Eleven volunteers are ready to go on Good Shepherd’s Habitat for Humanity International build trip to El Salvador, June 7 – 14, 2025. The travelers are Dan Corkery, Bob Clark, Joe Chamley, Nicki Kyle, Jenelle Keene, Dylan Keene, Vanessa Reyes, Samantha Fisher, Zechariah Fisher, Maggie Paul, and Group Leader, Dean Olson. Begun by Jim Hack and Don Block in 2011, Jim led annual build trips through 2019 until Habitat suspended the program in 2020. We lost Jim that same year, but his devout dedication is remembered via the Jim Hack Memorial Mission Fund – a budget category dedicated to Good Shepherd mission outreach. The strength of an annual Habitat build trip tradition became so strong, that 7 of 11 of our current Group have been on build trips before.
The goal of the effort is to help build a house for a needy family in El Salvador while working with local workers and family members. In addition, our visit gives people hope that someone cares about them, and they are not forgotten. We’ll again be led by the very capable Francis Padilla (at right), who supervised several of our earlier trips. Typically, three local masons organize the construction, Francis organizes us, and we do as much unskilled labor as we can, while the masons and Francis will surely attempt to teach us a little about how to build an appropriate house.
Habitat requires that each traveler make a deposit to go, and as a result, the Group has already raised $2750 toward fees and air travel. Thrivent members are charged an additional $731 in fees to Habitat ($450 discount), and non-members, $1181. Air fare is expected to run about $650 per person. Donations are welcome at the church website https://gslc-cu.org/ and click on “Give” then “El Salvador Mission Fund”. Of course, checks are welcome, too. Thrivent also makes a special donation directly to Habitat El Salvador. For each volunteer, they send $850, for a total of $9350 – enough to pay for a new house in El Salvador. Altogether, Thrivent has already donated $11,150 to this particular cause. Look for more details as the date approaches, and thanks for your support, prayers, and encouragement.
