I have been spending some time over the past year volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Marion County. Almost a year ago, a went to one of their informational meetings with one of the guys from church. Turns out that he and his wife met the criteria to get a house. Once they got accepted into the program, another guy and I started putting in hours to help them get their house.

I am impressed with their care for the community and passion to meet very real needs. Without a doubt, part of the gospel is caring for those in need. Sometimes it seems like social ministries put more time into care than the gospel; but then most evangelical churches are so busy worrying about the gospel, that they forget to care. It is definitely difficult to balance the two.

In any event, my friends have worked very hard and are getting closer to getting their own house. In less than a month, they should be getting ready to move in. This is thanks to their hard work, and thanks to a local builder who has donated the materials and manpower to build a home in about six weeks. My friends were the next in line for a house, so they were the beneficiaries of the gift.

Below are some pictures of the job site. There is much more to say about what Habitat is doing in Ocala. Now that my friends are getting their house, I need to find another participant so that I can feel like my volunteering is helping someone in particular.