Day Three: Earth

A leader that embodies a part of my vision is Millard Fuller "I see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help His people in need."

A Life Changed by God
From humble beginnings in Alabama, Millard Fuller rose to become a young, self-made millionaire. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., and the University of Alabama Law School at Tuscaloosa, he and a college friend began a marketing firm while still in school. Fuller’s business expertise and entrepreneurial drive made him a millionaire at age 29. But as the business prospered, his health, integrity and marriage suffered.

These crises prompted Fuller to re-evaluate his values and direction. One weekend his friend took him and his family to Koinonia Farm, a Christian community located near Americus, Ga., where people were looking for practical ways to apply Christ’s teachings. His soul-searching led to reconciliation with his wife and to a renewal of his Christian commitment. The Fullers then took a drastic step: They decided to sell all of their possessions, give the money to the poor and begin searching for a new focus for their lives.

The Seed is Planted
Working from a passage in the Bible that says someone lending money to the poor should not act as a creditor and should not charge interest (Exodus 22:25)

With Koinonia founder Clarence Jordan and a few others, the Fullers initiated several partnership enterprises, including a ministry in housing. They built modest houses on a no-profit, no-interest basis, thus making homes affordable to families with low incomes. Homeowner families were expected to invest their own labor into the building of their home and the houses of other families. This reduced the cost of the house, increased the pride of ownership and fostered the development of positive relationships. Money for building was placed into a revolving fund, enabling the building of even more homes.

Testing the Model
In 1973, Fuller moved to Africa with his wife and four children to test their housing model. As missionaries with Disciples of Christ, their housing project, which they began in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), was a success in that developing nation. Fuller became convinced that this model could be expanded and applied all over the world.

Upon his return to the United States in 1976, he met with a group of close associates. Started off as Partnership Housing they expanded into a larger scale housing ministry called Habitat for Humanity International.

My other two leaders are Apostle Paul and Mother Teresa. I chose these 3 leaders because they all gave of themselves for the betterment of others.