Young volunteers ready to dedicate a year to MDS

Three young volunteers—Brandon Martin, 18; Miles Rissler, 19; and Brenna Eastman, 19—are ready to embark on a yearlong service adventure with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS).

They will travel to various disaster recovery projects across the U.S., engaging in hands-on construction, community building, and site leadership.

Coming closer to God

Martin’s mother first found out about the opportunity to serve with MDS for a year, and recommended it to him. “I was planning on going to a Bible college but I didn’t know if that’s where God was calling me,” said Martin, who attends Waterway Church in his hometown of Oxford, Pa.

“I’m expecting to come away with more leadership skills, along with carpentry skills,” he said, adding that he has known about MDS since his childhood.

“I actually started praying and thinking about where God was calling me, and realized this was a way to build my relationship with God and come closer to God,” Martin said.

Part of redemption in the world

Rissler’s youth group from his hometown church in Pennsylvania, Bowmansville Mennonite, had volunteered with MDS in Crisfield, Md., Red Lake, Minn., and Perry, Fla. “I really enjoyed it,” said Rissler. “I am looking to build my construction skills and my leadership skills.”

He also wants to be more confident in himself and be able to interact with people more easily. Previously working in software development, he said he “wants to be part of redemption in the world— be part of God’s redeeming people. I think redemption is the most meaningful thing that can happen in your life.”

Best way of helping people

Eastman had gone on MDS volunteer trips to Louisiana and Puerto Rico with her home church, Fairview Mennonite in Michigan. “What better thing is there to do but serve God’s people?” she said. “This feels like a good balance of using my skills and knowledge as well.”

For Eastman, serving with MDS for a year will be a time for exploration in many ways. “I think it’s finding out what my best way is to help people,” she said. “This feels like the best way that God is calling me to do it.”

The yearlong volunteer cohort will first travel to Crisfield, Md., then on to Hawaii, as the first two locations on their schedule.