editor andmailing address:

Jack Long4535 N. KedvaleChicago, IL 60630312-685-7985

"MK Ministry"co-ordinator:

Bob Blaschke, Sr.604 Evelyn Dr.Longview, TX 75602214-757-9155

SIM INT'L HQCedar Grove, NJ 07009201-857-1100

SIM CANADA10 Huntingdale Blvd.Scarborough, Ontario

M1W 2S5416-497-2424

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssss sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

III SSSSinn ssss

sss inn ssssSSSSSSIIIIISSSSSSsssssmnsssss

mninnurnmil

MMMM IIIII MMMMMMMMM III MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MM MM MMMMMMMM MM MM MMMMMMMM MMM MMMMMMMM M MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMM

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrr rrrrr

oooooooooooooooooo oooooooooo oooooooooo oooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooo ooooo

ooooo oooooooooo oooooooooooooooooo

ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

sssssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

eeesssssssssssssssssss

NOVEMBER 1983 Issue No: 1

Do you remember how awesome African bushfires can be as they sweep through anarea greedily consuming trees, leaves,grass and flowers, completely denudingthe beautiful foliage of the Africansavannah? Did you ever wonder howanything survived that holocaust? Andyet, year after year, even before thefirst rains, the elephant grass wouldthrust out a blade, the tree brancheswould send out a shoot, and flowers wouldburst open on the forest floor.

Likewise, SIM ROOTS is cominglying dormant for two years!

alive after

In case you have forgotten, SIM ROOTSbegan with a dream. A dream that a fewpeople had in 1979 to bring together asmany MK's as possible for a reunion. Tomeet that dream, there had to be a meansby which to spread the word. Thus SIMROOTS began. SIM ROOTS had a goal, areason for its existence. It was thereunion. It was called "The Big Idea".I remember the very first mailing. Therewere less than 30 people on the mailinglist. But it grew and grew and grew. Bythe time the reunion was held in July1981, there were 1305 people on themailing list. And I believe that thereshould be at least another 1000 peopleout there whom we don't have on themailing list that are alumni of the SINschools in Africa. And, of course, eachgraduating year should add a few morepeople whom we hope would want to be apart of SIM ROOTS.

That original goal has been met. Thereunion was held and was very successful.But that left SIM ROOTS without a reasonto exist. So SIM ROOTS has been silent.What purpose does SIM ROOTS now have forits existence? If we do not have areason to exist, if we don't have amessage to give, if we won't reach out tohelp, then SIM ROOTS must surely passsilently away.

For SIM ROOTS to survive, we must have anew dream, a new goal, something new forwhich to strive. If SIM ROOTS is to bejust a newsletter to pass on news ironone person to another, wouldn't it be

easier, cheaper, and faster to pick upthe telephone? Something then, must holdus together. That common root is thefact that we are MK'sheritage is SIM.that SIM ROOTS

whose commonIt is only natural thenshould be a publication

of, by and for SIM's MK's. However, itwill be only as good as you make it.

During the business meeting portion ofthe 1981 reunion, a number of objectiveswere voiced by the participants. Let meremind you of what they were: 1) Thesharing of news among ourselves, 2) Toraise money for special projects both athome and abroad, 3) To fulfill spiritualand material needs of each other and theSIM, and 4) To be an encouraging body forhigh school grads just returning fromAfrica and be an umbrella for them—toshare similar experiences through theissues of SIM ROOTS and through ourpersonal involvement.

For a good portion of our lives we havebeen on the receiving end. Now asadults, perhaps it is time to accept theresponsibility of giving. Let me sharewith you a reason for SIM ROOTS not onlyto stay alive, but to become a vitalparticipant in a specific ministry.

The heart of it is found in acommunication I received recently fromBob Blaschke, SIM missionary to Benin.The following is a summary of thiscommunication:

"MK's are great!"

"But they have special needs!"

"How come?"

"Just because they hear that theyare coming 'home' for college, when allthe time they think their real home isoverseas!"

"Sound confusing?"

"So what's home? And where's home?"

It is a known fact that MK's often have adifficult time making the transition fromhigh cchool overcoat f~n 1 "i f f* on the

college campus and afterwards in the

homeland.

Therefore, in order toto returning MK's,itself to develop aMK's. A ministrythese and otherconfusing andassistance willproviding information, peopleresources supportive of MK's.

be of assistanceSIM has committedcaring ministry to

to help MK's sort outthings that may bedisruptive. This

take the form ofand program

Many papers and theses have been writtenon the subject. Psychologists have beenhaving their say, too. Mission leadersare becoming sensitized as to theirresponsibility. But when you come downto it, it is the MK who knows thesubject...he has lived it! MK's are a'gold mine' of a wealth of experienceneeding to be tapped in order to helpothers still 'coming up the road'. Younever know, just talking about it mighteven do something for you yourself.

There are crucial areas to be talkedabout. For example, the transitionalperiod beginning with graduation fromhigh school overseas into the firstcouple of years of college in thehomeland. These years have beentraumatic for some. What was traumaticabout it for you? How did you handle it?

Information will be gathered, collatedand made available to MK's , theirparents and other caring individuals tohelp them prepare themselves prior todeparture from overseas, care for theirneeds during college as well as aftertheir college days. This informationwould be made available through theprinted page, personal visits by SIM orSIM-related personnel and in seminars andreunions.

A full-time coordinator for this ministrywill eventually be required. This personwill form a team of interested, concernedand informed volunteers who will beresponsible for and perform the variousaspects of the ministry. The team willbe composed of mission administrators,regional directors, former and currentmissionaries, "former" MK's, pastors,church leaders and families with openhomes and hearts. College personnel and

professional people such as doctors andlawyers would also be engaged to form anetwork of caring people prepared to meetMK's needs on a short or long term basis.

Bob Blaschke, Sr., having five kids ofhis own, is on loan from the SIM toLeTourneau College where he ismissionary-in-residence, teaching,counseling and ministering to the needsof the 120 MK's on campus, of which 12are SIM. In addition, Bob has beenassigned by SIM to coordinate this MKministry and do whatever needs to be doneto help MK's reorient themselves.

Programs will be designed to besupportive of the MK. There will bere-entry seminars, adopt-an-MK program inlocal churches, reunions, telephonehotline-for-help, a catalogue of caringpeople, financial aid and routine visitsof MK's on college campuses andelsewhere.

Can SIM ROOTS help in this ministry toeach other? Can you, in particular, helpin this ministry? If you have insightsor problems and are willing to sharethem, contact Bob Blaschke at 604 EvelynDrive, Longview, Texas 75602(214-757-9155). He would be glad to hearfrom you.

SIM ROOTS needs to come alive and becomethe voice of this ministry!

Thought for the day: "Rules withoutrelationship result in rebellion." Haveyou experienced it? OK, now, how's itgoing with you or with you and your kids?

TIM* *FULLER were

* *Limkenman on

ANNOUNCEMENTS - births, deaths, weddings,retirements and other things.

* * * * *MRS. JEAN HODGES retired in the summer of1982 after many years of teaching at K.A.She is residing in Edmonton, Alberta.* * * * *Weighing in at 7 Ibs., 12 oz. andmeasuring 19 inches in length, SharonEsther was born to KAREN (SEEGER) & ScottKeegan on September 2, 1981, at 7:33 p.m.* * *DIANNE BALISKY andmarried July 11, 1981.* * *ALLEN STEELY married MarciaMay 30, 1981.* * *JOYCE RATZLAFF and Dougmarried on May 9, 1981.* * *PATTI WARKENTIN and Johnmarried March 6, 1982.* * * * *ESTHER STADE and Royal Hobbs were marriedMay 9, 1982. They are making their homein Edmonton, Alberta.* * * * *We express our condolences to theRHINES—JOHN, EDITH & JANET—on the deathof their father in the spring of 1982.* * * * *Condolences to DAVID, RUTH & MARK MAXWELLon the death of their parents on February2, 1982. They were killed in anautomobile accident in Canada. Mr. &Mrs. Maxwell were regional reps of S.I.M.* * *BOB BLASCHKE, JR. andunited in marriage.

*Miller

*Coster

*were

*were

CHARLENE HIDE*are

There will not be any personal letters in this issue of SIM ROOTS. There are quite afew on file (enough to make up about 21 pages, in fact) since the last issue of SIMROOTS went out in July of 1980. But they are all old letters. Unless somebody reallywants to read them, they will all be severely edited and then included in the next issueof SIM ROOTS.

Now that SIM ROOTS is trying for a comeback, it is our goal to publish a letter threetimes a year (that's every four months). Please help make this a succesfull ministry— EVERYONE NEEDS EVERYONE'S HELP!! Nobody can go it alone for very long. I alwaysthought that I could, but I've found out it is no fun being alone.

If you have any information in regard to this new ministry, send it to Bob Blaschke.All other information and letters should be sent to me. Our addresses are on the frontpage.

E X T R A . . . E X T R A

R E A D A L L A B O U T I T

R E U N I O N 1 9 8 5

How many of you were at the last reunion in 1981? Was it worth it? Do you wantto do it again? Did you know that there were over 500 attendees on the Saturdayof that reunion? I have a photograph of that assembly hanging on my wall. Ittook eight 35mm frames in panoramic sequence to capture the group during the photosession. Carefully assembled, it results in a photo two feet wide! I doubt ifany of them did not feel that it was worthwhile to attend that reunion. I am notaware of any single event associated with either the Hillcrest school or the SIMschools where there has been that many alumni gathered. We want to see even moreat the next reunion. Will you help us to meet that goal?

Well, the executive committees of both the SIM and the Hillcrest AlumniAssociations have been in conference to answer the following six basic Englishquestions: Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. Here's what we came up with.

WHO?....You, the combined constituents of the SIM and the Hillcrest AlumniAssociations.

WHAT?....A bigger and better and more fun filled reunionAgain, a combined effort between both associations.

than the last time.

WHEN?....We are aiming for the July 4 weekend in 1985. The July 4 weekend will bea long weekend for Americans. We understand the difficulties that non Americanshad the last time and will have again this time and we remain in sympathy withyou, but to gain the extra day that we would like to include into the reunion, weare again going for the American independence holiday weekend. We are proposingthat the reunion begin on a Thursday evening and continue through Sunday noon,thus adding a day to the usual reunion weekend of Friday evening to Sunday noon.

WHERE? We again want to reunite at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, a suburbof Chicago. Geographically speaking, the midwest region still holds the lead withthe largest body of alumni of both associations within a single days' drivingdistance to Wheaton. In order to attract the largest number of attendees, we aremaking arrangements with Wheaton College to have our reunion at their facilities.

HOW & WHY? It will have to be up to you to fill in these answers. We hope thatyou will mark your calendar and begin making plans to attend. We would like tosee you there.