W i n d o w s I n t o Z i o n Z ion Mennoni te Church , Broadway, Virg in ia

Volume 19, Issue 5May 8, 2016

Starting Out as a Mother in the 1960s When Helicopter Parenting Had Yet to be Invented--Betty Lou BuckwalterFreedom for children to explore and experience without hovering parents was in vogue, fitting my natural tendency of parenting. One child care book by Dr. Spock was available as an assist for us first-time mothers compared to the plethora of books on the market today. I remember back in the 1960s asking my mother-in-law a child raising question whom I thought by now would know all the answers since she was raising eleven children. Her answer was an eye opener for this new mom. She said that she has learned one thing for sure, that if an infant is fussy, either it is thirsty, hungry or needs a nap. Other than that, with each child being so different, its needs are different, so there is not one pat answer to cover all. Her advice was to do the best I could with each situation, pray, and trust God for the rest. I observed many things from this very wise mother, one being that her successful mothering never included nagging. Her wisdom carried me through mothering challenges, with God totally faithful in answering every prayer.

"It takes a community to raise a child" certainly is true. I very much appreciate all those who were community to me as a mother, starting with husband Bob, along with our parents and other close kin, those in

other cultures who were like family to us, and church communities.Parenting (Mothering) has been a unique adventure within our adventuring lifestyle; the two went very well together. Starting with our two oldest sons at ages two and three, the four of us headed for East Africa where the little fellows got a good cross-cultural start under the African sun, where Bob and I continued with our own maturing process within the welcoming warmth of a relational people. We grew together sharing life in African cultures that kept us close to the earth and each other. When third son was ten months old, we accepted a second East African term of service. Toddler Joe had the advantage of finding other faces and places become a part of who he was at a young, impressionable age. Since being a Mother is being part of the family team, decisions are made with everyone’s input.

Congratulations……Katie and Jackson Maust on the birth of Julia June Maust on April 26, 2016. The little lady weighed in at 9 pounds and is 19.5 inches long. …Emily Myers on graduating from EMU with a degree in Psychology.…Kristin Myers on graduating from EMU with a Masters in Counseling degree.

Thank you..I have grown in so many ways during my time at EMU. Looking ahead toward getting my masters in counseling is helping me to realize that I have many of the base skills needed to learn how to become a good counselor. Thank you so much for helping me to gain many of these skills by supporting me financially throughout my time in college! I would also like to thank Brenda Fairweather for the gift of a beautiful mug and tea to remind me to relax during the last few weeks of school! – Emily Myers

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50th anniversary gala with family at Highland Retreat. From left, JOE's family, Noah, Joe, Sera (Whitmore), Malia and Luke (with Betty Lou). JESSE behind Betty Lou, holding Ada, Jill Maynard holding Miles. BRUCE's family, Rose Shenk, Andrew, Daniel, Jacob and Christian Stoltzfus. RUSS with Levi, wife Cheryl (Filowich) Katlyn and Jessica. Photo by Jim Bishop.

Mother, cont. from page 1 When fourth son Jesse was five years old, Bob and I were chatting about an MCC term of service, something we wanted to do in the future after the boys were through high school. The oldest sons then fifteen and sixteen, adamantly interjected, "No way, we want to go too, let's go now!" With that, the decision was made, we were off to Africa for another four years. Those years of broader exposure to the bigger world have been a positive, key influence in the life choices of all four sons with friendships from and appreciation for other cultures being a key part of their lives from little on up. In between our second and third terms in Africa, we returned to a more traditional life of parenting by setting ourselves on a farm in Southwest New York, in the heart of Buckwalter clan country. This was a deliberate move. We wanted the sons to know their roots, to know their grandparents and all the kin that comes with their dad's family of eleven children, half of whom were settled in that area. The boys had a big part in making that decision. After a nomadic type lifestyle most of their young lives, Russ and Bruce verbalized their need to stay in one place for a while. We readily agreed, bought a maple tree farm, providing the boys with the beneficial experience of family working together in a variety of meaningful, useful ways. It was a great satisfaction to me to mother the family within the wholesome environs of farm life. And now I’m a grandmother I have been one for nearly seventeen years. I met our first grandchild when she and her parents came to visit us when we were serving a term at the Mennonite Guest House in Kenya. She was nine months old, such a joy and wonder to behold! Our Kenyan staff said that now we were Bibi and Babu, respectful Swahili terms for elders. We have been Bibi (grandmother) and Babu (grandfather) ever since to our twelve grandchildren, ages seventeen to two, most of whom are experiencing life in faraway countries, not at all surprising considering the pattern their grandmother (and grandfather) set before them.

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Being Mom--Kelsey SwartzentruberWhile some may dream of getting a certain job or traveling to exotic places, I have always been eager about becoming a mom. Once we decided to have our own children, I was overjoyed that it was my time. There were many things I expected about motherhood, but I had no idea what I was getting into. No one had ever warned me of the countless sleepless nights (unfortunately, we were never blessed with a good sleeper), the viruses, splinters, moods, piles of laundry, cooking (along with picky eaters), and extreme patience that parenting takes on an hourly basis. While being a parent changed my life, it gave me a new understanding of what love is. Each of my children has presented their own, very unique personality. Here is a glimpse at three of the lessons I have learned from my children:

1. Be meticulous- Kaidence is my girl of detail. She loves to do art. Her favorite thing to do is hunt through the recyclables and trash. She finds unique things that she might be able to make into something new. She has made binoculars, maps, and numerous books of different shapes and sizes. She is able to look at something and doesn’t notice what it is, but what it can be. Thank you, Kaidence, for letting me see the potential in everything around me.

2. Exude joy- Karcyn has an abundance of joy. She has a personality that is always extreme. At times it is loud and overbearing, but most of the time it is over the top joyful. She finds things to laugh at that most people overlook like small snail shells, special shaped rocks, or how the sunset looks. She has an imagination that is out of this world and a giggle that can make anyone smile. Thank you, Karcyn, for bringing Joy to my life on a daily basis.

3. Be a risk taker- Kyan is my risk taker. He was my first kid of three to put his hands on the toilet (and has done so on more than 10 occasions), climb on the table (still does this), draw a mural on our living room wall, open the door to play outside without anyone being aware, and unroll at least 15 rolls of toilet paper. While some may label this as downright naughty, I see him as one who is willing to swim against the tide. He gets joy out of trying new things and loves to show off his newfound bravery. Thank you, Kyan, for showing me how to be a risk taker. Life is too short to play it safe.

Thank you, Kaidence, Karcyn, and Kyan, for teaching me new things each day. I’m proud to be on this journey with you and excited to see where your gifts lead you.

I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me.

They have clung to me all my life.

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.

--Stevie Wonder

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Update on Zion Youth --Kathy AlderferSeveral youth from Zion went on special educational trips this spring. Ben Alderfer went on a science-themed trip to Florida with his school, snorkeling in the Keys was a highlight for him. The students attending Eastern Mennonite School went on E-term trips. One week each April, regular

classes are replaced by Experiential Learning (E-Term) courses designed to enrich student learning in four areas: skill building, service learning, cross-cultural awareness, and academic enrichment. E-Term also serves to build relationships with students and faculty outside the normal classroom opportunities. Ellie Pence went with the touring choir to Iowa. Jessica Hess went to Nashville. Will Hess went to Washington, D.C. and Harper’s Ferry. Emma Resto went to Philadelphia..

E-Term to Philadelphia--Emma RestoFor my E-term experience this year, my class went to Philadelphia for three days. Some of the things we got to do were: we went to a place called Water Works and learned about how water is used

throughout the city. We went to Independence Hall and saw the liberty bell and the Declaration of Independence. We also went to City Tavern where many of our founding fathers ate! We visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, (we pretended we were Rocky on the stairs), the Eastern State Penitentiary where many famous criminals stayed, like Al Capone. Then on our last day we went to the MCC center and helped put together school kits. It was really interesting to see the place we send them when we put them together at church! We also learned more about who the kits go to when they get sent to other countries. I had a great time on this trip and am very thankful I got to experience Philly with my class!

EMMS E-Term to Washington, D.C. and Harper's Ferry--Rebecca Hess with William HessMy seventh grade class traveled as a group for EMMS' E-Term. On Wednesday, April 6th , we met up at the school and planned our small group activities. We also did Zumba, weight training and

team building. On Thursday, April 7th, we left the school for Washington, D.C. Our small group had decided we wanted to go to the National Zoo and to a museum. We took the metro from Vienna, VA, to the Zoo. Two of the girls in our group had never been to a zoo, and they were pretty excited. The panda bears were cool and so were the primates. The kids in my group found out that I am completely freaked out by snakes, and they made me visit the reptile house. I hated every minute of that. My first and only other time at the National Zoo was when I was in first grade. It was late May and over 100 degrees, and the animals were sluggish. This time it was a little overcast and that made a difference in the animals' activity level. We had so much fun at the zoo, we didn't want to leave and ended up spending our whole day there. On the way back to meet the larger group, we had dinner at a burger joint. We started walking back to meet the bus, and I realized I'd left my backpack in the restaurant. I freaked out and sprinted back several blocks and found my bag still hanging on the back of the chair I'd sat in. The bus then took us to the 4-H Center in Front Royal, VA ,where we spent the night. We got up the next morning and had devotions and breakfast and then boarded the bus for Brunswick, MD. We rented bicycles and rode on an old railway path to Harper's Ferry, WV. It was a 6 mile trek one way. We parked our bikes and walked across a bridge from MD into WV. We spent the day exploring Harper's Ferry, had a pizza lunch, ice cream and lots of fun experiences. In the evening we went to Hagerstown, MD, and watched a minor league baseball game, the Hagerstown Suns vs. DelMarva. The Suns won 6 – 4. I'd never been to a minor league game. The best part was the music. A buddy

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Zion Youth, cont. from page 4and I entertained our classmates with our dance moves. On Saturday, we were supposed to go hiking but the weather wasn't that great, so a bunch of us stayed at the 4-H center and played games. I enjoyed improving my Dutch Blitz playing skills. Mr. Bauman was the adult in our room at night and he entertained us late into the night with crazy, made-up stories. It was a great time!EMHS E-Term to Nashville, TN

--Rebecca Hess with Jessica HessI spent my E-Term in Nashville with a group of EMHS high school students. Mr. Buchanan, the band director at EMHS, led our group along with Mrs. Thomas, from EMS Admissions and several parent chaperones. Several ninth graders went on the trip. Two of my friends and I rode in the very

back of Mr. B's Suburban for the entire trip. Cozy! We left EMHS parking lot before 8 AM on Friday, April 8th, and our adventure began. On the night we arrived in Nashville, Mr. B surprised us with tickets to go see The Addams Family musical comedy play at Belmont University. We arrived just as the play was beginning, and I was completely wrapped up in it from the moment it began! I had spent the car trip down to Nashville listening to the music from the new Broadway musical, Hamilton (a biography about Alexander Hamilton that was turned into a hip-hop musical). I was excited when I heard a reference to that musical in The Addams Family. Musicals energize me. Since I returned, I've enjoyed listening to the soundtrack from The Addams Family and singing along with the songs and remembering the experience.

Another highlight was visiting the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville. It is an amazing building with incredible sound quality. The setup can be changed from concert hall with a sloped floor to a ballroom to accommodate a wide-variety of musical performances and dances. We went to the Grand Ole Opry and the featured artist was Eric Church. He was a little full of himself and wasn't my favorite artist, but we heard some amazing acts, one person was debuting that night and did a fantastic job!

We spent an afternoon at The Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson. I love history so this was a treat for me. We also went to Blackbird Studios and that was amazing. They work with artists like Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rascal Flats. They took us into a recording room and played Michael Jackson's Thriller. The sound quality and speakers were so amazing in the “dead” room that it was like Michael was there in person performing it for us. They have an academy there where they teach sound engineers. We went to a two-story mall with stores like Lush, Sephora, Kate Spade (with $495 dresses!!!), Godiva. The merchants were amazing and didn't get upset that a bunch of 9th graders were in their store. We were treated wonderfully and people were very friendly. We went to a Time Jumpers (Vince Gill) concert on Monday night. We had to be there at 5:15 PM to get a seat for a concert that didn't start until 9:30 PM. They did a great job but we were exhausted and almost fell asleep on our table. One of the challenges of our trip is that we were given a personal food budget. For the first time in my life, I was paying attention to the cost of things on the menu and knew I couldn't spend more than $10 on a meal. It changed the way I think when I go to a restaurant here at home. Every minute of every day was filled with fun activities. I was a little worried going into this, because I'm not a country music fan but I do love music. Mr. B did a great job of mixing up the days with a variety of activities to appeal to all of us.

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Living Wholesome--Dabney VaccaroA full heart is a wonderful and fruitful experience. Living with a full heart can be challenging in a world of hurt, disease, death, and sin. Yet, we are called, as children of God, to bless others by the lives we live. How we respond to the joys and crises in our lives determines

whether we “passed” our test. Ever wonder why we keep having the same things happen again and again? Maybe it’s because we didn’t learn from the first time, so we have to take the test again. Keeping a full heart requires work, and if you are like me, there are many distractions that turn my eyes and heart away from God. This world could make our hearts calloused and hard and unable to see the needs of our brothers and sisters. We give excuses why we don’t help the needy or use our time to benefit others. Experiencing the full heart is easier when life goes well and the prayers we ask for are met. Bountiful blessings of happiness and joy seem to overflow.

I’ve experienced blessings many times. In my life, I have experienced both “yes” and “no” answers in my prayers. Now faced with the challenge of a full heart in the midst of grief and sorrow, I will be patient as the Lord restores my soul. Grief and sorrow are only felt by the ones left behind. The joy of knowing

Christ, and who He is, fills the heart with hope, love, and strength to persevere through these difficult times. My one who has gone before me does not grieve or cry, and is not separated from the love of God. Neither are we. Never will God separate himself from us. He is there to repair the brokenhearted, repair the souls, and prepare us for this next leg of the journey. Many have walked in my shoes, and I have no doubt that healing will occur. The Lord places people in our lives to help restore our souls, to bring us by still waters, and give us rest. We only need to accept the invitation to seek the One True God. Whether it’s illness, death, finances, or family matters that are emptying your heart, seek the Lord for renewed strength. Seek to find and receive a full heart that is ready to give so you can receive. Spend some time each day pursuing the Lord, Jesus Christ. Actively pursuing God will help with the distractions around us...which are not from God. Finding a new normal with each step of each day can only be successful when we place our hope and cares in Christ. Life is...wonderful, exciting, fearful, sorrowful, joyful, glorious, troubling, loving, happy. At the end of life, what we have are our relationships with others to show to our creator. Live with a full heart. Zion Congregation mourns the passing of Joe Vaccaro (1960-2016), and celebrates his life. We express our sympathy to Dabney, Heather, Joslyn, and Emily.

Boys’ Club--Jeremy BeachOn Sunday, March 13th, the Zion Boys Club took an afternoon trip to Radell Schrock's farm. All 13 boys--Nolan Beach, Davis Bert, Cayden Boggs, Thatcher Brubaker, Eli Campbell, Joseph Codding, Matthew Codding, Zach Halteman, Jonathan Piper, Allen Showalter, Lucas Swartz, Wesley Swartz, and Dane Zook (along with Jamey Groff, Jeremy Beach, and Wes Showalter)-met Radell at his farm on Buttermilk Creek Road. At the time, he had 200 sheep, of which 110 were lambs. Some lambs were born earlier that day, and the boys got to pet one that was only 10 hours old! Radell let them go upstairs in the barn to the hay bales, where

they had all kinds of fun. Everyone piled into vehicles and went to Radell's farm on Cromer Road next. We circled his enormous vegetable garden to see some of the produce that was already starting to sprout, and then parked at his converted sheep barn. Radell's dad, Elwood Schrock, had recently built some feeding pens for the sheep in this barn. At the time, Radell had 100 sheep on this farm, of which 65 were lambs. He

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Girls’ Club--Gen Moyer Groff and Monica CompagnariOn Sunday, April 24th, the Zion Girls' Club gathered for our last activity of the year. After church, we went to Bobby and Brenda Fairweather's home where we ate a delicious lunch out on their deck. It was such a beautiful day! Brenda related that morning's sermon (about the old and the new) to clay and how the girls would be making something new out of something very old. Gathered around tables, Brenda taught the girls some techniques and encouraged them to problem solve if they ran into trouble, encouraging them that there is often more than one right way to choose. Brenda will glaze and fire the girls' clay pieces for them. The girls also enjoyed the Fairweather's dog and holding caterpillars they found outside. Thank you, Brenda and Bobby, for a delightful way to end our year. We also want to say a special "goodbye" to three of our girls who will be moving up to Junior MYF next year--Caitlyn Codding, Abby Kauffman and Emma Swartz. We will miss you!

Group picture (clockwise): Brenda Fairweather, Kate Piper, Norah Brubaker, Sophie Kauffman, Sadie Groff, Abby Kauffman, Lydia Brubaker, Sadie Campbell, Miriam Groff, Caitlyn Codding, and Hannah Metzler

Kate Piper, Norah Brubaker, Sophie Kauffman, Sadie Groff

Boys’ Club, cont. from page 6called out 'Come on!!' and all the sheep came running from the field to the barn to get fed. But when the sheep got inside and saw the boys, instead of Radell, they got a little spooked and turned back around. Eventually, some of the sheep stayed and started to eat the hay the boys had gotten for them. The boys played on the hay bales there as well, and then it was time to go. Thanks so much Radell for letting us visit!

Zach Halteman looking at a 10-hour-old lamb13 boys and Radell

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BirthdaysMay11 Barbara Risser12 Elizabeth Resto12 Joy Yoder18 Nora Brubaker19 Heidi King22 Karla Souder23 Tobias Metzler25 Adelaide Campbell29 Mike PiperJune 1 Caitlyn Codding 4 Lorene Schrock 7 Ken Nafziger 8 Jesse Compagnari 8 Ian Reinford10 Miriam Moyer Groff10 Ron PiperAnniversariesMay10 Daryl & Rebekah Brubaker 13th

12 Kevin Zook & Kara Westerbeek 9th 18 Doug & Dawn Nyce 31st

18 Jon & Rose Swartz 14th

25 Linda and Larry Snader 42nd

June 1 Paul & Mary Lehman 31st

9 Wayne & Joanne Showalter 43rd

Windows Into Zion is published monthly. Deadline for the June issue is June 5, 2016.Editors: Kathy Alderfer, Myrna PiperLayout Editor: Carlene LantzContributors: Kathy Alderfer, Jeremy Beach, Betty Lou Buchwalter, Monica Compagnari, Gen Moyer-Groff, Rebecca, Jessica, and Will Hess, Emma Resto, Kelsey Swartzentruber, Dabney Vaccaro, Elwood YoderPhoto Credits: Kathy Alderfer, Jeremy Beach, Jim Bishop, Gen Moyer-Groff, Kelsey Swartzentruber, Dabney Vaccaro, Elwood Yoder

Brooklyn Tabernacle Visit--Elwood YoderFrom the opening song to the final prayer, my worship experience at the Brooklyn Tabernacle was

inspiring, healing, and worshipful. I took a group of EMHS students to the church in Brooklyn, New York, April 10, with a facility that seats 3,200. Adding in the 400-500 member choir, there were a lot of people who showed up for worship at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning. I didn’t see a parking lot for cars, so people came by subway, bus, or they walked. When we left after the service, another several thousand people were streaming in the door for the second of three services held each Sunday. Though it’s an old church in New York, when Pastor Jim and Carol Cymbala took over in the 1970s, growth in numbers soared. When we attended recently, several hundred people were added as members to the church with around 16,000 members. The converted theatre had state of the art sound and visual technologies, and the worship was powerful in many ways. The songs were easy to sing because the very large choir, which helped lead the songs, was directly behind the song leader, where they sat during the entire service. The first song at 9:00 a.m., was “Everlasting God,” with the first line being “strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.” Along with three more worship songs, I was immediately drawn into worship. The service included a time of healing, new members being taken in, and a good sermon from Pastor Jim Cymbala. What I bring back to my role on Worship Commission at Zion is to help plan meaningful worship services that are focused on God from the opening song to the sending song. The service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle was obviously well-planned and carried out—and in that preparation, visitors and regular attendees found themselves swept into the very presence of God. After the service my students and I walked back into Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge on a bright and sunny but crisp April Sunday morning in New York. I’m working on plans to take my wife, Joy, along with Tony and Becky Brenneman, and Bob and Brenda Fairweather back to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for worship on August 7. Spring

The air is like a butterflyWith frail blue wings.

The happy earth looks at the skyAnd sings.

--Joyce Kilmer