Opening his door, he stepped outside. After driving in his air-conditioned truck for the last twenty minutes, breathing the fresh mountain air made him feel alive.
“You made it.” Pastor John strode across the parking lot. “I thought you’d be resting after delivering Megan’s baby.”
“You must have read Mabel’s Facebook post.”
John smiled. “I never miss them, especially if they include a picture of our latest arrival. Is Megan okay?”
“She’s fine. It wasn’t the stress-free birth she was hoping for, but everyone’s safe and well.”
“That’s the main thing.” John turned to the large plot of land. “Welcome to the first stage of the village. Would you like a guided tour?”
“Are you sure you’re not too busy?”
“The site foreman has got everything under control. You might want to take a look at the plans before we go any farther. It will give you an idea of what everything will look like once it’s finished.” John unwound the large sheets of paper he was holding and placed them on the hood of Zac’s truck. “The two homes in front of us were moved into position last week. The structural work is complete, but the plumbers and electricians need to finish their work.”
“And that’s what everyone’s doing today?”
“Some of what we’re doing. We built the homes in the old steamboat museum on the outskirts of town. It meant we could continue construction over the winter, but it had a few drawbacks.” John pointed to two men lifting a large mirror off the back of a truck. “Anything that could be damaged when the homes were moved wasn’t installed. We’ll be adding those fixtures to the houses over the next day or two.”
Zac studied the plans. “When I said this was an ambitious project, I wasn’t wrong. Why didn’t you include a kitchen and laundry in each tiny home?”
“We want to provide inexpensive, safe accommodation to people who haven’t been able to find somewhere to live. To make the project more affordable, we had to look at ways to reduce our costs. Using the houses that were originally on each plot of land as communal living spaces made that possible. By sharing kitchen, laundry, and group meeting areas, we’re not only making the homes cheaper to build, we’re reducing social isolation, encouraging inter-generational activities, and giving the residents a sense of community. Would you like to look inside one of the homes?”
“I’d love to.” As they walked across the parking lot, Zac imagined the finished project sprawled in front of them. In a lot of ways, it reminded him of the refugee camps in Afghanistan. The people who worked in the camps did everything they could to make life easier for the families living there. Creating a sense of community, drawing on people’s strengths, and overcoming their obstacles was a top priority.
John opened the door to a small office. “We’ll need to sign in before we enter the construction area. And you’ll need one of these.”
Zac took the hard hat and followed John toward the nearest home. “When will these two houses be ready?”
“We’re officially opening the site in ten days. The first tenants will be living in their homes by mid-April.”
As they walked closer to the first tiny home, Zac could see why John was so enthusiastic about the project. Whoever had designed the home hadn’t let the limited budget detract from the appearance of the house. The wide veranda would be a welcome addition during summer, and the French doors would give easy access to the outdoor living space.
“I like the bright red front door.”
John smiled. “That was Willow’s idea. When she saw the original color scheme, she told me we could do better. A lot of people have worked hard to make these homes comfortable for the tenants.”
Zac stood to one side as two builders walked out of the house.
“Don’t worry about your shoes,” Pastor John said. “The floors have been covered in sheets of plastic. We’ll leave it there until everything’s finished.”
Even though he’d seen the plans, Zac was surprised at how spacious the homes were. To the left of the front door was a living area. The high ceiling and exposed wooden beams made the room appear much larger than the floor plan suggested. In front of him, a small kitchen counter and refrigerator would enable someone to prepare breakfast or a cup of coffee without having to leave the house. On the right-hand side, the ceiling dropped to a standard height. A queen-sized bed and bathroom completed the ground floor layout.
John stood beside a spiral staircase. “A team of architectural students from Montana State University designed the houses. They’ve used every trick they could think of to maximize the space.”
Zac ran his hand along a set of inbuilt shelves. “They’ve done a great job.”
“Look in the loft.”
Zac climbed the stairs and was even more impressed. The loft utilized the space above the downstairs bedroom and bathroom. Two single beds and a wall of shelves would give the tenants even more options. Someone had added soft yellow blankets and red and blue cushions to each bed. The floor-to-ceiling window was framed by colorful curtains and the view of Flathead Lake was spectacular.
“What do you think?” Pastor John asked as he climbed the stairs.
“It’s incredible. A lot of people will want to move into the homes.”
“As soon as we shared the plans with everyone, we had a waiting list of thirty people. If you’ve got some spare time, you could help us build the next two houses.”
Zac looked around the loft. What the community had achieved was nothing short of a miracle. And maybe, if he was part of what they were working toward, a little of their positivity might rub off on him. “I’ve got a few more days of work ahead of me, but I might do that.”
