Summer 2016 | vol 25, no 4

A week at Menno-Hof

by Joe Yoder, Goshen, Ind.

In early March 2016, Managing Director Susan Miller informed me that she needed another live-in couple to fill a one week period at Menno-Hof during the end of June (June 24-30). She thought maybe my wife, Jan, and I would enjoy moving into one of the upstairs apartments for a week. Since we live only eight miles from Menno-Hof, this seemed like a bit of a stretch to me. However, when I mentioned it to Jan she thought it was a great idea. Jan is a gardener, so she opted to work outside in Menno-Hof’s flower beds. The plan was for me to work inside giving tours. I currently volunteer at Menno-Hof once a week and enjoy giving tours and meeting people. When I was director at Menno-Hof I did not have the opportunity to give tours as I would have liked to because of administrative duties. As I was getting ready to write this article I asked

Jan what struck her the most about our week long experience since she had her hands in dirt most of the time. In her words: “I appreciated the chance to work at gardening, pulling weeds, edging and also placing mulch around some of the grounds at Menno-Hof. I did so in the midst of visitors coming and going. I felt a sense of shalom and hospitality as the week progressed. It was a time that I could leave my work at home to enjoy and contribute to the hospitable and welcoming place of Menno-Hof.” At Menno-Hof we attempt to tell the Anabaptist story. This is a place of education, witness, and bringing people together around the message of

cont. on page 2

It’s a small world

by Jeff Miller

My parents, Wayne and Leabell Miller, loved to volunteer at Menno-Hof and enjoyed doing so as long as their health permitted. Often their volunteer day was Thursdays. One late afternoon on a Thursday, I got a call from dad saying, “Jeff, hang on, someone is here at the Hof and wants to say hello. You’ll never guess who it is!” It turned out to be Janette, a classmate of mine from my high school days in southern Colorado. I hadn’t seen her in over 20 years. We were good friends in high school but I lost touch with her as we went our separate ways for college, families and careers. (I don’t “do” Facebook.) Since the time Mom and Dad moved from Colorado when I was in college, I’ve only been back to that part of Colorado a few times and hadn’t seen this woman, or other high school classmates, since our 10

year reunion in

1991. I wondered to myself, “how in the world does a Mormon woman from the small town of La Jara, Colorado, show up in Shipshewana, Indiana, at Menno-Hof?” It turned out that a series of seemingly random decisions brought her and her husband there that afternoon. Janette sometimes

(cont. on page 2)

Jan & Joe Yoder

(above), local volunteers,

chose to spend a week at Menno-Hof

this summer helping out

wherever

needed.

2

Wish List

~new

microwave for

volunteer

apartments

~flat screen TV

with built-in

DVD player

PLAN TO ATTEND!

A week at Menno-Hof (cont. from front)

Christ. I enjoy telling our story, but at the same time I want to hear the visitors’ stories as well. I’m totally fascinated by the things I hear. For me, listening to their story is very important if I intend to tell our story. Here are a few of the visitor interactions during our week at Menno-Hof that impressed me:

Four articulate and passionate Amish youth from Lancaster, Pa., talked to me about the Nickel Mines tragedy. One said his father was a board member of the school. I shared with him what a witness that was to a world that often times can’t imagine forgiving our enemies. One youth said it was a challenge for a Christian to do the right thing in impossible times. The two girls were twins accompanied by their boyfriends with plans to get married. They said they had visited Menno-Hof once before, but were so rushed then that they wanted to return to “do it right.” After this visit I felt assured that the future of the Amish church is in good hands.

A young couple from Michigan shared with me their conversion from “carrying weapons to non-violent pacifists.” They told me about one of their favorite preachers, Bruxy Cavey. I discovered why they were so excited after listening to this passionate

preacher on the internet. (cont. page 3)

by the numbers

2,477 visitors in June and

2,447 visitors in July.

961,805 visitors to-date (since Menno-Hof

opened in 1988!)

Welcome!

Norman Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind., has agreed to serve on the Menno-Hof Board of Directors as an Old Order Amish representative beginning April 2016. Board members took action at their April meeting to affirm Norman to this position. Norman and his wife, Annie, have three children and seven grandchildren. He is in partnership with his sons operating Wellspring Components, LLC, in Shipshewana. In his spare time he enjoys reading and outdoor cooking. “For many years I took a deep interest in church history. More about the foundational beliefs than traditions. I love to share this information with our own people as well as with outsiders. In a nutshell—Amish apologetics! To me, Menno-Hof has always supported this passion.”

It’s a small world (cont. from cover)

accompanied her husband when he had work-related travel. When visiting a new state or area, they often took a day, picked a direction, and headed out to explore. They had just completed a conference in Chicago and asked each other, “which direction do we want to go?” They chose east as they kind of remembered that Notre Dame was in South Bend, Ind., and they thought it would be interesting to see the campus. Often when they arrived in a new town they would find a visitor’s center or a local person and ask about places in the area that are a “must see.” The person they talked to in South Bend said, “have you heard of Shipshewana and the Amish?” So, they decided to head further east. They pulled into town and while at Yoder’s Department Store asked the sales clerk, “what’s in town that we shouldn’t miss seeing?” She then told them about Menno-Hof. They headed several doors south to Menno-Hof and as they pulled in Janette had the thought, “I think Jeff Miller and his family were Mennonites. I wonder whatever happened to him?” As she and her husband walked in she saw my dad behind the cash register and said to herself, “that looks like Jeff’s dad!” She asked dad if he had ever lived in Colorado and he assured her that he had. “Are you Jeff’s dad?” she asked him, “I was a classmate and friend of your son.” Janette and her husband came to Goshen and we were able to have a short visit together before their return to Chicago. I’m thankful for the various decisions that led them to come to Menno-Hof. I’m glad they initially chose to explore east out of Chicago and I’m glad they were encouraged to visit Shipshewana and Menno-Hof in particular. I’m especially thankful this all happened on a Thursday, so she could connect with dad & mom.

Jeff and his wife, Kay, live in Goshen, Ind., and attend Waterford Mennonite Church. They have three adult sons and one daughter-in-law. Jeff works in the finance department of IU Health Goshen and, inspired by his parents,

began volunteering at Menno-Hof in the spring of 2016.

8th Annual Singspiration

Sunday, September 11, 5 p.m.

Come and enjoy a cappella singing of familiar hymns on the Menno-Hof lawn. There will be ice cream and pretzels and some singing inside following the service. Bring lawn chairs for seating. Rain location: Farmstead Inn pavilion, Shipshewana (just north of Menno-Hof)

“Everyone

should visit

Menno-Hof

once or

even twice!

This to us

is the most

valuable

place to

visit.

Shopping is

good, but

this should

always be a

must-see—

in between

shopping.

Worth it in

every way.

Very, very

interest-

ing!”

—recent online review

Thank you to the

LaGrange County Foundation

for the distribution of

grant funds to Menno-Hof

which greatly assisted in meeting

various expenses during 2016.

A week at Menno-Hof (cont. from page 2)

An eighteen-year-old Christian Baptist girl from Latvia shared with me her mission. She works with Project 143. The 143 designates the 143 million orphans and refugee children in the world. She brought 15 children from Latvia to the United

States to be adopted or given an experience in a Christian home. I was totally amazed with this confident young follower of Jesus. Project 143 is the web site to learn more about her mission.

Grandparents with their high school age grandson proved to be very interesting. In the course of our conversation I asked the grandson what his dreams were for the future. He wants to be a marine. This made sense to me when I noted his grandfather was wearing a Vietnam veteran hat. Our conversation flowed easily.

The grandfather told me his father was a conscientious objector (CO) during WWII. His father had been a Pentecostal minister. I shared with him how the Pentecostals were pacifists until WWII, at which point, with their growing numbers, the governing body decided that their young men could either serve in the

war or be COs. We listened to each other’s point of view. In cases like this I can only hope I left them with something to ponder on their Christian journey.

One of the most fascinating displays at Menno-Hof is the mental health feature where young Christian pacifists in WWII were part of changing the care of mental health patients in the United States. At times I gather entire groups to talk about this story. It’s easy to miss.

The older folks can relate to it—they tell me about people they knew and relatives who were committed to these horrible places. Some even worked in mental health institutions. I find it so true biblically where the “seeds of peace” reap a “harvest of righteous

ness.” James 3:18

Perhaps the most interesting group was an adult Amish family who had just recently discovered a long, lost sister. One or two of the siblings were no longer Amish. The father was no longer living. Before his marriage, the dad had fathered a baby girl. This was not common knowledge to the family or the

community. However, one of the daughters with the genius of the internet went looking for the long lost sister. Alas, she discovered her in another state. Arrangements were made to meet her and as I witnessed this incredibly happy reunion, I realized this family was indeed fortunate. Some reunions of this nature are not happy ones. Their visit to Menno-Hof was to acquaint their long, lost sister to their faith story. I asked one of the sons if he was the oldest sibling, his reply, “I was until two weeks ago.”

As Jan and I reflect back on that amazing week, we discovered that we received more than we gave. The gift of human interaction was very helpful. Jan kept inviting guests to come eat and visit us in Shipshewana. Now I understand why so many of the long term volunteers keep coming back year after year!

Joe and Jan live in Middlebury, Ind., and are members at East Goshen (Ind.) Mennonite Church. They have two children and four grandchildren. Joe was executive director at Menno-Hof for

approximately nine years.

THANK YOU!

Beginnings & endings | host & hostess

Duane & Leona Oesch, Nampa, Idaho | Sept. - Oct.

James & Doreen Houston, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada | Sept.

Lawrence & Marilyn Martin, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | Oct.

Lorne & Hilda Epp, Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada | Nov.

“Menno-Hof is

one of my

favorite

museums

anywhere!

I love the

history, which

provides a

very helpful

orientation

for many of

us with

Anabaptist

heritage. It

brings you to

the present,

describing

the relevancy

of the Faith

today.”

—recent online

review

Reunion is published quarterly to keep

our friends informed of happenings at

Menno-Hof. Send questions or

comments to director at

info@mennohof.org

Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite

Visitors’ Center

PO Box 701

510 S Van Buren St, SR 5

Shipshewana, IN 46565

Tele: (260) 768-4117

Fax: (260) 768-4118

E-mail: info@mennohof.org

Web site: www.mennohof.org

Menno-Hof staff:

Jerry Beasley, executive director Susan Miller, managing director Charlotte Long, program and communication associate Bill Yoder, facility and grounds associate Don Miller, facility and grounds associate

Board of Directors:

Larry Chupp, president, Shipshewana, Ind. Lovina Rutt, vice-president, Goshen, Ind. Donna Jones, Shipshewana, Ind. Orie E. Lehman, Shipshewana, Ind. Daniel B. Miller, Goshen, Ind. Steve Miller, Goshen, Ind. Jim Neff, Goshen, Ind. Wayne Schrock, Millersburg, Ind. Don Stauffer, Union, Mich. Alvin J. Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind. Fern Yoder, Millersburg, Ind.

Norman Yoder, Shipshewana, Ind.

S everal years ago we here at Menno-Hof began asking how

we can provide information to visitors about reconciliation progress between Anabaptists and other churches, such as the Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed, regarding the historic persecution of Anabaptists by these church bodies. We all knew that various

reconciliation efforts have been initiated and continue to yield progress in recognizing each other as brothers and sisters in Christ while respecting our differences. We actually incorpo-rated presentations regarding some of these

efforts into our first Menno-Hof winter series. We discussed the idea at the staff and board level and agreed to pursue information that could be developed into a meaningful display for visitors. Our progress on this has been slower than we prefer but earlier this year we had what I will call a “breakthrough.” After discussion with André Gingerich Stoner, director of interchurch relations for Mennonite Church USA, he agreed to initiate a meeting including myself, John D. Roth, Goshen College, and Gayle Gerber Koontz, AMBS, to discuss the possibilities of gathering accurate and up-to-date information regarding the reconciliation initiatives that could be developed into a display for Menno-Hof. (cont. below)

Jerry Beasley

executive director

(cont. from above) We are so blessed to have such talented individuals willing to work with us. On June 11, 2016, André accompanied a group of approximately 15 Lutheran and Mennonite leaders as they toured Menno-Hof. He was able to share with them our intent to develop a display that will share stories of recent repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Please pray for our efforts and while there is no deadline to implement a display, rest assured we are all interested in getting it accomplished as soon as we can. It’s great news and we want to share it!

DIRECTOR’S DESK

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

SHIPSHEWANA, IN

46565

PERMIT NO 17