cooking for a crowd
notes from the field
More updates at www.mds.org
MDS RV volunteer Rosie in Liberty, Texas. Disaster survivor Jose in his newly repaired home with his mother next to the quilt volunteers gifted to them.
Apple Dumpling Rolls Contributed by Kathy Rhodes, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, who baked this dessert for volunteers repairing homes in Planada, California. The recipe is from her family cookbook, “Pantry Gems.”
Kentucky in the past several months. Homeowner Charli Langston said “it felt like the world stood still in Mayfield, [after the Dec. 10, 2021 tornado].” Langston was able to celebrate Christmas of 2024 in her new home. “Meeting these amazing people showed me a kind of love and kindness that I didn’t even know existed,” she said. “I watched for months and months, them working tirelessly to build my three daughters and my forever home.”
At MDS’s 75th anniversary celebration in Wichita, Kansas, volunteers construct the walls of the home of the McMurrays, who live in Damascus, Virginia.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt
an important part of a home build like this one. “We realize it’s not the most practical way to build a home,” he said, but when he tells the story of the homeowners who will receive it, he tears up. “They were rescued,” he said of the McMurrays. “They both held on for 12 or 16 hours and thought they were gone. This house means a lot to them— but what means the most is that they still have each other today.”
KANSAS & VIRGINIA
TEXAS
2 tablespoons butter 5-8 tablespoons milk
Raising walls—and volunteer numbers
RVers turn up the heat on repairs
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients, making coarse crumbs. Add the milk and stir, forming a cohesive dough. Chill for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 24x12 inches.
RV volunteers in Liberty, Texas, worked in freezing temperatures doing major repairs on homes, including drywalling, painting, and installing closet doors and flooring. The area was hit by spring flooding in 2024. The Handley’s home was among those that received major repairs. The homeowners, having both undergone open heart surgery, were grateful for the supplies and the help. Mr. Handley said that he was ready to give up on his home because he could not afford the repairs— and then MDS showed up to help.
A house—and a lot of hope—went up at the local 4-H Hall in Wichita, Kansas. Groups of MDS volunteers, in town for a special MDS 75th anniversary celebration being held at the Ridgepoint Church, built the walls to a home that was trucked to Damascus, Virginia, for a couple who barely survived a flood. Putting together a project like this means first finding someone to lead it, explained Manny Flaud, Jr., who oversees Storm Aid, an MDS volunteer group in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. “We found two people from Storm Aid to lead this house build, and we got supplies locally in Wichita,” he said. Groups of 10 to 30 volunteers worked in two-hour shifts over two days.
5-6 grated apples ¼ cup raisins (optional) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Top the dough with the apples, then sprinkle with raisins, cinnamon and sugar. Tightly roll the dough, starting with the long side. Cut into 15 slices. Arrange in baking dish.
We celebrate the life and legacy of Lowell Detweiler (on right) who died on March 1, 2025. As director of MDS from 1986–1998, he was an influential and beloved leader with a generous spirit. When recalling his time serving with MDS, Detweiler said, “Looking at the stories, I could tell dozens of them. Those examples of being out there in service—the experiences that happen strengthen your faith, your commitment to service, your commitment to God. It’s the key to MDS and it’s the key to the memories that we have.”
For the syrup: 2 cups brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups water
KENTUCKY
“A kind of love I didn’t know existed”
Carl and Linda McMurray
Volunteers from Northern Ohio Assisting Hands, an Amish MDS volunteer group, constructed 10 new homes in Mayfield,
Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour syrup over slices. Bake 1 hour.
Flaud said that deep connections and relationships between volunteers are
14 behind the hammer
behind the hammer 15
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