On Friday morning July 22nd Habitat raised the walls on another Habitat home the work continued through Saturday and the sun was shining and the blue sky above was the background to the busy hands and hammers nailing as the walls took form, trusses were set, roof sheathing and wall sheathing was placed and then the windows were set. The end of two wonderful days filled with lots energy, laughter and good fellowship by volunteers, the Pickard family and the Youth Group from Bellingham. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with this wonderful and energetic youth group who always leaves our hearts filled with good memories and each has written a loving message on the walls of this new home for the new family; thank you for coming back to Tillamook again this year and for the financial donation in addition to your hard work. We would like to thank our building committee and ALL the volunteers who came to participate all week and through the weekend on the job site, all those who make the cookies to keep the energy level at peak and St. Alban’s Church, St. Johns Church of Christ, Thrivent Lutheran and SubWay who furnished lunches from Thursday through Monday and Safeway who donated the bottled water.

The construction continues on the project Monday through Saturday and Habitat needs volunteer’s everyday to help in completing this home, just call the office 842-7472 to check on the construction schedule and let us know when you are available. Volunteers are the heart of this ministry and WE ARE SO GRATEFUL for all of you who support us working together to make a difference giving children and families an opportunity to have a home and a safe place to live. We are still raising funds to complete this home and invite you to help, just mail your donation to the Habitat office at 2610 Third Street, Tillamook, OR 97141.

Pastor Andy Yee said “the High School youth at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Bellingham, Washington, are really committed to serving. It is really important for us to live out our faith as servants. Several times, our youth have chosen to do these servant events instead of going to the bigger youth gatherings. Throughout the year, we find opportunities to serve in our church family, our community, and the world. For the past two summers, we have chosen to do our annual summer servant event with the Tillamook Oregon Habitat for Humanity.

We have really been having a great time! We believe that having a good home is so important to life. Getting a chance to reflect on our own homes, we realize how important it can be to someone’s self worth, outlook on life, and simply to even just take care of our day to day needs. Many of us often take the gift of a home for granted.

It has been wonderful to share in the ministry of Habitat for Humanity for these past two summers. Particularly in this Tillamook, Oregon affiliate, we have really been impressed with their spirit of hospitality. Those who are receiving these homes are looked upon with genuine kindness and joy. That same kindness and joy has also been extended to us as volunteers. This resonates particularly well with how we experience God’s Grace.

This year, we had eight people from our youth group come out to volunteer: Kelsey, Libby, Angela, Kristen, Daniel, Alex, Alexa, and Mike. It has been great fun to help with the sub flooring, the raising of the walls, sheathing, roof work, and windows. We are so thankful to a small Lutheran congregation with big hearts, St. Peter’s Lutheran, who housed us and let us use their facilities for eating and sleeping. We were invited to worship with them and interact with members of the congregation. The hospitality all around was just amazing! With the combination of a donation from Christ the Servant and the money that we saved by living simply out of St. Peter’s Church, we were able to also make a monetary donation to Habitat beyond our donation of time and energy. The biggest gift, though, was the opportunity to live out our faith within their wonderful spirit.” “It was one of the most fulfilling youth trips I’ve been on!” (Rosie Jones, CTS HS Habitat Youth 2004).

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