RVers reunion kicks off—“it’s a lot bigger than we dreamed”

A reunion of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) RV volunteers kicked off on September 8 at the Mill Creek Campground in Mackinaw City, Michigan, drawing more than 30 volunteers from the U.S. and Canada.

Jim and Annette Martens made the 15-hour drive from Manitoba to attend. “We had done some past reunions with our local MDS volunteers, but they were much smaller than this,” said Annette Martens.

“It’s a lot bigger than we dreamed,” agreed Pam Haskins, who, with her husband Steve, along with Fred and Millie Hershey, planned and organized the reunion, which they envision as the first of many.

As the first day unfolded, Pam Haskins, who has been involved in the RV Program for about six years, expressed the joy of watching the MDS crowd grow. “We’ve basically been sitting here all day watching people drive their RVs in, and leaping out of our chairs, giving hugs, one trailer after another,” she said. “It’s a family.”

The 55+ crowd of close-knit volunteers bring their own RVs to an MDS project, where they work together, pray together, and play together.

“Already, we really want to do it again,” said Pam, who has earned the nickname “The Mud Queen” for her well-honed drywalling ability. “We need suggestions—we could move it across the country.”

Fred Hershey gave a word of thanks to Norm and Carolyn Ringenberg, who founded the MDS RV Program back in 2005. “What you see here is a product of Norm and Carolyn starting the RV Program,” said Hershey. “How many people here have worked with Norm and Carolyn?”

Half the volunteers raised their hands.

“I want to say I really appreciate everything you are doing for MDS,” said Norm Ringenberg. “I know we’ve met so many people.”

He wishes he could still be an RV volunteer. “But what my head thinks and what my body does—are not the same,” he said with a smile.

As the group made s’mores around a campfire, Fred Hershey smiled at them all. “I thought it’d be four or five couples,” he said. “It just took wheels—and went.”