Bridge Built - Mission Accomplished

Group picture l-r Emily, Wendell, Steve, Me, Clinton (homeowner), Beverly (homeowner), Merle, Ralf, Pat, granddaughter of Clinton & Beverly, Bernie, Mary (yes, there was another Mary), granddaughter of Clinton & Beverly, Spencer (in a group picture, not everyone can be looking, right?), Justin, Susan, Peter

It's kind of hard to believe that in one week this group was able to rebuild a bridge but that is what they did, and that is what Mennonite Disaster Service has been doing every week that they bring a crew to West Virginia. I believe in total they have repaired or built around 40 bridges. Peter and Susan Thiessen have been the directors for almost all of them and they plan to come back in February for another eight week term so more will be built then. They have one more bridge to build next week and then they are going home to Canada until February.

Here are two pictures of the inside of the auditorium of the church where we stayed. The water did not reach this floor and everything was still in place from the last service that the church had there before the flood. MDS came in and did some rearranging to make accommodations for volunteers.

This is from the back of the sanctuary. Our little room was in the door to the left of the pulpit. MDS put some partitions in to divide the sanctuary but nobody was sleeping in the sanctuary this week. In the front (under the cross) where the pulpit would have been you can see some partitions with towels hanging over them. That is where Wendell slept.

This is the right front of the sanctuary. Behind that door was another small room just like ours where Emily slept.

On the last day, Susan, Emily and I went out to the work site for the dedication of the bridge. Because they were not able to get concrete on Thanksgiving Day, they had to wait until Friday to pour the concrete. The next group of volunteers will need to come out on Monday to this bridge and finish a few things up, including putting railing along the side. Because the concrete needed to set, our group was not able to do this.

Notice the hand prints. Clinton and Beverly's (the homeowners) grandchildren put their hand prints into the cement.

Right side of bridge

Left side of bridge

We had a prayer of dedication and then Susan presented Clinton and Beverly (the homeowners) with a quilt from MDS.

Susan presenting Clinton and Beverly their quilt.

All the volunteers signed their name under the bridge. This is a picture of Steve as he was coming back up from signing his name.

After the dedication we went back to the church and packed up and headed home. It was a great week and we were happy to be part of it. The smiles on the homeowner's faces as they surveyed their new bridge are something we will remember for a long time.