, the families."

Our deepest thanks to the Third World Bazaar, for helping us make these builds a reality and for their support for so many global and local initiatives.  We encourage you to read more about the build on our blog at www.o-ya.ca and http://tinyurl.com/2uyahpm.

With thanks,

Chris Tessier and Jill Woodley.

Chris and Wisdom

Jill and the boys