Hagerstown church helps rebuild homes, lives in Louisiana

By Cynthia Rhoades

There is so much rebuilding to do and not enough recruits to complete work along the Gulf Caoast. First United Methodist Church of Hagerstown Ind. sponsored its second missions work team to Slidell, La. in January 2007.

Spending the week of Jan. 7, 45 individuals representing 12 different churches repaired homes damaged by 2005 Hurricane Katrina.

After the mission team members returned to Indiana in January 2006 having witnessed that much work still needed to be done, they felt the call to return the following year. Team leaders Jim Howell and Marvin Culy immediately began making plans to return to Slidell.

The team stayed at Aldersgate UMC Family Life Center in Slidell this year and last. Aldersgate also hosts the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) disaster relief coordinator.

With a group of 45 volunteers, seven women provided two delicious meals a day for the group. For breakfast we brought our own box of cereal. The kitchen crew provided coffee, milk, orange juice and other drinks each morning.

Howell assigned volunteers to various work crews depending on needs. Our on-site coordinators Andy Saurer and Tim Thayer provided projects. We replaced windows in two houses, installed cabinets and interior door in two houses, plumbed two bathrooms, re-roofed a house, laid wood laminate flooring and did lesser jobs. We worked on five houses of which three we had worked on last year.

The cost of materials totaled nearly $11,000 which our group provided through donations from churches, individuals and money supplied by the United Methodist Rushville District Missions Fund. The homeowner whose house was re-roofed paid for the majority of the material for the project.

Culy drove more than 300 miles in five days to procure supplies. While at one supply store, he often received three or four cell phone calls to pick up other items elsewhere He found supplies still difficult to get sometimes and even required driving to another city to get materials.

Two other groups shared facilities with us at the Family Center - one from Alabama and a group of Coca-Cola Scholars from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. These interesting young people had come from various parts of the country and were in different stages of life.

For six days, 85 to 90 volunteers co-existed sleeping on floors, eating meals and sharing six showers all in the name of Jesus Christ, who has sent us out as His hands and feet. Participants expressed that it was a wonderful experience. The group sponsored by First UMC looks forward to the opportunity to returning to Slidell in January 2008 to pick up where we left off.

Cynthia Rhoades serves as missions chairwoman of First United Methodist Church in Hagerstown, Ind.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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