Whenever God speaks, Karisa Kaye listens.
When He told her to move from her hometown in Alpena, Michigan to come to LeTourneau University, she moved. When He told her to get involved with the university's leadership program, IMPACT, and become a resident adviser, she signed up. When He told her to build a new house for a family in need, she reached for the nearest tool belt.
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Karisa Kaye stands outside the home she helped to build for the Taliaferro family.
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"God broke something in my heart that had been in His heart all along," said Karisa, 23. "I'm here to serve, not be served, and I'll honor Him and listen to whatever He calls me to do."
A sad situation
In January, a group of student volunteers, including Karisa, noticed a house on Morgan Street in Longview with a distressed roof. They added it to a list of home rehab projects they planned to work on; however, once they got to the house for their day of re-roofing, they began to rethink things.
"The house was a dangerous situation. We couldn't even touch it," she said. "It was beyond condemned."
Still wanting to help the residents — the Taliaferros: mom, Brenda, and son, Dominic — the group raked the yard ... for eight hours.
"After we left this sad situation, people were like, 'So, what's for dinner?' It was such a contrast," Karisa said. "It just amplified how insensitive we can be as Christians. It really weighed on my heart."
Time to raze
After praying about it for some time, God finally spoke to Karisa.
"He said there was something much bigger I had to do for this family," she said.
So she spent time with them and took them to church, but it wasn't until the vice president of student affairs, Doug Wilcoxson, stepped in that Karisa realized just what she would be called to do.
"He contacted Habitat for Humanity, and they gave us a quote of $45,000 to raze the house and build a completely new one for this family," Karisa said. "Doug gave us the go ahead, and the house was razed on Good Friday."
The Taliaferros lived in a LeTourneau dorm while students, faculty, staff and other giving hearts from the community offered their assistance in constructing the 1,100-square-foot home.
"Blessings just kept pouring in. Whenever a need would just creep into my mind, we'd get three different phone calls from businesses or people in the community wanting to donate supplies or time," Karisa said. "It was such a God thing."
The result
The home on Morgan Street was completed in just three weeks, and, because of all the donations, the group didn't even come close to spending the projected $45,000. Karisa's never felt so blessed.
"i was working and going to school during this time, so I'd be lying if I said my grades and sleep schedule didn't suffer," she said. "But God blessed me in an even greater way than any grades could. The eternal is way more important than any A on a report card."
As for the Taliaferros, Karisa said she plans to continue her friendship and ministry with them.
"I just want to be a part of their lives," she said. "I'll continue to walk beside them and be faithful in my friendship and love for that family."
