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Hello Jesse,
This advent theme at my home church, Zion Mennonite Church in Broadway, Virginia, fits MDS very well. Because MDS is about people moving towards Jesus.
Last fiscal year, 7,290 volunteers moved toward Jesus as they volunteered and cleaned up 274 homes, repaired another 402 and built a record 95 new homes. On top of that, they built seven private access bridges in West Virginia.
Homeowners—disaster survivors—also moved toward Jesus. Imagine strangers coming to your house, tools in hand, to start working on the home you lost to a fire, tornado, straight-line wind, hurricane, or flood. You don’t have the means to repair and you wonder how you are going to make it through.
MDS is currently working in the town of Crisfield, on Maryland’s eastern shore. Volunteers are building new homes for survivors of the October 2021 no-named storm of high tide, full moon, and onshore flooding.
Many, many homes were flooded. The families have no place to go. Many still live in their moldy homes. In addition to new home construction, we have begun a pilot project of elevating new homes.
This past week, homeowner Annette Morgan witnessed volunteers assist in elevating her home eight feet above the flooded ground and install sturdy block walls for the house to sit on. Annette says she is “ecstatic.” She says, when she moves back in and puts her head on the pillow, she will be able to sleep at night despite the high tide warnings on her phone.
May we all be inspired to move towards Jesus and allow him to be born in us today.
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