Ten South Dakotans hope to teach carpentry skills as part of Habitat for Humanity's goodwill homebuilding excursion for the Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn Work Project in Vietnam this month.

Kate Thomas-Tielke of Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity said five volunteers from her office will represent western South Dakota in Ke Sat, Vietnam, a fishing village about 30 miles from Hanoi. Five other volunteers from the Sioux Falls office will go, as well.

"Because of our tithes to Habitat International, we were given five positions for volunteers from Rapid City and Deadwood that were paid for, which includes local transportation, housing and food," she said.

Vietnam veteran David Moore of Rapid City joins Nate and Marie Taylor and Nyla and Tom Griffith, all from Deadwood, on the Nov. 15-20 trip to help build 42 homes for fishermen and their families. Like all Habitat homes, the homes built in Ke Sat will be sold to the families, who will repay the mortgages based on their income.

She said once the team members are on the Asian work site, everything is taken care of for them. But getting them to Vietnam is a personal cost.

"They have to pay their own transportation to get there," she said.

Scott Engmann, Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity executive director, said that $25,000 had been put toward the build in the Mekong River region.

"The concept of following your tithes overseas goes back to my overseas work in the slums of India, sub-Sahara Africa, and my experience in Habitat building in Budapest, Hungary. I've seen the effects of long-term poverty housing and the contrast offered through Habitat," he said.

While he believes that it is important to financially support such efforts, getting to travel to these underprivileged countries to build houses marks the beginning of change.

"It's another great thing to actually go and serve with your heart in your hands. The experience that will be offered to this team will change them as much or even more than they'll get to change others," he said.

Moore, 64, was a 23-year-old Black Hills State College graduate contracted to teach school in Casper, Wyo., when he was drafted to go to Vietnam for the first time.

"That I worked in the rear echelons rather than the front lines didn't hurt my feelings," he said.

Stationed on Camron Bay on a peninsula that stuck out into the South China Sea, he lived under rocket attacks.

"It was one of the scariest things to hear those rockets going overhead. I had no idea what I was hearing, and I had no idea where it was going to land," he said.

While not a supporter of the country's ideology or government, Moore was willing travel halfway around the world this time to don a carpenter's apron as part of humanity's good work.

"I want to help build for a common family. That's our goal here locally, to help families," Moore said.

"I believe it's a great way to participate in justice and bring hope to people that are in tough situations," Engmann said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.