Little by little, San Antonio pastor builds home for his family

SAN ANTONIO—One nail at a time, Pastor David Cavazos’ home nears completion.

Cavazos, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Oriente in San Antonio, has been building a house for his family since August 2009. Since he learned the construction trades from his father, he not only has handled the carpentry, but also has done the plumbing and electrical work.

Cavazos and his family lived in a 950-square-foot apartment in Baptist University of the Américas student housing—tight quarters for a family of seven with a small baby.

With the occasional help of volunteers, David Cavazos, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Oriente in San Antonio, has been building a house for his family since August 2009. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of David Cavazos)

“We had a newborn, and we felt embarrassed from time to time with our neighbors because they would hear our little one cry at night. Thank God they were such a nice family and understood our situation,” he said.

Cavazos’ older children began asking if the family would have to move after their father completed his studies. They had grown to like San Antonio and did not want to be uprooted.

Cavazos previously had served Connell Baptist Church in Fort Worth two years as a church planter and then had moved to La Blanca, near the Rio Grande, so his wife could help take care of a family situation. From there, the family moved to San Antonio, where Cavazos could further his education.

Once they secured land, Cavazos began to build a house, starting with setting the pier-and-beam foundation. The family moved in during April, but the house was far from completed. Only two rooms had sheetrock. There were no interior doors and no water heater.

“We had to bring in water to take a shower,” Cavazos said.

David and Dora Cavazos and their five children lived in a small student apartment at the Baptist University of the Américas until Cavazos built a house for his family.

Bit by bit, the family added a little more. Baptist General Convention of Texas funds enabled them to buy interior doors and two windows.

In recent weeks, a small group led by Pastor Baldemar Borrego of Iglesia Bautista Neuva Esperanza in Wichita Falls helped Cavazos hang drywall someone had left for him at South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio.

“I never found out where it came from. They just told us it was there, and I could come and get it,” he said.

The 1,500-square-foot house still has uncovered plywood for flooring. It also needs doorknobs, interior paint and cabinets. The exterior needs siding.

“Right now, I just paint the outside over and over to keep the rain from hurting the wood,” Cavazos said.

Anyone interested in helping with the building project can contact Cavazos at [email protected]