SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you had approached a house being built in Whispering Pines by a collaboration of Team Lake County member agencies this last week, you would have most likely have first noticed, from a distance, “Old Order” Mennonite women from Pennsylvania on the job.
They were chatting cheerfully amongst themselves while working on second story scaffolding, attaching insulation to the outside walls of the house.
The women wore ankle-length light blue smocks with shoulder straps over white, short sleeved blouses. Their hair was tucked under a hairnet-styled “prayer cap.”
They were part of a Mennonite Disaster Services, or MDS, team which will be building homes for uninsured or underinsured Lake County fire survivors for the next few years.
Inside the house the Mennonite men were framing and sheet rocking the walls. The project manager, Pat Powell, stood outside supervising the progress of this house which is one of three homes MDS is currently helping to build in south Lake County.
“We have crews coming in from all over. They have various talents. The most we can have at any one time is 26 people at our dorms, which we rent from United Methodist Church in Clearlake,” Powell explained.
“I’ve been here for three months,” Powell continued. “Another manager will take my place in February and supervise for the following three months. Some volunteers stay for two weeks, one week or just a few days depending on their own personal time frame.”
The foreman on this particular job, David Hagelgans, has come from Frankfort, Germany, to spend a year working for MDS.
He’s already been working at disasters in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Michigan.
He graduated from a carpentry trade school in Germany where he specialized in roofing and framing.
After finishing a three-month stint here in Lake County, Hagelgans will return home to Frankfort.
“Lead man” – assistant to the foreman – David Hochstetler, a Nebraskan, is a college graduate with a degree in disaster management.
“I’ve worked in disasters in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and now, California,” he recounted. When asked what his favorite part of carpentry is, Hochstetler replied, “I’m getting used to drywall work.”
Cousins Seth and Dr. Adam Nofziger are part of a crew from Ohio.
Dr. Nofziger, an emergency care physician, also volunteers as a doctor in projects all over the world.
“Volunteering here is a nice break from our normal lives. It’s too easy to be selfish, and be focused on a ‘buck’ and whatever your normal life consists of,” Nofziger said. “It’s a good way to get out and show God’s love.”
Seth Nofziger echoed his cousin's sentiments. “I think it’s a great ministry to serve other people, and show Christ’s love through action. I like talking with the owners. Sometimes talking to them is more important than the building.”
His friend, Caleb Groenewig, brought a little more experience with him. “I’m a Realtor and appraiser. I normally do repairs for our rentals back home. My dad was a contractor. As a child I went on MDS projects with my parents.”
The Whispering Pines homeowners, Stephan and Pam, reflected on the time that has passed since their home was destroyed in the Valley fire.
“This last 16 months has been quite a journey. It’s been up and down. But the groups helping us in the rebuilding process have worked unselfishly,” Pam said, “We thank them, but they say, 'Thank you for letting us help you.’ They consider it an honor to work for fire survivors like us.”
Dennis Purcell writes for Team Lake County.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Women’s Civic Club had the first planning meeting for its annual Mad Hatter event happening on April 29.
