This past weekend I went to two very different public events: an open house at the new building for Blessings of Hope Food Ministry and a church showing of the movie Unplanned. I decided writing about both of them in one blog post would be an interesting juxtaposition. Open House at Blessings of Hope Can you feed thousands of people for only 12 cents per meal? Blessings of Hope Ministry in Leola is doing just that— providing 25,000 meals per day, seven days a week, for less than … [Read more...] about Ministry Open House & Unplanned Movie Review
Camping with the Cows
We won't forgot that night. The story begins when my aunt and uncle invited us to their farm for a campout. Uncle Norman's farm had a shady pasture with a flat, secluded spot to set up tents. My parents, my younger brother, and I, plus my aunt and uncle and three of their children would all sleep out together. I was thirteen and very excited about camping. What wasn't quite as exciting was realizing that Uncle Norman kept his cows in the same pasture we would be sleeping in. "It … [Read more...] about Camping with the Cows
Down to the River
November's leaves make the mountainside slippery. We're going down to the river, to a remote campsite on the banks of the West Branch Susquehanna River. Four months ago, a friend named Elmer perished at that campsite beside the river, not because of the rushing water, but because of a falling tree. He died when the leaves were full and green, and now when autumn has drained the color from the mountains, we're going to visit the campsite in memory of him. There's sixteen of us picking our … [Read more...] about Down to the River
Streetcars & Photoshop
Mennonites love history. It's the 502th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, All-Hallows Eve, and there's high winds and a tornado watch, but tonight we're enjoying a lecture on the streetcars of Lancaster County. I'm at the Martindale Mennonite Fellowship Center, sitting in an audience of about three hundred and eighty people. Our speaker is eighty-three-year-old Herb Fisher. Mr. Fisher uses his version of a Powerpoint (Windows Photos, with verbal instructions for his helper to … [Read more...] about Streetcars & Photoshop
Abiding in the Word—A Weekend Well Spent
"You aren't packing that heavy Bible, are you?" Dad asks. He's confused why I'm adding the biggest Bible I own to my overnight bag rather than the numerous travel Bibles we have around the house. "Dad," I chuckle as I lower the ESV study Bible with its crumbling leather cover into my bag. "This is a heavy-duty Bible conference. I think I'm going to need a heavy-duty Bible." I've been looking forward to this weekend for months, ever since I first learned about the Abiding Women's … [Read more...] about Abiding in the Word—A Weekend Well Spent