Can you imagine having to build a house without experience, money, or help? The project of building our house was a real challenge for various reasons, the main one probably being that we didn't have the necessary money. Initially, we had the offer of a team to help with the construction since I had no experience. Additionally, the house would be made of wood and would need to be elevated on posts, not at ground level.

Despite not having the necessary funds, we decided to start the project, thinking that we might complete a first phase in which we could move into the house and live there, and over time, as we obtained resources, finish the remaining details.

A few weeks before starting, we realized that the team we counted on for construction would not be able to help us, as most of this group was about to return to their home country for their furlough year. So, what I did was contact some missionaries who had already built their houses in the tribe and started asking about the basic materials needed to begin construction. Thank God, there were always some missionaries willing to support us with advice and, when possible, they would give us some time to help.

Most of the time, I worked alone or with one or two local friends, but in key stages of the project, thank God, we had the support of missionaries and many people from the tribe. Occasionally, even people from another tribe helped us, such as when we laid the floor. Jacob's friends also helped with the construction.

As we progressed with the project, the Lord provided what was necessary to continue the work. We received offerings that, in most cases, we didn't know where they came from, but they were specifically for the construction project. Some churches also joined in when they saw our need, and thank God, we were able to finish the project.

The difficulty of not having a team quickly turned into an advantage, as it allowed us to spend more time discipling and making friends among the Nakanai. Although it definitely made the process much slower, sometimes at the end of the day, due to my lack of experience, I felt that some things weren't done correctly. I would then look up a video on YouTube and often confirmed that things weren't done as they should have been. When this happened, I focused on working over the weekend to correct these mistakes.

Definitely, the Lord worked a lot in our lives during this time. It was a heavy burden for the whole family. Even our children had to adjust their homeschooling schedule, and my wife had to cook for all the people who came to help me. We never knew how many would come each day, but that's the right way to show gratitude in the local culture. So, if she saw 10 people coming, she cooked for 10. If one person came, which was most often the case, she cooked for him and me.

It took us eight months to finish this project. But once again, we testify to God's faithfulness in providing the resources and people needed to support us in the construction. Thanks to Him, we made friends and spent time discipling in this new culture we were entering. Definitely, the Lord uses all difficulties to help us grow and depend more on Him, and this was no exception.