“ I have reached a point in my life where all I want to do is make people’s lives better, and being around people that have that same common goal invigorates my spirit. ”
Jacob Dixon
JACOB DIXON ART MAJOR
“ We should change for the better of tomorrow and future generations. We have to open our eyes really wide and notice our world around us and how much color influences our life chances, social mobility and impacts our wellbeing. We are not alone. We are unified. We shall not take things for granted and live in comfort.”
“ I come back finally being able to understand how I can use my gifts. My voice. My soul singing.”
AYSIA ADKINS MUSIC MAJOR
SUMMER CUATEPOTZO PEREZ SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT MAJOR
Summer Cuatepotzo Perez
walls, replaced roofing, and restored not just what was broken physically, but what had been shaken within us. What touched me most was how they carried themselves with humility, compassion and the dignity of people who truly serve not for praise, but for purpose. They never once made us feel like a project. They made us feel like family. For our community, their presence was a light in a dark time. They helped rebuild homes, yes, but they also lifted hearts. Children saw what true love in action looks like. We came to know them not just as helpers, but as disciples of Christ. Their love was not in word only, but in deed and truth. They were the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching into the wreckage and lifting lives. With the heart of saints, they embodied the gospel, not behind a pulpit, but in muddy boots and with calloused hands. Because of them, my family has a home again. But more than that, we have witnessed what it means to serve like Christ with dignity, respect and an unshakeable love. To the Mennonite Disaster Service team: Thank you. You have changed our lives forever. God Bless.
homeowner experience
They made us feel like family
Grace Arrington of Amory, Mississippi, wrote a heartfelt thank you letter in April to all the MDS volunteers she says changed her family’s lives forever. When the storm came through, it took more than shingles from the roof. It ripped through our sense of safety, and the small world we had built over the years. Trees were uprooted, homes were battered, and in many ways, so were spirits. Many families and I stood in disbelief at the damage. We didn’t know how we’d rebuild, not just our home, but our hope. That’s when the Mennonite Disaster Service team arrived. They did not come with loud announcements or flashing lights. They came quietly, with tools in hand and kindness in their hearts. Men and women of all ages, some from nearby, some from states away, stepping in where others had stepped back. They treated us not as victims, but as neighbors. They spoke gently, listened patiently and worked tirelessly. From sunrise to sundown, they cleared debris, repaired
Watch a video of Aysia and her fellow classmates’ life-changing experiences: youtube.com/MDSMennonite
STORY: GRACE ARRINGTON
Aysia Adkins (foreground) and Jacob Dixon at a mural depicting “hope is the key” in Selma, Alabama.
12 behind the hammer
behind the hammer 13
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