Region I Work Update 

March 14, 2008

On March 9-14, Joe Blumber, MDS Eastern Virginia Unit Coordinator, along with Dan Smoker, Mel and Marion Delagrange, Bob and Esther Mast, Ray and Betty Hertzler, Jay Rohrer, Ken and Valerie Wermuth, and Leon Brunk, traveled to South Bay FL., at the very southern end of Lake Okeechobee, to a small village which had once been a migrant camp for the sugar cane mill. About 2001, West Palm Beach County acquired this village from the sugar company to become a low income housing community. In 2004 it was hit by three storms, and in 2005 it was devastated by Hurricane Wilma.

Florida MDS unit has been working with the county in reconstruction of these low-income family homes. In January, MDS Region 1 (East Coast) came in to assist the Florida Unit, agreeing to do as many as four houses, and as many roofs as they could get permits for. Our MDS Project director, Marlin Gingerich and wife Nancy, were from Riverside, Iowa. Marlin and Nancy have been involved in the MDS program for twenty years, and they are worthy to be called “The Best”. Marlin was good at seeking out and assigning jobs to the right people. 

Mel and Dan both listed themselves as qualified for roofing, but neither one saw the roof. Marlin told them, “anyone can lay shingles” so Dan and Mel hung doors, trimmed, and did ceramic tile.  Nancy is a wonderful meal planner. She and her volunteers provided big farmer meals for us. It has been a long time since I have eaten three meals a day, and each was a banquet. Joining us was a van load of eight hard working Pennsylvania people. It didn’t take long for the group to gel. The week was extremely successful; we worked on five houses, completing two roofs, hanging and finishing drywall, painting, laying ceramic tile in bathrooms, the hanging and trimming of doors, repair of windows with new glass, repair of exterior stucco, and new soffit in and around the overhangs.  One evening Mel and Dan found a scrap of plywood and made a backstop for an old broke down leaning basketball pole, after finishing, there was already a group of little guys wanting to shoot hoops. Mel shot a few hoops with the little boys, when Mel did an overhead pass through the hoop, one of the little guys ask Mel “Hey, what’s your name?”, Mel said, “Michael Jordan”, the little guy smiled and said “Nah”. The basketball court was right outside the house (the Hilton), where the MDS guys slept on the floor on mattresses. Dan said he heard the ball pounding late into the night.

We found the little community appreciative of the work for them and their community. On the way home we felt the hand of God’s protection. In South Carolina, We ( Mel and Marion) stopped for cheap gas only to find the pumps empty and had to wait in line to cross the road at another station, finally after getting gas and leaving, the traffic light wouldn’t turn green, we sat through three turns, and never got the green light, so Mel made a right and then a U turn and finally got back on the road, about fifteen miles later we ran into a heavy wind, and hail storm; cars pulled off but Mel kept inching forward. Looking ahead we saw bright lights shining our way as we passed we saw two trailer trucks, one without his trailer and another sideways and several cars way down in the ditch and people huddled on the side of the road. There were trees and limbs all over the road. About five miles down the road we were able to get off and get a room for the night. When we turned on the TV, there were still tornado warnings. We were told to take cover, that a tornado had touched down and we were still in the tornado watch box. As we watched the news, I told Mel that God had his hand out at the traffic light and would not let us go until the storm passed. We are thankful to God for a good experience with MDS in South Bay and especially for his protection on the road home.