Habitat build sites quickly become frantic with construction activity. At this site in Las Margaritas, Mexico, posters indicate specific volunteer assignments, which help maintain order and efficiency.

(Go Beyond U.S. Borders, continued)

For some families, even a Habitat house is out of reach of their limited incomes. HFH Sri Lanka pioneered a program called Save and Build to extend the opportunity for homeownership to people with extremely low or seasonal incomes. The families form groups of 12 and are responsible for saving a certain amount per day--often pennies a day. After about six months, they have collectively saved enough for a small Habitat house. The group chooses which family will receive the house, and the process continues. When Habitat for Humanity matches a group's savings, each family can build its house within two years. With the experiences they've gained from building and saving, they can continue the program on their own to add onto their houses if they wish.

The common tasks of construction, collecting house payments, raising funds and selecting families unite Habitat affiliates across cultural and geographic lines. However, completing these tasks does not guarantee success.

"Success often is a factor of leadership, vision and capability," says Christy Stickney, regional director for Central America and Mexico. "Also, I would say that successful affiliates are pleased with their outcomes, but not satisfied. They are unsettled with their current level and quality of program, and constantly inspired to grow and improve."

The vision of a "successful" affiliate also has roots in Habitat's Christian identity, says M·ximo Cisneros, Habitat for Humanity International's church relations adviser in the Latin America/Caribbean region.

"We in Habitat must try to be like Jesus, in whatever we are doing," he says. "I've seen our people be the last in line to help themselves to a snack at a (house) dedication. I've seen prayer teams constantly and perseveringly invest time in intercession for others. I've seen my colleagues doing good work in stewardship."

The South African affiliate and the team from Northern Ireland did end up finding a common language, according to volunteer Rory Marten in kwaZuluNatal, and it was a language that needed no words: service.

"They went more than the extra mile," Marten says. "They came all this way to South Africa to give of themselves in unstinting work according to their strengths and weaknesses to build two houses for families in need. They truly gave of themselves."