Summer 2019 | vol 28, no 4 An Unexpected “Vacation” by Dorcas Sommers, Tirana, Albania Menno-Hof Volunteer | July 2019 I read this newsletter regularly. I have done so since the summer of 2014. Now this is the summer of 2019, and the month of July finds me being a live-in volunteer at Menno-Hof, greeting guests on a daily basis. Answering the usual questions about what else is in the area, “Where can we take a buggy ride?” “Where is the best place to eat?” I listen to other volunteers from the area answer these questions and other not-so- frequent inquiries. “Do the Amish live longer because of their peaceful life? Are you Mennonite? What is rivel soup?” Obviously, the purpose of Menno-Hof is to open the opportunity for the visitor to ask these questions and provide factual answers. There are also questions that open discussion for the deeper meaning of life. “How do Mennonites and Amish view the LGBT lifestyle?” Contrasted to this peaceful countryside setting of Menno-Hof are the recent years I have lived in large city settings. Casablanca, Morocco, had very different sounds than listening to the frogs in the front pond at the “Hof.” There was the endless sound of street traffic. The Muslim call to prayer several times a day. Children playing in the streets. And hearing the next door family bantering in undiscernible syllables found one escaping to the beach for only the sound of the waves. But, there were young lives to teach the basic language skills of English. Working at a large (cont. on page 2) Tuesdays at Menno-Hof by John Preheim, Goshen, Ind. Retirement! Millions of people look forward to this milestone and I was one of them. Finally, in 2003, I said goodbye to my job as Middle School Math Department Chair, Teaching Team Leader and teaching six classes of seventh grade math. I now had 40-50 hours a week to do whatever I wanted. So, what was on my “bucket list?” Golf? No. Fishing? No. Volunteer- ing? Yes! Traveling? Yes! I knew the opportunities to volunteer were endless, so it was time to narrow down the possibilities. One place I had visited several times was Menno- Hof in Shipshewana and I was always impressed with how the Anabaptist story was presented. Volunteering there was high on my “bucket list.” One day in the fall of 2003, I stopped at Menno- Hof and inquired about becoming a volunteer. After a short conversation, I agreed to volunteer one half day a week. Thus began “Tuesdays at Menno-Hof.” Over the last 16 years I have volunteered in school classrooms, spend two weeks each summer as a lighthouse keeper, deliver Meals on Wheels weekly, recycle eye- glasses and participate in (continued on page 3) Dorcas Sommers (above) was born and raised in northeast Ohio but is currently living and teaching in Tirana, Albania. She served as a live-in volunteer at Menno-Hof the month of July 2019.
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Summer 2019 | vol 28, no 4
An Unexpected “Vacation” by Dorcas Sommers, Tirana, Albania
Menno-Hof Volunteer | July 2019
I read this newsletter regularly. I have done so since the summer of 2014. Now this is the summer of 2019, and the month of July finds me being a live-in
volunteer at Menno-Hof, greeting guests on a daily basis. Answering the usual questions about what else is in the area, “Where can we take a buggy ride?” “Where is the best place to eat?” I listen to other volunteers from the area answer these questions and other not-so-frequent inquiries. “Do the Amish live longer because of their peaceful life? Are you Mennonite? What is rivel soup?” Obviously, the purpose of Menno-Hof is to open the opportunity for the visitor to ask these questions and provide factual answers. There are also questions that open discussion for the deeper meaning of life. “How do Mennonites and Amish view the LGBT lifestyle?” Contrasted to this peaceful countryside setting of Menno-Hof are the recent years I have lived in large city settings. Casablanca, Morocco, had very different sounds than listening to the frogs in the front pond at the “Hof.” There was the endless sound of street traffic. The Muslim call to prayer several times a day. Children playing in the streets. And hearing the next door family bantering in undiscernible syllables found one escaping to the beach for only the sound of the waves. But, there were young lives to teach the basic language skills of English. Working at a large (cont. on page 2)
Tuesdays at Menno-Hof
by John Preheim, Goshen, Ind.
Retirement! Millions of people look forward to this milestone and I was one of them. Finally, in 2003, I said goodbye to my job as Middle School Math Department Chair, Teaching Team Leader and teaching six classes of seventh grade math. I now had 40-50 hours a week to do whatever I wanted. So, what was on my “bucket list?” Golf? No. Fishing? No. Volunteer-ing? Yes! Traveling? Yes! I knew the opportunities to volunteer were endless, so it was time to narrow down the possibilities. One place I had visited several times was Menno-Hof in Shipshewana and I was always impressed with how the Anabaptist story was presented. Volunteering there was high on my “bucket list.” One day in the fall of 2003, I stopped at Menno-Hof and inquired about becoming a volunteer. After a short conversation, I agreed to volunteer one half day a week. Thus began “Tuesdays at Menno-Hof.” Over the last 16 years I have volunteered in school classrooms, spend two weeks each summer as a lighthouse keeper, deliver Meals on Wheels weekly, recycle eye-glasses and participate in
(continued on page 3)
Dorcas Sommers
(above) was born and raised in
northeast Ohio but
is currently living and
teaching in Tirana,
Albania. She served as a
live-in volunteer at Menno-Hof
the month of
July 2019.
2
THANK YOU!
Dave & Candace Stobbe
Winkler, Manitoba, Canada | September
Wally & Ruth Janssen
East St. Paul, Manitoba, Canada | September
Laurence & Marilyn Martin
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | October & November
Clarence & Amanda Rempel
Newton, Kansas | October
Fred Tillery | November
Thank you to the LaGrange County Foundation for the distribution of grant funds to Menno-Hof which greatly assisted in meeting various expenses during 2018 and currently.
“The best Amish-Mennonite history lesson one can find!” —recent online review
An Unexpected “Vacation” (cont. from front) American school gave opportunity to meet many international teachers and learn more of the Moroccan culture through our local students. After Morocco came my present “home” of Tirana, Albania. Another big city filled with the noise of construction. Traffic that seems to make up driving regulations as it moves through the streets. There are protests against the present government, closing off main transportation areas. Yet again, there are local and international families wanting an English language education for their child. Now working in a newly opened British program, there are more new avenues to learn in the field of education. So, the opportunity to walk every morning in Shipshewana along the neat, white, fences marking property lines, watching the wind pump in front of
Menno-Hof spin and almost hearing the corn grow in the field opposite a comfy glider on the porch, made for me an unexpected vacation. Being at Menno-Hof found the work level very low-stress with a fascinating community to explore. My connection to Menno-Hof began years ago when I met Susan Frye Miller, current Menno-Hof accounting manager, while we were both living in Germany. She lived in the north; I lived in the south. I went to her area to learn German and get away from my international
Beginnings & Endings host & hostess
by the numbers
school setting to immerse myself in the German language. When Susan returned to the U.S. and her home community, I visited her during my summers home and in this way first visited Menno-Hof in 2014. Besides the unexpected vacation, this month of volunteering at Menno-Hof gave me a renewed appreciation of being born into an Anabaptist heritage. I grew up in a Mennonite and Amish community in northeast Ohio. Though times keep changing, many of the lifestyle factors depicted in the tour at Menno-Hof cause not only our visitors to reflect, but challenge us all to follow Christ in a renewed manner of valuing a life of simplicity and peace.
Dorcas lives in Tirana, Albania, and is a primary classroom teacher at Kings Tirana. During her time in the States this summer, she was grateful to visit her 93-year-old mother in Ohio along with her 10 siblings and their families. Her home church in the U.S. is Bethany Mennonite, Hartville, Ohio. Dorcas enjoys singing choral music, cooking, children’s literature, plants, and traveling. And she is
always looking for ways to make less trash.
1,798
2,205
Visitors in June and
visitors in July.
42
32
The July visitors were from
different states and
different countries.
1,014,217 visitors have been at Menno-Hof since
it opened in 1988!
On the streets of Tirana, Albania, near Dorcas’ apartment. A
contrast in sights and sounds to the streets of Shipshewana.
3
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consider receiving
your Reunion
newsletter via e-mail.
Send your change request to
Tuesdays at Menno-Hof (cont. from front) an annual Lions Club eyeglass mission trip to various cities in Mexico.
My top 10 reasons to volunteer at Menno-Hof are:
A weekly trip from Goshen to Shipshewana. A time to enjoy the farming community and as it cycles through the seasonal changes.
The “goodies” that may be in the kitchen and popcorn in the wintertime.
The gift shop. There are a variety of Anabaptist-related books to browse and sample during down times.
The tour itself. The amount of history and current lifestyle information about Anabaptists
continues to offer learning experiences even after 15 years of leading tours.
The permanent staff. Jerry, Ruth, Susan, Charlotte, and Bill, are always welcoming and make all the volunteers feel special & needed.
11th Annual Menno-Hof Hymnsing
Sunday, September 8, 5 p.m.
FARMSTEAD INN PAVILION
(just north of Menno-Hof)
Come and enjoy a cappella singing of familiar
hymns at the Farmstead Inn Pavilion in the
traditions of the Amish Church, Amish Mennonite
Church, Conservative Mennonite Church and
Mennonite Church USA. There will be ice cream
and pretzels following the hymnsing.
CHAIRS & HYMNBOOKS wi l l be provided.
PL
AN
T
O A
TT
EN
D
“Very interesting & informative.
Very hands on!
My children liked going to the different
rooms and learning the
history.” —recent online
review
The live-in volunteers. I have gotten to know volunteers from all across North
America and many have returned for a second, third or fourth time. Visiting and working with them is an enriching experience.
Visitors from all over the world. During one afternoon early this spring, we had
fifteen visitors, representing the countries of Luxembourg, New Zealand, Columbia, Canada, and the United States. Three years ago, I had the privilege of introducing Menno-Hof to Dr. Jitsuhiro Yamada, a neurosurgeon from Japan, who served as president of Lions Clubs International.
Greeting visitors as they arrive at Menno-Hof. It is an opportunity to make
them feel welcome, find out where they are from and learn something about them before the tour begins.
Sharing the Anabaptist story and answering questions. Many visitors
come with questions which often lead to a question and answer dialogue.
Everyone has their own story. A tour of Menno-Hof touches each person’s
own story, some superficially and others more deeply. Although many of our visitors do not hold the Anabaptist beliefs, it is a time they can and often do get in touch with their own beliefs. When this process happens, Menno-Hof has accomplished its mission.
Each Tuesday as I arrive at Menno-Hof I am excited in the anticipation of the experiences I will encounter with the visitors that afternoon. As I leave late in the afternoon I am thankful for the opportunity to interact with our visitors and for the learning experiences for me through the interactions with staff and visitors at Menno-Hof.
John and his wife, Jo Ann, live in Goshen, Indiana, and attend Silverwood Mennonite Church. They have two adult sons and one daughter-in-law. John is a retired teacher having taught 6th grade special education and 7th grade math. He enjoys traveling and Indiana high school
basketball and has volunteered at Menno-Hof for 15 years.
John Preheim (standing) introduces the Menno-Hof tour to
visitors. August 2019
Reunion is published quarterly to keep
our friends informed of happenings at
Menno-Hof. Send questions or
comments to director at
Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite
Visitors’ Center
PO Box 701
510 S Van Buren St, SR 5
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Tele: (260) 768-4117
Fax: (260) 768-4118
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.mennohof.org
Menno-Hof staff: Jerry Beasley, executive director Ruth Miller, daily operations manager Susan Miller, accounting manager Charlotte Long, program and communication associate Bill Yoder, facility and grounds associate Board of Directors: Larry Chupp, president, Shipshewana, Ind. Lovina Gingerich Rutt, vice-president, Goshen, Ind. Donna Jones, Shipshewana, Ind. Orie E. Lehman, Shipshewana, Ind. Daniel B. Miller, Goshen, Ind. Steve Miller, Goshen, Ind. Jim Neff, Goshen, Ind. Wayne Schrock, Millersburg, Ind. Alvin J. Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind. Fern Yoder, Millersburg, Ind. Norman Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind.
Jerry Beasley
executive director
R ecently, I have been more aware
of the real and potential health
challenges many of us may face as we continue life’s journey and our minds
and bodies adjust. If God allows, this
year I’ll turn 70 years old on my
birthday. I am so thankful that my
health challenges have been
manageable without major medical intervention. My awareness is
heightened as a result of my younger
sister’s recent open heart surgery and medical events
experienced by several friends.
Even though we are more physically vulnerable as we age, I pray we will remain faithful and take
advantage of opportunities to be an encouragement to
others by continuing to be followers of Jesus and
witness even during times of challenge. I hope those of
us who can still physically tolerate activity routinely give thanks to God and, when possible, reach out to those
more challenged.
I continue to be reminded of how much some
appreciate a visit or simply words of encouragement. I
confess I haven’t always taken the time to do either
but I feel my sensitivity may be higher now. Going forward I hope to do better.
I believe that James gives us good and correct advice
when he tells us in chapter 5 verse 13 “is anyone
among you suffering? He should keep on praying about
it. Those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.” I hope we will also
pray that all who suffer will find God’s mercy and relief!
Hours: Monday—Saturday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
DIRECTOR’S DESK
NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
SHIPSHEWANA, IN
46565
PERMIT NO 17
Looking for a way to serve while
sharing your faith?
Menno-Hof needs local individuals in
agreement with Anabaptist values and
beliefs to serve as volunteer tour
guides and cashiers. Responsibilities
include welcoming visitors and
conducting tours.
For more information contact:
Ruth Miller, daily operations manager:
260-768-4117
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