Back in July, I made a last-minute decision to join the Global Commission Builders team and travel with our son, Lincoln, to work alongside a local church and Challenge Ministries in southern Africa. I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare or really know what to expect.
I thought I was just going to use my 25 years of construction experience to help with a building project. But those two weeks turned into a lot more…
I fell in love with this ministry’s vision. I witnessed firsthand the work the local church is doing and the difference it is making in the lives of children and the people who care for them.
They equip parents and caregivers with the support, skills, and resources they need to reunite with and raise their children after years of hardship and disease have devastated the community and torn families apart. Safe and healthy reunification is the goal.
To my surprise, this was not just another building project. (I’ve done plenty of those.) This trip was about joining others in creating a path for children to be cared for and nurtured in a Christ-filled environment while helping parents and caregivers become equipped to raise them.
After I got home, I kept thinking about the team we met, the stories we heard, and the vision they shared. We got the framing of our assigned structures finished quicker than they expected, so we were able to spend a few days in the village and meet several of the children that will move in once it’s complete! There will be space for hundreds at once! But there is much more work still left to do.
Over the past month, the team has reached out to me over and over asking me to come back. There is a desperate need for skilled workers on the site, and part of their goal is to train and equip local workers so they can continue the work themselves. They have been very persistent about wanting me to come back and help with the big project ahead of them. They have generously offered to cover my airfare and accommodations to return with the team, which I am incredibly grateful for!
The plan is to make several more trips over the next few months, with each trip requiring me to be gone for several weeks. The hope is to have the project finished around December or January.
But going back means something else for me too.
Since I’m self-employed, when I’m gone, I’m not working. I’m not bringing in the income that normally pays our bills and buys our groceries. Being gone for several weeks at a time, multiple times over the next few months, means giving up a significant amount of the work I would normally be doing.
We’ve been trying to figure out how to make this work on our own as much as possible. Phoebe recently accepted a position at a school to help bring in some additional income. We are doing what we can, but her income isn’t enough to make up for what I normally bring in. I know going on these trips will require a real sacrifice for us financially, but we also feel like it’s a sacrifice I’m being called to make.
Phoebe has been encouraging me to follow what God is calling me to do, even though we both know it’s a step of faith and there are a lot of unknowns. At the end of the day, we believe that when God says go, you go. So I’m going. I was given the green light by God (and my wife), and I just told the team, “Okay. I’ll be there!”
I feel like the Lord has given me these skills for a reason, and I don’t want to ignore an opportunity to use them to help people who really need it. I’m trying to listen and follow where God is leading me while also being responsible with the people and responsibilities He’s entrusted to me here at home.
That’s honestly why I’m reaching out.
I really do not like asking people for money or asking for help. I’m usually the one people call when they need a hand, so being on the other side of that is really uncomfortable for me.
If you feel led to help us during this season, we would be incredibly grateful. Anything would help take some of the pressure off at home and allow me to make these trips without worrying so much about how we’re going to cover everything here.
If you would like to help financially:
Venmo // PayPal I don’t have an actual goal number at the moment as I don’t know how many of these trips I will be able to participate in. It all depends on what God provides.
There is no pressure or expectation to give. I know everyone has their own responsibilities.
And if you can’t help financially, please pray for us. Pray for the people and children we met, for the team, for the work that still needs to be done, and for safety for everyone traveling and working on the project. Please also pray for me as I’m away. Being away from Phoebe, the kids, and home for several weeks at a time is going to be hard, and I know I’ll get homesick. Pray that God gives me peace, strength, and the ability to stay focused on why I’m there.
I’ve also included a video from our first trip if you’d like to see what we got to experience.
I don’t know exactly how everything is going to work out. I just know that I came home from that first trip feeling like I wasn’t finished.
So I’m going to take the next step, trust God with the rest, and use the skills He’s given me to serve wherever I can.
Thank you for reading this and for supporting me, whether that’s through prayer, sharing this with someone, or helping financially.
I’m gonna have Phoebe help me compile photos and videos to update you all along the way!
Johnny
