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By Paul Bean
Last week, Mennonite Disaster Relief Service sent a group of 15 volunteers from Virginia and Pennsylvania to help clean up the aftermath of the July 11 Barre floods.
Several people shared this Facebook photo with us here at the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Some of our viewers asked “what exactly is a Mennonite?” and “Why would they come to Vermont to help?” And, “What is with the dresses?”
Without diving too deep into theology and church history, it’s enough to say they share common historical roots with the Amish, with this key difference: “Mennonites believe in simple living but express that simplicity in a spirit of stewardship and awareness of the needs of others rather than completely separating from society as the Amish continue to do”. Vermont has active Mennonite (in Wolcott and other places) and Amish (Brownington) communities.
Apparently the Mennonite volunteers are quite aware of the needs of others, as shown here in Vermont during their July 28 – August 3 disaster relief trip to Vermont.
The women pictured above carried out 2700 buckets of muck from one homeowner’s basement in a single day. Their website says that is 45 tons of muck and they did it “with joy and singing,” and they left their client with a muck free basement and “tears in their eyes.”
Homeowners across flood-torn Washington County expressed gratitude to the volunteers.
”We are grateful for the love that we felt from all of you. I truly felt the kindness and kinship from all of you… Your presence at this time was a healing balm,” writes one Barre resident.
“The night of the flood we heard the sound of boulders being tumbled, in what is usually a babbling brook, and by the time we got our cars moved and a bag packed our house was surrounded and we couldn’t get out,” says a Barre resident who nearly lost their entire home to the July 11 floods.
“We listened to the sound of our deck and small barn rip away from our house, where we heard the crashing of the apartment building coming apart and we heard the bridge breaking up,” wrote the unnamed Barre resident.
The persistent natural disasters we are facing here in Vermont have been challenging, and downright depressing for many Vermonters. Vermonters are feeling neglected by their local Government considering the fact that many are still recovering from last year’s floods and the local government is still not making progress on what to actually do about the continued flooding. Many are feeling like they have nowhere to turn and there’s nothing we can do.
This Barre resident has learned, however, there is one place you can always put your faith.
“We listened to the sound of our deck and small barn rip away from our house, where we heard the crashing of the apartment building coming apart and we heard the bridge breaking up,” wrote the unnamed Barre resident. “We prayed and watched and we were fortunate to have a home when it was done… You will forever be in my grateful heart and prayers. Bless you all and know that you are bringing God’s love with you and it meant the world to us.”
The classic saying “a picture speaks 1000 words” could not be more true in this instance. To see 7 women standing there with muddy dresses and shovels spoke volumes to their commitment to their work and dedication to serving others and their larger human community.
Governor Phil Scott shared the photo and wrote: “We’ve been fortunate to have a number of groups helping with flood recovery through the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), for both last year and this year’s storms. This team is just one example of the incredible work being done – and the amount of help impacted Vermonters still need. There are still many who need help. To sign up to help your neighbors, visit www.vermont.gov/volunteer”
Another disaster victim wrote on Facebook “The Mennonites came and mucked out our basement and insulated the rafters for us at no cost. I can relate to the ‘tears in the eyes’ comment. Forever grateful.”
Many Vermonters understandably wonder just how much flooding is a for-real ‘Act of God.’ Whatever the case may be, it is clear that for both the givers and the receivers of flood-assistance provided by faith-based organizations, God is indeed at work in the State of Vermont.
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With regard to the query above “What’s with the dresses?” – some of the Mennonite denominations have ditched the mandatory prairie dress wearing, but no matter what they wore, the reality is that once again these Christians rose above the political, social, & faith divisions of modern society and assisted brethren in rebuilding not just their homes but their lives as well.
Good for them in practicing what they preach —- and thank you. God bless.
And God especially bless those who harbor incessant hatred, anger, and a chronic penchant to try to chronically deny His demonstrable and self-evident presence.
To the woke, the alphabet soup group, and feminist fembots: if struggling to define what a real woman is, the above picture is a clue. They stress not over manicures, pedicures, trendy hairstyles, designer labels with matching shoes and handbags, or the number of followers or likes on their profiles or posts. Being content and peaceful in their own bodies and lifestyle – honest and humble. Most admirable and deserving of all blessings they manifest through their good deeds and hard work.
if god was at work in vermont we would not be having eight inch rain events///
for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and SENDS RAIN on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45b NASB. God is in control of it all, otherwise He would not be God.
God is at work in Vermont, but God lets humans help do the work of helping with the physical work.
Thank you ladies!
Vermont thanks each and every one of you.
Wonderful, wonderful.
These are true followers of Christ, and this issue is?
Why wouldn’t we want our world to be more like them?
We need more of this in Vermont.
Exceptional women, exceptional.
We all need the Lord, Jesus belongs to the whole world. Vermont needs the Lord, men, women, children, babies, the unborn, all of us need the Lord. Make America (Vermont) Godly Again!
Thank you to the wonderful Mennonite Women who helped the residents of Barre! God Bless you all. I would personally accept their support over a hostile, godless, monster of a gluttonous government that feeds on destroying its fellow citizens by over-regulating, taxing, and eventually freezing them to death with the Un-Clean Heat Standard.
Everybody is commenting on their dresses……too funny, look at their faces!
They are absolutely glowing with joy….people are looking at the wrong things…..when have you seen so many happy, strong, loving women together? These are the blessing from Jesus Christ, we’d do well to follow their footsteps, surely.
Good fruit from the spirit of Christ, Love, Joy and Peace are the first three.
Once in a while, the girls and women make a man sit back in his chair, and he says, “Wow.”