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This is Volunteer Voices and it will bring you stories of the Volunteers that have traveled from all parts of the United States (Arizona, Connecticut, Washington, Alaska, Texas, etc) to be here to help those in need recover from Hurricane Harvey.
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The United Methodist teams from the Austin area.We in the Austin area watched first with relief as Harvey stalled 120 miles south of us, but then in horror as it sat and swirled for days over your homes in Victoria. As soon as Rio Texas conference initiated Early Response Team (ERT) efforts, we in Austin responded. Victoria is graced with beautiful historic homes, but we also knew that those residents along the tracks or in the river bottom would be the victims of Harvey’s rage and in dire need. What we didn’t expect was the amazing grace and graciousness of the Victoria First United Methodist congregation. You all are amazing.
After 7 months, and 15 deployments by our team, we continue to be in awe of your patience and grace as dirty, tired workers traipse through your beautiful clean hallways and rooms. You shared your kitchen with us, even when you had events and others to feed. You shared your amazing pumpkin bread in the fall. You shared your meeting rooms as sleeping areas. And you kept upgrading the accommodations from sleeping on the floor to air mattresses and now bunkbeds. You’ve shuffled your room needs to accommodate us and others from around the country. Many of your staff have stepped up to take on the conference coordination needs and work hard scheduling and accommodating us. We thank you all so much. Your patience and your commitment to this recovery effort is a testament to your dedication to your faith and community around you. You lift our burden of the hard recovery work we do with what you do. As the summer approaches, we are shifting from ERT efforts to rebuilding. The roof tarps will be replaced with new shingles, bare studs will be lined with new insulation and covered in new drywall, as we work to restore these desperate houses back into the homes they once were. The work will take years. But we won’t give up, knowing the congregation of First Church Victoria is supporting us. Thank you all for what you do. With Love, The United Methodist teams from the Austin area. |
New StoryAll the way from Washington & AlaskaA message from the VIM (volunteers in mission) team from Wasington and Alaska.Sometimes after a camping experience or a mission trip the participants are asked to the FRONT of the church to share OUT LOUD. Eek. If I go do I have to do that? Usually we do, some of us are getting better at talking in front of the church. HOWEVER; this time the church has had a very busy schedule and low and behold you have not heard unless you’ve asked, “How’d it go?”
Well. We could tell you about the food we ate, the signs we saw (We’re not called to be comfortable) and where we found coffee on the way to the work site. But there is more to the trip than that and sometimes it takes seeing through the eyes of someone on their first VIM trip to remind us of just that. I’ll share what Ty Mansfield wrote. Our mission trip was amazing! To give someone their house back, there are few words to describe the feeling. It was so much fun getting to meet new people and to listen to how the hurricane had affected them. But they didn’t let the hurricane stop them from enjoying their life. The Kings were very welcoming and helpful in the process of rebuilding. We were greeted in the drive way by Mr. King who was very ready and so were we. The trip was a blast and a once in a life time experience. I think it is our duty as Christians to give both hands when only one is needed and to be there for our community no matter the circumstance. I’m thankful for the opportunity and blessed with the experience. TY (and Jenna) Mansfield |
More stories coming.
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