Growing in Faith through Global Village
For nearly 10 years Paul Jelinek has represented First Presbyterian Church as a member of both the Neighbors South and Interfaith Coalitions, recruiting volunteers, building homes, and helping to provide lunch for the work crews with the help of his wife, Nancy. When he heard Habitat Omaha was planning a Global Village mission trip to Nepal while attending the Coalition Kick-off in 2014 he was excited about the opportunity to combine his passion for travel with his commitment to Habitat.
The original plan was for just Paul to join the team, but after some coaxing from the team leader his wife Nancy signed on for the trip as well.
Joining with 10 other team members, Nancy and Paul took part in a mass international build in Chitwan, Nepal in November of 2014 (pictured above). Working side by side with their team members and their Nepalese family partners building a bamboo house, Paul called the week a “life changing experience”; he and Nancy were hooked.
When another opportunity came to join a team traveling to Siem Reap, Cambodia to complete a home renovation and sanitation project in June of 2016 the Jelineks called it a “no brainer”, signing on as two of the first team members.
For five days Paul, Nancy, and the team replaced the thatched walls of an elevated, one-room home with wood walls and glass windows in addition to digging and building two squat toilets. The work was difficult and the heat was intense but the smiling faces of the village children as they rode on the team’s work carts or played games with the volunteers during breaks made the week unforgettable.
As a ribbon was cut and flowers were thrown, the partner family celebrated their renovated home and new toilets. Taking this in, Paul and Nancy knew they had truly impacted the lives and futures of three families.
Returning home to Omaha, the Jelineks shared their experiences with the congregation of First Presbyterian, who helped sponsor a portion of their trip and the trip of another church member. Paul and Nancy feel their faith has grown as a result of their trips, saying that they “have seen so much selflessness and giving by the volunteers” and true “gratitude and hope” in the eyes of the future homeowners.
As they talk about their trips they feel they have inspired others to move beyond their comfort zone and put their faith into action by serving others. As for the Jelineks, they are already signed up for their next adventure, traveling to Poland in June of 2017 on another Habitat Omaha Global Village trip.
Questions about our Global Village program? Contact our Faith and Special Projects Manager, Janneane Gerot, at jgerot@habitatomaha.org or (402) 884-6691.
