Killeen Daily Herald

KILLEEN, Texas -- Crisscrossing the country from one building site to another, the members of Hard Hats for Christ spread the word of God with every swing of their hammers.

"I got hooked years ago when a church group went down to Ecuador to do some construction work," said Ron Johnson, 66, of Pioneer, Calif.

Since November, several Hard Hat volunteers have been in Killeen helping to build the new Cadence International Soldiers Hospitality House on Chaparral Road. When it's completed later this summer, the house will provide a Christian home-away-from-home where Fort Hood soldiers can relax away from the barracks.

"It takes a lot of willing hands," said Dennis Korneychuk, 59, of Pine Bluffs, Wyo., of the Hard Hats work. "I do it full-time at different locations."

Recently, Johnson, Korneychuk and three other Hard Hats were working toward erecting the steel beams that eventually will hold up the houses two bunk rooms. Rainy weather in March delayed some work.

"It seems like you take two steps forward and one step back," said Rex Harpster, 67, of Billings, Mont. "It gives you a sense of accomplishment to see it finished, and its better than sitting around and doing nothing."

The other two members of the Hard Hat crew working at the Soldiers Hospitality House recently were Chuck Schwertz, 72, of Blanco, who is retired from the Air Force; and Oscar Holliday, 69, Castle Rock, Wash., a retired firefighter.

Hard Hats for Christ is part of the 35-year-old Construction Workers Christian Fellowship, which was founded by Jim Hodges in 1968. The organization is headquartered in Kelso, Wash.

Since its creation, the CWCF has sent more than 500 teams of volunteers to sites throughout the United States and in 20 other countries.

"Right now there's a group in Arizona doing some work at a camp, and another (team) in Spain and London doing some work," Korneychuk said.

Teams of Hard Hat missionaries travel the country to provide both skilled and unskilled construction, maintenance and mechanical assistance to nonprofit Christian organizations. Currently, because many organizations are acquiring existing structures, about 50 percent of the groups work is in the maintenance and rehabilitation of these buildings.

Some projects last just a weekend. Others like the Soldiers Hospitality House stretch over several months.

The Soldiers Hospitality House, however, is a completely new 8,200-square-foot building located on a 16-acre site. Along with the male and female bunkrooms, the house will also sport pool and foosball tables, a large kitchen, and library.

"They're doing it for the Lord, but it really benefits the soldiers," said the Rev. Ken Wooten, who runs the house, of the Hard Hats work. "I can just envision soldiers enjoying themselves in a positive environment in the future."

Wooten said depending on the weather and funding, he expects the house to be finished by the end of July.

"That's the tentative timetable; some of it may also depend on the volunteer work," Wooten said. "The more volunteers I have, the quicker I can get it done."

Because they spend much of their time working on projects far from their homes, the five members of the team and their wives bring their homes with them. Set up around the building site are their fifth-wheel recreational vehicles they call home while working.

"My wife and I live full-time in our fifth-wheel and use San Antonio as our home base to get our mail," said Russell Zinter, 70. Zinter is a retired sailor who now works full-time for Cadence International, moving from project to project with his wife, Marian.

Johnson said he and his wife, Joan, normally travel to two or three projects each year and spend up to two months on each site. Their last two jobs both in the Pacific Northwest were building new churches, Johnson said.

"It gives us a chance to get out to other areas of the country," Johnson said. "I probably never would have stopped in Killeen."

One thing the Hard Hat team has to think about when it's working, Korneychuk said, is that many of the members are not as young as they used to be.

"There are some jobs you do because it's part of the ministry, but nobody could pay me to do them," Johnson said.

There was universal agreement among the team on the least favorite job:

"I think we'd all agree we don't like doing concrete. It's hard work," Korneychuk said with a grin.

But the best part of their ministry, Johnson said, is the camaraderie and fellowship, and getting to know people from other parts of the country.

"We've got lots to do where we live, but it's part of the ministry and we're helping others to do what God's called them to do," Johnson said.

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Distributed by The Associated Press