Habitat World Online


	Millard Fuller and his family took the concept of partnership housing to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1973. Upon their return to the United States, Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International.

Publishing the Good News

"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender herb, and as showers on the grass. For I publish the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God."
--Deuteronomy 32:1-3

Just as Moses published the name of the Lord, so have we--in the Habitat for Humanity ministry--been publishing news about this house- and hope-building work around the world.

Moses used his strong voice to publish his teaching about God. And for the past two decades, Habitat World has used the printed word to publish good news about Habitat's ever-expanding venture of hammering out God's love.

There were precursors to today's Habitat World. In fact, a publication has been going out about this work for three decades--since 1973. At that time, my wife, Linda, and I, along with our four children, were missionaries in Zaire (today the Democratic Republic of Congo), building houses in a program called "The Housing Project." It was patterned after the "Partnership Housing" program at Koinonia Farm, near Americus, Ga.

The first publication was simply a family newsletter that went out to family, friends and supporters. I actually took a little green box containing about 400 names with us to Africa. That was the sum total of our supporters who received the newsletter at that time. We sent the newsletter out twice a year, with photographs and a running narrative about the budding house-building work in the Equator Region.

When Habitat for Humanity was formed in 1976, we changed the name of the newsletter to Habitat Happenings and sent it out quarterly. In the early days, I wrote the articles, others took the photographs and Linda typed up the stories.

Every time I went out on a speaking trip I would pass around a sign-up sheet for Habitat Happenings. The number of people getting the publication steadily increased.

Until the distribution got up to 10,000, we folded the pages with a simple folding machine and hand inserted them into envelopes. We licked stamps and put them on the envelopes, one by one.

By March 1984, Habitat World emerged. Gene Crumley became the first editor and we put an end to hand stuffing and stamp licking. Today, Habitat World is distributed every two months to nearly 2 million people.

But its purpose remains the same--to publish the good news about the ever-expanding work of the Habitat ministry. We believe this work is God-inspired, and it is a joy to share news about what Habitat is doing around the world.

--Millard Fuller

Habitat Founder Speaks Around the World
Habitat for Humanity's founder and president, Millard Fuller, travels widely around the world sharing Habitat's message. Dates are subject to change. Please call ahead to confirm.

Dominican Republic and Haiti | Aug. 18-20
Dedication of Latin America/Caribbean region's 50,000th and 50,001st houses; Kevin Campbell, (800) 422-4828, ext. 2736

Granbury, Texas | Aug. 21
Dedication of the United States' 50,000th house; Kevin Campbell, (800) 422-4828, ext. 2736

Gary, Ind. | Aug. 22
Dedication of the United States' 50,001st house; Kevin Campbell, (800) 422-4828, ext. 2736

Barrington, Ill. | Aug. 24
Axis Gen-X ministry; Willow Creek Community Church, (874) 765-0100, ext. 1287

Americus, Ga. | Sept. 2-4
Habitat for Humanity University open house celebration and reception; Shari Campbell, (800) 422-4828, ext. 2869

U.S. Tour | Sept. 14-21
Building on Faith week affiliate visits; Rebecca Hix, (800) 241-0285, ext. 17

Sterling, Kan. | Oct. 18
Sterling College Cooper Hall dedication ceremony; Ed Johnson, (620) 278-4213

Westchester, N.Y. | Oct. 23-24
HFH of Westchester; Jim Killoran, (914) 403-4821