Greetings!
Once again, COVID-19 has impacted our projects. In order to live up to our commitment to ensure the safety of our volunteers and the communities we serve, we have started the process of suspending projects. You can read more about that below.
Nevertheless, having just completed a tour of several projects in southeast Texas in response to Hurricane Harvey, which struck in 2017, my heart is full of gratitude this Thanksgiving season. I gathered some words from the community to share with you.
Your visit and the work of MDS continue the abundant blessings to our communities and to our organization and partner members. We are fortunate for the full embrace of MDS and the relentless support of you and your anointed team of God’s disciples.
—Rick Villa, executive director, Victoria County Long Term Recovery Group
I am thankful for MDS! We could have not done all this rebuilding without you!
—Mark Longoria, district director for Congressman Michael Cloud
I love just about every minute of MDS. I get back home and it’s hard trying to tell people how great it is to serve with MDS. We get to know the families who will live in the houses we are working on and, between them and our co-volunteers, we become family.
—Doug Goertzen, MDS RV volunteer, who has served 21 of the past 29 months
We have been married 60 years. And we have gotten more blessings than we have given. We have “family members” all over the U.S. Thanks to those volunteers that we have worked closely with.
—Norm and Carolyn Ringenberg
Cynthia and I decided not to wait too long to retire so we signed up for MDS. I appreciate the tools—it’s phenomenal the quality we have. My first experience with MDS in high school was when tornados hit in Oklahoma, and the school would release us to go help. So I would literally pray for tornados.
– Bob Ratzlaff
We have three acres and a nice house when we go home but I realize: why do we need all this space? So we are on the road six months with MDS. This is our family.
—Cynthia Ratzlaff
For many, it will be a Thanksgiving to remember. I remain incredibly thankful for our volunteers who, through a very difficult year, have still found ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus. May you all have a safe, healthy Thanksgiving, and let’s hold onto each other as a family of volunteers, across the many miles, in prayer.
