Generosity is tucked in

Beds donated by Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Before a family even walked through the door of their newly built home in Conroe, Texas, the kids had already been welcomed.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that constructs beds for children, donated beds for the families MDS was serving in the area. Before delivery, MDS volunteers covered the wooden frames with handwritten Bible verses and encouraging words.

With every home dedication, MDS strives to help disaster survivors feel comfortable stepping into their new abodes.

Home recipients feeding MDS volunteers

In the aftermath of storms that swept through the area in 2024, including Hurricane Beryl, straight-line winds, flooding, and a tornado, Mennonite Disaster Service partnered with Hope Disaster Recovery to rebuild. By the time the project closed in late March 2026, the team had completed five new homes and seven repair jobs.

The final week brought three home dedications. At one ceremony, a guest told the project team they “could not have picked a more deserving family.” The homeowners, overwhelmed by the gesture, offered to cook a meal for the entire MDS Conroe and MDS New Caney RV groups. When they were told MDS would cover the food cost, they gave that money directly to the weekly volunteer group that had traveled from New York, to help them get home.

Crumbley home dedication

Volunteers from Alexander Wohl Mennonite Church in Goessel, Kansas, and several families from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were among those present for the Crumbley home dedication. Matt Troyer-Miller, MDS Regional Operations Coordinator, joined the ceremony alongside staff from Hope Disaster Recovery. Portions of the event were filmed by the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, of which Hope Disaster Recovery is a member.

Eleven weekly volunteers paired with each of the 11 children who would be moving into the new homes, filling backpacks and lunch bags with school supplies. Several had the chance to deliver them in person.

Five new homes. Seven repairs. Beds with words of hope written on them by strangers who cared enough to show up.

Read the weekly reports from the first and second week here.

by Carson Kennedy, MDS Web & Social media Coordinator