Rich and Suzan

I often call the work we are doing a journey of faith: faith that we can actually impact a person or a
family in a positive way for the rest of their lives by providing shelter.  Providing shelter was not something I would have chosen as a career.  However, as the years passed and the children grew older, my wife Suzan and I began to have heartfelt discussions about our purpose in life.  It just seemed to us that there was something more to life than having a good paycheck, new cars, fancy houses, or the executives title while managing corporate affairs.  But what could it be? 

Our conversation often included prayer and we were confident God would show us what we were to do.  But this was not to be a quick process.  As a matter of fact it took years.  In late 2004 I decided to join some men from my church on a Mission trip to Honduras.   The purpose of the trip was to proclaim the Gospel but while there I had hoped to have an epiphany, a revelation.  This didn’t happen.  I came home and we continued on our prayer, conversations and talking. 

Although the epiphany didn’t happen, something was changing inside.  While in Honduras I saw some things I couldn’t quite relate to.  There appeared to me to be a disconnect between the way I was living and the way the Hondurans we met were living.  The basic everyday life was so much different. Yet there was something deeper and more profound to me.  I would read scripture and it would point out “instructions” on how to do certain things.  Everyday living things: I am not talking just spiritual things I am talking about the basics of life:  How to tend animals, what to wear on your feet, the need for a chimney, and so much more. 

Then on January 17, 2005 as Suzan and I were praying, we sensed we knew what we were to do.  Shelter!  Shelter God’s Creation.  But on that day we did not know anything about shelter, or the lack thereof, in the world.  So we began to explore and learn what was going on.  It didn’t take us long to understand the desperate condition of hundreds of millions of people the world over.  From that point on our lives would never be the same.

As we dug deeper to better understand what it was we were to do.  I was puzzled.  Surely this was being addressed by folks and we were to just become “involved” with them.  We then realized two important things: Some folks are addressing the problem and they are doing a great job, but the problem is so large it will take many.  Secondly we slowly understood some of the reasons behind what we now know is called houselessness: cost, war, migration, poverty, and inadequate materials.

From that time on we set out on a path to change what we could and we started with the materials used to build a shelter.  It seemed to us that we could design and build a shelter that was simple, capable, and economical: a shelter that would have many positive impacts.

Over the course of the next three years we poured everything we had, including investments from friends and family, into developing a shelter that has the ability to transform people’s lives.  We needed a shelter that could be built by people everywhere, quickly, and addressed many of the problems with shelter today.  We have been blessed to have been shown how to build a shelter that does not rot, bugs do not eat, is highly insulated which is good for their comfort and reduces the needs on heating and cooling, is earthquake resistant, will not fall apart, and can withstand the rigors of use and time.  Hence the IADDIC Shelter.

It was during this time that I also experienced many medical problems like meningitis, and cancer to name but two.  And although these illnesses and injuries slowed our progress down considerably we persisted.  We had many people who supported us along the journey and I can not thank them enough for their support.

The whole point though is about the people who are in need.  It is for the ones who do not have.  It is for the ones who are suffering.  You see, a shelter can have a broad impact by reducing disease, improving educational opportunities, generating an income, protecting women and children, and building relationships and communities. 

We have been blessed to have had so many people come along side of us to help us with this work.  We feel this is important work and know that it takes many people to make such an ambitious undertaking possible.   In Isaiah 58, scripture shows us that it is our purpose to provide the poor wanderer with shelter and we will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I believe that it is us working together to provide shelter to those who do not have.