A Show of Good Faith...And a Firm Resolve
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		Stronger families mean stronger communities, and decent, affordable housing can be a gateway to both. These children live in a Habitat neighborhood in Houston, Texas.

Faith in community
The community surrounding Clarence and Jacqueline Harris-Owens' soon-to-be home didn't inspire much faith in 1999. The house itself, Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley's first rehab in the area, was missing doors and windows and was filled with obvious signs of drug use. Each time volunteers came to clean the site to prepare for the renovation, it was vandalized within a few days. Racially motivated confrontations at the build site caused affiliate staff members to wonder whether they might be endangering the Owenses by building there.

But Clarence took a proactive approach to gaining acceptance in the community. He visited neighbors to explain that he needed their help to secure the property. Ultimately, he made allies of the local gang leaders. The affiliate compressed the building schedule to avoid leaving the house vacant, and Clarence moved into a small mobile home in a lot across the street to keep an eye on the property. The Owenses' faith in the community paid off: Many of the neighbors and gang members attended the house dedication.

Three years later, neighborhood tensions have diminished significantly as the Owenses enjoy their home-and their community.

Faith in God
Because of boggy soil, Abdirashid Said's Habitat house is anchored by concrete pillars extending 40 feet to the Minnesota bedrock. This foundation proves an apt analogy for his deep faith, as well as the faith of the volunteers who helped build his house.

Abdirashid and his wife, Farhiyo, came to the United States in 1993. After enduring refugee conditions following their escape from war-torn Somalia and being separated for years in the chaos, they dreamed of a better, more secure future.

Sept. 8-15 marks the eighth year Habitat for Humanity has celebrated its Christian identity through Building on Faith week.

When they arrived in Minnesota, however, they found that the rent for a run-down apartment took almost half Abdirashid's salary as an airport taxi driver. Their children had no safe place to play, and even if they had been able to afford a conventional mortgage, their Muslim faith prevented them from owing interest on a loan.

Habitat's zero-interest mortgage policy enabled Abdirashid and Farhiyo to pursue homeownership with the Northwest Metro chapter of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in 2000. Cindy Wilke served as a family partner and volunteer with the North Suburban Coalition, a group of nine churches that sponsored the house. Though many of the volunteers came from a Christian background, the religious differences caused no problems.

"We have built homes with homeowners born in the United States, Laos, Russia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia," Wilke says. "I seldom worry about religious differences because all of the homeowners have been so thankful, giving praise to God for their home, Habitat for Humanity and the volunteers."

One day during the build, Wilke was leading a siding crew with Abdirashid, his cousin, a local teenager, and members of another homeowner family working on their sweat-equity hours. Some spoke no English, and none had ever used even a hammer. However, the differences of faith and language proved insignificant.

"We had a great day and in just four hours sided two sides of the home, cutting out for windows and utilities," Wilke says. "As we stepped back to admire our work, the looks on their faces were priceless. They had learned to measure, cut with power tools, use ladders and scaffolding, and install the siding, and much of the learning had occurred without words-just actions."

—Rebekah Graydon is assistant editor of Habitat World.


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