Building Relationships,
Homes & Hope

A Letter From Our Founder

  I believe that the lives that are being changed are our own, every bit as much as the people we help. Growing up in church, I misunderstood God’s goodness as a carrot/stick metaphor, and His grace as something to be earned. When I was in high school, my parents encouraged me to go on a work trip to the Dominican Republic. It changed my life. I was the happiest I’d ever been. There was an energy that came from serving, a satisfaction that I’d not felt before. I had to get that feeling back. After college, I lived and worked in Uganda and then later in various countries throughout Central and South America. In those years, and in many trips since, I have encountered extreme poverty along with heartbreaking evil perpetrated on the poorest/weakest people in those societies. Statistics can be easily manipulated, but more importantly, there’s no face or person looking at you… just numbers and percentages. When I hear stats about poverty, child trafficking, death, etc…I feel overwhelmed and under equipped. When you meet a real person, see their needs, and experience their life, something changes. 

  We want to show you the families and their faces.   

  Jesus had a half-brother named James.  I like James because he’s simple and straightforward.  He says that “true religion” is to help widows and orphans in their distress (James 1:27). He also says not to just listen to/read God’s word, you have to do what it says (James 1:22).  When you read that it can feel burdensome, giving our time or money… like the ole’ carrot/stick metaphor.  But if you think about it, God doesn’t need our help.  Further, he makes it clear that we don’t have to do good works to earn His love. He knows that helping others, in return equally, benefits us and our perspective on life.  

  BUYONE BUILDONEs building partners share the Good News in the communities they serve. Communities have experienced dramatic change because of this message, and your generosity.  I could tell you story after story, some of them gruesome and heartbreaking.  There is so much  need in the world. I’m available personally to talk in detail about our mission. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date on our latest projects, and see photographs of the people we serve.  Thank you for taking the time to read this and learn more about our mission. At the heart of the BUYONE BUILDONE program lies a commitment to empowering communities and fostering positive change through collective efforts and compassion. Join us.

Jonathan Smith | Founder