What inspired you to go abroad?
What initially inspired me to go abroad was my love for travel and adventure. I love getting out there, working with my hands, experiencing new cultures, building deeper relationships with my travel companions, and being challenged physically and even sometimes mentally. All this and more is what inspired me to go abroad.
The team I lead to Peru! I'm on the far left.
However, what keeps me going abroad is the positive impact you can have in the lives of others. I want to help make the world a better place – at the end of my life I want to know I made a difference. Spending our time, energy, skills, and financial resources aboard can make a huge difference in the lives of others.
Why did you choose The Fuller Center for Housing?
Four years ago, a friend invited me to join him on a trip to Peru to build houses. Since then I’ve been to Ghana, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Peru twice! I’m completely hooked and in love with The Fuller Center. The more I volunteer and the more I learn about this organization the more I’m convinced that there are very few, if any, better ways to spend your time and money!
The Fuller Center’s mission is to provide adequate shelter for all people in need worldwide. The work they do is amazing and efficient. It takes very little financial resources to build a home for a family internationally. And these homes, though modest, are amazing! They have cement floors and strong roofs – something we take for granted. A decent home significantly improves the lives of a family for generations to come!
I’ll continue to volunteer with the Fuller Center because I want to be part of giving one of the coolest gifts to others – a decent place to live, a place to call home!
What was your favorite part about Peru?
Though Peru is filled with natural beauty, like mountains, rivers, and gorges, and amazing food and drink, like ceviche and pisco sours, my favorite part of Peru was easily the people. The people are hardworking, fun, and so hospitable and kind! I’ve never felt so welcomed! I’ve been to Peru twice and will be going back a third time this November. And the reason I’m going back is because of the people. They are awesome!!!
Zenon, our country host, was amazing!
What made your experience abroad unique?
Trips through Fuller Center’s Global Building program is unique in many ways, but perhaps more so than other abroad trips, is the fact that you get to see the tangible results of your work. If your job back home is anything like mine, sometimes it’s hard to see the fruits of your labor, but after a week of building you get to see your hard work pay off. A home doesn’t always get completely built in just one week, but when it does, the experience is beyond amazing! Seeing a family receive their home (often filled with tears of joy) at the end of a hard and long build is indescribable.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The Fuller Center team in Peru was fantastic! Zenon, is the man! He’s the country host in Peru and is very passionate about the work of the Fuller Center. He’s been involved in affordable housing efforts for over 30 years! And he loves to host and entertain and was very intentional in ensuring our stay was as memorable and productive as possible.
The local architect (Augusto Sr) and masons (Augusto Jr. and Jose) were great leaders on the work site. They’re great at what they do and their ability to lead a team to build a house is outstanding. They were kind and efficient and hardworking. I can’t wait to go back to hangout with everyone again!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I had been able to go on an after-build adventure! Going on these builds provides a great opportunity to continuing traveling and experiencing the culture. Extending your trip by four or five days to backpack or visit cool cities costs very little and is a priceless experience. Plus, Peru has some amazing places to visit. Cusco and Machu Picchu are amazing after build destinations. I went there after my first build and highly recommend it if you have the time to extend your trip.
My brother, Richard Stoll, digging the foundation
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
Regarding the build, it was fairly the same routine every day. We woke up, ate breakfast, drove to the build site, and worked until about 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., breaking for lunch in the middle of the day.
The work at the site varied based on where we were in the progress of the house. This trip we worked on two houses simultaneously. The first house we worked on digging and pouring the foundation. In Peru you must build the houses extra strong because of earthquakes. The foundation is dug nearly four feet deep and filled all the way up with cement. It’s a lot of digging with picks and shovels and a jackhammer, wheel barreling cement, build rebar structures, and shoveling rocks. It’s hard work, but there’s always something for someone to do regardless of strength or skill level.
The second house, we poured cement through the corners and on top of the last layer of bricks to tie the whole house together! These houses will last hundreds of years!
In the evening we would eat together (the food was amazing) and then hangout for an hour or two before calling it a night. We often played games or just hung around and talked.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
We had a couple days of free time before and after the build. One day, we went on a boat ride to Ballestas Island to view the wild life. This was coordinated through the Fuller Center. It was awesome! One person described it as being in a Planet Earth episode. The island, being relatively small, had over 75,000 birds on it. Every day these birds, at the same, would fly out into the ocean to bathe. Seeing 75,000 birds in the sky is incredible. The island also had penguins, seals, and crabs! You should definitely look up images of Ballestas Island. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!
Another afternoon we went white water rafting. There were beautiful mountains and the views were incredible. It’s well worth spending a little extra time to experience these adventures.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
The accommodations were great! Our hotel host was hospitable and made sure we had everything we needed. We had two people per room and each room was clean and had its own bathroom. My favorite part about the hotel was the rooftop. It was a great place to hang out and it had incredible views of the surround hills.
Also, of all the places I’ve traveled to, Peru had some of the best food. Half the time I couldn’t even pronounce what I was eating, but oh boy was the food great. They also made extra food for some of the vegetarians in our group, all of which described the food as incredible!
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
Here’s what to expect. You're going to accomplish great things and build a house! It’s such a great experience to give your time and resources to serve and give someone a home. However, it's important to know that the work can be physically and at times mentally demanding, but I expect at the end of the trip, when all is said and done, you’ll have loved every minute of it and will likely be hooked for life!
One of the houses we worked on!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Going on these trips has not only given me a huge sense of gratitude for the things I’ve been given – good health, a home, a great job, and financial stability – but it’s also given me a great sense of urgency and responsibility!
I feel a sense of urgency because there are so many people in the world that are living in inadequate housing. They have roofs and walls that constantly leak water, and dirt floors that turn to mud when it rains. I’ve heard too many stories of families having to stand up during the night when it rains as to not get muddy. This is a problem in the world that needs our immediate attention.
I feel a great sense of responsibility, because God has given us resources – money, time, and skills – that can be used to make a significant difference in the world. And it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a huge difference. Don’t quote me on this, but I think it cost somewhere around $6,500 to build a home for a family. The cost effectiveness is amazing, and the results are incredible. A good home is a foundation for better health, better education, and a better life. Every family deserves a decent place to live! And these houses are built to last and will help families for generations!
My time abroad on these trips has impacted my life in the sense of how I spend my time (I no longer go on vacations, but I go on builds) and how I spend my money (I give more money because the impact is huge). These trips are great for so many reasons, but it helps mold people into more compassionate, caring, and selfless people! And most importantly, I believe it honors God and glorifies his name!
Would you recommend The Fuller Center for Housing to others? Why?
Absolutely! I love the Fuller Center and the work they do! And it would be amazing if every person I know had the opportunity to help build a house for a family!
