Six years ago, Anthony and I met in Moab. He was born and raised here—a real local. We married in Turkey and stay there over a year. While we were in Istanbul, Anthony told me how much he missed the sky of Moab. We missed Moab, the nature and outdoors. That is why we decided to move back to Moab.
Anthony grew up climbing and playing on these red rocks. He knows the unknown camping spots, trails, and where to watch rain storms. He showed me the beauty of the nature in Moab.
We dreamed about owning a house since we married. We could not afford a regular mortgage. I heard about Community Rebuilds but did not know much about it. Anthony and I went to one of the open houses. It was over 100 degrees that day, and Anthony was impressed at the temperature of the house when he walked in; it was nice and cool. Later, we learned the AC was not hooked in yet. In the trailer we lived in, the AC had to work 24/7 to keep the temperature bearable. I loved the plaster work on the walls and the feeling of the earthen floor under my feet. I start dreaming about how I would design my house and what colors I would choose. We picked up an information paper and an application form. That was the first step that took us to our dreams.
We learned what we needed to do to qualify for a home, so right away we started working on our credit. On the other hand, we were looking at alternative ways to own a house, like moving into a camper and saving money for down-payment, moving to La Sal, etc. It took about three years to get a phone call from Rikki. We were at Big Bend with no service. On the way to home, Anthony told me he had a voice message from Rikki and played it. She was saying we may be the next ones to build a house. I cannot forget that moment, we looked at each other with a big surprise and called her right away to talk about the details.
Now we are living in the house we built with Community Rebuilds. We are aware of how lucky we are to work with this amazing team. They connected us with USDA. We would have never been able to afford regular mortgage payments and have our own house. We are so happy to work with USDA who understands you and helps to make your dreams come true. Our amazing interns and builders worked under harsh weather conditions. Jessica was always there to help and answer our questions, even on weekends. We are so appreciative of all their hard work.
Now we are enjoying our amazing house with our newborn son Winter Charles. Thank you to USDA and Community Rebuilds.
-Didar Charles
COMMUNITY REBUILDS 