24 May 2019 Joyce received hope in the form of a home. Beauty came from the ashes of tragedy and sparked a light in her eyes as she was handed the keys to her very own place.

Joyce was widowed in 2007. She bought a plot of land in the township of Embonisweni, where a small shack was constructed as a shelter for her and her 6 children. Her two eldest sons promised to help her build a safe home on that land, but that dream crumbled as tragedy hit. Both of these sons died the previous year – one was in a car accident, and the other was shot. Joyce was left as the sole provider of her family. She shared with us that she felt that even God had left her. Her hope and faith were gone.

Her small shack couldn’t even be called a proper shelter. When inside, you could clearly see the sky between the zinc roof and pieced-together walls. In the winter, restless nights were common because of the cold. Rats and snakes were difficult to keep out. Joyce said that she hardly even felt like a human being because of their living conditions.

We met Joyce through a local leader in her community. We began to visit with her regularly in her home. It was through this that we began to see how dire her situation was. The day we were able to tell her that we were going to build her a home was the day a seed of hope was planted. 

Construction began on May 13, and a light began to grow in Joyce’s eyes. Several times Joyce would walk up to one of our crew, slip her arm around their waist, and with breathless awe say, almost in a whisper, “This is my house,” and then with the biggest smile you could imagine, “I am so excited!”

As the foundation was poured, bricks were laid, and each window set, hope was being restored to this broken, hurting family. They began to see that they were not forgotten.

We held a welcome home party on May 24 – twelve days after construction had started. The joy in that place was contagious. Joyce shared a few words and then asked if she could dance, because it was the only way she could express what she was feeling inside. She said her faith in God and His love for her was restored through this home.

Watch the video of the progress of building a home and how it impacted Joyce when she was handed the keys.

This home was built through the fundraising efforts and generosity of the following people:

Tina Harris

Sarah Ness

Newton Christian School

Thank you! To be a part of providing home to the most vulnerable, visit here.