When they started talking about their annual vacation, Nevada County home builder Greg Zaller and his wife, Laurie Porter, thought they might do something for others instead.

The tsunami that slammed into central Asia got them thinking, and when Hurricane Katrina destroyed a good portion of the Gulf Coast, "it was a call to duty and Greg signed up with the Red Cross, but they never called," Porter said.

On Oct. 8, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Kashmir region of Pakistan, with a death toll that has now reached 86,000. Zaller, 54, started contacting organizations, including Relief International.

The organization initially said it needed medical people before builders. But when it became apparent tent cities were burning and fostering disease, he got another call.

On Nov. 12, Zaller flew to Pakistan and entered a completely different world.

"I can't believe how odd it all is here," he said in a recent e-mail home. "You can't just go buy lumber, you have to go to a mill and have them cut it."

Although medical concerns were apparent, Zaller said, "the problem is shelter."

So Zaller designed quick-to-build, 12 by 18-foot homes complete with a small kitchen and a bath. The homes are made in six-foot panels and can be erected for $300 to $400.

Zaller built the first one in the town of Mansehra and when the village elders of Hilcot came to see it, "they wanted a thousand of them." The homes will be built on the snow in the village for now and moved onto permanent foundations next spring.

The personal Pakistan relief effort has also been an adventure for Porter, 49, and her sons, Jacob Zaller, 12, and Zach Zaller, 18. The boys are gathering donations at Seven Hills Middle School and Sierra College. Laurie is coordinating e-mails and other efforts through Relief International.

"This is not what we do," Porter said. "We've never done anything like this before. Some things just evolve."

Although Zaller is signed up for a one-month stay, "I've got a hunch he'll be there longer," Porter said.

The homes will be put up in Hilcot, because the Pakistanis refuse to leave their crumbled village, Porter said.

"They can trace their ancestry way back in those villages. They're not going to go to some strange place, (as evacuees) they just won't."

Zaller spent the first week looking for materials and has trained Pakistanis to build the homes. They will be insulated with mud, and have a pitched roof to handle the winter snow load.

"They will go into Hilcot and the people there will provide the labor of teams of men to build the homes," Porter said. "If you can tell people what to do, it can be done with unskilled labor."

They will also have unusual hot water systems.

"You can buy a wood stove here for $10," Zaller said. "The hot water comes from a tank welded to the wood stove that just heats the water and is under pressure.

"The water into the bathroom comes in hotter than boiling. There is no thermostat and only a steam valve on top.

"This would be outlandish in the United States. Explaining this to my (Pakistani) helpers, they replied that Pakistanis are very careful people."

In Zaller's latest e-mail Tuesday, he was traveling to Hilcot to begin construction. Along the way, he had to enlist locals to fill a hole in the road with rocks so that his truck could get through.

"I have plenty of warm clothes, my down bag, and the villagers love the 'Big American Man,' as the call me," Zaller wrote to his wife.

"As you may have guessed, I might have to stay in Pakistan a little longer than we had planned. I know you will understand. This is the adventure of a lifetime."

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To contact senior staff writer Dave Moller, e-mail davem@theunion.com or call 477-4237.

How to donate

Send checks to:

Relief International - Gregsvillageproject

Attn: Farshad

1575 Westwood Blvd, Suite 201

Los Angeles, CA 90025

IRS Tax Exempt ID No. 95-4300662