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Health & Fitness

On the Wings of Angels: My Global Build in Peru

Malibu resident Tema Merback returns from a 10-day Global Build in La Florida, Peru.

In 1976, Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International which they would direct until 2004 when a split between the Board of Directors and the Fullers resulted in a parting of the ways. In that time, more than 200,000 homes in more than 100 countries were built, purchased and owned by the poorest inhabitants on the planet. 

Thousand of lives have been changed forever with this dream of home ownership realized through sweat equity and no-interest payments. Thousands of volunteers around the world have donned work clothes and traveled to remote landscapes to create a dream of home ownership for those that live in shacks and lean-tos. Among the organization's staunchest supporters are former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn.

In 2005, the Fullers, never resting on their laurels, founded The Fuller Center for Housing which continues the ministering of affordable housing for the most destitute countries, such as the Philippines, El Salvador, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Armenia, Peru and North Korea. Millard Fuller died Feb. 3, 2009 at age 74, but his dream lives on in the two organizations that he founded. 

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I have just returned from a Global Build in Peru with my dear friend Veda, who always convinces me to step outside my comfort zone and travel to some place I have never been and tackle something I have never done. In this instance, we were off to La Florida, a desolate, arid region located about two hours south of the capital city of Lima.

La Florida is a town of agricultural workers that work on an as-needed basis on different farms throughout the region. Primarily, they live in woven bamboo huts.  Few, if any, residents have electricity and water is hauled in buckets and wheelbarrows from a canal that runs through the town. Our project was to roof, build cement walls and floors and basically finish four houses that a previous build had begun. This is grueling work with primitive tools, but in the end the result is a home and a thousand smiles and thanks from a family that has never had a solid roof over their heads. 

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Yes, the build is hard and the conditions are not ideal for the workers, but the camaraderie of giving and the pride of sharing a goal accomplished makes for lasting relationships and forever-lasting memories. At times, I wasn't sure if I would survive the bleakness of the world I had entered, but the support and encouragement of my Build Captain Kat Williams and the boundless energy of my team co-workers from every corner of our country and Canada carried me across the finish line. 

I will never forget the faces of the children and their parents whose lives I directly affected. Charitable contributions are always rewarding, but physically and spiritually giving of one's self to those who have nothing is perhaps the most rewarding experience of a lifetime. I recommend it to any and all, and to your children. You will never see the world quite the same again, and the words, "There but for the grace of God go I" will never ring more true. 

You can't help but come away from a build with a new found appreciation for the countless blessings of your life. We live in a miraculous country where all aspirations are achievable through education, hard work and perseverance. We are lucky to live in the beautiful city of Malibu, where we feast our eyes on vivid scenery and boundless color. My recommendation is: Let not a day pass where you don't give thanks for the joy of a full rich life!

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