Article April 8, 2002 Issue

NORTHERN LIGHT on a home of their own

Building their own home was more a spiritual journey than a construction project for this family of six.

By Ron Mangelsdorf

The cold, windy fall found us still living in our travel trailer. The house we were building was framed in, the roofing material was in place, and my wife, Katie, and I were working to get the windows in before the winter snow began to fall. The days were getting darker and colder. Each day, we lost five minutes of daylight, so our building time was becoming shorter and shorter.

By November, the main part of the house was enclosed, but it was not heated or insulated. The only heat we had was in the basement. Since our trailer was not suitable for winter living, we decided to move down there.

The basement had one small window, and as December came, it was a rather dark place to live. But at least it was warm. We put down some pieces of carpet on the concrete floor, and used sleeping bags and mattresses out of the camper for beds. Gratitude for what we had soon made the basement feel very cozy, a home that provided comfort and shelter for our family.