LIFE TOGETHER - SJMC

Life Together Fall 2018

LIFE TOGETHER St. Jacobs Mennonite Church www.sjmc.on.ca Fall 2018

T his summer in our worship series we were invited to “consider

the trees.” This series created a lot of good conversation as

people reminisced about trees that have played a special role

in their lives, and as we looked at a number of Bible passages

about trees with new eyes. It inspired us to plant trees along the

Conestoga River, and to go on a contemplative hike along the millrace

before sharing a hotdog roast together.

It seemed fitting to me that it was in the context of this summer worship

focus on trees that we as a congregation also voted to enter into a

partnership with Burning Bush Forest Church (BBFC). I’ve been invited to

use this space to share a bit more about BBFC and our partnership.

It is two-and-a-half years now that Burning Bush Forest Church has been

meeting on a monthly basis in forested public parks like Bechtel Park in

Waterloo and Breithaupt and Lakeside Parks in Kitchener. Some who

attend have other church homes, and are drawn to forest church as a supplement to their regular worship experiences. Many, though, do not

Pastor’s Pen Wendy Janzen

Continued on pg. 3

Communion at Burning Bush Forest Church’s second anniversary worship service at Breithaupt Park, March 2018

Life Together 2 Fall 2018

W here did you go this summer? This edition answers that question for two parent/child pairs, a cousin duo and two friends from church.

Explore the Bruce Peninsula, the Middle East, Hawaii and Africa with these trav-elling twosomes. A variety of experiences and great memories for all. Every summer we hold our Vacation Bible School and this year looked like another great time. Our summer worship series “consider the trees” connects with Wendy’s Pastor’s Pen talking about the Burning Bush Forest Church, a ministry started by Wendy, and with which we recently began a partnership. Mighty trees were used in our amazing roof trusses in Marcia Shantz’s story about Elroy and his interesting look behind our large flat ceiling in the worship space. Have you ever wondered about it? Read and find out! Of course, we have our usual Life and Times page highlighting three people of the congregation. I always try to find something in common between these seemingly random individuals. This time there is a clear connection to teaching! One retired teacher, one studying to become a teacher, and one who pondered teaching as a profession. Whether you travelled across the world, across the street or just into the church attic this summer, I hope you learned something, met someone new or saw something you’ve never seen before. I also hope that as you recall your sum-mer, you can think of a time when you saw God in someone else, in nature or maybe even in yourself. Q: Do you have any ideas for future articles or content? If so please email me at [email protected] or call me at 519-664-3374.

Trees and Travelling Twosomes Writers & Contributors:

Pastor Wendy Janzen Pastor’s Pen, Pages 1, 3

Marcia Shantz Pages 4, 5

Leah & Janet Bauman Pages 6, 7

Aidan & Scott Morton Ninomya Page 10

Courtney Brubacher & Lori Martin, Page 11

Mary Metzger & Shirley Redekop. Pages 12, 13, 14

Brent Horst Editor

Marcia & Larry Shantz SJMC photographers

St. Jacobs Printery, printing

Karen Sauder, distribution

www.sjmc.on.ca [email protected]

Thank You To: Your Editorial Team

Life Together, since 1979. Formerly The Beacon est.1967; previously Keystone Literary Society newspaper.

Marilyn Wideman Graphic Design & Layout


attend church elsewhere. Their stories and reasons for

not connecting with conventional churches are varied,

but they come to Burning Bush because they recognize

in themselves a spiritual hunger for something that is

missing in their lives. They desire a spiritual

connection, and have usually already experienced

something of that in their love of nature.

Our worship times include reading scripture, prayer,

reflection and sharing, as well as rituals like lighting

candles during Advent, celebrating the sunrise during

Eastertide, and sharing communion together. We

engage with our Creator through acknowledging the

rhythms of the seasons, sitting or walking quietly

among trees or by water, through listening to the

breeze or the birds, watching the stars, or through

contemplating the gifts of the land.

Burning Bush Forest Church is part of a new movement

of experimental faith communities that have been

popping up across Europe and North America like

dandelions on a lawn; perhaps not quite as prolifically

as dandelions, but in that wild, undomesticated,

persistent, and unexpected kind of way. When the

inspiration came to me during my sabbatical four years

ago to explore this idea, others like me were also

hearing the call to bring worship outdoors.

Common to our desire to invite people into worship in

nature is a growing understanding that we aren’t merely

worshipping in creation, but with creation. Our Bible is

full of references of animals, rocks, trees, flowers, and

the heavens praising God or being lifted up as

examples of how to live faithful lives. Our God, who is

the Creator of all that is, is also revealed in all that is.

Worshipping together with and in creation opens up the

scripture and our worship in fresh new ways. Nature

proclaims stories of birth, growth, death,

transformation, renewal, regeneration, and

resurrection. God is imminently present with us - there

is no place we can go where God is not - and

worshipping outdoors is one way of reminding

ourselves of that.

From very early on in this journey, Brian Bauman,

MCEC Mission Minister has been an eager conversation partner and supporter of my passion for

leading Burning Bush. In our very first conversation he

predicted that this was a missional idea that would take

off and gain interest beyond what I could imagine, and

that has proved to be true. It was in a more recent

conversation about Burning Bush’s future sustainability

that we wondered about pursuing a partnership model.

This partnership between SJMC and BBFC will

hopefully prove to be fruitful in a variety of ways. Over

the years SJMC has entered into several different

partnerships (ie, Benin Bible Institute, Grace Lao, and

the Mennonite Story), each with its own unique characteristics. It is too early to predict exactly how the

partnership with BBFC will develop. As of now, it is

partly relational, like our partnerships with Grace Lao

and BBI, and partly functional - the functional piece

being that SJMC would be able to receive charitable

donations designated for Burning Bush. It may be

helpful to note that BBFC will continue to be its own

entity, with its own responsibility for raising any funds

necessary for operating. As Burning Bush grows and

evolves as a faith community, having a partnership with

SJMC will hopefully be mutually beneficial. We invite

your ongoing prayers for this emerging ministry.


This two-part story dates back to 1949 and 1957.

But it was during Life Together research for SJMC’s

100th anniversary in 2015 that an interesting

memory recall for Elroy Wideman happened. What

emerged for this writer, as Elroy shared his boyhood

memory, was an inspiring side story of how a

teenager’s heart was opened by hands-on

volunteering for a lifetime of church involvement.

1949 In 1949 the entire rear (east) wall of the church

building was removed. Elroy was a 10-year-old

boy at the time and remembers the construction.

His father, the late Aaron Wideman, was on the

Building Committee. Three new kiln-dried wood

trusses were installed. Two cranes were brought in to do

the job. Unfortunately one of the cranes broke on the first

day of installation. The job was completed the next day

when a replacement crane arrived. Elroy remembers being

very disappointed that his parents made him go to school

instead of being able to go and watch the trusses being

installed.

The Nuts and Bolts of Church Volunteering — Literally!

It was now 1957.

The truss company sent an official letter to SJMC indicating that each of the 120 bolts from the 1949 addition needed to be tightened. (Over time shrinkage could occur from the attic heat.) The company’s letter indicated that this bolt tightening only had to be done this one time.

SJMC needed to reply on official church letterhead indicating their compliance and date of completion. So as an 18-year-old, Elroy and his father, along with Harvey Bauman and ‘farmer Mose’ Martin, completed the painstaking task meticu-lously tweaking each bolt and gusset.

Above: 2015 100th Anniversary Choir. Have you ever thought about the clear and wide expanse of the SJMC Sanctuary with no support columns?

Marcia Shantz

Above: in this 1949 photo, the original rear wall has not yet been dismantled as the addition is being built around it


Elroy thinks this is when the concept of church volunteerism

took hold of him. Elroy was able to use his talents and time

to help his church and it gave him a sense of belonging and

purpose. (His father was also the church Treasurer for

many years, setting another example for young Elroy.)

In 1975, Elroy was now on the Building Committee for that

renovation. He remembers the first meeting with the

potential contractor. The contractor entered the sanctuary

and stopped dead in his tracks: “What is holding up that

ceiling?!” Elroy took the contractor up to the attic and

showed him the trusses. “That is an amazing undertaking!!!”

was the contractor’s reply. “It is perfectly safe.”

Fast forward to May 2018. It’s the Menno Singers Spring

Concert at SJMC. I (Marcia) am sitting in a pew waiting for

the concert to start, conversing with another concertgoer

beside me. I indicated that this is my home congregation.

To which he exclaims, “I can hardly wait for the concert to

begin to hear the acoustics in this room. What is holding up

this wide expanse of a ceiling?!” The timing of his question

was almost too ironic, as I would be meeting with Elroy the

following week to find out.

Over the years Elroy has participated faithfully at SJMC,

having served at various points on the Finance Committee,

Trustees Committee, Social Committee, various Building

Committees, and other special assignments as needed. He

is a retired trim carpenter by trade and a church and

community volunteer by his heart’s conviction, offering his

talents and time. His fine woodworking skills and organized

design detail are all over this church building. Currently

Elroy spends much of his volunteer time in Elmira with

Woolwich Community Services Food Bank putting his many

skills to good use there.

As our conversation drew to a conclusion, Elroy added his

philosophical view as a long-time church volunteer. Some

church volunteerism is visible and some is done behind the

scenes — both are important. But just as building and

property maintenance is essential, so too is our spiritual

maintenance. When we all pitch in together as a

congregation, both practically hands-on (whatever the task)

and in ongoing spiritual renewal, much work and help can

be done in Christ’s name. We stay connected as a church

family that way.

A Few Basic Building Fun Facts: 1915 – Original building was only the centre two sections of

pews and was only three sets of windows long.

1936 – North and south wings added

1936 – Three sets of windows added to sanctuary length

(See Life Together-Spring 2015 for 1936 expansion story)

1949 – Three attic trusses each measure 65-feet long x 14-

feet high to attic roof. The webbing of the trusses is 6-

inches square

1949 – 120 3-inch bolts (40 bolts/truss) and ½-inch thick

gussets with custom-made fillers to tighten each bolt

1949 – Sanctuary lengthened by the last two sets of

windows for five sets of windows

1949 – Sanctuary is 63’ wide x 59’ long (to back of stage

area) x 15-feet high to ceiling (the sanctuary has always

had a flat ceiling)

1975 – Sanctuary layout turned 180-degrees. King Street

main entrance closed and pulpit/stage area moved to King

Street front. Pews changed direction from east to west

facing (to King Street)

1990 – Office and Sunday School wing addition

2008 – Basement and Kitchen renovation

2015 – Sanctuary renovation and various other building

upgrades

Above: Elroy standing on the 1949 trusses


F or three weeks in

May, we were part

of YELLA 2018, a

learning trip to

Israel and Palestine (YELLA

means “let’s go” in Hebrew

and Arabic). The aim of the

trip was to witness a variety of

perspectives on the history and prospects for peace in

this holy but conflicted land.

We spent our first week in Galilee, staying in the old city

of Nazareth. From here we toured ruins of Biblical and

historical significance--in other words, rocks, rocks and

more rocks! Up to twenty-five layers of history have been

uncovered at various sites, indicating the number of

times this land was conquered by another empire, yet

showing the resilience of its people to survive and adapt.

We hiked for two days on the Jesus Trail that stretches

from Nazareth to Capernaum, a route Jesus travelled

many times. We decided that Jesus must have been very

fit! We saw the remains of a first century fishing boat,

had a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, and visited a

variety of sites that were significant in the ministry of

Jesus, like Magdala, Capernaum and the Mount of the

Beatitudes. Beautiful chapels and gardens provided great

opportunities for quiet reflection. It was inspiring to hear

Bible professor, Derek Suderman, read and reflect on

passages from the Bible in this context, knowing that

Jesus walked and taught on these streets and shorelines,

under the oppressive occupation of the Roman empire.

Before the trip, Derek warned us we would experience

“whiplash”--starkly different, yet compelling perspectives

from all sides of the political and religious tensions of this

land. This proved to be true as we transitioned into our

second week. At Orinim College in Haifa, we heard from

several Jewish speakers about their understandings of

the history and current tensions in Israel. And then we

moved to the occupied West Bank, hosted by Palestinian

Christian families in the town of Beit Sahour, near

Bethlehem. Throughout this week, we were introduced to

many partner agencies of MCC working towards justice

for Palestinians. Some were documenting the reality of

the military occupation, some worked on short-term relief

projects, while others advocated for effective political

solutions. We witnessed some of the reality of living in a

seventy-year-old refugee camps, set up when the state of

Israel was created, forcing Palestinians out of their

homes in what they call the Nakba--the catastrophe. We

got a taste of the tension and dehumanizing frustration of

crossing through military checkpoints. We walked along

the dividing wall that the state of Israel is building and

saw the remains of demolished Palestinian homes. We

heard about the hurdles Palestinians face trying to run a

Janet and Leah Bauman (Mother and Daughter)

Janet and Leah on the Horns of Hattin, along the Jesus Trail

Travelling Twosomes


business, get to medical

appointments, travel, or access

enough water, while nearby

Israelis in illegal settlements

travel freely on better roads,

and have enough water to fill

swimming pools. And yet, in

the midst of all this oppression

we met inspiring people, who

are a living witness to what it

means to love your enemies

and risk your life to work for

peace and justice.

We spent our final week in

Jerusalem, where we stayed at

Ecce Homo, a guest house in

the Muslim quarter of the Old

City. Here we toured significant

holy sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians, and explored

excavated layers of the ancient city of Jerusalem. In this

land, Jesus is recent history! We wandered the maze of

crowded market streets, made extra busy with all the

Muslim pilgrims in the city for Ramadan.

We also toured the Israeli Holocaust museum, where the

sense of utter betrayal and devastation weighed heavy. It

helped us understand why Israelis put so much emphasis

on security and the military. They refuse to be vulnerable

victims ever again. One Israeli said that the day Israel

becomes pacifist is the day it no longer exists. And yet it

was chilling to know some of the same tactics used by

the Nazis are being imposed on Palestinians.

In hearing stories from people on all sides of this conflict,

what struck us most was the literal and figurative walls in

this land that foster misunderstandings--structures and

systems engineered to cultivate fear of the other, and

barriers that prevent people from seeing the humanity in

the other. While this was distressing, we were also

inspired by the courage and dedication of so many

people to break down those barriers and see the image

of God in their so-called enemy.

YELLA group on Mount Arbel, on the Jesus Trail, before descending toward the Sea of Galilee

Leah and Janet on a chariot, part of the historical dis-play at Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) where 25 layers of history have been uncovered


Spring Worship Theme:

ABOVE, Top Row: VBS Junior Youth water trees planted in July. See more VBS photos page 16. Middle Row: Blessing of Ministry Exploration Intern, Sarah Ens; Parent Child Dedication for Baby Theodore James pictured with his parents Zacharie and Melodie Klassen, brothers Jaren and Micah, and Pastor Mark, May 13, 2018. Bottom Row: Pauline Martin recognizes Sunday School leaders; worship leader Nelson Sheifele joins a Readers’ Theatre with Devin Martin, Zach and Mark Cressman, Chip Bender; Prayer of Blessing by Pastor Mark for Anita Schroeder Kipfer as St. Jacobs Place Chaplain, May 27.

BELOW: SJMC Church Camping & Sunday Service at Riverstone Retreat, including baptism of Tina Cressman and Rachel Willms, June 3.


Summer Worship Theme:

ABOVE, Top Row: Communion Service including receiving of new members Tina Cressman and Rachel Willms, June 10. Middle Row: Annual SJMC/Grace Lao Mennonite indoor Church Picnic, June 24. Bottom Row: Welcoming Hanaa Alibrahim (right) with (right to left) Abdel Al Alwan, Jacob Letkeman, Sue Shantz; Children’s Time with Kristine Clemmer on August 19; Song leader Laverne Brubacher at a service that included a Blessing and Release for Mark Diller Harder’s sabbatical leave. BELOW: Some of our many summer worship leaders, pianists, song leaders and musicians. Clockwise from top left: Marcia Shantz, Madeline Weber, Melinda Metzger and Carolyn Neumann VanderBurgh, Stephanie Kramer, Aidan Morton Ninomiya, Pam Derksen.


O ur travel-

ling two-

some,

(Scott and Aidan

Morton Ninomiya,

father and son), was part of a larger group of young men

who went on a camping trip to Cypress Lake at the end

of June – we were the only father/son duo. Along with

us were two other SJMC youth - Zach Cressman,

Markus Schroeder Kipfer and Micah Neufeld - Aidan’s

friend who attends Stirling Mennonite.

While the ideas for the hiking trip started much before,

the real hands-on work started the day of, when we had

to jump start the Diller Harder’s car after Nathan left the

lights on the night before. The ride out—accompanied

with lots of snacks—was fine, although legroom was

quite precious. Once there, with the tents and trailers set

up, we ate supper and dessert, and visited Cypress Lake

in total darkness, which is very cool; something we would

recommend. The next morning, we packed our bags for

the trip out to High Dump. Lots of fantastic views, fantas-

tic snacks, fantastic falls, and fantastic snakes! At our

destination of High Dump, we spent so much time throw-

ing and skipping rocks in the water that we may have

permanently altered the geography of the Georgian Bay

shoreline. We spent the night at High Dump. The un-

lucky half of our group slept in a tent so small that we

had to coordinate our breathing schedules.

Our twosome discovered some of the hidden talents of

our other travelling companions: Zach and Micah have

excellent throwing arms. Markus is tough – he could

likely out-walk and out-run most people you know. Mark

falls very gracefully on large limestone embankments. In

addition to these talents, we also discovered a great deal

of natural beauty. We got to experience starry nights at

Cypress Lake and some incredible sunrises and sunsets

on the shores of the bay. We also went swimming at the

grotto, an incomparable cave carved out of rock by the

great lake. We have a feeling that an early summer

camping trip may become an annual event. We look

forward to discovering the talents of new campers and

the beauty of new locations in Ontario.

Travelling Twosomes

Scott and Aidan Morton Ninomiya

(Father & Son)

Above: Aidan, Zach, Markus, Micah and Scott enjoying a camp meal in the great outdoors


Lori Brubacher and Courtney Brubacher (Cousins)

Travelling Twosomes

I t is quite an honour to be invited to

travel with your cousin, who is half your

age. So when Courtney asked me to

travel somewhere with her to celebrate her

graduation from College, I was all in!

We headed to Hawaii May 9-16 of this year.

We flew to the island of Oahu, and landed in

the city of Honolulu. We rented a car and

spent our time exploring the island. We did

a ton of hiking and experienced lush jungle

vegetation, vast ocean cliffs and glorious

turquoise waters. The scenery was pleasing

to our eyes! Amazing.

The highlight of our adventures was definitely surfing on the legend-

ary North Shore. We were both a little tentative about waves, un-

dertow and sharks. But, with a little reassurance from some great

women guides we had, we were shredding waves in no time.

Gnarly!

This whole trip was a bucket-list experience. “Mahalo” Courtney!

For those of you still stumped by Children’s Challenge, Winter 2018, the three pictured who were given names the same as royalty are (from left): Margaret (Good) Metzger, Henry Shantz, Beatrice (Biehn) Sauder.


W hen a seed was planted in me to take a group of intergenerational

Mennonite women from North America to connect with Mennonite women from somewhere else in the world, I talked to TourMagination in Waterloo, and it sprouted through the Caring, Sharing and Safari tour for Women to Tanzania Aug 4-13, 2018.

I was put in contact with Esther Muhagachi, a Mennonite Woman leader from Tanzania who is studying with her husband Amos at AMBS (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary). She connected with the women of Arusha Mennonite church and together they planned two days of gathering with our group. She also was the translator for our time there.

I was delighted to see there were 17 women from across Canada and the USA, including 3 sets of mothers and daughters who joined the tour. And Mary Metzger from here at St. Jacobs church was a delight to have with us too.

As tour leader, I needed to keep aware of all the

logistics of the tour and see that participants were

enjoying the tour, so didn’t get to relax as much, but I so

enjoyed watching the women connect so easily with each

other that first evening.

And when we met the women of Arusha Mennonite Church who welcomed us so graciously, my heart became full, as I realized the seeds were being scattered among all of us. We were pleased to find out we came on

the one Sunday a year that the women of the church planned the whole service, and a visiting woman from Uganda was the preacher that morning. After a delicious lunch, we met together in the afternoon and also on Monday. I watched as connections happened so quickly. One of the women said she had been an IVEP (International Visitor Exchange Program through MCC) participant in Pennsylvania many years ago, and there were two women from the area on the tour and emails were quickly exchanged. There was a woman there from Kenya, and along with Esther, who had been at a conference at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia,

Shirley Redekop

Mennonite Women of Faith:

A place to Belong, a place to Connect


who asked if I knew Marlene Epp, a professor at Conrad Grebel. They had met there, along with another colleague of mine. I’m already planning how I can meet again with Esther while she is at AMBS.

We laughed together, we shared stories together and saw and heard about the mission work the women are doing through the church. We prayed together and we danced together. We saw the beautiful handiwork made and their desire to get more sewing machines and find a market to sell their products, so families can support themselves and not have to move for jobs.

We promised to carry these seeds of stories back to our countries to spread them among our own women’s groups so we have a better understanding of our world, and how others are working to expand God’s Kingdom of love and reconciliation.

As we said good-bye we left as ‘sisters of faith’, and we travelled on to a Maasai family who run a small school and library for Maasai children begun by a Canadian woman from London, ON. We learned (or tried to) the art of beading, and also cooking the Tanzanian village way. We spent time reading with the village children. When we left, this family also said we are now a member of their family and are welcome back anytime.

We continued on to the Safari part of our tour, where we were awestruck and amazed by God’s beautiful animal kingdom, and the respect the guides and drivers have for these animals. I felt like I was in the Lion King movie, but it was for real. On our way back, we stayed one night at a Catholic Monastery and heard all about the mission work the nuns are doing in that community. We visited a coffee plantation and also roasted, ground, brewed and drank this coffee. This is a beautiful place and they invite anyone to stay there.

There is so much more to tell that writing can’t contain, so ask Mary or myself for more stories. We want to spread more seeds.


In October of 2017 TourMagination sent an invita-tion to Women of Mennonite Church Canada and USA to join Shirley Redekop on a trip to Tanzania, East Africa on a Caring, Sharing and Learning expe-rience with Mennonite Women, Tanzania. The idea grabbed my attention immediately, but I dismissed the idea as an impossibility. Early in the new year the idea reappeared, and I started to think about the possibility of going. I asked a few people I knew if they would consider going with me as a roommate and none could go. In May, after much praying and encourage-ment I decided to go and paid my reservation for the trip. I did not know anyone else except Shirley and didn’t know who I would room with, so it was the “leap of faith.”

We left on Aug. 2nd on Ethiopian Airlines on a long flight to Addis Ababa for the 2-hour layover and then to Kilimanjaro, where we were greeted by Nixon, our jeep driver who took us to the hotel. I got to meet my room-mate who was Esther Kern from London, Ontario and it was good.

My first impression of Africa in their winter season was that it was so warm, and the land was so dry and brown. Everywhere, we saw people herding their cattle at the side of the road to find something to eat but there was also lush grass and flourishing vegetable gardens and banana plantations.

By Saturday the 4th everyone had arrived, and we got to meet each other and became acquainted during lunch and dinner. There were six of us who were between 70-85, ten of us were 50-70 and 1 younger. It was amazing how quickly we became friends.

Mennonite Women of Faith

Mary Metzger

• Connecting with the women of Arusha Mennonite Church.

• Sharing with the church women personally on Monday morning; learning about their special projects, their hopes and plans for Mennonite Church Africa which has representatives at Mennonite World Conference.

• Interacting and learning about life in a Maasai village. Each of us shared time personally with one of the Maasai children.

• Three Safari treks: One at Manyara Lake, then a Conservation park with water animals and birds, and a last one at the Ngorongoro Crater. The crater was 10 miles in diameter and 2200 feet deep and formed by a volcano. The crater was the most spectacular of all.

• Some of us went to the Cradle of Love orphanage which provides love, food, and health care for infants 0-2 years old and then placed for adoption to Tanzanian families.

This was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget, and I am so happy I decided to go!

Some of my trip highlights:


Carolyn Carr

Retired teacher, now part time receptionist in a busy health care clinic.

Childhood Home: St. Jacobs Present Home: St. Jacobs Age 72

Elmer Sauder Lorena Diller Harder

Studying French Teaching Specialization at the University of Waterloo

Childhood Home: Kitchener, ON Present Home: Nantes, France (until April‘19) Age 19

■ enthusiasm ■ loyalty ■ humour■ sincerity ■ follow too many rules■ sillyness

■ rain on a lake ■ the wind through Aspentrees ■ lemonade ■ the “Bluffton smell”■ the smell of peppernuts ■ fresh fruit (that’sa smell, sound, and taste!)

■ I took one Russian course in university!■ my main mode of transportation is a long-board ■ I’m a vegetarian ■ I’m studying in France for 8 months!

■ reading ■ volunteering in schools■ playing instruments with friends ■ podcasts■ “coaching” intramural hockey ■ bike rides

■ sleeping in an igloo with Laura and Lydia■ CILTs (leadership program at Silver Lake)■ MCC Relief Sales ■ late nights full of longconversations at university ■ playing at thecreek near my grandparents’ houseMennonite World Conference in Pennsylvania

■ camp ■ long city bus rides■ cafés (with friends or solo)

■ crackling campfire ■ cinnamon buns■ waves lapping on the shore■ a cardinal singing ■ bread baking■ homemade ice cream

■ patient ■ honest ■ curious■ resilient ■ loyal ■ caring

■ gardening ■ reading ■ travelling■ live theatre ■ hockey■ spending time with family

■ family trips each fall after potatoes wereharvested ■ Bruce Beach cottage withfamily every summer ■ backroads trip inSwitzerland ■ family holidays inBarbados

■ by the lake ■ around a campfire■ on our front porch

■ learn more languages – fluently! ■ travelsomewhere unexpected ■ build somethingfunctional – anything from a shed to a tinyhouse ■ go on a long outtrip

Personality traits others would say I have ■ honesty ■ hasty ■ serious■ leadership qualities ■ stable■ humour

My interests include:

■ family events ■ reading ■ Solo (a cardgame) ■ church and sports activities ■ eating out ■ going for drives

Some favourite lifetime memories:

■ Librarian ■ considered the teaching profession

■ 5 families camping together ■ visitingfamily in Bangladesh and Tanzania ■ bus tours in Canada and USA■ our wedding in 1951 ■ 3 months on thePrairies ■ childrens’ activities

Other vocations I might have chosen or would choose:

■ fish for salmon in Lake Ontario■ read more books ■ short trips■ attend 2018 MEDA Convention

■ Harmony Lunch Hamburgers■ roses ■ Christmas Carols■ Church bells■ roast chicken ■ fresh baked pies

Some things you may not know about me:

Some of my favourite smells, sounds, tastes:

■ 2nd EDSS grad from SJMC■ serious skull fracture at age 15■ a 25-year volunteer atThe Mennonite Story visitor centre ■ trustee for Woolwich School Board

■ worked at Woolworth’s lunch counterwhen I was 15 ■ started teaching at 18 ■ had a baby brother while I was atTeacher’s College ■ taught Grade 1 for 30 years

■ Outside on deck or porch ■ whilestrolling ■ play games with grandchildren

Some of the items on my “bucket list”:

■ Hopefully working as a teacher!

Where I like to play or ponder:

■ Take a riverboat cruise ■ Live by thewater where I can see the sunsets ■ Visit Scandinavian countries

Retired after 39 years in the office of Burns Meats as Customer Sales Super-visor, followed by 9 yrs as Credit Supervisor for Erb Transport.

Childhood Home: St. Jacobs Present Home: St. Jacobs Age 91


V B S

2018

Far Right: A final meeting of the Prayer Shawl

Ministry knitting group, August 2018

Right: The “Quilts for the World” Show took over SJMC and its sanctuary in May during the

annual Quilt & Fibre Art Festival

Below: Community Vacation Bible School

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LIFE TOGETHER - SJMC