The Wait is Over

“This is on God’s time, not my time,” Ma says of her Habitat home.

Her faith is enduring – especially considering the dream for a Habitat home was planted in her heart more than seven years ago.

Ma shares, “In 2011, I found Habitat from a posting and I called. I wasn’t ready yet to purchase. I had to be patient, until I had the right time, the right credit.” A proud single mother of four, Ma used the next few years saving and readying herself to qualify for an affordable mortgage.

By 2015 she was ready, and was accepted in the homeownership program. Ma hit the ground running and, working to complete her sweat equity, she worked at both the Habitat Store and the Youth for Christ Center in her new neighborhood – in addition to her own full time job.

Ma often worked split shifts so she could complete her hours and be available for her children when they got home from school. “I went to work at 4am every day so I could start my sweat equity at 9am,” she says. “When I look at my children, I say to myself ‘I am able’. I am able to get up. I am able to go out there and face life day by day. All for my children.”

After years of prayerfully waiting, Ma was matched with a house in a community where she and her children already had roots – Tillicum. Ma says, “I thank God for giving me such an opportunity. I have faith. I don’t give up – just keep moving and waiting. ” Like a prayer answered, Ma’s new home was sponsored by the faith community, as the 2017 Building on Faith house.

The first wall of Ma’s home was raised in July of 2017. Its studs were covered in scripture, blessings and well wishes from Habitat sponsors and friends – a tradition Habitat calls “The Wall of Hope”. Pastor Peter Mohr from Lutheran Church of Christ the King was there to bless that first wall and prayed, “May this house be honored. May it be a place where God’s people are honored, and may it be a place where faith and community are honored.”

Remembering the Wall of Hope raising, Ma shares “I felt that hope is really here; it exists. It was fun to see the all people there, praying for my house. I was very excited in that moment.”

As the construction progressed, so did the family’s anticipation for their new home. For Ma, the new home means more space for her children to learn and grow, and an opportunity for them to be closer to their schools.

The kids are also excited for the future. Mara (12), a budding artist, dreams of move in day so she can have her own wall space to display her creations. Lemuel (9) is ecstatic about the thought of having his own room; his plan for moving day is “to get in my bed and put up a do not disturb sign.”

In early February, all of Ma’s hard work came to fruition as her home was complete and the community gathered for its dedication.

But before the ceremony, Ma paused to reflect on her journey and to celebrate what lies ahead. “This house… I have been praying for this house for so many years. I had to sit back and be patient, but I feel very much alive in this house. This is like a dream success. To me, it feels like a new beginning.”