Millard and Linda Fuller -
Using God Given Talents to Enrich Humanity ♥♥♥♥♥♥ By sister-initiate Jeanne Minier, Michigan, USA (Originally in English)
On April 5, Golden Year 4 (2007), Millard and Linda Fuller received the Shining World Leadership Award and a US$20,000 contribution from Supreme Master Ching Hai for their compassion and outstanding effort to help the poor with their self-help housing paradigm. During an interview for Supreme Master Television, Millard Fuller described the beginnings of Habitat For Humanity and the Fuller Center For Housing, starting with his early years. After having succeeded overwhelmingly in many business ventures, Millard and his wife, Linda, wanted to use their lives to be of service to others. Instead of enriching themselves, they wanted to enrich the lives of others by seeking “to bring joy, happiness, love, peace, and understanding to other people.”
They launched a non-profit endeavor to help poor people have a home of their own and contribute to the building of it with the help of other volunteer skilled and unskilled workers and financial help from many corporations and individuals. Once the new owners have moved in, they make low payments only for the materials, and without interest. The money then will be used to help still more families get a good place to live. Every family becomes participants in the whole program to help still more families. Everyone receives and everyone gives. It is a very wholesome philosophy. Mr. Fuller says, “I believe everyone…is made in the image of God. I am precious and you are precious and if I really believe that, I should love you as much as I love myself. I should not just want a good life for myself; I should want one for you…and for all the rest of humanity. That’s why I can’t sit back and use my God given talents to just enrich myself. I should use my God given talents to enrich humanity, to enrich everyone. And that is my greatest joy.” The Fullers expressed profound gratitude to Supreme Master Ching Hai “for everything” and to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for “your work of spreading benevolence, spreading generosity and making peace in the world.” Mr. Fuller has written ten books and has been a dynamic guest speaker all over the world.
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