Building a house is hard enough; building a house in the rain is even harder. Kristin Mathern, Erin Arthurs and Jordin Lafferty recently returned from a week of service in Antigua, Guatemala, where they constructed a home for a family enrolled in The GOD’S CHILD Project. It rained on the three women every day they spent building except the last, a blessing because that was the day for painting. Although Kristin’s father is a carpenter, she had never done this kind of work before. “It was very hard and we were all thankful that we had help from our group leader, Jorge.” Kristin and her friends were joined by two other volunteers at The GOD’S CHILD Project, both from Denmark and studying abroad in Guatemala.
Besides house building, Kristin, Erin and Jordin spent time at the Dreamer Center playing with the children and observing them in the classroom. They also played with and fed the infants at Casa Jackson and helped the staff members with needed chores. One night was spent serving food at the Santa Madre Homeless Shelter, an experience Kristin found extremely fulfilling. “That was very rewarding, as that may have been the only food those people ate all day.”
The women were also given a tour of the cities around Antigua and learned the history of the area. Though Kristin knew some Spanish beforehand, Jordin and Erin were able to learn some since being in Guatemala.
Kristin’s family has previously sponsored a child through The GOD’S CHILD Project and she grew up being familiar with Patrick Atkinson and the Project through Bismarck’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Kristin participated in a mission trip to Haiti in 2009 with The University of Mary, but this was her first time in Guatemala with The GOD’S CHILD Project, and is an experience she will not soon forget. “We are tired from building but are really going to miss our host family.”
Thank you Kristin, Erin and Jordin, for all your hard work! 
If you want to share your own story, e-mail Emily at emily.krumm@godschild.org