Stories of MECS

Flood, Fire and Pestilence!!!

The Library has certainly experienced its share of challenges over the years. On February 9, 1990, a summer deluge overwhelmed the gutters, causing water to pour in through the roof of the old Library, flooding the building within a matter of minutes. An excerpt from the New Life magazine which reported on the incident at the time, said; 

“The sky grew incredibly dark. All over the school, lights were being switched on and students prepared themselves for a wetting. When it came however, the rain was on an unexpected scale. Gutters filled, drains backed up, paths became little rivers. The school Library’s roof proved unable to cope. The Library staff watched as water dripped, trickled, and then poured in. Before long, virtually every book was wet, many soaked. That was when we came to appreciate the strength of Christian community. Through the evening and over the weekend, people came to spend hours of their time drying books, removing covers, moving furniture. Meals were missed and outings forgotten as parents, staff and many students came to share in the work”. The Library remained closed for over a year while the building was repaired and Library staff worked to repair and replace the damaged collection.

Fast forward to August 1998. Our beautiful new Library was two years old, and the school was gearing up to celebrate the 25th Anniversary whole school reunion when a fire broke out in the storeroom of the Understorey (the space underneath the Library). A gym mat inadvertently placed against a light fitting which had been left on, quietly smouldered and eventually caught alight. It didn’t take long for the whole building to be in flames. The Fire Brigade quickly attended and put out the fire, but not before the Library had filled with toxic smoke. Engineers were called in to assess the damage to the concrete slab and measures were taken to ensure the building was safe. When the Library staff were allowed back in, the cleanup commenced. A specialist company had to be brought in to individually clean every book and once again, the Library was closed during the process.

In January 2020, a phone call from Gerry Beimers interrupted the last few days of my summer holidays. Builders doing some minor work in the Library had detected a problem. They could not find the stud wall. Pest experts and their dogs were brought in to confirm the news that we had termites, and the damage was thought to be extensive. We started the school year with metal poles supporting the roof trusses in one section of the Library. The repair work could not commence immediately as the termite infestation had to be dealt with first. Bait traps were laid in the roof trusses and around the Library building and checked regularly and in first term school holidays, the repair work commenced. The entire internal back wall of the Library had to be pulled down and rebuilt. It was quite sobering to see the amount of damage caused by these tiny little creatures and we all thanked God for looking after us. 

Through it all, we are constantly assured and reminded of God’s loving care and provision. Isaiah 41:10 says; “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. God does not promise that we will not face difficulties. He does promise that He is there and able to get us through it. And through it all, we have certainly come! Despite the challenges, the Library today remains a busy, bustling integral part of our school. 

Fiona Haynes

Library Manager