Mennonite Disaster Service – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Mennonite Disaster Service

MDS Podcasts

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/16d. Total Eps: 12

Mennonite Disaster Service brings disaster survivors back home. The MDS Podcast takes you behind the scenes of this volunteer-powered organization through conversations with the people who make it happen. Learn about disaster response, long-term recovery, the volunteers who serve, and the communities rebuilding after hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. Discover stories of resilience, hope, and relationships that turn into friendships when faith meets action.

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Data updated on 04/08/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
04/08/2026
#80
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
19/07/2026
#69
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
03/07/2026
#82
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
02/07/2026
#65
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
01/07/2026
#50
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
30/06/2026
#39
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
29/06/2026
#19
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
28/06/2026
#16
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
19/06/2026
#53
🇨🇦 Canada - Non Profit
08/05/2026
#98

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

No links shared by this podcast

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 17%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

MDS Podcast Episode #12 - Gord Friesen

Season 1 · Episode 12

Monday, July 27, 2026 • Duration 37:15

Host Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Gord Friesen from Winnipeg, Manitoba, for a conversation that spans more than seven decades of MDS history.Gord's connection to disaster response goes back to childhood, tagging along with his father after a storm hit Manitoba. Decades later, a flood on the Red River brought him back to MDS.What has he gained? The look on a homeowner's face when they realize the people rebuilding their home aren't there for a paycheck.

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #11 - Clete Yoder

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 28:54

After retiring from a career designing power plants, Clete Yoder took one trip to Mississippi with a friend to help rebuild a home -- and never really stopped.

Host Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Clete to trace a journey that has taken him from Ohio to Alaska, Puerto Rico, Saipan, American Samoa, and eastern Kentucky, where he once built two bridges in a single week. A civil engineer turned MDS project director, Clete shares what it means to build teams, work alongside community partners, and find a meaningful job for every volunteer who shows up, regardless of experience level.

What has he received in return? Happy faces, and the quiet satisfaction of watching volunteers go further than they thought they could.

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #10 - Bill Mast

Season 1 · Episode 10

Monday, June 29, 2026 • Duration 26:07

Interviewer Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Bill Mast, a volunteer whose connection to disaster response goes back further than MDS itself. Bill was nine years old when a tornado struck Woodward, Oklahoma -- and his Mennonite community responded. Decades later, he's still showing up.

A vocational carpenter and former high school carpentry teacher, Bill has served across the U.S. from Minnesota to California, often traveling with his wife, who served as assistant cook while he led construction crews. He talks with Gloria about how MDS has evolved, the growing role of local long-term recovery groups, and how communities give back to those who serve them.

"We think of MDS focusing on the survivor's needs," Bill says, "but MDS is also a tremendous service to the volunteers."

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #9 - Abe Ens

Season 1 · Episode 9

Friday, June 12, 2026 • Duration 56:22

In this episode, Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Abe Ens of Winkler, Manitoba, whose connection to Mennonite Disaster Service stretches back to its earliest years. Abe shares how he first became involved in disaster response during the Red River floods and reflects on decades of service in leadership roles across Manitoba, Canada, and the binational MDS board.

Along the way, he recounts stories from the field, discusses the evolution of MDS and its relationship with MCC, and offers a firsthand look at how the organization has grown since its founding. Through his experiences, Abe reminds us of the grassroots spirit of MDS and the importance of going the extra mile for disaster survivors.

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #08 - Don Mintmier

Season 1 · Episode 8

Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 19:26

It started with a free trip to Alaska through a Mennonite church. What followed was 13 years, 44 project sites, and a life of service that took Don Mintmier from the coast of American Samoa to the mountains of Washington State, from High River, Canada to Marianna, Florida, and dozens of communities in between.In this conversation with host Gloria Nussbaum, Don reflects on his years as a Project Director with Mennonite Disaster Service. He talks about the rhythm of life on a project site: morning devotions, the whiteboard with the day's assignments, the work, the meeting place, the dinner table, and what it means to lead volunteers of all skill levels with patience and good humor. He shares the places that stayed with him, the people he never would have met otherwise, and why, once you do it, it tends to pull you back."If it weren't for Mennonite Disaster Service," Don said, "I would never have gotten to see the places that I have seen."

Don passed away after this recording was made. We are publishing this episode to honor his memory and his life of service. On behalf of all of us at MDS, Thank you Don.

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #7 - Frank Hoover

Season 1 · Episode 7

Monday, May 18, 2026 • Duration 29:05

When interviewer Gloria Nussbaum asked Frank Hoover what he received from his decades of service with Mennonite Disaster Service, his answer was immediate: "Way more than I put in." Frank reminds us that even in the tragic aftermath of disaster, God is quietly at work — building relationships that draw us closer together and closer to Him. We cannot prevent the storms from coming, but we can build homes, bridges, and relationships that last through the most trying times.

Frank Hoover of Ephrata, PA has been showing up for strangers since 1972 — from flood muckouts in Harrisburg to hurricanes in Florida to wildfire recovery in California. He's learned that every disaster is unique, and so is every survivor. Some watch your every move; others hand you the keys. One client in New York told him they "could see the love of God in every stroke of the paintbrush and every swing of the hammer" — a moment that captures what Frank has believed all along: "It is a lot easier to show people God's love than to tell them about it."

Read moreCollapse

MDS podcast episode #6- Esther McCoy

Friday, May 1, 2026 • Duration 40:27

Esther McCoy of Manheim, Pennsylvania, after learning about Mennonite Disaster Service 30 years ago, went on to serve alongside her husband Bill for 20 years, from 1995 to 2015. With skills in construction and nursing, they became long-time project directors, helping create spaces where everyone could serve and grow.

The McCoy's service took them across the country and beyond, where they witnessed both hardship and deep gratitude from homeowners. Esther reflects on the many blessings received through MDS, especially the relationships built and the gift of serving others.

Enjoy this episode of the MDS podcast, and don't forget to follow and share the episode.

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #5 - Don and Rachel Horst

Season 1 · Episode 5

Thursday, April 16, 2026 • Duration 34:29

Don and Rachel Horst of Newton, Kansas have been showing up for people in their worst moments for nearly five decades. First responding to the Big Thompson Canyon flood in Colorado in 1976, the Horsts have since served in some of the most far-reaching corners of MDS response work, from California and Puerto Rico to American Samoa and Saipan.But what makes Don and Rachel stand out is not just the miles traveled or the years logged, it is the way they show up. They listen they sit with survivors they offer compassion to people who have lost everything. In this episode, they share some of the most moving stories from a lifetime of service, including Don's own profound journey as a retired pilot and trucker who found deep meaning in giving back through MDS.We are saddened to share that Don Horst has passed away since this interview was recorded in 2023. We are grateful to have captured his voice and his story, and we are honored to share his memory with reverence.

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #4 - Denis Sabourin

Friday, March 27, 2026 • Duration 15:53

“MDS changes lives.” On February 10, 2023 in Lancaster, PA Gloria Nussbaum met with Sabourin of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Denis talks about his faith journey, how he came to know MDS, and how his first trip led to him organizing over 17 MDS service trips!

Read moreCollapse

MDS Podcast Episode #3 - Tom Smucker (Former Executive Director of MDS)

Season 1 · Episode 3

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 • Duration 31:45

On November 18, 2024, Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Tom Smucker of Sterling, Ohio, former Executive Director of Mennonite Disaster Service, to reflect on a lifetime of responding to disaster.

Tom shares how he first became involved with MDS in 1992 following Hurricane Andrew, drawing from his background in construction and farming. He recounts the early days of MDS, its history and separation from MCC, and what it feels like to witness a disaster for the first time. From the overwhelming sight and even the smells of destruction, to the challenges of arriving early in a response, Tom offers honest insight shaped by decades of leadership.

The conversation also explores how MDS, and disaster response as a whole, has grown and changed over the years, and the importance of collaboration with other organizations doing meaningful work.

Join us as we listen, learn, and give thanks for Tom Smucker’s faithful years of service with MDS.

Read moreCollapse

Mennonite Disaster Service – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Mennonite Disaster Service – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify