TheVox Simonisis a monthly publication (with exception of January) of the First Mennonite Church. TheVox Simonisis designed to inform the FMC Congregation and friends of the congregation of ``God's work'' through the individuals, families, church groups, and the greater community.
``Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'' Mark 12:29-31
Individual submissions are welcome. Please bring contributions to the church office. You may also email submissions tomenno1stmobynet.com
WEB SITE INFORMATION First Mennonite Church now has a website on the internet. To visit the FMC site, go to: www.fmcreedley.org
You may email the church office at: fmcreedleyjuno.com FMC STAFF
Stephen Penner, Pastor …………………………………E-mail: stevepenneryahoo.com
Juan Montes, Associate Pastor ……………………….…..….E-mail: jvmontesjuno.com
Barbara Ewy, Director of Children's Ministries …………………..E-mail: abewycvip.net
Dee Patrick, Office Coordinator ……………….……………E-mail: fmcreedleyjuno.com
Paul Reimer, Custodian …………………………………….E-mail: psreimernetzero.net
Submissions are accepted and are used by discretion of the editor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
REFLECTIONS by Steve Penner THOUGHTSbyBarbara Ewy
2008 All-Church Picnic
VBS
Why I'm Living in 1998 by Jordan Penner
Bethel College News
PEACE CENTER CALENDAR
What's New in our Church Library?
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
RUMBLINGS AROUND THE CAMPUS by Paul Reimer
Congregational Volunteer Work Day
Events in our FMC Family and Beyond…
Our Graduates
Camp Keola Summer Position Available
Review of Sunday Morning Schedule
Habits of a Missional Church
Reuben's Story
Remembering Elsie
PRAYER VINE CALENDAR
REFLECTIONS from Steve Penner
Another church picnic has come and gone…
I don't know for how long the annual church picnic has been a Spring staple of our church calendar at FMC but it's been around for as long as I can remember. We started attending FMC in the Fall of 1985 so Spring, 1986, would have been our first time to experience this particular expression of our church life. If memory serves me right, in those days we met out at Great Western School. I vaguely recall a worship service under the trees, surely there was a big potluck, and then slow-pitch softball out on the playground. Somebody brought the balls and bats, we divided into two teams, shared gloves, and played the game. For a long time now the picnic has been at Riverview School on Lac Jac. We always count on Don Ewy to make some of the necessary arrangements with the school. Rusty Moyer, with all his Riverview connections, basically became our facilities coordinator this year. The Education committee, chaired by Sylvia Gomez, gave leadership to the picnic. The committee gave its primary attention to the worship service. Sylvia served as worship leader, moving deftly back and forth between English and Spanish. Jose Mireles led us in singing several familiar songs. A mixed ensemble, brought together by Ruth Buxman, sang a couple of songs, including ``We will walk with God,'' a catchy tune from Africa, found inSing in Rejoice. It was great to see four young violinists, Tyler Linscheid, Baldimar Ambriz, Ricardo Andrade, and Susie Ewy, play along with leaders Paul and Ruth Buxman during the offertory. Ro Linscheid played her guitar and led the children's Sunday School students in two songs. This year's service was built around the theme verse from Joshua 24, ``as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'' Alan and Barbara told us how this verse had been used at their wedding seventeen years ago, and they reflected on how it takes meaning in their family life today. Maxi Ambriz shared from deep in her heart with us. We learned of some of the immense challenges Maxi has faced in her life, and how her decision to give her life over to Christ has transformed her life as well as dramatically impacted her family. Then, Sharon Reimer portrayed Katherine Neufeld, describing the frightening, dramatic events of her life in the former Soviet Union. Today Katherine gives thanks to God every day for the blessings of shelter, running water, and food on the table. All of these things she could not always take for granted. The picnic reflects the changing nature of our congregation. It's not as possible for some of us to stay at the picnic late into the afternoon as we formerly did. Others, however, take our place, chatting in the shade, playing two person, three-legged foot races, and a few people were kicking a soccer ball around. As I was writing this I listened to the old hymn, O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. In our life together at FMC there are things that seem to always stay the change, yet with just a little thought we recognize that this too is gradually changing. It is the same way with our lives. We aren't quite the same people we once were, we've been through some life, and some of it has not been easy at all. We find too that we may not conceptualize things, believe things, in quite the same way that we once did. Yet, through all the storms and seasons of life we desire, with Joshua of old, to declare that our ''house will serve the Lord,'' leaning on the love that will never let us go.
THOUGHTS,,, by Barbara Ewy
…Spring Activities of our Students With the month of May comes many activities associated with the last month of the school year. Last Sunday at our church picnic I spent some time wandering the playground in search of our Kindergarten through Grade Six students. I wanted to find out what activities they are participating in during these spring weeks at school. I had to walk around the building several times to find everyone. They were busy…flying a kite, throwing water balloons, chasing each other around the buildings, riding bikes, visiting with friends and cousins. I discovered that our students are busy people!
Almost all of them reported that they have been testing at school. Spring is the time for STAR testing, CAT testing, achievement testing. I don't even know what all of the acronyms stand for! Testing is certainly becoming a fact of life in today's education system. Most of these students are also finding time for fun and other activities.
First grader Ethan Milton enjoys playing soccer at recess. He likes to try to steal the ball from the other team. He is looking forward to swimming during the summer. First grader Yazmin Ambriz enjoyed a field trip with her class to the Chaffee Zoo in Fresno. I understand she particularly liked seeing the monkeys! She also remembered the reptile house and the rainforest exhibit with all of the plants and animals. She had a good time.
Congratulations are due to Carolina Valdovinos. She was named student of the month at Riverview School and recognized for good citizenship. Carolina is looking forward to a field trip with her class to visit the Reedley Museum. Emily Milton, also a third grader, is looking forward to a field trip this coming Thursday to visit the mountains. She is hoping that there will still be some snow. Emily enjoys sports, football and soccer, and likes to play both at school and at home. She has also been in several plays at the Opera House, most recentlyShow Offand during blossom time,Blossoms Up. Emily is on the Marlins swim team and is already attending swim practices.
Ricardo Trejo has been running the 3000 meters at track meets. He represents Washington School and says that the 3000 involves running around the track seven and a half times. His class also went on a field trip to Mariposa to a museum where they got to pan for gold and buy some gold! Although they did not get to go into the mining tunnel, Ricardo says they had a good time.
Suzi Ewy, Mabely Diaz, Tyler Linscheid, and Baldemar Ambriz are all looking forward to upcoming field trips to Blackbeards in Fresno. They will each be going with their respective school's fifth grade violin ensembles. They will give a noon time concert and then enjoy the activities at Blackbeards for the remainder of the afternoon. Baldemar is also looking forward to a trip to Boomers, another park similar to Blackbeards. This field trip is for students who did well in testing and will go to Grant next year. Yaquelin Espinoza is also looking forward to a field trip to Boomers. Mabely and Suzi have been making state dioramas for their social studies classes at Riverview. Suzi's state was New Jersey and Mabely's was Nevada.
Maritza Ambriz is a sixth grader at Grant. The sixth graders are looking forward to a field trip to Kelly's Beach where they will get to go swimming. Maritza enjoyed playing volleyball this year for the Grant Grizzlies. Our students are indeed busy people! We are happy that they also include church and church activities in their busy schedules! The Adventure Class of third to fifth graders will be leading worship at Sierra View Homes in May. Let us all remember to encourage and support these young people!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Place: First Mennonite Church
1208 L StreetReedley
Dates: Sunday-Thursday
June 15-19, 2008
Times: 6:15-8:30 p.m.
For: All Children
ADULT BIBLE SCHOOL
Place: First Mennonite Church
1208 L StreetReedley
Dates: Sunday-Tuesday & Thursday
June 15-17 and 19, 2008 (No class on Wednesday night.)
Times: 7-8:15 p.m.
Teacher: Michelle Ferguson
Michelle Ferguson teaches in the
Bible and Religion department at Fresno Pacific University.
Her topic for the adult VBS will be announced in the coming weeks.
WHY I'M LIVING IN 1998 By Jordan Penner
(Editor's note: This article first appeared in a March 2008 edition of the Bethel CollegeCollegian. Evidently there are lots of cell phones on the Bethel College campus and having seen enough, Jordan decided to express himself ) I live happily without either a cell phone or a Facebook account. I will grant that both of these things have definite positives that no one can deny, but the longer I spend without these conveniences and the smaller the minority of college students without them becomes, the more I become convinced that they are having very serious, and negative, social effects that we have failed to notice.
A lot of my views on communication were formed during my semester abroad in Ecuador. While in Ecuador, I watched as friends of mine seemingly spent their life waiting in anticipation for the next email or Facebook message from home. After the brief period of joy that apparently always
accompanies the message, ``Hey Lucy! Was thinking of you! Hope everything is going great!'' my friends were forced to go back to **gasp** the real world.
My American friends in Ecuador were maddeningly obsessed with Facebook. To me, this long distance communication was basically substanceless, like cotton-candy, as Staley lecturer Shane Hipps called it. More importantly, this substanceless communication had the tendency to pluck ones thoughts away from the present and into the past. It felt like the ease of this long distance communication was taking away from our experience in Ecuador. It was way too easy (even for me) to, in
effect, stay at home, rather than engaging in what was right before our eyes: Ecuador and our new group of friends-two things for which, even without the distraction of Facebook, one semester was not nearly enough time.
Far more troubling, however, than the way in which Facebook and cell phones can keep us insulated from a challenging world, is the insecurity that I think rampant use of Facebook and cell phones can create. I have come to the conclusion that extreme use of cell phones and Facebook is an indication of, and an ineffectual stopgap for, our own insecurity.
Maybe it is just that I value my time alone more than other people, but when I constantly see people walking to and from class on their cell phones, texting in class, and basically filling up any downtime with their cell phones, it makes me wonder if we all have just become afraid to be alone.
Along with other emotions (like sadness and discontentment) I think our society is teaching us that being alone and bored is simply not acceptable. If you are feeling alone, you must be a loser and not have any friends. You have to have your cell phone at the ready to prove to yourself that, should things not be super exciting where you are, a friend of yours is there to keep you company. We end up living our lives trying to figure out where we could be having the most fun or being the most productive instead of making the most of our current situation.
Egregious use of cell phones also reveals insecurity in our friendships. Why do parents buy their high-school kids cell-phones: because they don't trust them and want to be able to keep tabs on them. Now I know most of you aren't calling your friends or significant others because you don't trust them, but this aspect of keeping tabs is definitely there. Constantly checking up to see ``what's going on,'' sounds a lot to me like, ``you're not doing anything without me are you?'' As if friends doing something without you means you are suddenly not friends. It is simply not true. I think true friendships would allow space for our friends to fully engage in their current surroundings.
Maybe without cell phones we would all be a little bit better at making new friends, or simply enjoying the company of strangers. Texting, short phone calls, and most certainly Facebook surfing can be a fruitless way of hiding our insecurity from ourselves. I know cell phones and Facebook are not going away, and one day I myself might find myself with one or both. However, I think we should all take a moment to make sure that these new technologies are not, in fact, hindering our social interactions by limiting our ability to engage our present surroundings and fostering insecurity in our relationships.
Bethel College News
NORTH NEWTON, KAN. A Bethel College history student tradition of writing award-winning papers continued into 2008 as Jordan Penner, senior history major from Reedley, Calif., became the 21st to take first place in a statewide history teacher-sponsored competition.
The Kansas History Teachers Association, now known as the Kansas Association of Historians (KAH), in 1971 began sponsoring prizes for the best undergraduate history papers written each year. There are two categories in the undergraduate division: Category I for papers produced in seminars or other semester-long courses in which a paper is the principle objective, and Category II for papers produced as one of several important activities that constitute a course.
Winning writers receive a monetary award of $125. Nineteen Bethel students in addition to Penner have taken first place over the years Daagya Dick won twice, in Category II in 1991 and in Category I in 1993. And the most recent winner, in 2006, was her brother, Jesse Nathan.
Penner's paper is entitled ``The Success of Aztlan,'' exploring the use of Aztlan imagery in the poetry and visual art of the Chicano movement in the 1960s and '70s. Aztlan was a mythical homeland of Chicanos, hearkening back to Aztec and Mayan greatness. Penner argues that using Aztlan imagery gave under-represented, oppressed Chicanos a sense of shared identity and self-esteem as they battled for civil rights in the post-WWII era.
``The contest receives submissions from a range of colleges and universities in Kansas,'' said Bethel College Associate Professor of History Penelope Adams Moon. ``Any undergraduate is allowed to submit a paper as long as it is in history and sponsored by a history instructor. There is also a graduate category.
``Bethel students have a strong history of winning the KAH student paper competition,'' she continued. ``This is proof that one need not enter a history program with dozens of professors and hundreds of courses to develop strong skills as a historian.
``Bethel students undoubtedly benefit from the intensive study, wonderfully complex discussion and significant writing expectations that can occur because class sizes at Bethel are small. I have known for a while now that our students are the best in the state winning the KAH award again this year is just further proof of that.''
The Kansas Association of Historians is composed of historians in university, archival and public settings.
Bethel College is a four-year liberal arts college affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Founded in 1887, it is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is known for its academic excellence and was the highest ranked Kansas college in the national liberal arts category ofU.S. News & World Report's listing of ``America's Best Colleges'' for 2008. For more information, see the Bethel Web site at.
REEDLEY
PEACE CENTER
CALENDAR
Friday, May 2,6:30-8:30
Speaker:Elijah Pennerspeaks about his voluntary service experience in Cambodia. Topic:AGrassroots Development Experience.
Friday, May 9,6:30-8:30
Speaker:Bladimir Pizano. Topic:United States Immigration Policy and NAFTA
Friday, May 16,6:30-8:30
Speaker: To be announced.
Friday, May 23,6:30-8:30
Documentary:Dear America: Letters Home from Viet Nam
Friday, May 30,6:30-8:30
Speaker:Ziad Abbas,Palestinian journalist. Topic:The Naqba 60 Years: What is the Future for Palestinian Refugees
What's New in our Church Library?
Recent additions to the library Children's books: Fisher, Leonard Everett The Seven Days of Creation Holiday House, 1981 DePaola, Tomie The Parables of Jesus Holiday House 1987 Hutton, Warwick Moses In The Bulrushes Atheneum, NY 1986 Longstaff, John Climbing Jacob's Ladder (Heroes of the Bible in African-American Spirituals)
Macmillan, 1991 Hess, Ingrid Sleep In Peace Herald Press 2007 Duerksen, Carol Slickfester Dude Tells Animal Stories Willowspring Downs Duerksen, Carol Slickfester Dude Visits the Amish Willowspring Downs Youth Books: Duerksen, Carol with Knepp, Maynard Runaway Buggy
Hitched
Preacher Willowspring Downs, 1995 Adult Books: Hosseini, Khaled The Kite Runner Riverhead Books, 2003 Davis, Cynthia Beloved Leah Americana Publishing, 1991 Stutzman, Ervin R. Emma--A Widow Among the Amish Herald Press, 2007
Kehrberg, Sarah (content editor)
The Mennonite Handbook
Herald Press 2007
Swartley, Willard M.
Send Forth Your Light
Herald Press 2007
York, Trip
The Purple Crown
Herald Press 2007 Check out these new books in our library: Thank you to Louise Auernheimerfor a series of Books about an Amish youth written by Carol Duerksen with husband Maynard Knepp. The series offers an inside peak into the life, loves, behaviors and beliefs of the Amish community. Runawayfollows the coming of age of an Amish boy named Jonas. It is both a love story and a story of his struggle between two conflicting worlds. The second,Hitched, finds Jonas choosing a marriage partner and also recognizing that there are Christians not Amish and vice versa. Preacheris the third book and follows Jonas as an adult and as a father of three as he lives the life of an Amishman and faces difficult decisions. These stories are thought provoking as well as enjoyable, not only for youth, but adults as well. Also by Carol Duerksen are the Amish inspired children's books featuring Slickfester Dude. The author and her husband (who grew up in an Amish family) live on a farm near Gossel, KS with a unique cat and other animals. Slickfester Dude Tells Bedtime Stories features true stories of animals on their farm. In Slickfester Dude Visits the Amish, Slickfester and a boy named Kent visit an Amish farm to fulfill Kent's summer school assignment to study another culture. Slickfester Dude, being a cat, went along out of curiosity. At the end of the day the boy, because he had the courage to try new and different experiences, had a wonderful time and made new friends.
Rumblings Around the Campus by PaulReimer, Custodian
After a couple of years of a leaky air conditioner in the church office, it now has been replaced. Hopefully this one will give the office staff many years of cool summer days!
You will see activity around the campus green areas. We are getting a new sprinkler system installed. These will be on a timer. So please be careful walking around and parents with children, please be aware of the potential hazards and supervise them accordingly.
CONGREGATIONAL VOLUNTEER WORK DAY
The Board of Trustees is requesting volunteers to help with a work day. The date has been set for Saturday, May 31st beginning at 8:30 AM.
We have a variety of work that can be done: painting, clean church siding, deep cleaning jobs of various kinds, weeding and Pledge dusting. A good variety of work that can include many workers.
Please contact any member of the trustee board to let us know if you can help. Trustees are Juan Gomez, Bob Mason, John Krahn and Vern Warkentin.
Thanks for your consideration of volunteerism.
Vern Warkentin, Chairman
Happenings in our FMC Family and Beyond… ·Daisy Cintora's Spanish poem, ``Daisy,'' was given Honorable Mention in the annual Reedley High School writing contest. ·Taylor Siebert, a member of the Fresno State women's golf team, helped her team win the Western Athletic Conference women's golf championship. Taylor is Merle and Florence Siebert's granddaughter. ·Eliel Banny Montes and Mimi Ann Konold were married on May 10 in San Diego. ·Paul and Ruth Buxman recently traveled to Portland, Oregon where Paul exhibited his paintings in the home of friends. Paul and Ruth also visited Annarie and Eric in their recently acquired Portland home. Annarie is doing well as they await the birth of their first child. ·Jake and Renee Harder, along with daughter Gracie, arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico, on April 28. For the next four months they will be studying Spanish. Larry and Gail plan to visit them this summer. ·Laura Penner throws the shot-put for the Reedley High School track team. Recently she improved her personal best by three feet, a stupendous accomplishment. ·Derrick and Michelle Ramer welcomed their first child, Dominic Devon, into the world on April 23. Congratulations! ·Abby Moyer will be riding her bike one hundred miles on June 1, all while taking in the beauty of Lake Tahoe. She is a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. On Saturday, April 26, Abby and Dad, Rusty, rode sixty-five miles as part of Abby's rigorous training routine. ·Alex Boldt is a member of the Bethel College concert choir. The choir spent their Spring break week touring the upper Midwest of the US as well as venturing into Canada. ·Johann Reimer is soon to complete his Master's in Industrial Engineering from Oklahoma University. Johann recently accepted a position with Cessna Corporation in Wichita, Kansas. He will begin his new job later this year. ·Jorge Romero will be traveling to Columbia on May 20 to visit his family and share in churches. ·The newest member of the braces club at FMC is Andy Ewy. ·Araceli Moreno will receive her BA in social work from Fresno State on May 17. ·Ruben Montes is playing football for the Clovis Coyotes, a semi-professional football team. ·Kayla Quenzer, Wayne and Marty Zimmerman's granddaughter, spent her Bethel College Spring break doing service work on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. ·Jessica Ambriz enjoyed pizza on her 14thbirthday, last April 19. ·Sharon Reimer rode her bike from home all the way to the church picnic at Riverview School. ·Our friend Audrey Hindes (she's preached at our church and presented at the Reedley Peace Center) and Brian DePalma are getting married in Fresno on June 7. ·Peter Boldt keeps racking up the honors for his virtuosity with the French horn. Recently he was named to the California All-State Junior High Symphonic Band. ·Mary Hiebert has about 190 beautiful rose bushes surrounding her home on Lincoln Avenue. ·Katherine Detweiller recently visited her children in Seattle, Washington. On Sunday she attended an interesting worship service at the Evergreen Mennonite church. Ask her about it! ·AJ Salyers was named to play in the City-County all-star football game later this year. This is the second such honor AJ has received. ·Sara Blake and Abby Moyer are swim coaches for the Reedley Marlins. ·Will Friesen, from Mennonite Community Church, has accepted a position as Provost and Academic Vice-President at Malone College in Canton, Ohio. Will has preached at our church, led an adult VBS one summer, and attended numerous services with us. ·Angelica Valdovinos, a student at Cal Poly Pomona, and Elijah Penner, a student at Fuller Seminary, have both been studying the Chinese language. ·Ted Harder has composed some worship songs and has been a guest speaker at Christian high schools in the area. ·Jerry Linscheid was critical to the success of this year's MCC Relief Sale. He jumped into an empty breach and coordinated all the facilities for this year's Relief Sale. ·Wendell and Aleta Rempel are leaving for the Midwest later this month. They will take in a number of end-of-the-school-year activities involving their grand-children. ·Wayne Zimmerman is singing in the West Coast Mennonite Men's Chorus. The chorus is performing at the Crystal Cathedral in Southern California May 18. ·Roger Zimmerman took a motorcycle trip to Washington in April. Poor Roger encountered snow in route!
Steve Ratzlaff, pastor of Mennonite Community Church in Fresno, has just released a new book,7 Steps to End War & Save the Planet. This is a clarion call to action rooted in Steve's personal life-long devotion to God's justice and peace. You can order the book online at www.xlibris.com
Our Graduates: Junior High School Jessica Ambriz Grant Middle School
Peter Boldt Riverview School
Andy Ewy Riverview School High School Marvin Ambriz Reedley High School
Sara Blake University High School
Reid Furlong Reedley High School
AJ Salyers Reedley High School
Ivan Zepeda Kingsburg High School College Nathan Boldt Fresno Pacific University BA in Mathematics
Araceli Moreno Fresno State University BA in Social Work
Jordan Penner Bethel College BA in History and Spanish
Trent Scarbery Fresno State University BS in Criminology w/emphasis in Victimology Graduate School Johann Reimer University of Oklahoma MA in Industrial Engineering
Camp Keola
Job Positions for Summer of 2008
Summer-Long Positions (June 10 to August 17, 2008) Assistant Cook - experienced in food service and enjoys cooking. Responsibilities include food preparation, kitchen cleanup and assisting the Head Cook. Kitchen Help - help with food preparation, table setting, and dish washing with opportunities to gain
experience in all aspects of camp work. Develop leadership and cooking skills while serving. May be combined with the program staff during three weeks of Mennonite Youth Camps. Lifeguard - certified and comfortable working on a mountain lake, experience with boats a plus.
Responsibilities include some maintenance, housekeeping, and dish washing in addition to lifeguarding. Camp Generalist - work with kitchen, maintenance, waterfront, lead hikes and fill in as needed.
Develop leadership skills while serving others in a variety of ways. Gain experience in all aspects of camp work. Must have a willingness to serve wherever needed. May be combined with the program staff during three weeks of Mennonite Youth Camps.
\ Mennonite Program Positions for approx. July 11 - August 2 (includes Mandatory Training) Head Counselors* -in addition to responsibilities of a counselor, be a role model for other counselors, work with Directors to train and supervise the counseling staff. Music Director* -plan and lead music for worship during Mennonite Camps. Activities Director* -plan, lead and implement activities during Mennonite camps.Counselor* -live with, interact with and lead a group of campers through their week of camp. Provides a great opportunity to be a role model and to impact lives by setting an example for the campers to see. Counselor in Training (C.I.T.) - want to counsel, but not old enough? Come join a counselor for a week as a helper. Learn about camp and guide youngest campers to know God in a deeper way. Must be in 11thor 12thgrade. Nurse - help to ensure safety and health of the campers and staff, take care of medical emergencies, be in charge of medications, care for ill or injured campers. Crafts* -develop and lead creative arts and craft activities that can be enjoyed by all of the campers. *These positions may be combined with Camp Generalist or Kitchen Helper positions for a full summer experience of program and general camp duties. For more information or an application, please contact us at (559) 348-3213 or e-mail atYou can also access our website at
Applications are available from the church office.
Review of the Sunday Morning Schedule
When we began our current Sunday morning schedule, the deacons promised to
review it in the fall of 2007. Slightly overdue, the deacons conducted a review of the current Sunday morning schedule this spring. Interested congregants from both
worship services filled out a survey form indicating their preferences. Then, a meeting was convened on Sunday evening, April 20th, to review the findings and discuss the topic further. The overwhelming majority is satisfied with the current schedule. People particularly appreciate having both language groups on campus simultaneously so that Sunday School is blended and so that united worship services can be held without having to ask either group to change meeting time. Generally, people prefer the Christian education hour first, followed by the worship service and feel that the coffee time is adequate. We will continue with our schedule and do not plan to review it again unless some unforeseen issue arises. If you have any questions
regarding this, contact one of the deacons. Christine Moyer Karen Peterson Wendell Rempel Dora Vasquez Sebastian Andrade Roger Zimmerman
HABITS OF A MISSIONAL CHURCH
Jim Schrag, Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA offers this ``habit'' of the missional church. More ``habits'' will appear in the next four issues of this newsletter. Habit Three Seek to do what Jesus is doing Being "Christ-like" is an ideal Mennonites are taught from an early age. Have we understood this to "belike Jesus" or to "actlike Jesus?" If we are to "be like Jesus" we will possess Jesus'
attributes of faithfulness, purity and steadfastness. If we "act like Jesus," we will demonstrate his courage, single-mindedness and self-sacrifice. We will go places we have not gone before. The missional question for us may not be "Who is Jesus?" but rather, "What would Jesus do now?" We will ask whether our friendships cover as broad a spectrum of society as Jesus' friendships did. Have we tried to wrangle an invitation to eat at the house of Zacchaeus? What about that neighbor with whom you think you have little in common? How do we act toward opposition and possible injury because of our call from God? Witness Jesus' regard for his captors in the garden after his betrayal and his rebuke of Peter for wanting to protect him with violence. A well-known story from Anabaptism is of Dirk Williams, who went back to save his captor after he fell through the ice, thus sealing his own fate. This was missional action, not proclamation -- something Jesus would have done. We talk about our missional calling leading us "across the street and around the world." That will require the action of walking across the street, not just gazing over the curb and wondering what it is like "over there."
REUBEN'S STORY
In Loving Memory
Reuben H. Bergthold
1913-2008
Reuben was born on October 31, 1913 in Reedley, California to Henry and Marie Mueller Bergthold. The Lord called him home on March 13, 2008 at the age of 94. He had been looking forward to joining his beloved wife, Hildur, who preceded him in death in January, 2006.
It pleased Reuben to tell people he lived in Reedley "all of his life". His grandparents immigrated from Austria and Germany and settled in Reedley in early 1900 where they became charter members of the Reedley First Mennonite Church. His loving parents raised their four children in a Christian home and their lives exemplified the same attributes of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love that Reuben modeled for his children. His daughter-in-law, Debi, remarked, "He modeled Christ to me. I will see the Lord because of his witness to me. His life glorified the Lord he so passionately loved in his quiet unassuming way". Daughter-in-law, Linda, said, "He always had time to listen".
Reuben graduated from Reedley High School, Reedley College (where he was student body president and played football) and attended Fresno State. While a student at Reedley College he met Hildur Ahlstrom when they were both members of the CLOC (Christian Living on the Campus Club). Following several years of courtship, they were married on November 30, 1940 and established their home in Reedley.
Reuben and Hildur's children are Aleta Wedel Rempel, Bruce Bergthold, and Dean Bergthold. Aleta and Wendell share 6 children and 11 grandchildren. Bruce and Linda have 2 sons, and Dean and Debi have 2 daughters, 1 son and 6 grandchildren. Family, including his extended family, brought great joy to Reuben.
Reedley First Mennonite Church had a special place in Reuben's life. He served a$ a deacon for 18 years, taught Sunday School, was Sunday School Superintendent, participated in Men's Brotherhood and sang in the men's chorus. Other joys included membership and volunteer activities in the YMCA, serving as a volunteer ambulance attendant for many years and volunteering at Sierra View Homes.
Reuben was the Assistant Postmaster in Reedley for 30 years and worked for Mennonite Aidf Plan for another 20 years. Retirement enabled him to spend more time in the mountains, especially at the family cabin at Cedarbrook, experiencing the beauty of God's beautiful world and working on various projects with his brothers and other family members. Beginning when he was a child, trips to Cedarbrook were a highlight His children and grandchildren will always remember his special "mountain pancakes". His hobbies included fishing in area lakes with friends, gardening and, later in life, assisting Hildur in making quilts, comforters and wool braided rugs which they donated to the MCC.
After Hildur's death, Reuben made his home at Sierra View Homes, near his brother Art, where he experienced excellent care and peaceful days among friends.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife Hildur, his brothers Art and Louis, and sister, Ruth Asplund, and his parents, Henry and Marie.
His children and grandchildren are so blessed to have had this gentle, patient man as their father and grandfather. As family prayed with him shortly before he died, a prayer from a family member's heart revealed that "Lord, this was the best man I have ever known".
REMEMBERING ELSIE
``Here's that annual Christmas note/ We just got it out on time
This year I thought we'd try to/ Tell about us all in rhyme.''
On July 13, 1919, Elsie Anna Heer was born on a ranch in Estrella outside of Paso Robles, California. She spent her childhood there with her two brothers, Irvin and Alfred. In 1940, Elsie left Estrella to attend Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, where she studied to become a librarian. World War II cut her stay there short, and she returned to the Paso Robles area in 1943. Her jobs were usually secretarial, and included stints at Camp Roberts, the wartime ration board, and a furniture and hardware store. After the war, two brothers from the Reedley area drove all the way to Paso Robles to visit Elsie on the Estrella family farm. She knew both of them from Mennonite youth retreats at Sequoia Lake in the Sierra Nevada. Soon after this visit, only one of the brothers received a letter from Elsie, and the courtship began. On November 1, 1946, Elsie married Herb Lichti. At first, Herb worked as a farmhand on neighboring farms; then, in 1953, they moved onto a property on East Clayton Avenue, where they lived for over fifty years. Eventually, they also acquired the farm of Herb's parents. For decades, Elsie was an active partner on the farm, keeping the books, tying vines, and managing the packing shed. In addition, her life was busy with raising three children. She did whatever was needed to keep family and farm in one piece. As she put it in her 1969 Christmas poem:
``I'll still run the packing shed/till Herb's a millionaire-
You know it's much more likely/I'll be on Medicare.''
A self-taught cook and baker, Elsie followed Betty Crocker recipes closely enough to achieve a level of culinary perfection that was impossible to imitate. Every Saturday morning, the smell of rising dough filled her kitchen. Her family had the special privilege of regularly receiving cinnamon rolls sealed in ziplock bags and recycled Yuban coffee cans full of oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies. Not only her family, but a wide range of dinner and houseguests enjoyed this bounty. Alongside the Italian Hunter's Chicken, Goldenrod Green Beans, and fresh apricot pie, there was much lively conversation around the dining room table. Sometimes it was difficult to judge whether Elsie was making a joke or voicing another one of her blunt opinions; her guests usually laughed, and her children sometimes winced. Elsie and Herb buoyantly welcomed anyone from interim pastors to motley friends of their children into their home and into their lives.
This hospitality brought many new friendships into Elsie's life, and she let few of them slip away. A steady stream of letters written in her distinctive handand her annual Christmas poem (circulation 200 plus)kept a wide net of friendships alive. She also held her extended family together, making sure that gatherings with her two brothers and their families took place annually at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Many evening and weekend hours were spent tending after relatives with health and emotional difficulties. Elsie was a devoted daughter, mother, grandmother, niece, cousin, and aunt. Not one to cite scripture, Elsie set about living her Mennonite convictions with an emphasis on service. Her efforts and energy extended to a wide range of volunteer activities. At Riverview School, she worked with the Parent-Teacher-Club and the Tri-Gra-Y. At Reedley First Mennonite, Elsie and Herb sponsored the youth group for several years, and Elsie also helped lead Mission Belles and edited theChurch Newsor at least the ``Folks and Facts'' column for over twenty years. At Sierra View Homes, Elsie served repeated terms as either president or vice-president of the Auxiliary. Also at Sierra View, Elsie organized Sunday morning worship services and managed the store for over thirty years. This latter responsibility put her in the demanding position of personal shopper for residents with fixed ideas and fixed incomes; she spent many hours returning ``unsatisfactory'' items and scouring area drugstores to meet rigid price limits. In 1996, she was surprised and honored when she received the ``Seniors Serving Seniors'' Volunteer Award for Leadership from the Fresno Madera Area Agency on Aging.
Among her greatest pleasures was just a good cup of coffee. An avid reader, she felt at a loss if she wasn't in the middle of a novel, finishing several a week if she had the spare time. After her first bout with cancer, Elsie and Herb made a point of travelling as much as they could. And Elsie had a very personal love for animals; over the years, the Lichti household took in a host of dogs and cats, most of whom were neglected strays. These pets even earned lines and entire stanzas in her Christmas poems. But a special joy was having all four grandchildren live within tricycle distance of her home, as she put it in 1988:
``Our grandkids are the smartest/and the best-looking kids we know
since they all live down the road/they are free to come and go.''
In fall of 1976, she began her poem with these lines:
``I hesitate this Christmas/to compose my annual poem
It's been a year of testing/when I mostly stayed at home.''
She was referring to her first battle with cancer, which she survived with treatment and her ironclad determination. Her second diagnosis of cancer came in 2005. After that, it became more difficult to arrive at specific diagnoses. Her Christmas poems shortened; during the summer of 2006, she stopped her weekly baking; in the months that preceded her death, it became harder to maintain her sociability. Still, doctors shook their heads at her amazing strength of will. During her final weeks, Herbher partner for over 61 yearsspent endless hours at her bedside.
On April 3, 2008, Elsie died at Sierra View Homes in the loving care of all the staff and residents whom she had known for many years. She was preceded in death by her father, Christian, and her mother, Alvena; her first child, Irvin James; and her two brothers, Alfred and Irvin. She is survived by her husband Herb Lichti, who resides at Sierra View Homes; her daughter and son-in-law Fran and Ted Loewen of Parlier, her son Jim Lichti of Los Angeles, her daughter Christie Lichti of Parlier; and her grandchildren Bryce Loewen of Oakland, Renata Loewen of Berkeley, Sheena and her husband Tom Caron of Fresno, and Trent Scarbery of Parlier.
Mennonite Mission NetworkMay2008
Prayer Vine
Connected to the true vine, to ministries across the street and around the world.
1Church Ministry - FrancePlease pray for Neal Blough, Paris, who is one of two speakers at the annual meeting of French Mennonite pastors, elders and preachers where an open discussion takes place today on the topic of charismatic gifts.
2Ministry - SenegalJoin Irene Bornman, Senegal, in thanking God that the Easter celebration was well-attended by neighbors, friends and representatives from all the villages that recently received food relief.
3Church Ministry - ArgentinaPray for inspiration and unity at the annual convention of the United Evangelical Church for Toba and Mocoví indigenous churches held today and tomorrow in the Argentine, Chaco. Mennonite Team members will be present in a supportive role.
4Church Ministry - U.S.Pray for representatives from the Atlanta-area Mennonite churches and Dick Davis, Mission Network minister for urban ministries, as they work together today to explore opportunities for urban ministry in their communities.
5Ministry - MongoliaThis month a four-member mission team from Indiana is teaching quilting to Mongolian women who make quilts to generate income. Pray for beneficial interaction and the building of relationships with local women.
6Church Ministry - ColombiaMission workers Amanda and Gamaliel Falla in Colombia request prayer that a church group forming in Galapa will be able to find an appropriate meeting place. Also pray for a leader to guide new work in the city of Monteria.
7Church Ministry - U.S./MongoliaPray for Tonya Starner who presently is in the U.S. speaking in churches about her ministry of developing Christian education materials in Mongolia.
8Church Ministry - U.S.Mission Network's human resources department is looking for committed Christian applicants to fill vacant positions to succeed staff members who are retiring or leaving in the near future. Pray that they will discern appropriate candidates.
9Church Ministry - ChinaPray for a Chinese partner of Mennonite Partners in China who wishes to organize and fund a retreat for 180 pastors. The retreat is to provide much needed rest, training and network opportunities.
10Church Ministry - SpainBrian and Noelia Fox, along with other church people, are beginning a youth group with youth ages 11-14 in their church in Burgos, Spain. Pray for these young people and the group leaders.
11Community Service - U.S.Pray for grace and strength for Mennonite Voluntary Service participants who serve the community in Hutchinson, Kan. Jon Leichty, Jolyn Rodman and Ben Schmidt.
12Community Service - Middle EastAs elsewhere in the world, some women in the Middle East suffer from anorexia. A mission worker requests prayer for these women, the counselors and the church communities who seek to walk with them.
13Community Service - U.S.Pray for SOOP volunteers serving at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind., as they support the seminary's ministry by assisting with maintenance, housekeeping, food services and office work.
14Community Service - NepalPray that new mission workers will respond to the opportunity to work alongside Nepali partners improving the lives of women and children in Nepal.
15Community Service - InternationalPlease pray for the young people who have chosen to participate in the Radical Journey program for the coming year. Through their involvements, pray that they will develop a lifestyle of faith and service. 16Special Event - U.S.Pray for a missional church resourcing event held in Hubbard, Ore., today through Sunday for several Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference congregations. Mission Network staff members Leo Hartshorn and John Powell are leading the event. 17Community Service - ArgentinaPray for Hilary Richardson and students who live at Hogar Belen, a community house coordinated by Floresta Mennonite Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hilary is grateful for the church's support. 18Community Service - U.S.Pray that participants in the Service Adventure unit in Albany, Ore., will have energy as their assignments with social service agencies are soon coming to an end Talia Doerksen, Josie Guenther, Hans Hess, Abe Renteria and leaders Curt and Karin Weaver. 19Community Service - UkraineCliff and Natasha Dueck in Ukraine request prayer for the preparations of summer Bible camping, a strategic ministry in their community. 20Special Event - MongoliaPraise God for Kwai Lin Stephens, the new executive director for Joint Christian Services in Mongolia. Pray for her, the JCS meetings held this week and for Sheldon Sawatzky, chairperson of the JCS board. 21Theological Education - BeninThis month the Benin Bible Institute will be launching a new decentralized program in Parakou, Benin. Bruce Yoder and Nancy Frey request prayer for a successful start in fulfilling a commitment to churches in northern Benin. 22Theological Education - U.S.Pray for Sheri Hartzler of Mennonite Media as she works at coordinating video/DVD components for a curriculum for new disciples in development with Mennonite Publishing Network. 23Theological Education - FrancePray for Janie and Neal Blough and Linda Oyer who will be meeting tomorrow at Paris Mennonite Centre with evangelicals who work closely with Catholics. A nationally renowned Jesuit theologian, Bernard Sesboüé, will be present. 24Education - Middle EastJeannie and Wayne Larson and a team in the Arabian Peninsula train local teenagers to produce their own media material, while showing them who Jesus is. Pray for the start-up of the summer program and that planned events will proceed smoothly. 25Special Event - ArgentinaIndigenous Pilagá believers in the Argentine Chaco are holding their traditional annual camp meeting today. Pray for this year's gathering where a new independent Pilagáinitiated indigenous church will be founded. 26Education - ChinaMichelle Stabler-Havener requests prayer for students at Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China, where she teaches. As they move to a new campus in June, pray that the transition will go smoothly. 27Theological Education - U.S.A new Instituto Bíblico Anabautista study center began in Muscatine, Iowa, with tutor Ramiro Hernández. Pray that the first course, ``Introduction to the Bible,'' will be a blessing to this new group of students. 28Education - South KoreaAlice Houston has begun her teaching assignment at Connexus, Korea Anabaptist Center's language institute in Seoul. Pray that she may adjust quickly and build good relationships. 29Ministry with Ethnic Minorities - EcuadorPlease pray for the indigenous theological education program in Ecuador where mission workers César Moya and Patricia Urueña prepare leaders. Pray also for adequate economic support which is needed due to changes within one of the partner groups. 30Ministry with Ethnic Minorities - U.S.Berhane Wongel Ethiopian Church in Chicago is facing the need for significant repairs to their place of worship. Ask God to help them find the needed resources. 31Ministry with Ethnic Minorities -Hong KongPray for the ministry to domestic workers at the Cheung Chau Christian Center, Hong Kong. Pray for Nora Iwarat as she gives leadership to the All Nations Mennonite Church.
Prayer Vineis published monthly byMennonite MissionNetwork www.MennoniteMission.net
MAY 7Dine Out 6PM 10 PIM Family Nite 8PM
18 Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower talks about ``Circles of Support and Accountability 5:30PM
25 Special Speaker, Loren Neufeld 31 Spring Workday 8:30AM
31 MYF Banquet SUNDAY
9:30 a.m. Christian Education 10:45 a.m. Worship Services in English & Spanish
6:30 p.m. Church in the Basement
WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m. GAGS (Young Women's Group) 7:00 p.m. MYF 7:00p.m. Kids Club 7:00p.m. PIM Grupos de Crecimiento "Growing Groups" FRIDAY 6:30 p.m. Peace Center
