Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Reynolds family, who lost their home in the Jan. 12, 2023, now has a new home.

The Mennonite Disaster Service held a house dedication ceremony for the Reynolds family. Their home was damaged beyond repair during the tornado outbreak over two years ago.

Now, they have a home that is built to last and could withstand future severe weather.

“I’m grateful for everyone, even the ones who didn’t make it here,” said Jennifer Reynolds. “My faith has been restored.”

The house was built through the efforts of volunteers who coordinated their efforts through the Mennonite Disaster Service. That also included the efforts of Abide Disaster Recovery, formerly known as the Alabama-West Florida disaster recovery response ministry.

Abide was based out of Church Street Methodist Church.

“They’ve been very supportive in what I do here,” said Bud, one of the volunteers with Abide. “They moved them into their facilities and they have been a very big part of that.”

Bud said he got started with this ministry ever since the Hurricane Michael, which devastated the Florida panhandle in 2018. While he wished that God had called him to this ministry years ago, he said he was not as prepared for it like he was in Selma.

“It’s just been a blessing to work with the people that we work with,” Bud said. “The volunteers, the clients, the city, they’ve all made me feel like I’m a part of the city. It’s just great knowing that you’ve been a part of this”

Pastor John Grayson of Gospel Tabernacle COGIC, whose church has been instrumental in bring the volunteers together following the tornado disaster, prayed a blessing over the home.

“We pray blessings and favor upon this house,” Grayson said. “We pray that every person who enters this house will feel the love of God, the warmth of his spirit and that his spirit will move throughout this house. And everyone who will come in will be blessed.”

The house is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that features a full kitchen, wash room and an open floor plan connecting the living room, dining room and kitchen. It also has a porch with a handicap-accessible ramp off to the side.

It is also fully furnished, including three new beds that were donated.

This is the final of five homes that were brand new construction coordinated by the Mennonite Disaster Service. They closed up their headquarters in Selma last week after this final groundbreaking.

However, there are still others working with the Selma Long Term Recovery Group that will continue helping others rebuild or repair their homes.

The family was also presented a new Bible, a custom rocking chair and a custom cutting board for the new home. The ceremony featured remarks from Michele WhiteEagle with MDS and other partners. Goshen College, who had been volunteering at the home last week, sang “The Blessing” for the ceremony.

They also had a house blessing liturgy for everyone to participate in.