Jennings, LA – July 17-23, 2022

Sunday evening we were happy to invite eight (8) weekly volunteers from Saint Louis Mennonite Fellowship.  After a full day of travel, they still had energy in reserve to participate in the evening orientation.  We were blessed to have several seasoned participants who throughout the week brought many moments of wisdom and unbelievable energy.

The projects our team worked on included dismantling a FEMA installed access ramp.  This proved to be a real challenge with all the many bolts and screws that had weathered over the past few years.  The team did an amazing job even in brutally hot weather conditions.  The second group worked on interior floors, siding and soffit.

We experienced two highlights this week.  On Wednesday evening a local resident joined us for dinner and spoke about his experience during and after the storm.  His home suffered extensive roof damage along with inside water damage.  He relayed the story of trying to repair the roof and subsequent fall from the roof with leg injuries.  He had quite the story.  This project will be completed the first week in August.

Friday afternoon the entire MDS team was a part of the home dedication.  This was a major project that included more than 298 volunteer hours.  A wall hanging and Bible were presented to the homeowner.  She was overwhelmed with gratitude and shared her tears and comments about the many volunteers who helped put her home back together.  It was a special moment for all the volunteers.

We anticipate our next group from Shiloh Mennonite, South Carolina.

For the Jennings team,

Don, Ryan, LeRoy, Leo, Dave, Marie & Nelson