Plain Values Magazine | December 2022 by Plain Values

WHO WE ARE...

P U BL ISHE R

From 2007 to 2012 we, the Millers, adopted our first three children, a preschooler on the autism spectrum and two babies with Down syndrome. We published our first issue of Plain Values in 2012 to highlight Biblical ministries, share the beauty of adoption, and to cultivate anchored community. In 2018 we welcomed our fourth child in a surprise adoption, this time a baby with Mosaic Down syndrome. We homeschool our family and enjoy working together to grow and raise food on our twelve acre homestead.

Marlin Miller SA L E S A DV ISO R - O HIO

Matt Yoder SA L E S A DV ISO R - M IC HIA N A + P ENNSY LVANI A

Aaron Stutzman E DITO R IA L M A N AG E R

Nic Stoltzfus Q UA L IT Y A SSU RA N C E

WHAT WE BELIEVE...

Sabrina Schlabach

Our values are plain values, steeped in the rich traditions of yesterday. We enjoy the simple things in life. Gathering eggs from the coop, getting our hands in the dirt to grow food, and cooking meals from scratch. Sometimes we sit around a fire and share life. We strive to walk humbly to strengthen authentic relationships with our families and neighbors. And, yes, we have taken a fresh pie to a front porch and surprised a friend… we didn’t even text them before! We just stopped by, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door! Just the way our grandparents used to do on a Sunday evening. They called it living in community. We seek to serve our neighbors. Plain Values began with a prayer, hoping to play a small role in connecting a child with Down syndrome to his or her forever family. We have checked that box over a dozen times in the last ten years, and we will not stop until the orphanages are empty! We will rest in Heaven!

P RO DU C T IO N M A N AG E R

Isaac Hershberger M U LT I- M E DIA P RO DU C T IO N

Seth Yoder O F F IC E M A N AG E R /C U STO M ER S ERVI C E

Jan Schlabach JA N UA RY A D C LO SE

December 5, 2022 WR IT E R – WHISP E RS O F HO P E

Stacey Gagnon WR IT E R – CO N F E SSIO N S O F A ST EWAR D

HOW YOU CAN HELP...

Joel Salatin

Join us as we pursue a more authentic life. By subscribing to Plain Values, a portion of each subscription goes directly to Room to Bloom, our non-profit that supports children with special needs.

WR IT E R – RO OTS + WIN GS

Rory Feek WR IT E RS – T HE RO U N DTA BL E

Ivan Keim & Jerry D. Miller WR IT E RS – T HE HE A L IN G L A N D

JOIN US FOR PORCH TIME! Every third Friday from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, sit on the porch, and visit for a while. We'd love to get to know you! We're located in the heart of Winesburg, Ohio—just down the street from the church.

Shawn & Beth Dougherty WR IT E R – T HE WIDOW ' S PAT H

Ferree Hardy WR IT E R – HO N E ST CO N V E RSAT I O NS

Wendy Cunningham WR IT E R – O U R HE R ITAG E

Elam Stoltzfus WR IT E R – SE RV IN G O U R N E IG H B O R

Elaine Tomski CO N T R IBU T IN G P HOTO G RA PH ERS Millpond Photography Landon Troyer Photography Ashley Rivers Photography

Plain Values is published monthly by Plain Target Marketing, LLC. Please contact us with any questions. A DDR E SS

P.O. Box 201, 2106 Main Street Winesburg, OH 44690 P HO N E

FA X

330-601-6106

330-601-4099

E M A IL

reachout@plainvalues.com WE BSIT E

www.plainvalues.com This publication and its contents are © 2022, Plain Target Marketing, LLC. Individual copyrighted items, trademarks, etc. contained within are the property of their respective copyright holders. No part of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed by any means without authorization from the publisher. Publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ offers, products, or services, and publication neither expresses nor implies an endorsement. PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

contents

December 2022 // Issue 114

CONFESSIONS OF A STEWARD Treewise

ROOTS + WINGS A Farmhouse Christmas

COLUMN BY: JOEL SALATIN

COLUMN BY: RORY FEEK

Most farm properties have a woodlot. Certainly many of us self-reliant types glean firewood from it but little else... it tends to be the hands-off part of the property. Let’s change that.

As we move into December and begin to get ready for the holidays here at the farm, I can’t help but think of another Christmas nearly a dozen years ago that will always be special to me…

THE WIDOW'S PATH The Contrast of Christmas

HONEST CONVERSATIONS WITH WENDY Stumbling Blocks

COLUMN BY: FERREE HARDY

COLUMN BY: WENDY CUNNINGHAM

Ferree tackles one of the hardest seasons of grief for those who have lost loved ones—the holidays. May the love of Christ, friends, and family be a comforting contrast to the pain of loss.

This month, Wendy continues with her story of how the Lord led her to the truth by tackling some very difficult questions and allowing the Bible to lead her to deeply-satisfying answers.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

ON THE COVER A snow-covered Amish farm in Holmes County, Ohio

Room to Bloom Report Whispers of Hope: Holy Places Must be Dark Places One Minute With Marlin Prayers for the Nations: Costa Rica Trail Farm Supply and Maple Valley Fence by Gallagher

6 8 10 42 45

THE ROUNDTABLE Amish Insights on: Pride

THE HEALING LAND A Light in the Darkness

COLUMN BY: IVAN KEIM & JERRY D. MILLER

COLUMN BY: SHAWN & BETH DOUGHERTY

The newest addition to Plain Values features reader-submitted questions to our panel of four Amish men, seeking to gain insight into their views on living in genuine community.

Farm life includes a lot of walking in darkness, one way or another: it's facing full into a winter that will test the endurance of livestock and people. It's trusting that our life of service to the land is still important.

OUR HERITAGE Reflections on the Martyrs—Hans Landis

SERVING OUR NEIGHBOR The Gift of Sacred Ground

COLUMN BY: ELAM STOLTZFUS

WORDS BY: ELAINE TOMSKI

Elam continues his series on the hidden stories of early martyrs found in the back of the Ausbund hymn book. This month, he shares the history of yet another Hans and his family.

Nestled outside of Berlin, Ohio, Sacred Ground's mission is to cultivate an environment of belonging and purpose for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

whispers of hope

S U P P O RT F O R T H O S E W H O F O ST E R + A D O P T

Holy Places Must be Dark Places COLUMN BY:

Stacey Gagnon

"It’s like the sound of a chuckle in the darkness. The sense that some shattering and disarming simplicity is the real answer." — C.S. Lewis MANY DAYS, I look at my son and cannot imagine how he survived. How in the world did he live through four years of horror? Over six days, I spent a total of thirteen hours at his orphanage, and I am changed. Just my brief exposure has blanketed my heart with a cloying darkness every time I remember. Yet, it seems to be the little things that get me, that make me relive those 13 hours, 780 minutes, or 46,800 seconds. A sound, a smell, even silence. Those are the moments where I am transported back to the days of sitting with him in his glass-walled room. Isn’t it amazing how moments in time can suspend across a lifespan? Israel’s darkness was filled with urine and bleach, silence and monotony, loneliness, and unchanging routine. Days and nights within a crib, quietly marking time with the passing of dark and light, liquid meals, and diaper changes. No children’s laughter or friendly voices, just the silence of an orphanage that remains

dark, even in the light of day. This is the darkness that made me wish the visits to his orphanage were shorter. I am ashamed to admit that I dreaded every visit and mentally struggled through every moment I sat beside him. I try not to return to a world where babies are cast aside because of imperfections. I watch my little miracle boy pulled from the darkness. I marvel at how there can be light in his smile and love in his touch. How is it that he can smile, laugh, and learn? He was a child sitting in silence for hours on end, deprived of interaction. How has he come out on the other side, and I am the one who keeps returning? Today, my son is so full of love and gives it freely. Yet he was a child who crawled from the depths of darkness; a resilient child who endured so much pain and heartache. Israel is an example to us all of the hope found in a Holy place. “Holy places must be dark places.” CS Lewis writes.

Stacey Gagnon, along with her husband, Darren, are the founders of Lost Sparrows. They can be reached at P.O. Box 751, Winona Lake, IN 46590. Learn more about Lost Sparrows at www.lostsparrows.org. 8

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

(left) Israel before adoption | (right) Israel after adoption, years later

Lewis’s words are a reassurance that none of us are too broken or damaged to experience God. He sat with my son for four years in that dark place. God sat with an unknown, unwanted child and marked time with a sun that rose every morning and a moon that came each night. He sat with Israel and waited because He had already whispered adoption to the heart of a mommy across the world. A mommy who was terrified to bring home a child who was so broken. And now I understand that I was the one truly living in the dark; the darkness of contentment and apathy.

The orphanage staff never taught Israel words or knowledge; he was never given any education or teaching. However, God sat with this small boy and taught him life and strength. And now Israel, one voice in the dark, is teaching hope. This little boy exemplifies how darkness can be turned into light. And when we are sitting in our dark places, remember that the Holy is found in the dark. And in that dark and scary place, He sits beside us, marking time until the sun rises again. //

God has been so faithful to Lost Sparrows this year. He has allowed us to serve thousands of children and families across the globe, from serving women and children refugees in Ukraine, Romania, and Bosnia to fostering and adopting families across the Midwest. We are so thankful for His blessings and His calling. It gives us much joy to use the gifts He has given us to support these parents and children in need. We are also thankful for the contributions we have received from so many of you. Your generosity and financial gifts have allowed Lost Sparrows to aid many vulnerable children. Thank you for your ongoing support of so many families! As 2022 comes to a close, we would love for you to consider helping us continue our mission locally and abroad. You can send your tax-deductible donations to: Lost Sparrows, PO Box 751, Winona Lake, IN 46590. May God bless all of us in 2023. PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

One Minute with Marlin THIS MONTH we are excited to introduce a new monthly column built around relationship and how to strengthen those in your life. The Roundtable has come out of many conversations with friends on and off a few stages. Across the news and nation, I have sensed a renewed drive to get communities together again, more like the “good ole days.” Now I’m not a fan of wishing to go back, but the interest and thoughtful questioning of a few of my Amish friends confirmed my hunch time and again. A few months ago, I realized we have an opportunity to encourage those seeking to build relationships in their backyards. So we have assembled a panel of Amish farmers, some older and a few younger, who are passionate about strong

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

communities and taking care of one another as God asks us to. We are inviting you to send any questions our way, and we will carefully select a question for each month and then publish our panel’s thoughts. The Amish are not perfect, but they do take care of one another in extraordinary ways, and I believe we have much to learn from it all. There are not many more wellknown examples of this than “a good old-fashioned barn raising! ”Philippians 2 verses 3 and 4 says, “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but to the interests of others.” Our family has the luxury of having grown up in

After suffering a large fire, the Amish community gathered to re-build the barns they lost.

and around Amish communities our entire lives, and we do indeed have wonderful neighbors. They watch out for our children and have many times dropped everything to come help us out. In fact, that very neighbor, Ivan Keim, is one of our panelists. I have no doubt that The Roundtable will become a favorite for many of our readers in the months to come.

On a completely different note, if you have ever had an urge to study the Hebrew language, today is your lucky day! Dr. Jason Wetz will be serving up a 19-week class at our office in Winesburg, Ohio, beginning January 12th. Please visit www.cli.education or call 330-601-3617 for more information. As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //

Please send your questions to: PO Box 201, Winesburg, OH 44624 or buzz an email to: roundtable@plainvalues.com We ask for your understanding as we work our way through the many questions and topics we hope to discuss.

MARLIN MILLER publisher, always looking for more friends

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Confessions of a Steward JOEL SALATIN

COLUMN BY:

Treewise MOST FARM PROPERTIES HAVE A WOODLOT. Certainly many of us self-reliant types glean firewood from it but little else. Too often we don’t see that little forested acreage as a serious asset; it tends to be the hands-off part of the property. Let’s change that. Trees play an outsize role throughout the Bible. From the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden to the Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem, trees figure prominently in story after story. Diminutive Zaccheus climbed a sycamore tree. Absalom hung his long locks in the boughs of a tree. Abraham dwelt by the oaks of Mamre. God prohibited the Israelites from cutting down fruit trees when they entered the land of Canaan. David procured cedars from Lebanon for the temple. Noah built the ark out of gopher wood. Jesus was a carpenter and died on a wooden cross. Although pastured livestock dominates my farming reputation, working in the woods energizes me just as much as grass. Woodlands respond just as dramatically to the human touch as pastures do. Let’s dive in with some woodland principles.

photos by Millpond Photography

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Perhaps the most important principle is that any given acre can only grow a certain amount of biomass. The question is what kind of biomass is growing there. Several factors influence growth potential. In the northern hemisphere, south-facing slopes tend to be more limited than north-facing slopes because the hot afternoon sun dries out southern aspects. Northern aspects stay moist longer, encouraging more growth. Of course, rainfall, frost dates, and soil fertility influence growth. Foresters measure trees by diameter at breast height (DBH). If you wrap your arms around a tree (tree-hugging, yes), that’s the dimension. Overall basal area is determined by the total square footage of all the trees’ DBH. In other words, if you took a measurement of DBH of all the trees growing in a given acre, you could figure a total occupancy rate or square footage of basal area.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Virtually every forested acre in the U.S. is overcrowded. If the optimum basal area on an acre is 80, for example, and it actually has 120, everything is being stunted. Weedy woods are the norm. What that means is that the acre’s carrying capacity has too many undesirable stems on it. Just like weeds in the green beans, weedy trees clog our woodlots. A weed tree can be identified by numerous characteristics. The most obvious is disease. If it's full of sores or dripping rosin, has a big split, or sports lackluster leaves—all of these indicate a tree in distress. Trees are living things and are susceptible to all sorts of diseases and bugs. Culling the clearly struggling trees in your woodlot not only reduces disease transmission to other trees, but it also opens up the canopy to give more precious light and soil resources to the remaining healthy trees.

The next culling criterion is deformity. Who among us isn’t awed by magnificent cathedral trees, growing straight and stately into the sky? But then nearby might be numerous crooked, twisted, slanted, doglegged trees that will never amount to anything. Culling those enables the remaining good trees to grow to their genetic potential. The final culling decision rests in overall space. While we don’t want to turn our woods into a monoculture of a single desirable species, we also don’t want to stunt the good ones by allowing too many illfitted competitors to take up sunlight and soil resources. The rule of thumb for proper thinning is to select your keeper trees, measure their DBH in inches, change that into feet, double it, and cut everything in that radius. A 12-inch DBH tree that’s a keeper, then, would have a radius of 24 feet cleared and no more. As beneficial as thinning is, over-thinning is worse because

"The rule of thumb for proper thinning is to select your keeper trees, measure their DBH in inches, change that into feet, double it, and cut everything in that radius."

deciduous trees have thousands of dormant buds up and down their trunk that can sprout if shocked with sunlight too fast. This is why you often see fuzzy trees in housing developments in formerly forested areas. The landscapers take most of the trees and leave a few pretty ones, only to have these residuals sprout suckers up and down the trunk the following year. Limiting the thinning to the formula I’ve outlined maintains enough canopy shade to the residual stems to forestall this epicormic sprouting. This trunk sprouting ruins the lumber and destroys the tree. If you’re thinning aggressively, like creating a silvopasture out of a woodlot, you can leave nurse trees, especially on the south side, of keeper trees to protect them from sunlight shock. In about five years, after the keeper trees acclimate to the new level of sunlight, you can cull the nurse trees. What I’ve described here is a process to maximize your forest potential. The problem is that taking the worst and leaving the best isn’t what modern Americans do. For a bit of history, think back to the Native Americans. For centuries, prior to Europeans coming, these indigenous people used small wood. Big trees intimidated them. Sometimes a village would spend a week stoking a fire around the base of a large tree to finally bring it down. Without steel, carving and cutting big trees generally wasn’t worth the effort. Firewood, lodges, and baskets all utilized smalldiameter material. The primitive forestall economy revolved around small dimensions. The routine fires lit by the Native Americans culled out diseased, weak, and smaller trees, leaving the giant ones to continue

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

living. Their whole forestall relationship revolved around taking the worst and leaving the best. When Europeans arrived, however, this incentive was inverted. If you only have stone tools, you work with bendable lightweight wood. But if you have a saw, you want the largest diameter material you can find. What for centuries had been a small-diameter forestall economy suddenly became a large-diameter economy. Cutting the biggest and best became the operative forest protocol and literally mongrelized our forests. As a culture, we’ve now spent several centuries taking the best and leaving the worst; foresters call this high grading. What happens when for many years, you harvest the best and leave the worst to propagate? Any animal or plant breeder knows you want to select and hang onto the best specimens and cull the worst. Many foresters now believe America has literally lost the forestall genetics that grew those magnificent cathedral trees we see in heritage black and white photos of early lumberjacks. What a shame. Proper stewardship mandates that we reverse this American tradition and restore the spaced-out 16

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

and protected best trees in our woodlots. But how do you make such a policy pay? Must it only be a labor of love? Can we make culling profitable? Yes, and here are some ideas. Firewood. As petroleum rises in price, wood heat becomes more desirable and affordable. One industrious young person with a chainsaw and truck can definitely earn a decent salary in most places by cutting firewood for sale. Wood chips. On our farm, we chip the cull trees for our wintertime livestock bedding and compost it. That is literally the heart and soul of our fertility program. Nobody in America needs to buy fertilizer. All we need to do is get into our woodlots and upgrade them with judicious thinning by chipping the culls. An acre yields many, many cubic yards of material that can grow lots of soil microbes. Furthermore, integrating forestall fungi with pasture bacteria creates the most fertile biological soil community. Just imagine if all the money currently spent fighting forest fires and buying petroleum-based fertilizer were diverted to woodlot stewardship. We’d build more soil

and grow more fat earthworms than anybody can imagine. Biomass is the secret to soil fertility. Value adding. Carefully working through a woodlot can yield many special pieces of wood. A small, crooked cherry tree can be cut into rolling pins. Small trees entwined in vines can be dried and sanded for unique gnarled walking sticks. I just thinned a two-acre woodlot that yielded 100 locust posts for an electric fence, five feet long. Have you priced wooden posts at the lumber yard recently? If you have or know someone who has an artistic woodworker’s eye, walk through the woodlot and flag especially artistic or interesting pieces. That way, when you’re aggressively running the chainsaw, you won’t inadvertently cut something for firewood that has decorative potential. Specialty wood pieces offer all sorts of commercial potential. A bundle of small diameter sticks, for example, can not only be pretty next to a fireplace, but can offer a quick, small fire for some urbanite not wanting to tussle around big pieces of firewood. A lattice fence woven with small diameter branches is a beautiful way to functionally and decoratively define a garden or yard. Weaving grape vines into wreaths for front door adornment offers additional sales opportunities.

"Just imagine if all the money currently spent fighting forest fires and buying petroleum-based fertilizer were diverted to woodlot stewardship." Rather than looking at our woodlots as the armpit of our property, we should look at our woodlots as a pot of gold and a gift from God. Leaving our woodlots in a healthier and more abundant state than we found them is not only economically beneficial for generations coming behind us, it’s a policy of stewardship—returning more than we take. That’s a good return on investment (ROI) for the Creator. //

Joel's Upcoming Speaking Events What Would You Like Joel to Write About? Joel is always looking for reader suggestions on which topics to cover. Please email all suggestions to: reachout@plainvalues.com

December 10

Columbia, TN (Rogue Food Conference) 2023

January 19–21

Dallas, TX (American Pastured Poultry Producers Association)

January 26

Paradise, PA (A Day with Joel Salatin)

March 7

Warwick, RI (Rhode Island Women in Agriculture)

March 17

Middlefield, OH (A Day with Joel Salatin)

April 21

Fredericksburg, TX (Force of Nature Meats)

June 2–3

Columbia, TN (The Homestead Festival)

June 30–July 1

Kootenai County, ID (Pacific Northwest Homesteaders Conference)

August 25–26

Marshfield, MO (Ozarks Homesteading Expo)

Joel co-owns, with his family, Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. When he’s not on the road speaking, he’s at home on the farm, keeping the callouses on his hands and dirt under his fingernails, mentoring young people, inspiring visitors, and promoting local, regenerative food and farming systems. 17

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

column by:

A Farmhouse Christmas December 2022

"As we move into December and begin to get ready for the holidays here at the farm, I can’t help but think of another Christmas nearly a dozen years ago that will always be special to me for a number of reasons…" – rory feek

rory feek

AS WE MOVE INTO DECEMBER and begin preparing for the holidays here at the farm, I can’t help but think of another Christmas nearly a dozen years ago that will always be special to me for a number of reasons… First off, this particular Christmas memory actually happened in October. December was still a good way off, but our farmhouse and the concert hall (it was just a barn back then) were all decorated for the holidays, and we were singing Christmas songs just the same. At the time, my wife Joey and I had recently recorded a Christmas album and were hoping to find a way to film a holiday TV special that could be released with it. But after being turned down by some folks who make TV specials, we decided to try making one ourselves here at home. And so, in late October 2011, as everyone else in our community was carving pumpkins and picking out Halloween costumes, we were wrapping gifts, hanging wreaths on the doors, and stringing lights on a fake Christmas tree in our living room. We knew that we wanted to film all the musical performances in our big barn, so we began by moving the car stuff, the boat, and all the tools and junk out of the way while our handyman, Thomas, built a little “holiday barn” backdrop to film in front of. We borrowed a half-dozen Christmas trees from friends and neighbors and hung lights all around the set to make it look nice. Then we hired some good friends we knew who had worked with us on previous music videos, and they brought in more lights and video cameras.

Rory Feek is a world-class storyteller, songwriter, filmmaker, and New York Times best-selling author. As a musical artist, Rory is one-half of the Grammy-award-winning duo, Joey+Rory. He and his wife Joey toured the world and sold nearly a million records before her untimely passing in March 2016.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Joey + Rory's Christmas special on TV

"It was a particular moment in our lives, captured forever and frozen in time, when we had no idea where life was leading us."

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

All these things made the house and the barn look like Christmas, at least on a TV screen. The first part of the filming was in the farmhouse living room around the Christmas tree we’d set up and also in the kitchen. We just let the cameras roll as Joey and I talked and set up the thirteen or fourteen songs we had recorded and were about to perform while filming in the barn. We started getting everything ready at six that morning and began filming at nine. We hoped to be done with everything by four in the afternoon if all went smoothly. But things took longer than we anticipated, and we didn’t even make it out to the barn to start filming the performances until around three in the afternoon. So, when the director, Gabe, finally yelled “Cut!” after the last song and “It’s a wrap” after the last take, we looked at our watches. It was 5am — the next morning. We had all been at it for almost twenty-four hours. We were beyond tired but also elated. When Joey and I finally laid down in bed, the sun was coming up, and we were both almost giddy. Partly because we were exhausted but also because we knew we had captured something very special.

I spent the next few weeks editing the TV special on a computer in our upstairs bedroom, which, again, was something I’d never done before. But I had learned a little about film editing over the years prior, and I saw other people do it. So I thought, “How hard can it be?” It turns out editing is much, much harder than I could’ve imagined. But I was passionate about bringing what we had made to life and stayed with it till the last frame was complete. I think I turned it in on the deadline with about five minutes to spare. It first aired on RFD-TV during Thanksgiving weekend that year and went on to air a few more times throughout the Christmas holidays. It was a big success for Joey, me, and the folks at the TV network. Of course, at the time, neither of us knew how special it would become. Joey was alive and so full of joy and excitement for life, the farm, and our music; and her dog Rufus was still with us. Our older girls Heidi and Hopie were in their early 20s, and Joey and I were both a bit younger. It was a particular moment in our lives, captured forever and frozen in time, when we had no idea where life was leading us. All we knew was that we were on the ride of our lives and that God was behind the wheel.

All these years later, when I go back and watch the TV special, it always brings a big smile to my face and tears to my eyes. That was the only Christmas album we ever made, and that TV taping, although only meant to be a one-time thing, ended up setting us on a path showing us where we were headed. Within a few months, we’d be making our weekly TV show in that same barn and, in time, a half-dozen TV specials with Bill & Gloria Gaither. Since 2016, there has always been a spot on the couch at our house on Christmas morning when we gather around the tree to open gifts and an empty chair when we sit down for a big family dinner. We miss Joey and wish she could be with us. I so wish our little Indiana, in particular, could have had the opportunity to see how much her Mama loved Christmas and the joy the season brings. The holidays each year continue to bring new joys and memories that we will treasure forever. But that one Christmas, the one that wasn’t actually Christmas at all, holds a very special place in my heart. //

rory

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

AMISH INSIGHTS ON: PRIDE

This Month's Question:

Homesteaders are often encouraged to be as selfsufficient as possible. How can I overcome the pride of being self-sufficient so that I can reconnect with my community?

Answered by:

Ivan Keim & Jerry D. Miller

Ivan: Our human tendency is to want to be independent. We do not want to rely on others, but the irony of it is, God created us to be dependent on each other when he created a man and woman in the Garden of Eden. It seems like today’s driving force to become independent is part of a cycle that we as a society are part of. In the early days of the American settlers, everybody was homesteading and they needed each other and depended on each other as the need arose. As America developed and our government was established and developed into a powerful body, our society became more dependent on government to develop infrastructure and guidance; government aid became a prominent thing when misfortune struck. Any time that we become dependent on a larger body we will also give away some of our independence to them. In more recent years we have become aware that relying on government for our everyday needs may not be the best solution and are trying to become more self-sufficient in our everyday living. Any time that a society goes too far in one direction and the pendulum swings back, we tend to over-correct ourselves. In our case we are trying to do it all ourselves versus doing it as a community. This question reminds me of a story told to me by an older gentleman in our community. Back in the 60’s and 70’s the majority of the Amish in our community were farmers and they depended on each other to harvest their crops. It came to the point where their family and a neighboring family could afford a baler together, so they bought one as partners. First, they would make hay for one family and then help each other make hay for the other family. They did this until they could both afford a baler and then they no longer helped each other. This is a common theme: as our income increases, we tend to buy tools and equipment to become more self-sufficient, but in the end it does not bring our community together. Working together has a way of developing our relationships. When we sweat together, grit our teeth together, and bear pain together, we also get to enjoy

"When we sweat together, grit our teeth together, and bear pain together, we also get to enjoy the sweetness of victory together. A special moment is always more enjoyable when it is shared with somebody else." the sweetness of victory together. A special moment is always more enjoyable when it is shared with somebody else. I like the term “interdependence.” We are depending on each other as a smaller body and community. A community member may have a work day to work on a building project and a number of people get together to help. Later, another community member may have a work day for a project he has. We all get together to help out. We could possibly hire a private contractor to do the work. This may be needful at times but will also eliminate our ability to come together as a community. Borrowing tools, equipment, or animals from each other is another way that we can become interdependent. I may have a skid loader that a neighbor can use and he may have a tractor that I can use if the need arises. This spring, another person in our community borrowed our bull. This was helpful to me because I did not have to keep him in another pasture until I was ready for him. Our neighbor kept him and was able to use him in the duration. It was a win-win for both of us. Sharing sire animals in this way can be very helpful for homesteaders who do not have a large enough

herd to keep one themselves. Borrowing comes with a give and take. We were always taught that if you borrow something, you take it back in as good as or in better shape than it came. If you break it, you fix it. This cultivates a good relationship. We also want to have a good attitude if our neighbor breaks something and does not fix it. Let’s fix it so that it is ready for him if he needs it again. This is a form of forgiveness. Our human tendency will think that if he breaks it, he cannot have it again. Do we want to sacrifice relationships over material things and money? Sharing and laboring together as a community makes us part of something that is greater than ourselves. We as humans are searching for something that is greater than us. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35.

Jerry: The reality is we all deal with some degree of pride. And we all probably love our self-sufficiency. But we as human beings are wired for companionship. We need each other. And when the chips are down, we really need each other. Sooner or later most of us come to realize autonomy comes with a price; maybe more of a price than we are willing to pay. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark where we find the account of the four men bearing their friend on a cot and opening up the roof to let him down to Jesus. Now let’s imagine this scene for just a moment. The crush of people. The difficulty of getting close to Jesus. They could have easily given up, but they loved their friend on the bed, and one of them came up with the idea of opening up the roof and letting him down with ropes. Do we not all long for friends like these? They needed people to direct traffic—to open up paths for

them to carry their friend, and someone was on the roof opening it up. In other words, it took a community. Everyone could chip in and play some small part in this drama, and what about the man on the cot? One wonders what was his attitude. Did he encourage his carriers or was he too proud to think he needed help? Sometimes I think this man was beyond making any decisions, and his neighbors simply took the proverbial "bull by the horns” and just got it done. To bring this point closer to home, I’m reminded of a story I read of a young man who slipped on a stairwell and tore his quadricep muscle—it took surgery and a long period of being bedfast to heal his injury. This man was a star ACC college basketball player and an incredibly gifted athlete who suddenly needed help. He made the comment that humility is found when you can’t dress or undress yourself. Yes, we love our autonomy, but when we pursue autonomy to the point where we simply don’t need our neighbors, we pay a high price indeed. A powerful happening that I witnessed myself shaped my view of humility and sharing. Allow me to tell you a little story. It happened in January of 1978 when our barn collapsed due to the weight of snow and wind. During the time of clean-up and rebuilding, many people showed up to help. Thank you to all of them. But one incident stood out—even after all these years: a man from the most conservative Amish group showed up to help. This fellow was not rich in worldly goods, nor was he a close neighbor—he was a man we barely knew. I don’t recall his name. I just know that, along about noontime, he knocked on our door, and Mom, who was a widow, answered the beckoning. This man pulled a box of mac-n-cheese out from under his overcoat and gave it to Mom. Now, I dare say that he and his family probably never sat down to eat a meal of boxed macn-cheese. He simply gave the best he had. This is so

About Ivan and Jerry Ivan, Emma, and their four children live on a 12-acre homestead where they strive to raise as much of their own food as possible. Each year they have a large garden, harvest from their orchard, use raw milk from their own cow, and process chicken, turkey, beef, and pigs for their freezers. Ivan is a minister in the local Amish community. He builds tiny homes and animal shelters for a living. His models can be seen on tinyhomeliving.com or by calling 330-852-8800. Jerry and Gloria Miller, along with their six children, operate Gloria’s home farm, a 173-acre organic dairy. They milk between 60 and 70 cows with a few small cottage industries supplementing the farm income. Jerry is a deacon in his local Amish church. Questions and comments can be directed to Jerry at 330-600-7481.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

"We as human beings are wired for companionship. We need each other. And when the chips are down, we really need each other." – Jerry D. Miller

very humbling. When I think of this incident, I still feel a kinship, a relationship forged through a very simple act; profound, powerful, and enduring—inadequate adjectives to describe his selfless giving. As the youngest child in a family of eleven children, we learned about working together at a young age. When Mom said supper is ready at six o’clock tonight, we showed up at ten-till. To be late for supper meant you didn’t get your share. I can’t imagine the blessing that people miss out on when little Johnny dictates when supper is ready and what he eats. Growing up, we were poor, but for the most part, we didn’t know it. Our neighbors shared and shared alike. This a long answer to a short question. Always remember: humility is an elusive thing when you congratulate yourself on your humbleness, once again fostering pride. //

Submit Your Questions! If there's a question you'd like The Roundtable to answer, email it to: reachout@plainvalues.com or mail it to: The Roundtable, P.O. Box 201 Winesburg, OH 44690

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

COLUMN BY:

Shawn & Beth Dougherty

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, the morning milking time is a lesson in contrasts. In June, the sky is light at five a.m., and you walk to the barn to the accompaniment of a hundred songbirds in joyful conversation. But by December, five o'clock is something else. We come out the back door with our buckets and milk cans into hard frost. We can't see it— there are no lights—but we can hear it under our boots as we cross to the yard gate. Beowulf, the farm dog, trots beside us as we head down to the barn. Here in central Appalachia, only bird flight and utility companies can trace a straight line over the mountainous terrain, and all other creatures have to find more circuitous ways. The path from the house to the barn is just such a trail, starting out northwest to travel south and uphill to go down. It gets there in the end. In between points, there are flower and vegetable gardens, two woodsheds, a stream to cross, a brush against the wooded hillside, and then the barnyard—a small journey.

Light in the Darkness But for the early milking, we are mostly walking it in obscurity. Our hands occupied with buckets and milk cans, we can't carry a lantern or flashlight, and our feet have to find the path without any help from our eyes. But it's a path we walk many times a day and we seldom stumble. We move through space we cannot see, our feet making the picture we perceive in our minds. Moving in darkness, we find that every small gleam or glimmer takes on a larger meaning. Even a spark captures our whole attention.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

any of these folks, and the night is nearly silent, we aren't really alone.

Luminous Beings

To the west, as we cross the calf pasture, we can see neighbor Barry's light come on a half-mile away as he steps out to feed the two cats—one an orange tabby and the other with a black/white tuxedo—that we know are crouching by his kitchen door. His home is as familiar to us as our own; he taught us to butcher hogs, and for twenty-some years, our families have shared in the raising of five pigs to be butchered for the neighborhood each January. Mike and Gwen, whose farm is to the north, live beyond the reach of our vision. Still, at five in the morning, red lights blink morse from the tall chimney at the power plant, telling us exactly where these neighbors are; and we know that Gwen, or one of the children, is headed out the back door with a bucket to milk the Jersey/Limousin cross-bred cows that graze their hilltop pastures. And to the south—but down in the next holler, from which we can see no gleam of light—son William and his wife Ashley are rising early to milk their Jersey cow Gracie before breakfast. Although we can't see 28

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

The stars in the December sky are so bright and clear, it is as though there is no longer a veil between us and Heaven, but there are other mornings—fog-bound or blanketed in lowering clouds—when darkness lies over the farm like a cupped hand. Then foxfire— bioluminescence in fungus-riddled wood—draws our eyes into the woods with its dim, green glow. Sometimes after we have been splitting firewood, the ends of the stacked splits scrawl an unreadable message across the face of the woodshed. The ground around the chopping block will be flaked with light like a summer hoarfrost. We see it so rarely that it becomes a family event, the children taking bits inside to glow on their bureaus at night. More often, it is fireflies that light up summer nights, so many they look like Christmas decorations. By morning most of the tiny lamps have gone to rest, but a few blink lonely messages at the wood’s edge or around the pond as we trudge down the pasture to bring up the cows. From early fall right up to hard frost, little green lanterns, shining out here and there from under grass blades, line the pasture trail. We know that 'glow worms' are wingless fireflies, but they seem like another species entirely, their gleams signaling a busy nightlife at soil level. And when the children enjoyed using headlamps to navigate at night, they discovered the myriad nocturnal predators of the insect community by the gleam of tiny eyes: thousands of spiders, their multiple pairs of eyes lit like reflective jewels by the headlamps' white brilliance. Wherever the children looked, the ground was sparked with bits of fire, astonishing in their numbers, uncanny in their fixed attention. Certainly, we are not alone.

Nighttime Noises May mornings can be a riot of birdsong, but December is almost silent. North Creek rustles coldly in its shallow, rocky bed. Sometimes we hear coyotes in the draw behind the barn, reminding us that some folks prefer the darkness. Sometimes a train's hollow whistle passes through the village, or a tug may hoot

on the river. But, mostly we hear our own feet on the gravel drive. Sometimes there is the rustle of strawy bedding under the calf in its nighttime stall. In the dairy, a single dim bulb lights a world that holds only the cows and ourselves. We're grateful for their warm bodies that comfort our hands and shoulder pressed against their bulging sides. Finally, we finish milking and drive the cows down the stilldark lane to their next paddock of frozen grasses, where they drop their heads to graze. Then the sound of forage between the cows' grinding molars fills the darkness, ending our aloneness and declaring that, whether in sunlight or darkness, day has come. Over on the next hill, Barry's car rumbles to life, and we hear the crunch of limestone under his tires as he sets off for Pittsburgh and his day job as an engineer. In the pasture between our farms, his three horses will be grazing, looking sometimes with mild interest over the fence at our ruminating cows. His car passes on the road. The smell of woodsmoke says that up at the

house someone has lit a fire and is making breakfast. Chains rattle against the pipe gate of the barnyard as we close things up and head to the house. Stars are bright in the cold, dry air, prickling the sky like glitter on black velvet, drawing our eyes upward. The Big Dipper, which last night caught starlight in its upturned cup, has pivoted on the North Star and spilled what it held and now slips below the horizon. In the east, the sky is beginning to lighten. Soon the night will retreat into shadows. Farm life includes a lot of walking in darkness, one way or another: it's facing full into a winter that will test the endurance of livestock and people. It's putting seeds in the ground and praying, hoping, believing that rainfall and sunlight will bring them to the surface, laden with promise of the nourishment to come. It's trusting that our life of service to the land is still important. We're certain it's beautiful. //

Shawn and Beth Dougherty live in eastern Ohio, where their home farm is 17-acres designated by the state as "not suitable for agriculture." Using grass as the primary source of energy, they raise dairy and beef cows, sheep, farm-fed hogs, and a variety of poultry, producing most of their food, and feed, on the farm. They are also the authors of The Independent Farmstead, published by Chelsea Green Pub.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

T H E W I D O W ' S P AT H

The C ontrast of Christmas COLUMN BY:

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Ferree Hardy

ARE YOU ONE TO NOTICE that, here in the Northern Hemisphere, on December 21, the sun is at its lowest point? Some call it our “shortest day.” Of course, the day is still twenty-four hours long; there’s just less sunlight. The opposite is June 21, our “longest day.” One advantage of these shorter December days is the opportunity to light up our homes and streets with Christmas lights and candles. The darkness is what makes the lights so beautiful. It’s a bit like widowhood. Days of mourning create a velvety black backdrop against which the happy memories seem to shine and sparkle. Such contrasts bring profound depth and beauty to our eyes and souls.

Christmastime reminds me of another contrast too. Did you know that there were four hundred years between the end of the Old Testament and the birth of Christ? Centuries of silence from God; the heavens were still, God’s breath had no words—all prophecies had been spoken. But when Jesus was born, the silence was broken by a sky filled with cheering angels! Widows and widowers today can feel that same season of God’s silence. Four days can seem like four hundred years—cheering angels are just as rare. But there’s hope for those who know Him. Tragedy can change to contentment; the inner wasteland of loneliness can be filled with the presence of PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Immanuel—our Savior’s Christmas name, which means “God with us.” And grief cannot exist in Heaven, where God will wipe away every tear. Yet holidays are difficult. The contrast between the present and the past is immense. The house was noisy and full, now it’s so empty it almost echoes. In years past, there was a hand to hold, a shoulder to encircle, a loved one to lie in bed with at night. Now the bedsheets stay cold on that side. The children cry as we helplessly wish for a band-aid to heal their invisible wounds. Decisions that used to be made together are now doubled in weight and worry for the spouse who is left behind. The contrasts are hard. The sunshine was too short. The present darkness is too long.

A widow friend named Mindy found her first Christmas very difficult. Her husband John had died in July of a massive heart attack. It was her birthday, and he’d wanted to take her out to dinner. Instead, she had found him outside on the ground when she was ready to go. He was dead before she could even start CPR. Without a goodbye, her life was totally upended. She tried to be strong for her family and not cry in front of them—especially the grandchildren. Since then, she’s learned that grieving together appropriately was a good way for the children to process their own feelings and develop sympathy, wisdom, and maturity. She told me this about grief and grandkids: “They needed to see it. It was good for them, and it

was good for me... No other way would they learn that depth of compassion.” When Christmas rolled around that first year, Mindy did not want to celebrate. The contrast was too painful between John’s absence and the many days he loved on her by bringing her the first cup of early morning coffee, driving her to work when there was snow or ice on the roads, and even buying the groceries. She missed him, and her emptiness ached from head to toe. But with the grandkids coming for Christmas, Mindy had to do something. However, she didn’t put up all her usual holiday décor. Instead, she only decorated a smaller four-foot-tall artificial tree. She lovingly decorated it with her most favorite ornaments—the ones she and John had bought at a garage sale and had hand-painted together as newlyweds. The tree stayed up until spring. Whenever she tried to take it down, she’d soon give up. “It just felt good to leave it up,” she said. It was a source of good memories and thankfulness that she didn’t want to cut short. She took it down when she was ready. She advises new widows to also take charge of when they are ready for the next steps in their grief journey. “Grieve the way you think is right… It’s hard, but that’s OK; life’s very different, and that’s OK too.” The Christmas tree doesn’t stay up until spring anymore. “Now I get a little excited to hang stockings and decorate,” she said. But her Christmas traditions went through some changes. A couple of times, she didn’t feel like doing anything for Christmas. One year, getting together with her family simply didn’t work out; they celebrated Christmas in July instead.

"May the love of Christ, friends, and family be a comforting contrast to the pain of losing your loved one this year. And if you want to leave your Christmas decorations up until next spring or summer, you have the full support of Mindy and me."

PLAIN VALUES OCTOBER 2022

Over the years, she’s learned what helps her cope, and she’s quit trying to please people who don’t understand her. “If no one else agrees with me,” she said, “I’m OK with that too.” She stresses the importance of a good group of other widows to share experiences with, though. “I didn’t even know I needed that connection at first, but I don’t know how I did it without the widows’ group.” Mindy works as a traveling histology technician. She’s worked all over the country: from California to Massachusetts, Montana to Texas, and everywhere in between. Traveling brings many contrasts, adventures, and new friends to her life, but she always loves to come back home, especially when friends and family gather. The carol that croons “I’ll be home for Christmas” captures the contrast of being far away and longing to be home. That sense of belonging, finding peace, and living in contentment all stem from salvation and

Christmas. Have you received the gift of salvation yet? I’m reminded that if Jesus was never born, we’d never have Christmas. His love for us contrasts the world’s offering of rebellion and selfishness, and it’s the greatest help through the holidays and all of life. May the love of Christ, friends, and family be a comforting contrast to the pain of losing your loved one this year. And if you want to leave your Christmas decorations up until next spring or summer, you have the full support of Mindy and me. We want you to know that while we may always miss our spouse, the heavy weight of grief doesn’t have to last forever. “…He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces…” Isaiah 25:8. // Until 2023,

ferree l

To learn more about widowhood, order a copy of Postcards from the Widows’ Path—Gleaning Hope and Purpose from the Book of Ruth. It’s a gentle, biblical guide for widows that has many saying, “This is the best I’ve ever read!” Mail a check for $14.99/copy (paperback, 248 pgs.), along with your address to: Ferree Hardy, 76 Grace Ave., Ticonderoga, NY 12883. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Free shipping for all Plain Values readers! PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

COLUMN BY:

Wendy Cunningham

Honest Conversations with Wendy ST UM BL I N G B LO C KS WHERE DID GOD COME FROM? What about evolution? Why do bad things happen to good people? I spent twenty-some-odd years as an atheist and (Praise God!) about a decade now walking with the Lord. These questions, among others, were tricky to reason my way through on my journey to faith. I’m sure I’m not alone. And I know it’s not just non-believers who stumble here. I’ve discovered many Christians have terrible answers to these types of common questions. But here’s what I believe about these old chestnuts: Hard questions reveal amazing opportunities to strengthen one’s faith. As I was beginning to soften to the idea of a “Man in the Clouds,” my husband asked me a question that opened the door for new growth: “Could you have been created?” He didn’t ask if I could have been created by God—which I would have been inclined to reject—but he encouraged me to consider a broader context. My first thought was to examine why I didn’t believe I could be created by God. This led me down the road discussed in my last column of what I had learned (and not learned) growing up and the relationships that supported and influenced that school of thought. But for the first time, I began to consider a startling thought… Just because most everyone I knew believed something to be true didn’t necessarily mean it was the truth.

"Just because most everyone I knew believed something to be true didn’t necessarily mean it was the truth."

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

"What rock, gas, or substance existed to create said Big Bang? Where did it come from? It had to already have existed. Something had to be eternal."

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

I promise you this was an unsettling reality to be faced with in my early twenties, but I knew this revelation warranted further consideration. I didn’t believe I could be created by God because I’d bought into the Big Bang Theory. Although I couldn’t articulate the theory well, I remembered being quite convinced of its authenticity in eighth grade. Perhaps we all—believers and unbelievers alike—have some stale beliefs that could use a solid dusting and even some re-evaluation? I certainly found that to be true. Upon re-examination, not only did I find the Big Bang Theory was full of holes, but I also found myself getting hung up in some familiar places. In the Creation story, I struggled with the idea of eternity and believing God just always was—that he wasn’t created by something or someone else (which then presents the problem of who else created the next creator and so forth forever). But as I looked at the Big Bang Theory through my adult-lens, I found the same problem. What rock, gas, or substance existed to create said Big Bang? Where did it come from? It had to already have existed. Something had to be eternal. This might seem trivial, but these are huge things to reconcile. And not just for nonbelievers. Do you know who else struggles to reconcile how evolution—the primary school of thought put forth in public education—fits in with the creation account? Christians! Our children are leaving the church at record numbers upon graduating high school and even more so after higher education. It’s not because of a lack of exposure to church, but rather because of a lack of answers to tough questions. Whether our kids are asking us these things or not, they’re wondering how everything fits together. And if we’re not asking these questions and, more importantly, unpacking them with our Bibles in hand, then we won’t be able to equip the next generation with the necessary tools to stand against the schemes of the enemy. I asked these questions of my husband, Tom. Although he didn’t have every answer for me, he knew how to disciple. He had stumbled over these very conundrums and found logical answers within Scripture. Answers that satisfied him and gave direction for me. Instead of catching him off-guard and causing him to doubt, I could see I’d encountered an area of rock-solid faith in my husband that gave me—a seeker of truth—new inspiration.

"Whether our kids are asking us these things or not, they’re wondering how everything fits together."

For example, I wrestled with this problem: “Is it more likely that a rock or a gas existed eternally and exploded to cause everything we experience around us? Or is it more probable that it was an intelligent being of some sort—maybe God—that did the creating?” What I came to realize is that eternity existed in both scenarios. This gave me an open door to move towards faith. Evolution follows a similar path but is more likely to cause a believer to stumble. The world through “science” wants to propose that everything and anything is possible if you throw in enough years. Yes, every blade of grass, elephant, germ, human, and sea creature came from the same single cell through a series of small changes because millions and billions of years passed. Of course, put this way, it sounds ridiculous. But the church, our kids—and many of us adults—believe it can be both/and. God created everything, and He did it through the process of evolution. This forces one to conclude that when God said he made everything according to its kind (Genesis 1) in just the one day, He was being hyperbolic. Y’all, if we can question God in this area, what else does it open the door to? We can’t be idle in these conversations. We have to be the ones offering sound answers. But, to offer them, we must first have them. I struggled with these questions on my journey to faith over ten years ago. Humankind has been wrestling this out since the enemy entered the Garden. Our hearts and our children’s hearts are not immune to these stumbling blocks. We can’t ignore them, and we most certainly must not view them as inconsequential. We must face what might be misunderstood as a contradiction with the truth offered in the Word of God. There are answers to these questions, and we need to be equipped to respond. Why do bad things happen to good people? This is perhaps the most common question I encounter as I

speak to non-believers as well as those on the fence in their faith. There are so many thought-provoking and compassionate ways to approach this one. I know, in my personal story, every single “bad” thing—sexual trauma, abuse, addiction, depression and anxiety, pain, loss—had to transpire in the exact ways and times they did for me to be positioned for my rescue. I had to learn hard lessons in hard ways. I had to walk through storms to appreciate the sunshine. I would have never recognized the rare blessing of my marriage if I hadn’t had abusive relationships as a comparison. Because of the bad, I don’t take the good for granted. Scripture tells us to “consider it a great joy… whenever [we] experience various trials, because [we] know that the testing of [our] faith produces endurance (James 1:2).” As I said before, these questions offer opportunities for our faith to be tested. And then strengthened. For me, so many breakthroughs came on the other side of chewing on hard concepts. If my husband had shirked my inquiries and made me feel silly, my faith wouldn’t be what it is today. It is through these seasons of questioning that I have grown strong. It is from leaning into their possible answers that so much revelation has occurred. In a world full of confusion and deceit, this is no time to shy away from hard questions. The enemy is doing his best work in this generation. Our country currently thinks there are many answers to the question, "Can a man get pregnant?" There is a popular film titled “What is a Woman?” For the sake of our own faith walks, as well as those coming up behind us, let’s not just bring the questions. Let us desire to have answers. Let us become a source of divine truth. //

~ continued next month

Wendy Cunningham is wife to Tom and homeschool mom to three amazing gifts from God. In addition to that calling, she is an entrepreneur and author. Her book What If You’re Wrong?, blog, and devotionals can be found at gainingmyperspective.com. She is also host of the podcast Gaining My Perspective. Wendy loves Jesus and inspiring people to step into their calling—whatever that might look like in this season. When she’s not working, writing, traveling, or podcasting, she can be found homesteading and chasing kids and cows on her farm in Middle Tennessee.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Wellenberg Tower stood in the middle of the Limmat River, accessible only by water.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

OUR HERITAGE

Reflections on the Martyrs HANS LANDIS

THIS MONTH IS A CONTINUATION of stories from “A True Report of the Brothers in Switzerland” (Wahrafftiger Bericht von den Brüdern in Schweitzerland) about the Landis name found on pages 851, 852, and 853 in the Ausbund and other sources. Hans Landis, a Swiss Brethren martyr and preacher from Wadenswil was imprisoned in the Wellenberg tower which stood in the Limmat River in Zurich. His story is recorded in the Ausbund song number 132 depicting his death by an unknown writer with the first line stating, “Ich hab ein schön neu Leid gemacht” ("I have written a beautiful new song”). Just prior to his beheading on St. Michael’s Day in 1614, Hans Landis confessed and confirmed Christ’s eternal Word. According to verse 33 of the song, the authorities asked him, “Hans Landis, have you pardoned and forgiven everyone?”

COLUMN BY:

Elam Stoltzfus

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

“Indeed, yes! And at all times, also you,” he said with a smile, “I have completely forgiven.” Hans continued, "I believe very firmly that God has pardoned my sins, taken them away, and forgiven them through the bitter suffering of Jesus Christ (Verse 35)... Why should I not rejoice in this? I believe in my heart that now, even in this hour, My God and Father on heaven’s throne, I will see with my eyes” (Verse 37). Hans Landis was the last person to be beheaded for religious convictions in Zurich, but persecution did not cease with his death.

Hans Landis II

Hans' story in the Ausbund

In May 1637, Hans Landis II, a steadfast minister of the church in Horgerberg, and his daughter, Margaretha, were confined in prison at Oetenbach. He was imprisoned approximately twenty weeks but in 1638, with fifteen of his fellow brothers, was freed through the help of God. After he was again free, they searched for him many, many times and chased him from one place to another. "It is said that for a long time he might not enter houses anywhere, so strictly had the authorities forbidden that anyone should take us in, or give us lodging, or give us either food or drink, or either show or manifest to us any mercy." They drove him out and his wife, child, and grandchildren, all into misery, yes, even those who went to the state church, as well as those who committed themselves to the cross. His daughter, Margaret Landis, was also captured and taken to Zurich and put into the Oetenbach. When she had been imprisoned for sixty weeks, she again was freed with the help of God. Moreover, they confiscated, sold, and laid their own hands on Hans's house and farm, as well as

Additional Points of Interest... In 1589 fifteen men from the Canton of Zurich were imprisoned for their Anabaptist beliefs; among them were some whose descendants would later come to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. From Wadenswil came Rudolph Hofman, Walti Pfister, Rutsch Brupbach, Hans Pfister, Petter Hon, Walti Hess, and Jos Bruppach. From Horgen came Uli Sutter, Heini Landis, and Hans Landis. From Ebertswil came Gorius Weber. From Wetzwil came Jacob Hochstrasser. From Guldens came Uli Ertzinger. From Erlibach came Heinrich Bindschadler. From Surthal (Bernpirt) came Jagli Walti. (wikitree.com)

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

any other things that they could take, and realized from that 500 guilders.

Oswald Landis In 1640 this aged brother was apprehended by the officers from the authorities together with his elderly wife, and two sons, and their wives with two innocent, nursing children. They took all of these together to Zurich and kept them imprisoned in the Oetenbach. During this time came anxiety, pain, and heartache concerning the small, innocent children. But one night the two sons with the innocent children escaped out of the enemy's hand with a peaceful conscience by the help of God. The old man and his wife are now again free, but his son and his son's wife are driven into misery. The possessions and children were entrusted to ungodly, wretched farm hands so that the children have much anxiety and distress. Further, the above-named man still has four sons who attend the state church. To these the authorities turned over the house and farm, and set a tax of 1,000 guilders on them, and got all this into their own hands.

Felix Landis A brother from the Horgerberg, whom the authorities brought in; they took him to Zurich and shut him in the Oetenbach in a cruel imprisonment. They treated him unmercifully and unnaturally in not giving him anything to eat for some days. But other men were also imprisoned with him who were there because of crimes and they took mercy on him. Through a drain in the wall they poured warm broth to him in his cell. But when his overseer found this out, they put him and his comrade into a different confinement. Finally they gave him food again, but he had been so starved and ruined in his health that very soon he died. Also they captured his wife Adelheid Egli and took her to Zurich

and put her into the Oetenbach. She was kept there for a time, almost four years. This woman they thrust into many a stinking corner and treated her very shamefully and unmercifully. They also stripped her, and for a time they took away her clothes every night. There would be much more to write, but we will not write it, but pass over things for brevity's sake. The sister conducted herself well and is now free from those bonds, as long as God wills. They placed the children among strangers, and afterwards they sold his house and farm, and realized 5,000 guilders from it. //

This article concludes the four-part series on Anabaptist Martyr stories. Thank you for your comments, interest, and support over the past year as I shared historical information about the Ausbund. I plan on traveling to Passau Germany sometime in 2023 to continue the research on the 1535 songs recorded in the Ausbund. If you are interested in going along, let me know. Elam Stoltzfus | 850-899-0883 1700 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610 Elamsteve@icloud.com

C I TAT I O N S Ohio Amish Library, Songs of the Ausbund V.2 ed. Edward Kline. Sugarcreek OH: Carlisle Printing. Ohio Amish Library, Documents of Brotherly Love - Dutch Mennonite Aid to Swiss Anabaptists Volume I. Ausbund das ist: etliche schöne Christliche Lieder, Verlag von den Amischen Gemeinden in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. www.wikitree.com www.wikipedia.org www.genealogy.com

The original researcher of the Martyr’s Mirror, Thieleman J. Van Braght, is a descendant of Hans Landis.

Elam Stoltzfus currently serves as Executive Director of the Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead in (Berks County) Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. In 2018, he traveled to Germany to document the history of the Stoltzfus family—this research is documented in German Lutherans to Pennsylvania Amish: The Stoltzfus Family Story. To order a copy of this book, you can mail a $30 check to Elam Stoltzfus, 1700 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610.

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

TRAIL FARM SUPPLY & MAPLE VALLEY FENCE MORE THAN 44 YEARS AGO, Nelson Weaver’s dairy barn renovation gave rise to something much greater. Trail Farm Supply, a three-generation family business and farm equipment supplier, was founded on Nelson’s farm in 1978 near Trail, Ohio, where he and his family of 13 children milked cows and raised produce. After renovating the family’s dairy barn and installing dairying equipment sourced out of Pennsylvania, Nelson began selling the same products to other farmers in the area. The company grew steadily through the coming years. By 2000, the family diversified the business through manufacturing its own custom-made horse and dairy barn equipment. With that decision came newfound success. “We have about 7,000 customers in our system now,” said Mike Shetler, the company’s store manager, “and probably 80% of them are from the Amish community.”

New Dreams Around 2013, Nelson’s son Edwin bought out his father’s share of the business and took over, and new dreams of expanding arose from there. Under Edwin’s guidance, Trail Farm Supply eventually relocated to Berlin, Ohio, where they built an even larger facility. Today, Trail Farm Supply has a 5,700-foot showroom chock-full of custom-made box stalls, dog kennels, barns, farm equipment, White Horse Machine

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

TRAIL FARM SUPPLY plows, fencing supplies, and everything in between. They’ve also spread out their installation and delivery operations beyond Ohio to seven other states: Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Standouts One of the most popular brands of products that customers request from Trail Farm Supply is Gallagher. They specialize in electric fencing with solar or batterypowered energizers, but also offer posts, watering systems, weighing and EID tags, and many other ranching solutions. “We have 50 to 75 customers coming in each month who buy Gallagher products,” Shetler said. “A lot of people ask for the turbo electric sheep netting, for example. What really makes Gallagher stand out is the turbo wire in their netting—it has a lot more conductor strands than competitors. Many customers come in to exchange other brands of electric netting for it.” Other requested products from the store are the Gallagher Smart Fence—a completely portable fencing system for remote or temporary containment of animals—as well as the S40 Solar Electric Fence Charger, which charges up to 25 miles of electric fence through solar power alone. “Gallagher’s Smart Fence is popular because it allows customers to install up to 328 feet of fence

PLAIN PLAIN VALUES VALUES DECEMBER DECEMBER 2022 2022

anywhere in only a matter of minutes,” Shetler explained. “The S40—it’s requested a lot. It’s easy to bring into any pasture without a heavy case, and it can be used during intensive grazing.” Shetler said Trail Farm Supply works to offer the highest-quality, reliable products to their customers. Outside of their many product offerings, what makes Trail Farm Supply especially appealing is how they listen to what customers want. They meet their needs through precise customization of farm equipment, presenting all options in their large-scale showroom. As the decades have gone by, the manufacturing and installing of customized barns and equipment has been essential to their evolution. It is an edge they have in the market, as well as building much of their equipment with 10-gauge galvanized alloyed steel, known for its strength and corrosion resistance.

MAPLE VALLEY FENCE “Every customer’s barn or kennel is a little different,” Shetler said. “We go out and measure where they want their sliding doors and so forth, and we can build that. That level of service gives us a niche in this area.”

Serving Ohio Eight miles away in Baltic, Ohio, Maple Valley Fence also serves customers in the Ohio Amish market. The company was founded in 1988 by Roy J.C. Yoder and his son Mosie, members of the Amish community. They began building fence for customers, and through hard work and continuous growth, were able to eventually establish a retail store in the Baltic area. Today, they employ more than 30 people, and service the entire state of Ohio. Just like Trail Farm Supply, one of Maple Valley’s instore staples are Gallagher products. “We’re very proud to have Gallagher with us,” said Dave Mast, current store manager. “Their warranty claims are excellent.” Some of the most popular products Maple Valley keeps on their shelves are Gallagher’s fence energizers, gate anchors and handles, Ring Top posts, and insulated line posts—which are suitable for all livestock and can be installed without machinery. "They try to sell anything that can help local farmers build the ideal electric fence for their operations," Mast said, "especially those with a rotational grazing focus."

Mast and his employees not only help sell these types of products but also help service Gallagher energizers if needed. “People also come in to buy Gallagher’s Miraco waterers,” he said, “and the W-0 livestock scales. We carry those as well.” The bulk of Maple Valley’s business comes from building custom fences and patios at the home or on the farm. The store offers a wide variety of material options to choose from, including aluminum, chainlink, vinyl, wood, and of course, electric. //

Maple Valley Fence 2447 Township Road 183, Baltic, OH 43804 330-897-7603 Mon–Fri: 7:00am–4:30pm • Sat: 7:30am–11:30am www.maplevalleyfence.com

Trail Farm Supply 5013 Township Road 359, Millersburg, OH 44654 330-893-3086 Mon–Fri: 7:00am–4:30pm • Sat: 7:30am–11:30am To learn more about Gallagher products, visit their website at: www.am.gallagher.com/en-US

PLAIN PLAIN VALUES VALUES DECEMBER DECEMBER 2022 2022

THE GIFT OF

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

WORDS BY:

Elaine Tomski

'TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING as people around the globe celebrate God's gracious gift of His Son. The newborn King brought a piece of heaven to earth one starlit night. He became like us so we can become like Him—loving others and glorifying God. Two thousand years later, Christ's love continues at Sacred Ground, where caring folks create spaces for people with special needs to thrive. The Sacred Ground story begins with the gift of a vision. Was Moses dreaming when he saw a bush on fire,

yet not burning up? No, Moses wasn't dreaming. God became truly present to Moses in that blaze. God spoke, and Moses listened. God chose mere Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. He obeyed, and God equipped. Moses' life transformation began on sacred ground. The dream of Sacred Ground was given to another of God's servants. Griffin Long grew up noticing people on the edges. Throughout his school years, Griffin tried to bring in those people. He wanted to bring friends with special needs, who might not get the same

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

recognition as their peers, into the broader community. One day, Griffin found a like-minded servant in Annie Slabach. They talked about their hopes for people with special needs, and Annie shared her ideas about the type of place she desired for her sister-in-law. "What you're describing is what I've always dreamed of doing!" said Griffin. "Are you serious? Let's do it!" replied Annie. Soon the two invited other people with a similar vision into the dream. Karen Keim and Kathy Dickson joined Annie and Griffin to become the founding members of Sacred Ground. Together they listened and learned from the families and communities of

"Sacred Ground's mission is to cultivate an environment of belonging and purpose for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families."

adults with special needs to chart a path that might enhance the capacity for all to thrive. Nestled outside of Berlin, Ohio, in Eastern Holmes County, Sacred Ground's mission is to cultivate an environment of belonging and purpose for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. A faith-based program, Sacred Ground intentionally creates spaces where people can experience God, be changed, and set on a path toward thriving. Griffin spent his undergraduate college years as a student in ministry. He said, "Through studying Mennonite theology and familiarizing myself with Anabaptist tradition, I had this desire to have a place where everyone can come and belong." Then he worked in the mental health field and a group home for adults with special needs. Griffin's heart, knowledge, and experience uniquely equip him to be Sacred

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Ground's executive director. A leadership board adds the remaining skills required to make Sacred Ground function. Brad Vincent brings more than four decades of serving people with special needs to the boardroom table. Marlin Miller, publisher/businessman, Michelle Mishler, education intervention specialist, and Matt Troyer, director of finance, are included in the mix. Recently, three additional members have volunteered to serve. They include Ivan Keim, business owner; Rick Rottman, businessman; and Rhoda Mast, educator. In addition to the eight leaders' lives and business skills, two of the members cherish their own children with special needs. The Sacred Ground leadership team provides a solid foundation for the program.

The Gift of God's Timing Once there's a foundation, it's time to build solid walls, and God knows the exact time for the construction. Sacred Ground's history reveals the perfection of God's timing. "I've said many times over the last few years that thankfully, God's timing is better than mine," Griffin admitted, "because I was in such a hurry! Even when I thought I was ready, I've come to learn I wasn't." It took five years to prepare for the first day of Sacred Ground. In 2017, after the Sacred Ground founding members decided to act on their dream, they spent a few years putting plans into those dreams. Members visited several places to view programs already doing the things they hoped to do. The team watched, listened, and learned from Pennsylvania to Texas to Michigan. By early 2020, they were ready to involve the local community in the planning. The team invited families and interested parties to share their needs and dreams for adults with special needs in their lives. After community meetings in January, February, and March, Covid shut down the ability to meet in person. However, the team felt equipped to distribute a survey to the entire East Holmes community. Completed surveys revealed four primary needs for adults with special needs and their families. • • • •

Opportunities for socialization Day programming Respite for families/a break for caregivers Transportation

"In 2017, after the Sacred Ground founding members decided to act on their dream, they spent a few years putting plans into those dreams. Members visited several places to view programs already doing the things they hoped to do. The team watched, listened, and learned from Pennsylvania to Texas to Michigan." "We have started by addressing these primary needs," said Griffin. Additional needs mentioned in the survey remain in consideration for the future. Finding a suitable space for Sacred Ground is another story of God's timing. A large room, just right for their needs, was to be the starting place. But Griffin said, "That ended up falling through. I was very disappointed, wondering how we would ever find a place that compared." One of the board members, who attends Grace Church in Berlin, spoke with their leaders to share the need. Grace Church generously offered the use of their space. So, Sacred Ground now has access to a gym, a handicap-friendly commercial kitchen, and a large classroom space. "It's been wonderful," said Griffin. "I never would have expected something like this right out of the gate!" In addition to a facility more perfect than he could imagine, God also provided the vehicles needed for transportation at the right time. Servanthood Ministries owns two vans they don't use on weekdays, so they offered to share them with Sacred Ground. Locating the right staff members also required a waiting period. Griffin said, "There was an initial delay in our launch because of a staffing problem. Then

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

Martha came along. She has been an answer to prayer." Griffin described Martha as one who is relaxed, patient, challenging, and encouraging. She gives participants the personal space they need to develop new skills and habits. "It takes a special person to begin with, but then to be the first staff person of a new program takes an even more special person." Once Martha was hired and trained, she and Griffin prepared Sacred Ground for its launch in April 2022. They met two days a week from 9:00–2:00 with five participants. Within a month, five more people wanted to come. They hired Bella to a full-time position and trained her before expanding to meet Monday through Friday. Megan was trained just in time to replace Bella who returned to school. Finally, Katie was hired and prepared for a part-time position. And Griffin said, "Here we are a couple of months later, and we have a waiting list. We're on the cusp of going up to eight participants per day." Waiting on God's timing once more, the leadership of Sacred Ground seeks a full-time program coordinator to help supervise and lead the program. Griffin said, "I feel like every day, every month, as I look back and reflect, there's just so much evidence of God's faithfulness and grace. I am thankful His timing is better than mine. 52

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

The Gift of Fruit In order to notice results, it is first essential to understand the goal. Therefore, Sacred Ground operates by modeling four core values based on Scripture. RELATIONSHIPS Mutual, Trusting, Connected (Mark 12:29-31) EMPOWERMENT Gifts Realized and Utilized (1 Corinthians 12) JUSTICE Joining God in Bringing About His Kingdom (Matthew 6:9-13) THRIVING Physical, Emotional, Relational, and Spiritual Needs Attended to and Honored (Matthew 11: 28-30) These four "seeds" are planted daily at Sacred Ground. To understand the impact on participants and their families in just the first months, please look and listen through my eyes and ears. My visit to Sacred Ground revealed bushels of fruit. Participants arrive with broad smiles and joy overflowing into the shared conversation.

"Sacred Ground is such a blessing. Our twenty-five-year-old daughter is accomplishing things she never has before." "What are we doing today?" "It's going to fly by!" "I have a cookie!" "How's your new puppy?" Soon it's "Welcome Time." Participants gather around the table with pencils and a worksheet to practice social skills, reading, time, math, and money know-how. Renewing disciplines they learned at school, the worksheet is a fun activity participants can accomplish together. Next, it's time to check in. The leader asks two questions and all have a chance to share. "How are you feeling?" Miranda says, "I'm happy because of coming to Sacred Ground!" Brittany adds, "I'm happy because Sarah is coming to sing!" Rebecca lifts her head to say, "I'm tired. Bisschely, tired." Participants respond, "We're glad you're back, Rebecca!"

What's your favorite activity at Sacred Ground? "Watering gardens!" comes from Miranda and Rebecca. “Hillbilly Golf and Uno!” Do you get the idea Brittany likes games? "I like cooking!" pipes in staff person and van driver Megan. Griffin can't choose just one answer. "I like the outings to Hershberger Farm, the library, food shopping, and the day we went to the theater to watch a Cinderella ballet." The chatter is endless. Encouragements flow easily between friends. Each participant, whether verbal or not, is included and belongs. The importance of relationships is evident. A mother who drops off her non-verbal daughter takes time to share what a difference Sacred Ground makes in their family. "While growing up, we made sure our daughter received lots of therapy until we finally realized we need to appreciate and love Brooke as she PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

"Joining God in His work to bring His kingdom of heaven to earth is the justice intention of Sacred Ground."

The participants enjoy a wide range of activities, such as baking and taking trips to local destinations.

is. Sacred Ground is such a blessing. Our twenty-fiveyear-old daughter is accomplishing things she never has before." Griffin learns right along with the participants at Sacred Ground. He desires to honor individuals and empower them to realize and use God's gifts to them. Griffin finds himself working to accomplish tasks like we often do because it's quick and easy to do them ourselves. But he has discovered how important it is to slow down. "I have to stop and ask myself, ‘Is this something our participants would like to do?’ I need to include and invite them to join in because I don't want to underestimate anybody." Joining God in His work to bring His kingdom of heaven to earth is the justice intention of Sacred Ground. Griffin shares a sweet story of a devotional time based on Matthew 5:13-16. "Verse 13 says, 'You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can saltiness be restored?' We discussed how to add flavor and bring healing (properties of salt) to our community. While we were volunteering, a participant said, 'It is getting extra salty in here!' At that moment, we were really enjoying each other (adding flavor) and serving the community (bringing healing). Our participants connected the dots between what we were teaching and doing. That moment was an embodiment of what we are all about." Griffin Long (far right)

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

People thrive when surrounded by a supportive community. Griffin reports that many Sacred Ground participants have not regularly been involved in anything social since they finished school. He wondered if participants would adapt to the new program and discovered the answer on Sacred Ground's first day. "Kasey had not been involved in a program like ours before," said Griffin. "He was engaged, chatty, and involved all day. But while driving him home on the bus route, he was pretty quiet. I was kind of worried. Maybe he didn't like it as much as I thought he did. Then Kasey sat up and said, 'You know, Griffin, having so much fun sure is tiring.' That made my day!" Sacred Ground days involve slowing down to enjoy the simple things, from patient listening to taking plenty of time to stroll to the garden boxes. Opening the Bible for devotions and praying together is perhaps the most precious simple act of the day. "When we do our devotions here, and our participants lead us in prayer, it's moving and powerful," said Griffin. "We all have God's ear, but I think they have a special gift, a

connection we don't want to overlook." It seems they understand how to come and be yoked with Jesus. Maybe you and I know someone with special needs in our family, church, or neighborhood. Griffin suggests if we miss the opportunity to get to know them, we miss the potential for an amazing friend.

The Gift of a Future "No day is the same as the last, but they're all good." Griffin is excited for what is to come at Sacred Ground because he remains hopeful for the future of his friends with special needs. Currently, many Sacred Ground participants are in their twenties or thirties, but the program exists to serve any adult with special needs. "There are not many options for adults with special needs in our county, compared to other counties," added Griffin. Although Sacred Ground is not yet a year old, it already has growing pains. Thankfully, the more the community hears about Sacred Ground through the testimony of participants and staff, the easier it is to

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

attract more people. People who want to be part of what we're doing receive the training they need to be on staff. Griffin said, "The training we provide and our faith-based values have been an appeal. I'm committed to having the right people in place before we grow. I want to make sure we provide high-quality, safe, and meaningful services rather than just try to fill up the building." Griffin added, "It weighs on me that people are waiting. I know how much this means to a lot of our families. They've expressed what an impact Sacred Ground is having on their families. The demand is there. I don't want to delay the opportunity for anybody. But I also don't want to sacrifice what we're doing to fill seats." Because Sacred Ground is a faith-based program and wants to remain that way, they do not accept Medicaid or state funds to operate their program. Sacred Ground is certified for supported-living services through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, which assures they abide by regulations to provide a safe and healthy environment. This certification also qualifies Sacred Ground to contract 56

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

with the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Any participant connected with the Holmes County Board can receive funding assistance. Griffin said, "We have other participants who live out of the county and who are self-pay. We try to keep the program reasonably priced. Our current rate is fifty dollars per day, which includes transportation and the day program." Participants may join in for one to five days per week, based on individual needs. For those who are self-pay, even though the rate is fair and low, the cost can still be a burden to families. Keeping the rate low means Sacred Ground must also receive financial support from the community to cover the remainder of its expenses. Thankfully, Sacred Ground has extremely generous supporters who supplied the seed money to get the program up and running. "I'm just so thankful," said Griffin, "for the support we already have." However, to grow in participants, staff, and vision, the Sacred Ground budget also needs to grow. Sacred Ground's long-term vision is to have a working farm and petting zoo. The participants can help to operate the farm

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

while the community comes to them. Can you imagine people with special needs educating their guests about the animals and the garden? "That will be one way of engaging our community," said Griffin. "We don't want to seclude ourselves. We want to be a part of our community." The Sacred Ground calendar already includes moving within the community. One plan scheduled for the week I visited involved traveling to the local grocery store to purchase tomatoes. The activity allows for improving social, math, and money skills. Later, adding tomatoes harvested from Sacred Ground's garden, the participants will work together to create salsa. Yum! How fun will it be to share the fruits of their labor? I imagine it will be "getting pretty salty" at Sacred Ground as the participants flavor the day with joy and love. Do you envision the gift of the future that the participants and staff of Sacred Ground see? It is a future filled with relationships, empowerment, justice, and thriving—a gift tied up with a bow. God's gift of His presence becomes evident when standing on sacred ground. Like Moses, the favor of 58

PLAIN VALUES DECEMBER 2022

transformation extends to all who will accept it. God's Son came wrapped not in a bow but in swaddling clothes. The newborn King will always be the greatest gift we can ever receive. If you want to be part of Sacred Ground's continuing transformation, please pray for their participants, staff, leaders, vision, donors, and needs. Know that all donations, small or large, are tax-deductible and considered to be a gift. //

Sacred Ground P.O. Box 321, Mt. Eaton, OH 44659 www.thesacredground.org info@thesacredground.org 330-403-9075 Elaine Tomski is a wife, mother, grandma, and contributing writer for Plain Values magazine. She and her husband, Jeff, appreciate the beauty of God's creation from their hilltop near Killbuck, Ohio. Elaine is the author of Pregnant and Praying, a prayer journal for expectant mothers.