Venice, FL – SYP – July 13-19, 2025

The Venice leadership team this week continued as last week, with PD LeRoy Janzen (NE), cooks Val and Lynn Kipfer (IN), OM Stan Kauffman (MI), CS Bob Nafziger (PA), crew leaders Maik Hinz (Germany) and Lowell Peachey (KS).  Rita Peachey assisted with OM duties and anticipates taking MDS Leadership and OM training in August.  On Wednesday, we welcomed Eric Douglas, a year-long volunteer from last year, as incoming PD.   Eric accompanied LeRoy and Bob the rest of the week, learning the local ropes to take over PD responsibilities July 19 thru August 2, when the project closes.

Our weekly volunteers were 12 energetic young women from the Shippensburg, PA area.  Ana, a homeowner whose repairs have been ongoing since the start of this year’s MDS summer program, starting from bare studs outward, stopped by one day to check on the progress and could only say (3 times), “Wow!”  The volunteers eagerly followed instructions, learning new skills, and quickly advanced beyond rookie status in drywall hanging, mudding and painting.  In addition to fast progress on Ana’s house, volunteers also nearly finished work on Amber’s home.  This lively group also led singing for morning devotions, more singing and accordion music in the evenings, and for their send-off on Friday.  They made the week fly by with lots of fun on and off the job sites.

The weekend of July 19-20 will see a major transition for the Venice project as seven of the leadership team end their term, and new leadership arrives for the last two weeks of the summer program.  In addition to Eric Douglas taking the PD reins from LeRoy Janzen, new cooks Ina and Roger Heinrichs (CA) arrive Saturday.   Judy Bird (PA) has already arrived and will take over OM duties.  Mary Joyce Wise returns from family leave to join Maik Hinz as crew leaders to welcome next week’s volunteers from Virginia.  Flor those of us who are heading back home this weekend, it has been a great time working and meeting new volunteers, the homeowners, our very accommodating project hosts at Lakeside Lutheran Church, and local United Way staff who screen and prioritize the work we came to do.  May they all experience God’s rich blessing as they continue serving Him and the Venice community.