IRON RIVER – Working shoulder to shoulder with his team members and local volunteers in Paraguay, Thrivent Financial’s James Quayle recently returned from a Habitat for Humanity service mission in Paraguay building homes for the local population.

The week-long trip was part of the Thrivent Builds Worldwide program, a partnership between Thrivent Financial and Habitat for Humanity International.

Quayle was one of 15 financial representatives who attended the week-long trip led by Thrivent Financial senior leaders. The financial representatives who went on the trip are some of the most successful in the organization and opted to attend a service mission instead of attending one of Thrivent’s traditional field recognition conferences.

Quayle qualified for Pinnacle achievement which means he was among the top performing financial representatives in the country and is being recognized for his outstanding service to members and their families.

“It was such a remarkable experience,” said Quayle. “The people of Paraguay were very warm and welcoming. This trip was an incredible way to give back and be generous and live out the spirit of my faith in a different setting.”

Quayle and his team members spent their week working alongside many of the locals who would benefit from this project. Although language was sometimes a barrier, they were able to communicate with gestures and smiles to complete two houses and continue work on two others.

“It was incredible to attend the dedication of the two completed homes, witnessing the impact we make upon these families,” Quayle said.

The need for affordable housing in Paraguay is great with, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, more than 40 percent of the local population living in inadequate housing. Paraguay is the third poorest country in South America. Of its 6,340,000 inhabitants (2011), more than 35 percent live in conditions of poverty and nearly 20 percent in extreme poverty, earning less than $1 per day.

Thrivent Financial, through Thrivent Builds Worldwide, has committed to sending several teams to Paraguay this year in order to improve local communities and help affect a positive change.

The impact in the region has already been felt by community members, many of whom are now benefiting from stable housing, indoor plumbing and running water for the very first time.

For more information visit www.thriventbuilds.com.