Working shoulder to shoulder with their team members and local volunteers in Thailand, Thrivent Financial advisors Jeff and Melanie Meyer of Valencia recently returned from a service mission in Krabi, Thailand.
The Meyers were among 14 top-producing representatives who built homes for and with the local population as part of a week-long trip with the Thrivent Builds Worldwide program, a partnership between Thrivent Financial and Habitat for Humanity International.
“It was a remarkable experience,” said Melanie Meyer. “The people of Thailand were very warm and welcoming. This trip was an incredible way to give back and be generous in a different setting.”
The Thrivent volunteers spent the week building two homes in a small fishing village near Krabi, in southern Thailand. The group dug septic systems for the 600-square-foot dwellings as well as poured concrete flooring and laid cinder blocks for the walls of the structures.
The highlight of the trip was a ceremony in which the homes were handed over to their owners at the end of the week.
“To see the smiles on their faces,” said Jeff Meyer. “That was an amazing experience.”
The Meyers have traveled with Habitat and Thrivent before. Last fall, they were part of a group of volunteers that built a multi-unit structure in Macedonia and they’ve also traveled to El Salvador as volunteers.
In addition, the couple also volunteers monthly at the Habitat site in Santa Clarita, where 78 homes are being built for former military personnel and their families.
Thrivent Financial, through Thrivent Builds Worldwide has committed to sending teams all over the world this year in order to improve local communities and help affect a positive change. The impact in the regions they serve have already been felt by community members, many of whom are experiencing stable housing, indoor plumbing and/or running water for the very first time.
For more information visit www.thriventbuilds.com
