Who was Soren?
Soren was a bright light who shined on everyone he knew. It brings me great satisfaction and gratification to be able to take this light and pass it on to others, to be able to take the joy that he brought into my life and pass it on in the form of a house. These houses are a physical manifestation of our blood, sweat, and tears, and our love for Soren. They are proof that grief can be used as a bridge rather carried as a weight, and that the human spirit can make good come from even the worst of events. It feels good to see him shining onto more people, even in his passing.
What is Team Soren
Team Soren was started by the family of Soren Wysockey-Johnson as a way to honor and remember him through service and connection. Soren died in 2020 at the age of 15, just at the start of the pandemic. His death devastated his family and his many friends, and left an enormous hole in their lives. In an effort to heal from that loss and honor his memory, his parents and sister decided to take friends and family to Costa Rica to build homes for the housing insecure people of that area. We didn’t know it at the time, but that trip was the start of Team Soren.
Every year since Soren died, we have returned to Costa Rica with a group of 20 people. Close to 100 people have joined us on this trip so far. Half the group are young adults, who are the age Soren would be; the other half are, well, older. So far Team Soren has built 10 homes, and we return this year with another group of 20 to build houses 11 and 12.
Why Costa Rica
Just months before he died, Soren and his father participated in a service trip,  sponsored by their church, to build homes in Nosara, Costa Rica. On that trip, Soren was his best self, making friends with local Costa Rican co-workers, and making his world better by helping to build two homes for people living in substandard housing. While Nosara is a popular tourist destination known for great surfing and yoga retreats, it also has significant poverty.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are our Costa Rican Partners
We work with an organization called Mercy Homes Ministry (MHM). MHM is led by Maximo Cisneros, who at one time was a leader at Habitat for Humanity in Central America. He felt called to continue addressing housing needs, but wanted to focus on the people with the greatest need. Recipients of MHM homes need to own a plot of land, but the house itself is a gift with no strings attached and no mortgage. During our week of house building, we are under the leadership of a construction team from MHM. Often our partner families who receive the home work alongside us, along with other community members who want to help.  So far Mercy Home Ministries has built over 250 houses.
How is your contribution used?
Currently each house costs $10,000 to build, and we raise money to build two each year. Mercy Homes Ministry is an extremely lean operation with virtually no overhead. Your contribution goes directly to cover the building costs of the homes: Concrete floors, walls, a roof, wiring for electricity, windows and a door. More than a structure, we are giving our partner families permanent home they can be proud of.
Because Team Soren is a 501c3, your donation is considered a charitable contribution by the IRS.
Testimonial
Every screw I drill, every bucket of sand and rocks I throw into a cement mixer to help make homemade concrete, and every laugh I share with the Costa Rican construction crew is a direct manifestation of my love for Soren. Throughout the building of these houses, I am also able to share this love with his closest friends and family.
Testimonial
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Got questions?
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