A nineteenth century house stands two storeys high on the banks of the Winooski River. Numa Haase, the homeowner of nearly four decades, always wanted to live on a river. “[When] you go down to the river, you don’t hear the noise of the...
A first-time Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteer described his hard work in Idaho as “a great experience.” Jerry Kinsel, a retired teacher who lives in Arizona, traveled to Kamiah, Idaho, where he served for five days as part of a...
There’s a story behind this now-famous photo. Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteer Brent Trumbo, who was serving as a crew leader for two weeks in Barre, Vermont, decided to take the picture at the end of a long day mucking out a flooded...
Mario Cruz is a seasoned Bible camp volunteer. From dishwashing to counseling to maintenance and preaching, he touched almost every corner of camp ministry over five summers. Camp nurtured the ‘heart, soul and mind’ love for God that he had...
Sandra Erickson can create new beginnings out of rubble. The 73-year-old artist watched Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers demolish her crumbling garage, which is attached to the house she’s lived in since January 2002. When...
Volunteers coordinated by the New York Unit of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) are building a new home for a family from Copenhagen, New York, who lost everything in a house fire in May. Since the family is currently living in a mobile home...
Roman Heuft was more than 5,000 kilometres/3,100 miles away when his community, Blind Bay, British Columbia, received a wildfire evacuation order last August. “[The news] was pretty devastating,” said Heuft, who was serving as coordinator to...
Ted Edbom came to know the North Shuswap area, British Columbia, over several decades as a Wonder Bread franchisee and Frito-Lay delivery driver. He recounts many faces, names and personalities, describing the community as close-knit, “really,...
A swarm of butterflies welcomed Isabelle Labelle to a lush, mountainside property in Celista, British Columbia, four years ago. “It was dreamy,” Labelle mused. With a south slope, a water source and good soil, it was just what she and her husband...
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