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Peter Brubaker, Franconia

I met a friend named Samuel Loupe in Asuncion, Paraguay. The funny thing is that he is not from Asuncion, or from Paraguay, or even from South America. He does not speak conversational English, and he does not speak Spanish…so verbal communication between us was not very successful. He and I did not have any mutual friends, and had no particular reason to meet each other except for the fact that God put us in the same dormitory building during the week of “Congreso Mundial Menonita (Mennonite World Conference) 2009 en Asuncion, Paraguay.”

This is how I met him…

Each morning, everyone from the dormitory (called Comite Olimpico, it was normally used as a facility for various sports teams) would meander down to the dining hall for breakfast. It was most natural to sit with my group of American youth and young adult friends that I was traveling with, but I was there at the conference to meet new people. When this smiling African man pointed to the chair beside me and said something or another, I made sure to welcome him to the table, speaking in English or Spanish, and passing him some bread and jam. We spent a bit of time introducing ourselves and trying to figure out which language worked the best between us. This mostly consisted of showing each other our name tags, which had our country of origin and primary language, Samuel Loupe was from Congo-Brazzaville and spoke French.

Of course, it was about this time that I was starting to realize the full extent of my limited ability to communicate at this world conference, even though I am somewhat fluent in the Spanish language. I was thankful for an English-speaking Canadian that was able to fill me in on some of the history of the two Congo nations (The Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo), since he had been a missionary there for several years.

Samuel and I went through the week being friends on a mostly non-verbal basis, and I politely wrote down my email address in his little contact book even though, I hate to admit, I didn’t think we would ever write to each other. At the end of the week, as folks who stayed in El Comite Olimpico were saying goodbye, Samuel gave me a gift. I smiled and thanked him very much for the gift, saying that I was sorry I didn’t have anything to give him in return.

But as I came to full realization of what he had given me, I was left wondering what exactly it was, and, unfortunately, feeling slightly annoyed that I would have to carry this thing around in my baggage through all of the six remaining flights on my trip. I showed my friends, and nobody could figure out exactly what this wicker-basket-like-vase-thing-with-a-round-bottom was supposed to be used for. I started calling it my “useless vase.” I had even joked that I was going to leave it somewhere in Peru.

However, the closer and closer I got to home with it, and the more times I told people about my “useless vase” (since I often carried it in my hand rather than putting it in my luggage, where it might get crushed), the more I came to realize how much purpose this gift had really been given. This gift symbolized a connection that we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ that are scattered all over the world, with different skin color, different cultures, and different languages. Just because I can’t understand somebody does not mean that God does not speak to them, and it does not mean that we cannot be literal friends.

After being home in Pennsylvania for a few weeks, I was surprised to receive an email from Samuel! I am not exactly sure how, but we have been able to exchange a few emails in English since then, and I would like to pass on his prayer requests for his church in their fight against sexual violence, as well as their plans to build a new chapel.

“…I do the course of english and if God let, the day where we will be togather again, we will speak a lot in the lively voice..” – Samuel Loupe, in an email written to me.

May God continue to use the useless vase!

Charlotte Rosenberger, Plains

A highlight of attending Mennonite World Conference in July was to observe firsthand the miracle of the Mennonites in Paraguay.

Months of reading the stories of Mennonite migrations to Paraguay (1927-1947) were etched in my heart and mind before this journey began. Up from the Rubble by Peter and Elfrieda Dyck and Garden in the Wilderness and Like a Mustard Seed by Edgar Stoesz told their stories–groups of refugees from Germany, Russia and Canada with journeys through war and hardships to the only country in the world that would take them– Paraguay. The hardships did not end when they arrived as immigrants in Paraguay. There was typhoid fever, war in the Chaco between Paraguay and Bolivia (1932-35), crop failures from drought, flooding, and grasshoppers.

How did they get through all this? Thousands emigrated back to Canada or Germany or East Paraguay– but most stayed. It was their strength of community and their faith in God that held them together and propelled them forward.

My husband, Henry, remembers as a young child in the 1950’s when some men from the colonies in Paraguay came to Franconia Conference as part of a North American tour to raise money. They needed money for credit to buy farm machinery to tame the “Green Hell”, as the landlocked Chaco wilderness of western Paraguay was nicknamed. They sat at his parents kitchen table, telling their stories.

Now we are privileged to see this miracle with our own eyes. Our Tour ‘Magination bus with Edgar Stoesz as our storyteller traveled west from Asunción, 250 miles on the Trans Chaco highway (which Mennonite Pax participants helped build in the 1960’s), to spend two days in the colonies of Menno and Fernheim and the indigenous village of Yalve Sanga. The landscape is barren and dusty with bottle trees and scrub brush. It is winter. They have had a drought this past season with a poor crop yield.

We attended a Mennonite Brethren joint church service in Filadelphia on Sunday evening, in German, Spanish and indigenous languages. We were told it was the first time they had such a service. We visited schools, museums, a craft expo, retirement community, hospitals, dairy, peanut processing and storage, co-op store––institutions that would look good in our communities.

When the first Mennonite settlers arrived in the Chaco, they weren’t told that indigenous peoples lived there. They learned to know and work with the indigenous tribes, who had no concept of land ownership. Today, indigenous people own land, have their own co-op, schools and hospital, though many work in the colonies. Each ethnic group has preserved their own culture and language in their churches. At first glance, it seemed like segregated communities. We learned, however, that the German people valued their language and culture and felt equally strongly about preserving indigenous language and culture.

The “co-op” in each colony owns the land, builds and runs the institutions, provides health care and community infrastructure. It is the current day example of the early church in Acts. For example, the hospital at Kilometer 81, a thank you gift to Paraguay for giving them a home when there was nowhere else to go, is world renowned in the treatment of leprosy. The facility is funded by the co-op and staffed by many volunteers from the colony providing largely free services.

Planning for this Mennonite World Conference brought together in new ways the eight conferences that participated (German, Spanish, Indigenous). The combined choir of German, Spanish and Indigenous members sang together on the last evening illustrating this coming together in a beautiful way.

The communion service shared together on the last evening brought Anabaptist believers from around the world together with tears of joy. We are brothers and sisters together in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paula Marolewski, Perkiomenville

“Grow strong. Stand tall. Bear fruit. Sink your roots!”

That sums up my passion: to help others grow strong in the Lord, stand tall for what they believe, bear good fruit in their life, and sink their roots into the Word of God. It is from this passion that my website, www.SinkYourRoots.com, has come into being.

I have been in love with the written word for as long as I can remember. As early as my teen years, I knew that it was my calling to use my gift of writing to teach others in the faith and to help them “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). Out of this conviction, I took my degree in Creative Writing at Houghton College and never looked back.

Originally, I focused on Christian fiction and wrote two novels, Meditations of a Slave and Wasteland. My goal in both of these works is to address serious issues of Christian faith; including the nature of obedience, the challenge of doubt, and the miracle of redemption. I firmly believe it is vital that we move beyond the shallow waters of triviality into a continually deepening maturity through an intimate knowledge of the Word of God. Fiction is a fantastic way to explore the intersection of life, suffering, theology, and our relationship with the living God.

From there, I moved into developing challenging, in-depth Bible studies, including Good vs. Evil: The Discipline of Discernment and Running the Race: A Look at the Life in Christ from the Book of Romans. Once again, the driving force behind these studies is to help people take hold of the unbelievable riches of the Scriptures and apply them in transformative power to their lives. Only when we understand what the Bible truly says can we believe it and live it in such a way that the Kingdom of God will go forth victoriously in the world.

My most recent work, released this past July, is of an intensely personal nature; it is entitled Fire in My Mind: Personal Insights & Practical Help for Severe Anxiety.

To be truthful, I fought the Lord when he first suggested that I write about my struggle with severe anxiety. But then I thought very carefully. Here’s the unfortunate facts: mental and emotional disorders, including severe anxiety, carry with them a tremendous social stigma. People don’t mind admitting that they have diabetes or cancer, but we don’t want to tell anyone if we have a problem that is located in our mind or brain or emotions.

The result of this social stigma is ignorance: people don’t understand severe anxiety, don’t recognize it, don’t know what to do when they have it, and don’t know how to help others who suffer from it. I personally suffered from severe anxiety for three years before I could put a name to the problem. Then it took me an additional two years to find help and learn tools and techniques to address my anxiety.

To the very core of my being, I want to help others avoid the pain which I experienced. I long to help people recognize severe anxiety. To learn tools to help them cope. To show them the solid foundation of Scripture that they can build their lives on. To enable them to teach their friends and family how to effectively support and encourage them through their journey.

Fire in My Mind is written for this purpose. In it, people can see directly into my mind as I struggled with racing thoughts, shame, fear, irrationality, doubt, anger, exhaustion, and loneliness. They can then find practical tools and techniques to address those issues, theological meditations on Scripture passages, and prayers to help focus their minds on the Lord.

My deep prayer is that Sink Your Roots and the Bible studies, Christian fiction, articles, devotionals, and blog postings that are on it will be used powerfully by the Lord to further his Kingdom. This is my purpose and my passion, and yet, while the writings on Sink Your Roots are from my pen, the ministry involves many, many people. People who pray, who support, who encourage, who spread the word. I humbly hope and pray that you would join with me in prayer that God’s Word would go forth through Sink Your Roots – for those prayers you have my deepest thanks.

Kathleen McCafferty

It’s 8:45 am, and you are suddenly faced with a detour sign on your way to work. Yikes! You have eight clients that will be waiting for you to start the meeting at 9:00 am. This is an important meeting, and you want to make a good impression. With your husband having just lost his job due to the economy and you being the sole breadwinner for the family, you have to stay on your toes. Your heart starts racing. You grip the steering wheel like it’s the only thing keeping you from spiraling out of control. Your muscles go rigid, and you become hyper, focused on the road and the person in front of you who insists on going the speed limit. Doesn’t he know that you are in the middle of a crisis? Why can’t he just pull over to the side and get out of your way?

The good news is that once you get to work, your body will start to recover from the stress you were feeling on the road. You may begin to breathe more slowly, sweat less, and your heart may start to slow down. The bad news is that the stress you are feeling about being the sole breadwinner for your family will probably linger like a flickering light switch in your body over time. Unless you do something physically and mentally to deal with the everyday detours as well as the ongoing demands of life, you may be at risk for succumbing to the symptoms of stress.

What is stress anyway? According to most experts in the field, it is any real or perceived demand put on us, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional. Our bodies are hard-wired to respond to stress. A little bit of stress is important for optimum performance, but too much of it is not good. When we feel stressed, our heart rate increases, muscles tense, immune and digestive systems slow down, breathing becomes shallow, and we sweat. These stress responses are a great to help us if we need to run away from or fight a tiger, but not so good if we experience them day after day after day…for things like traffic, work, financial worry, etc. The stress response can take a toll on our bodies after a while. It can weaken our immune systems, and we may become susceptible to all kinds of illnesses from colds to more serious afflictions. Ongoing stress can also lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

One way to head off stress at the onset is to recognize when you are actually feeling stressed. Sounds simple, right? Well, it’s not always that easy to do, especially with accumulated stress. The most common symptom of stress is irritability. If you (or someone else) notices that you are chewing everyone’s head off lately, it might be a sign that stress is building up. Do you have changes in sleep or eating patterns? Do you experience fatigue often? Are you having difficulty with memory and concentration? These can all be stress-related symptoms.

So, what can we do to manage stress? First, take care of your body. We’ve all heard it before, first from our moms and then from our doctors. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat a balanced diet. Avoid alcohol and smoking because these substances can actually make stress symptoms worse. And don’t forget recreation; do something fun!

So what if you’re doing most of that now? Next, take care of your mind. Determine what you have control over and what is out of your control. Focus on the things that you can do. For instance, if your finances are your main source of stress, take an honest look at your income and expenses by setting up a budget and recording your financial history over the last several months (start out small). If you find that you are coming up short at the end of each month, look for ways to cut expenses, even small ways. You may be surprised how a few changes add up. There are plenty of financial websites and financial experts that offer tips that can help.

The key is feeling a sense of control over whatever is causing you stress by focusing on the things that you can do and then taking action. Another thing that you can do is look at your situation in as many different ways as possible. Elicit the help of a friend, family member, or counselor for this. The idea is to gain a more positive perspective.

So, maybe that detour on your way to work is actually a good thing. It might offer you a new, scenic route to work and the opportunity to hear a song on the radio that you absolutely love.

Jay Gordon, Jr., Grace

For Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber, learning has always been about much more than reading, writing and arithmetic.

“Education is about relationships,” says Christopher Dock’s new principal. “The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. We’re not about imparting knowledge as much as we are about lighting a fire and getting students excited about the world, about relationships, and about being lifelong learners.”

Dr. Swartzentruber’s administrative style reflects this emphasis on relationships. “It’s important that my door is open, and that people feel welcome to come in and talk with me,” he says. “I like to make decisions as a group rather than as individuals whenever possible. There is always wisdom in seeking the counsel of others, so the focus in my first year will be on listening—hearing ways that we can use our relationships to make this an even better school.”

While he is new to his position—he officially became Christopher Dock’s sixth principal on July 1—Dr. Swartzentruber isn’t exactly new to the school. “I came to Dock the first time on a Mennonite Schools Council exchange with [former principal] Elaine Moyer seven years ago,” he says. “I visited for a day, and my first impression was of the facilities and grounds—the wonderful campus here is amazing, and truly a blessing.”

On a more recent visit, as part of the Mennonite Education Agency and Middle States Association accreditation team that visited Dock last year, Dr. Swartzentruber came away with a new appreciation for the student-faculty relationships at Dock.

“The school’s culture is distinct,” he says. “[The accreditation team] could see that Mennonite and Anabaptist values were important to both faculty and students, and that the faculty cared deeply for students and had very positive relationships with them. There was an appropriate respect, but also very close bonds. We were even invited to play stickball at lunch; that was another great sign of community!”

Several experiences have helped shape Dr. Swartzentruber’s perception of the opportunity here at Dock. The first of these was growing up in Kentucky, where his father pastored a mission church. Another was the 11 years he and his family spent in Asia—three in Bangladesh and eight in Indonesia—on a missions assignment with Mennonite Central Committee.

“Any experience in another culture broadens your perspective, and can change your whole outlook on life,” he says. “When we see how other people work at the same things we’re working at, possibly using a different approach, it informs our journey.” It also helped him develop the ability to think critically—which should be an important part of every student’s education.

“Critical thinking prepares a student to deal with issues that don’t exist yet—to deal with life,” he says. “A school needs to provide an environment where young people learn to apply critical thinking skills; to ask, ‘What are we doing with the information we gather?’”

In addition, both mission experiences “allowed me to come onto the Dock campus with a real sense of how privileged we are to have a school like this. In Asia we lived in a small village where school only happened when the teacher showed up. In Bangladesh, college students weren’t sure how long it would take to finish a degree because the school would close for up to a year at a time due to political unrest. Those things have changed my sense of appreciation for what we have here. We have no disruptions from the outside, and we have tremendous support from the community.”

That support is especially important in times of transition—particularly when one occurs in the midst of a difficult economic time. “A growing school should always be in transition,” he says. “We should be firmly rooted in our values and traditions, but always asking how we can improve.” Transitioning leadership during a difficult economic period “provides an opportunity to rediscover the reason for our existence,” he adds. “We need to continually rediscover and articulate the value of this school. I see this as a time when we can look at the impact Dock has on the lives of students, with teachers who are mentoring and building relationships and becoming friends for a lifetime, and consider the implications of that for our community and the world. Economics will not overshadow the significance of the work that’s happening here.”