|
Windows Into Zion is the monthly newsletter of Zion Mennonite Church. The publishers are Dorothy Hartman, Julie Hottinger, Fern Nisly, and Myrna Piper. Return to the Newsletter Archives. May 2003
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 8 |
Number 7
|
May 2003
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Lithuanian news --Betsy and Steve Dintaman The spring semester at LCC is over-- except for final exams next week and lots of grading. Last evening the traditional end-of-the-year BBQ was held on a beautiful sunny, but cold, evening. These events make us nostalgic for Food Services at EMU, since here faculty and staff do the work with limited funds. The menu last evening consisted of 600 hot dogs and buns, and many buckets of sliced cucumbers. If you wanted something to drink, you had to bring it. While this might seem skimpy by North American standards, students here seem to really appreciate any free food, and everything quickly disappeared. Another less pleasurable end-of-the-semester tradition here is saying goodbyes. With many faculty here for just a semester, our LCC family is always changing. It really feels good to us to be part of the more stable group that provides continuity, and to be able to make plans for future semesters. We had a tea for the theology faculty and majors this week, and had a good discussion about activities that the department could do together next year. For both of us, this year has confirmed that our gifts and this college are a good fit, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to work here. As you probably know, on May 1 we will take a very exciting and long-awaited trip to the Vilnius airport to meet Abram and Anna! It will be so good to have them see what our life is like here. They will be here in time for graduation, May 3, so they will get to meet some students. After that we will do a little traveling in the Baltics, going to Riga (Latvia) and Talinn (Estonia). On May 10, Betsy's brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Janie Halteman from Wheaton, Ill., will be coming to LCC to be involved in May term. Jim will teach international business and Janie will be involved in chapels and spiritual direction. They will live in the building next to ours, so we are looking forward to being surrounded by family for a change! Spring is barely started here and we rejoice in finally seeing some leaves emerging. We had the first ever LCC Easter choir program this week and both enjoyed singing in that. This evening we walked by the little Russian Orthodox church where they were preparing to celebrate Easter a week later than we do. There were tables set up around the church with Easter breads, colored eggs and greenery. We weren't sure what was going on, but they were beautiful to look at. We plan to be back in Virginia at the end of July and beginning of August. Hope to see you all then! |
|
Music and worship forum Congratulations Matt Kraybill |
Zion Mennonite Women's Ministries --Gladys Ropp The pressing needs of the world continue to reach into our lives and touch our hearts. The needs caused by wars, famines, droughts, terrorism, brutality, threatening illnesses, and others. We are grateful for your help and involvement as members of the church family in the "global ministries" which ZMWM sponsors for MCC as their arms reach around the world, in the Name of Christ. The "blanket and comforter" drive has been our newest MCC drive. Twenty-three blankets and comforters were given for this cause. Individuals gave $220.00 and ZMWM contributed $100.00 to be sent to MCC for the purchasing of blankets and comforters. Can we picture in our mind the happy, warm comfort, which persons will experience from these gifts of love from your hearts? May will be our "health kit" month. Those meeting at monthly ZMWM gatherings have ready 135 health kits waiting to be filled. Contents of the kit: tooth brush-adult small size, one tube of tooth paste 6-7 ounce—please remove the box, one bar soap 4-5 ounce, one nail clipper, one hand towel 15x25 inches (approx.) in a bright or dark color. A list of contents will be in each bag. These bags will be distributed to persons in many countries--Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burundi, Haiti, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and others. To people experiencing hard times, refugees, those helping women and families practice better health habits, and disasters. It is most impossible for us who have so much to understand the gleaming eyes of a child with ""my own pretty towel". Blessings to each of you as you give in the name of Christ. Women’s retreat --Diane Emswiler On Friday, the 21st of March, 21 women from Zion set off to the Holiday Inn in Staunton armed with food, suitcases, Bibles, games and high spirits! We all checked into our rooms and then gathered in a lovely meeting room decorated by Marci Myers and Susan Stoltzfus. We had a meaningful time of devotions by Diana Jacobs, singing led by Celah Pence, and a Bible study by Becky Brenneman. The evening was made even more special by plenty of sharing and lots of wonderful food! The next morning we were all up bright and early to enjoy a light breakfast and more devotions and singing. Our speaker for the day was Dawn Mast and we were blessed by her wisdom and humor concerning our fears and anxieties in life and how we can deal with them. Then we were off to a time of shopping, etc. Some groups went into Staunton and some went to Charlottesville. About ten of us gathered back at the hotel for our farewell dinner, before returning to our homes and families. All in all, this lively group of women had a great time together and I am hoping next year we will have even more participants from the congregation! We are looking forward to seeing you then! |
|
Meet the Kauffmans --Dawn Mast We continue to experience change and growth at Zion by adding new faces to our congregation. It was my pleasure to contact one of the newest families at Zion, Aaron and Laura Kauffman and find out a little about them and hear what they think about their experience at Zion so far. You may know Laura's parents, Paul and Donna Souder, who work at EMU. Laura is a native Harrisonburgian (the spell checker is going to love that one) and she has three younger siblings. Laura is very creative and artistic and her family thought she might even take after her dad and major in communications. But she really confused everyone when she majored in nursing! She graduated from EMU's nursing program in December 2002 and she now works in the Family Birth Place at RMH. Laura's interests are varied as she enjoys music (especially singing), acting, photography, gardening, reading, animals and the outdoors. After returning from her cross-cultural semester in Guatemala, she added Latin American culture and Spanish to her list of favorite things! I'm thinking that Laura has plenty of gifts and talents to use at Zion! Following God and continuing on that faith walk is a high priority in Laura's life. She grew up in the Mennonite church and was baptized at age 15. She enjoys worshipping through song and commented that her favorite book of the Bible is Romans and her favorite verse is Micah 6:8. The other half of the Kauffman family is Aaron, Laura's husband. He was born in Lancaster, Pa., and is the son of Dennis and Rose Kauffman. Aaron has a long list of academic accomplishments behind him. He graduated from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 1997 and from EMU in 2001 with a major in Cultural Religion and Mission. He also just completed a Master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) from Georgetown University. Although he's spent quite a bit of time being a student, Aaron has also gotten some teaching experience. He taught at EMU's Intensive English Program and at the Dayton Learning Center and next year he will teach ESL (English as a Second Language) to high schoolers in Rockingham County. Like Laura, Aaron enjoys music (he was one of the Full Table singers), the outdoors, animals and reading. Cross-cultural experiences to Ethiopia and Ecuador made an impression on Aaron as well, and he added other languages and cultures to his "interests and hobbies" list. Aaron also grew up in the Mennonite church and was baptized at age 12. Since adolescence he has felt a strong call to the ministry and would like to someday venture into a long-term mission assignment. He even has considered going to seminary. Aaron also shared that his favorite book of the Bible is Matthew, and his favorite verse is in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18. Aaron says he enjoys theology so it looks like he's off to a good start! Laura and Aaron can truly be considered newlyweds, as they were married eight months ago on August 10th. They said they chose Zion as their church family because of the size of the congregation, the worship style, welcoming atmosphere and the emphasis on missions and cross-cultural lifestyle. Let's continue to help the Kauffman's feel welcome at Zion. |
???March-April’s who am I??? Diann Beach · Born in Richmond · Left home at the age of 15 · Only sibling attended Zion several years ago · Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower · Visited almost every state on the East Coast Congratulations to Dawn Mast for correctly identifying Diann. Dawn will receive the Dairy Queen gift certificate.
|
|
???Did you know??? · Laura Lehman is also a member of the 2003 EMHS Touring Choir along with Robin and Nate. · Erica Lehman’s AAU basketball team won first place in the Regional Tournament and is playing in the State Tournament in Fredericksburg this coming weekend. · Ben Bixler was awarded the second annual Haverim Writing Award for his paper entitled: “Jesus Reinterprets the Law: The Question of the Greatest Command in Matthew 22:34-40.” “Haverim" is the EMU Bible & Religion Dept.'s alumni support group. The Haverim Writing Award includes a cash prize and is designed to encourage Bible and Religion majors to deepen their scholarly and writing endeavors. Two Bible and Religion faculty and two members of the Haverim Steering Committee served as readers/judges for the contest. · Jill Fairweather left Monday on an EMU Cross Cultural trip for Window Rock, Arizona to experience the Navajo culture. She will also travel to Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon. Jill is working as an intern in a history museum. The group will return on May 19. |
MCC SALT term in Bolivia --Radell Schrock I am planning on working in Moro Moro, Bolivia with the MCC SALT program next year. My one-year term will start the end of August. Mora Mora is 9-12 hour bus ride from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The village of Mora Mora is small with about 500 people located in the Andes Mountains. From what I’ve heard it is a very remote village with mainly adobe houses, one telephone, electricity for a few hours each evening, and transportation is done on motorcycle, horse, or by walking. I will be doing a variety of work including some teaching and church youth work, but primarily I will be working with the farmers on soil use and land management issues. I am really looking forward to this opportunity and I would appreciate the church family’s prayers as I prepare for my time in Moro Moro. Please pray that I can be an ambassador for Christ with understanding, flexibility, and insight into how to best serve during my year of service. I would be glad to take any questions or advice that anybody has. MYF news
|
|
About Katie -Celah Pence Did you know that Katie Goins is finishing up graduate school in piano performance at the University of Ohio this Spring? She had a very successful recital on March 7, and is now concentrating on preparation for her oral examinations. She has decided to accept a wonderful offer from the University of Texas at Austin into their doctoral program for piano pedagogy: a full tuition waiver and a full-time teaching assistantship are included in the package! It is one of the best programs of its sort in the country. She was also offered a full assistantship at the University of South Carolina but thinks the Texas program will be a better choice for her needs. Katie has received other honors. She has recently been awarded the Lynn Freeman Olson Piano Pedagogy Award (sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs). She was also offered a fellowship at the New School for Music Study in Princeton for intense studies and hands on experience in piano teaching. Since she can’t do this and also work on her doctorate at Texas, she is hoping to defer the offer and possibly go back there for research or when she writes her dissertation. This summer she will be teaching at the Virginia Governor's School for the Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts. She will be responsible for all the piano students (about 13 or so) plus teaching basic music theory. Katie will also teach a course in pedagogy for students interested in beginning to teach private lessons. Another responsibility at the Governor’s School will be to help the other music faculty put together and coach chamber music ensembles. In the afternoon she will be team-teaching an interdisciplinary course - the subject will involve music and psychology. We wish our best to Katie Goins in her pursuits, and welcome her back at Zion when she gets time off! In the mean time, you can e-mail her at katiegoins@hotmail.com. |
Mark your calendars
Saturday, June 7, for a VMRC Auxiliary Fund Raiser. A Buffet Sampler
will be held in the Hartman Dining Room at 5:30 p.m. This event will
feature Phyllis and Merle Good, co-authors and publishers of the “Fix-it-and
Forget-it Cookbook.” Sample a lot of food from this popular book
of slow-cooker recipes. You won’t want to miss it! Reservations
are required—call VMRC at 564-3400 to make your reservation. Donations
will be received for the VMRC Compassion Fund. |
|
|
Home with Amy --Amy Shrock "There are those who cook, and those who are good cooks." (Amish grandma) Retha Alger is one of "those who are good". Retha was born in Indiana, 1917. Her mother died when Retha was 3 years old. Her father remarried, and moved their family to Johnstown, PA. Retha met JP Alger, who had com from Virginia to visit friends. They were married sometime later, on Feb.19, 1949, and have lived in Broadway, VA, all of their married life. Retha and JP had three children, Wanda, Victor, and Phyllis. Phyllis passed away at the age of four. Despite the heartaches Retha has had in her life, she and JP reach out and touch others' lives in their community. They feel that having people over for a meal is a way of ministering to those around you. The church family, neighbors and folks from the community have enjoyed eating from the Alger table. Retha has been cooking for 54 years. Before she got married, Retha preferred cleaning to cooking. Practicing the art of good home cooking has changed that." I am an old-fashioned meat and potatoes cook", Retha states, and “I don't make fancy things, they usually flop." She also has a few tips for making the guests feel welcome. "When you have company, have the table nicely set. Have something in the middle of the table; flowers, candle, something pretty. Also, sitting around the table after eating and talking". Retha says that there is something special about lingering together at the table after the meal, which is lost when everyone moves to another room. Retha tells this story: She wanted to invite some folks, JP being shy, was unsure. But they did, and during a time in their lives, Retha and JP had people around their table every Sunday. Back then, almost everyone from Zion had come to their home. Thankful people have filled almost four guest books with appreciation. Everyone seems to agree that life gets better when you are sitting at Retha and JP's table, enjoying warm conversation and home-cooked food. The following are some of Retha's favorite recipes: Spinach Souffle 16 oz. cottage cheese 3 eggs, beaten 3 packages (10 oz. each) frozen spinach, thawed and drained 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided 1/2 tsp. salt Dash nutmeg In large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese and eggs. Add spinach, 1 ¼ c cheddar cheese, salt and nutmeg. Spoon into a greased 9 x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 until set, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and let stand 5 minutes. Yield:8 servings. Rhubarb Jam 4 c. raw rhubarb, cut into small pieces 1 Tbsp. water 4 c. sugar 1 c. crushed pineapple Mix well, cook in saucepan on low until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil, cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat: add 1 three ounce strawberry Jell-O. Freezes well. Baked Chicken 8 chicken breasts or thighs 1 can cream of chicken soup, diluted Paprika and Ginger* to taste Chipped beef In greased baking dish, place chipped beef slices, set aside. Brown the chicken in butter, very quickly, just to lightly brown. Place chicken on top of chipped beef and cover with soup and seasonings. Bake at 300 degrees for about two hours or until done. Retha's Hint* Always sprinkle ginger on your chicken or turkey, whether cooking or baking---to take away the "fowl" taste. Sour Cream Pound Cake 1 c. butter 2¾ c. sugar 6 eggs 3 c. flour ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. soda 1 c. sour cream 2 tsp. vanilla Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mix well after each egg. Sift dry ingredients 3 times, and add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture, beating until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in a 9 inch ungreased tube pan, which has been lined with 3 layers of wax paper. Bake at 325 on lower rack in oven, 1 hr. and 10 minutes. Turn upside down, let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Glaze or sift powdered sugar over top of cake. |
|
Birthdays 2 Paul Leaman, Chester Mumaw 4 Patty Baer, Steve Lantz 5 David Swartzentruber 6 Tonya Parker, Dillon Souder 7 Steve Dintaman 8 Nicholas Alger 9 Madeline Parker 11 Barbara Risser 12 Elizabeth Resto, Joy Yoder 14 Jesse Buckwalter, Jerry Glanzer, Galen Nofziger 15 Gladys Hottinger, Cora King, Gloria White 16 Dawn Mast, Abigail Shrock 17 Linda Thompson 20 Elizabeth Juarez, Joanne Showalter 22 Ben Risser II, Karla Souder 23 Kaitlin Parker 25 Violet Losh, Renee Warsing 27 Jordan Hollinger 29 Mike Piper 31 Ben Yutzy Anniversaries Worship schedule |
Coming Up May 7 Worship Commission
at 7 pm
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
