So in just under two weeks, for the 6th year in a row, I will take off with a group of 47 youth and adults from Lewinsville Presbyterian Church for our annual “Habitat” trip. We affectionately call this trip “Habitat” since we typically work with Habitat for Humanity to help provide low-cost housing to low-income families. (The trip is officially known around the church as “Summer Mission Project” or “SMP”. “Habitat” just makes it easier to say and explain.)

This year the “Habitat” moniker does not apply as we have teamed up with a new organization called Home For Our Troops. As you might expect, this organization was put together to help provide affordable housing for those servicemen & women who have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries.

Each and every year one of the biggest treats is getting to meet the families we are helping and to hear their stories. Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen as a family may not yet have been chosen, they may not be around for that week, etc. However last night I came to learn just a little about the gentleman whose house we will be helping to build. Thought I would post a little of his bio and story here:

On August 17, 2005 SGT Jonathan Roberts was struck by an 18 wheeler in Baghdad. Jon was on his way to pick up an officer from the airport when he rounded a corner and saw a semi truck coming straight at him. He went to swerve and ended up hitting a tree and then being struck by the semi. After these two major jolts Jon was rushed to a hospital in Bagdad where they performed emergency brain surgery on him. Jon spent the next 3 months in a coma and his doctors recommended that his parent’s put him in a nursing home and move on. Eventhough many nurses, therapists and doctors gave up on Jon his parents refused to. By God’s grace Jon is now starting to talk again and is walking with assistance. Please help Homes for Our Troops build SGT Roberts a home where he can enjoy the independence that he has been working so hard for. 

Here’s the link to the full story.

I’ll be there during the week of June 24th. Pictures of the work and our adventures will be posted daily on the Lewinsville website. (I’ll put a more direct link up here when I have one.)