Feb. 23, 2009 issue
Celebrating labors of love
By Paul SchragMOBILE, Ala. — In Mennonite Disaster Service’s busiest winter, Charles Duplessis’ three-year wait is almost over. The Baptist pastor is about to move into what he calls “a house built on love.”
Charles and Thirawer Duplessis, left, stand on the porch of their new house in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with Leonard and Lorena Penner of Millersburg, Ind., who served with Mennonite Disaster Service in New Orleans for a year. — Photo by Paul Schrag/MWR
He means the love of MDS volunteers. Duplessis says he’s met hundreds of them.
They’ve built Duplessis a house to replace the one that was swept away when a wall of water broke through a levee and surged through New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward during Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, 2005.
“They’re hard workers; there’s no quit in them,” Duplessis said of MDS volunteers. “They did their work, and they did it gladly. You saw the genuine joy and commitment to what they’re doing.”
Duplessis — who lost not only his house but also the meeting place of his church, Mount Nebo Bible Baptist, when the levee broke — gave a testimony during the annual MDS All-Unit Meeting Feb. 13-14 at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Mobile.
More than 300 MDS leaders and volunteers from the United States and Canada gathered to celebrate and support an organization that is touching more lives than ever.
With a record number of 14 binational projects under way this winter, MDS activity has grown to a high point that its leaders hope to keep building on.
“We want to maintain this project level or even greater, because the needs are there,” said Scott Sundberg, communications director.
Though contributions and grants to MDS increased by $584,000 in 2008, the year wasn’t without disappointments.
“Hurricane Ike was a wake-up call, because it showed that if you don’t get the media attention, then MDS is impacted,” said Kevin King, executive director. Donations were lower than hoped for after the September storm, and MDS was not able to respond to the extent King would have liked.
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