by Peter Saderholm Four months after the hurricanes hit Florida this summer, I and a team of volunteers from St. Matthew's UMC in Bowie entered Desoto County and the City of Arcadia. I was amazed at the extent of the damage that was still evident. 
COURTESY of PETER SADERHOLM | | Members of St. Matthew?s UMC in Bowie put love into action during a VIM trip to hurricane-stricken areas of Florida. |
Blue tarps were visible on roofs everywhere because about 60 percent of the buildings received roof damage. Piles of debris lined the streets in every direction. The town functioned, but at a reduced scale because many residents still could not return home for lack of acceptable housing. In the middle of all this was Trinity UMC, which had sustained only minor damage and was now the focal point for an extensive effort to help the community recover. We were the second of three teams of workers from the Baltimore-Washington Conference to be assigned to help with this effort, and we brought the conference Early Response Trailer with us. This is our story. Eight people from St. Matthew's UMC in Bowie spent a week, Nov. 5 to 11, in Arcadia helping as we could. We came prepared to start working on reconstruction projects, but because of the equipment in our trailer, we worked mostly on debris clearing. Chain saws, shovels, heavy rakes, wheel barrows, tree-pruners, hand saws and a blower were all put to good use. We were doubly blessed on our first full day by the arrival of a man from Minnesota with a Bobcat who wanted to help. For six days we cut and piled debris, while he hauled trees and all forms of rubbish to the curb for eventual disposal at the county dump. In those six days we cleared out about 16 home sites. We were able to work hard because of the care and feeding provided at the church, including breakfast and a hot lunch each day. We slept on air mattresses in Sunday school rooms. The church had showers for us to use at the end of the day, and its kitchen was available for us to cook dinner, or we could venture to a local restaurant. Other church crews were also working and so the church fellowship hall provided a nice location for all of us to make new friends. The real story, however, is the people we helped and the impact they had on our team. I have never been on a Volunteers in Mission Team where I did not come home feeling I received more than I gave. Arcadia was no exception. When talking to members of the team, each indicated that it took them several days to sort out the impact of this trip on them. When you deal with several families a day, helping them recover a little of their life back from a devastating storm and then praying with them, it has an impact on you. We, unfortunately, could not return all the properties we worked on to their original states, but in each case the home owner knew that somebody cared enough to help and major, visible improvement was achieved. This put the homeowners in a better state of mind to tackle the remaining tasks or adjust to a slightly different life arrangement. They knew somebody cared and traveled a long distance to help. That matters; it gives people new hope and vitality. God sent us and we did God's work. Now God works in them. When the opportunity occurs, I urge everyone to go on a VIM trip and experience the impact it can have on one's life. Peter Saderholm is a member of St. Matthew's UMC in Bowie. | 
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