A chance meeting in a paint store between Julie Dasinger and Pam Peterson of Global Travel Alliance resulted in a home being built for a family in Costa Rica. Kirby, Julie’s husband, and she had been discussing what they might do to honor the memory of their granddaughter, Aviella Hope, who was lost in mid-pregnancy. Pam and Jeff had previously told them about Global Doing Good and some of the projects they were involved in. To Julie and Kirby, building a home for less fortunate people in Costa Rica seemed like a fitting memorial. They discussed the idea with their children and spouses, Kira (Far’d), Kelsey (Kyle) and Kaleb (Katie). The consensus was they should do this.
Daniel Granados and his wife Andrea, Global Travel Alliance staff members in Costa Rica, had already set the plans in place to build the new home for Arturo, Maria and their boys Jorge and Kevin. Daniel met the Dasinger family at their hotel at 7 a.m. each morning and took them to the home site where the ladies began painting the exterior and the men began plastering the inside walls.
Daniel’s father (who the Dasinger family nicknamed Papa Smurf) had overseen building the home, which was basically completed, except for the projects the Dasingers worked on.
“Their original home was neat and clean,” observed Kirby, “but it was not stable. During hard rains, water poured in and ran through the house. It was just cobbled together.”
Arturo and the boys worked right along side of the Dasinger family and Maria kept them supplied with fresh fruit and fruit juice as they labored under the tropical sun.
“The hardest work,” recalled Kirby, “was mixing concrete on the ground for the interior floors. We made a pile of sand, added gravel, cement and water and began mixing with shovels. What a workout!”
Arturo, Maria and their sons were ecstatic and grateful, but Kirby pointed out that his family was also grateful for the opportunity to serve.“Yes, we impacted this family, but we were impacted too,” he said. “We realized that we take so much for granted living here in America. All of us understand after this experience how very blessed we are. I would recommend that other families or church or civic groups think about doing this. It was very rewarding to us all.”
The home, named Casa de Esperanza (House of Hope) is nothing special by American standards. It measures about 600 square feet with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a common area that encompasses the living room, dining space and the kitchen.
Daniel Granados and his wife Andrea, Global Travel Alliance staff members in Costa Rica, had already set the plans in place to build the new home for Arturo, Maria and their boys Jorge and Kevin. Daniel met the Dasinger family at their hotel at 7 a.m. each morning and took them to the home site where the ladies began painting the exterior and the men began plastering the inside walls.
Daniel’s father (who the Dasinger family nicknamed Papa Smurf) had overseen building the home, which was basically completed, except for the projects the Dasingers worked on.
“Their original home was neat and clean,” observed Kirby, “but it was not stable. During hard rains, water poured in and ran through the house. It was just cobbled together.”
Arturo and the boys worked right along side of the Dasinger family and Maria kept them supplied with fresh fruit and fruit juice as they labored under the tropical sun.
“The hardest work,” recalled Kirby, “was mixing concrete on the ground for the interior floors. We made a pile of sand, added gravel, cement and water and began mixing with shovels. What a workout!”
Arturo, Maria and their sons were ecstatic and grateful, but Kirby pointed out that his family was also grateful for the opportunity to serve.“Yes, we impacted this family, but we were impacted too,” he said. “We realized that we take so much for granted living here in America. All of us understand after this experience how very blessed we are. I would recommend that other families or church or civic groups think about doing this. It was very rewarding to us all.”
The home, named Casa de Esperanza (House of Hope) is nothing special by American standards. It measures about 600 square feet with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a common area that encompasses the living room, dining space and the kitchen.
