we built a house in cambodia.

By Rachel Hartlaub, Habitat Lakeside ReStore manager
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In November of 2017, I had the experience of a lifetime. At the time, I was an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer specialist at the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I remember my boss, Kahya, going through orientation with my friend Abby (we started AmeriCorps at the same time) and me and nonchalantly bringing up the affiliate’s Global Village Trip to Cambodia. I thought “oh my gosh, how awesome would it be to go!”, but then quickly brushed the idea aside, as I was making poverty wages at the time. This is a requirement of AmeriCorps, as a volunteer earns minimum wage to truly understand and connect with the people they are serving.

My team leader at the time, Andi, hosted an informational meeting about the trip. Andi has this incredible energy about her. She was a construction volunteer who had traveled all over the world and had been to Nepal with Habitat before. I knew I would be in good hands traveling with her.

I don’t remember all the details, but somehow someway, I signed up for the trip and made it there! Giving plasma, working part-time on a dairy farm, fundraising, and a special donation all helped in paying for my trip. “When there’s a will, there’s a way,” right?

Our Cambodia trip was a “Big Build” theme, meaning that there were about 300 volunteers from all around world working to build homes within a week. Our group from La Crosse was about 20 volunteers. On Sunday we traveled from Siem Reap to Battambang by bus. Monday through Thursday we were on the build site for six or seven hours. It was so hot! We would all be completely drenched in sweat by the end of each day…thankfully our hotels had showers!

We did not finish our house by Friday, but we still celebrated with a Home Dedication. Our crew leaders were two small men with giant smiles from Cambodia, and we got to build right alongside our partner families, which was so special. Our family was a middle-aged woman and two teenage girls…maybe her daughter and niece? These houses were the size of a typical American kitchen and they were just so grateful and overjoyed to own a home.  Cambodians are so kind, gentle and humble. I couldn’t speak a lick of Khmer (I tried! Trust me.), but it is crazy how far a smile can go when developing friendships. I quickly learned through this experience that body language truly is 70 percent of communication. Without a doubt, this trip humbled me in more ways than one.

Habitat for Humanity International is such an incredible organization to travel with. They organized many excursions and cultural activities for the evenings, after the sweaty days of being on the job site. These included seeing a bat cave (NOT my favorite!), an amazing Cirque Du Soleil show, and a farewell carnival with live music, dancing, and local artists doing henna tattoos and caricatures.
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This was my first time ever going to Asia, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the experience. Now eight years later, I am still promoting Habitat trips and sharing what I’ve learned. Official Habitat affiliates are required to tithe 10 percent of their income to a certain assigned developing country to live out the mission of providing housing throughout the world. Sheboygan’s tithe country is Malawi, in Africa, and I would LOVE to see our affiliate go someday. It is incredibly moving to see this work done in Sheboygan and then 8,400 miles away in Cambodia. Because everyone deserves a decent place to live.

ReStore Manager Rachel Hartlaub (back row, center, with green scarf) and friends in Cambodia.