In February 2025 was honored to be a member of the first Global Builders team to build in Bugiri with the Fuller Center for Housing Uganda. Well-known for its biodiversity and abundance of wildlife, most notably the mountain gorillas, Uganda is indeed a beautiful country with friendly, peace-loving people. About 40% percent of its 50 million people live on less than $2 per day. Continue reading
For the second time, I lead a team to the fabulous city of Cluj, to partner with The Fuller Center Cluj to help build affordable housing the in bucolic Jucu-de-Sus. My first trip to Romania, and first build with the Fuller Center there, was in 2023. I loved it so much, I decided to return … Continue reading
Bolivia boasts yet another superlative, which in my opinion is not to be missed. I spent five days acclimatizing in La Paz, took a three-day trip to Lake Titicaca, returned to La Paz to meet my Global Builders team with The Fuller Center for a week, then flew from La Paz to Uyuni and back … Continue reading
Do we have the same memory from middle school? Learning that there was such a place called Ti-ti-ca-ca, a combination of words too hilarious to be uttered together? Many years later, I paid a visit to this very intriguing place with a laughable name. It feels a world away from La Paz, where I’d been … Continue reading
Having never been to Bolivia, I figured building houses alongside families in need of affordable shelter was a great reason to get me there. This would be my second time leading a team for The Fuller Center for Housing, also in South America. I had a rather large team, full of experienced builders and travelers. … Continue reading
This was the moment I’d been preparing for—meeting 11 volunteers in Cluj-Napoca to kick off our week of building with Fuller Center in Jucu de Sus, a bucolic village about 35 kilometers outside of Cluj. First, The Best Part Let me begin by saying, for me, and I believe for many volunteers, the best part … Continue reading
For those of us who love to travel the world helping families in need of decent homes, OH HOW WE HAVE MISSED IT! The pandemic has been hard on us all, but perhaps no one has felt its detrimental effects more acutely than the world’s hard-working poor. Thanks to the reopening of The Fuller Center … Continue reading
Unquestionably one of the greatest experiences of my life. Definitely the greatest physical challenge of my life. I regret nothing but I would not do it again! Hiking the Inca Trail is not for everyone and I don’t know why I chose to see Machu Picchu this way. There are easier ways. Perhaps after being … Continue reading
It had been 18 long months since I built houses overseas, and nearly as long since I had left the United States. WAY too long for me. I had been leading volunteer teams abroad to partner with families in need of decent shelter with Habitat for Humanity—two or three times a year! You can imagine … Continue reading
Lima is known for many things, perhaps best as the gastronomic capital city of South America. Given some advance warning, you can try to get reservations at some of the hottest foodie destinations anywhere. I flew into Lima just one day in advance of meeting my Global Builders team, 15 volunteers who would be building houses with me and The Fuller Center for Housing. Without a lot of time to get to know this enchanting seaside city, I could only check a few items off my list. Guess that means I’ll have to come again! Here are a few highlights that I highly recommend and the ones I would have done if I’d had more time. Continue reading
Global Staci 