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BA Verse Dinner . . . 15Bulletin Board . . . . . 9Contact Us. . . 2, 31, 32From the Editor . . . 16Funny Stuff . . . . . . . . 6MK Education . . . . 14
NewsBy Grad Year. . . . . . . 19Congrats . . . . . . . . . . 18Family Album . . . . . . 25Sympathies . . . . . . . . 29
Open DialogueBlack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Brant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Calenberg . . . . . . . . . . 7Keegan . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Wildman . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ReconnectingELWA . . . . . . . . . 10, 11KA/HC . . . . . . . . . . . 10ICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Sahel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Spouse’s Perspective. 10
Remember WhenDraper . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Trigg . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Sebring . . . . . . . . . . . 1Snake StoriesDeValve. . . . . . . . . . . 13Trigg . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
To the Editor . . . . . . 17
SIM Sebring Retirement Village
IN THIS ISSUE
Walking onto the Sebring, Florida, cam-pus of SIM’s retirement village feelslike coming home. For years I’d heard
about it, but didn’t know much about it. Now Ihave a vested, personal interest in the place. InMay 2007, the last of the retirees from the SIMretirement village in Carlsbad, California, movedout when SIM sold the property. Eleven of them(including my parents) opted to join the Sebringcommunity. Florida . . . with its tropical heat andexpansive sky with billowing clouds and build-ing storms . . . the fauna and flora . . . a place thattransports me back to my African roots.
The campus itself takes me back. A close-knitfamily group with a common purpose, a replica-tion of missionary dwellings on one of the largercompounds in Nigeria, the signposts that declarewe’ve not forgotten another continent. Thehomes decorated with missionary curios, thesinging of old hymns . . . how could one NOTfeel at home!
Above all, the people make it home. A lot ofmy history has settled in at this location . . . aconcentration of people I know by name living inone place . . . “Aunties” and “Uncles” from vari-ous stations, parents of the “brothers” and “sis-ters” I grew up with, staff members fromboarding school. It’s Bishoftu, ELWA, andMiango Rest Home all rolled into one. They
speak and understand my MK language, they’reinterested in everything I do, they know my par-ents, they know me, and I’m connected to them. Ican walk into any other group or gathering and nothave that same feeling. It’s a thing of the heart andthe emotions. It’s like attending a family reunion.
If you’re ever in the area, you’ll want to take thetime to experience Sebring for yourself—especial-ly for the annual Christmastime gathering of MKsand their caregivers. But like any family reunion, itmight take courage to face your past. I’ve heardfrom more than one MK who regrets the lost yearsof connectedness but found healing in the experi-ence of returning home. These elderly saints don’tbite! Each one has a story of God’s grace and pro-vision in their lives, and they’ll encourage yoursocks off! And while you’re at it, be sure to visitthe gravesites where some of SIM’s history isburied. The tombstones read like a hall of fame!
Thank you, SIM, for your vision for caring forour parents in their sunset years. Thank you, resi-dents, for your faithfulness to your Lord and foryour love and care for MKs. Thank you, Garth andMarge Winsor (Sebring Manager and Hostess) forproviding the history of the SIM village. Thankyou, Chuck Forster and Jim and Jean (Price) Cail,for your photo contributions. And thank you, DanElyea, for pulling all the facts together for us.Enjoy!
Editor
Beth Shean—House of Rest By Dan Elyea (KA, HC 59)[email protected]
In the earliest decades of SIM, the missionfamily included few, if any, of the elderlyor of school-age children. Only the most fit
and resilient of adults in their prime could sur-vive the rugged conditions and the prevalenttropical diseases. Of the three young men whopioneered the move into Nigeria, two diedwithin a year of their arrival.
As the Mission—“Sudan Interior Mission”at that time—established a better foothold insouthern Nigeria, some hardy women mission-aries came to the Field; and before long, chil-dren, too, were also part of the Mission family.
By the early 1920s, the Mission administra-tion came to grips with the need to address theissues of MK schooling. At that time—in whatwas considered to be in the best interests of thechildren—schooling in the homeland seemed theoption of choice (when considering factors suchas medical care, availability of school facilities,etcetera). Those concerns resulted in the estab-lishment of Gowans Home in Collingswood,Ontario, Canada in that time frame.
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Published twice a year, Simroots is a non-profitpublication, produced by SIM MKs, for SIM MK highschool graduates (includes AEF, AEM, ICF mergedmissions) and their caregivers.
Tax-exempt donations should be made to SimrootsProject #US 501087 and sent to your local SIM office.
To donate online: Go to www.sim.org. On the homepage, click on “Give Online.”
Payment for ads (to help cover Simroots’expenses but are not tax-exempt) should be designated as such and sent to SIM.
Please send donations to:SIMROOTS SIMROOTSc/o SIM USA c/o SIM CanadaP.O. Box 7900 10 Huntingdale Blvd.Charlotte, NC 28241 Scarborough, ONUSA Canada M1W 2S5704-588-4300 [email protected] [email protected]
Other SIM offices: see www.sim.org
Please send correspondence to:EDITOR LAYOUTKaren Keegan Grace Swanson222 Hyle Avenue 1565 Gascony RoadMurfreesboro, TN 37128 Encinitas, CA 92024(615) 895-9011 (760) [email protected] [email protected]
ASSISTANT EDITOR PROMOTIONDan Elyea Deborah [email protected] PO Box 273
Greenbank, WA 98253WEB SITE (360) 678-3214Minna Kayser [email protected]@sim.org
To view our Distribution of Information Policy, log onto http://Simroots.sim.org, Vol. 20 #2.
In the mid-1940s, with better med-ical care available and to minimizethe separation of parents and MKs,boarding schools were established inEthiopia and Nigeria. Other schoolsfollowed in other countries where theMission ministered. In the past fewyears, we’ve featured over half-a-dozen of these MK schools inSimroots. Additionally, we’ve present-ed other ways that the Mission hasstepped up to the plate to address theparticular needs of its MKs. Nowwe’d like to take a look at the otherend of the spectrum—the provisionthe SIM has made for its elderlymembers—some of them our parentsand teachers; some of them SIM MKswho returned to become SIM mem-bers as adults; many others of themnot directly connected to us, but peo-ple we know and respect. Our focus inthis issue will be on the SIM Villagein Sebring, Florida.
WWI came along, then WWII. TheMission greatly broadened in scope
and membership.With the passage oftime, some mem-bers grew too old tocontinue to serve onthe Field. Afterspending a lifetimeon the Field, someexperienced diffi-culty in finding aplace to affordablyspend their sunsetyears. Around 1960,the Missionexplored the possi-
bility of a retirement homeas part of the Miango RestHome in Nigeria. TheNigerian governmentclosed that door—a verygood thing, in retrospect.
In the mid-60s, Dr. andMrs. Herbold (supervisedthe Mission leprosy workin West Africa) were com-missioned to search for asuitable location for aretirement facility for theSIM. “As they foundplaces that appeared to besuitable prospects, theywrote detailed descriptions,took pictures and provided
Dining Room
Aerial View
Lodge
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essential information relat-ing to climate, accessibility,suitability and cost. Sometwenty prospective siteswere available for consider-ation.” (History of the SIMVillage Sebring)
Mission administrationexamined each of the twen-ty options, but none of themseemed quite right. Severalof the options were in theSebring, Florida, area; and arealtor assisting with the pro-ject suggested a property thatwasn’t on the market at that time, but thatmight serve very well. Long story short, theMission made an offer on the property pro-posed by the realtor, and that 40 acresbecame the site of the retirement center. (Inearly 1990, SIM purchased an additional14.5 acres for the Village.)
By the fall of 1966, several houses/duplex-es, a fellowship hall, and a laundry were inplace. Seven SIM people lived there by theend of 1966. In the early years the facilitywent by the name of “Beth Shean” (House ofRest), but eventually they changed the nameto “SIM Retirement Village.”
Development of the property went on con-tinuously after careful assessment and plan-ning. Some of the property dipped rather lowand stood in water all or at least part of theyear. A great deal of fill work has been doneover the years to make as much of the prop-erty as possible available for use. If you getto see the lake near the Village chapel, appre-ciate that much of the fill dirt came from thatsource. Without the use of the fill, about athird of the original property would not havebeen usable. Since the middle 70s, the chapelhas been used to host Bible and Missionsconferences, both for the villagers and for thegeneral community.
Sebring, a small town in south centralFlorida, provides a semi-tropical setting forthe SIM retirement Village.This is the sort of place whereoranges and grapefruit grow,and there are plenty of palmtrees, bougainvillea, hibiscus,lizards, and the occasionalalligator or snake. Sandy soil,gentle hills, lots of sunshine,some pleasant lakes, fewfreezes, lots of thunderstorms,and loads of retired peoplecharacterize the area.
Bev & Jerry Fawley
Chuck Guth
Earl DayLee Buchanan
Marge deLong and Doris deHart
Paul Haney
50th Wedding AnniversaryBack: Paul, Sue, Ben (3), Debbie, Lois & Chuck Forster
Front: Katherine (8), Sam (7)
Lura Bodwell
Sam GoertzBurness Goertz
Carrie Fox
Mary Ellen Adams
The Village does indeed resemble a major missioncompound in some ways, and includes features such asthese: fellowship center, nurses’ office, swimmingpool, shuffleboard court, guest rooms, chapel, houses,apartments, multi-plexes, sewage disposal plant, and amuseum.
The names of the narrow streets convey a distinctlyinternational feel: Africa, Dahomey, Liberia, UpperVolta, Andes, Somalia, etc. Golf carts and shanks’ mareaccount for much of the traffic on the Village roads, sothe “strait way” trails aren’t quite the problem theymight be some other places.
The Village provides several levels of care. Thosestill fully independent can stay in stand-alone homesand in multi-plexes. A nurse is oncall 24 hours a day. Those still quitefunctional, but no longer able to dotheir own yard work can stay inapartments (living room, bedroom,and kitchenette). The noon meal isprovided Monday through Friday forthose who need/desire it—as room isavailable. The Lodge—a licensedfacility for those not able to live ontheir own—provides all meals,cleaning service, laundry, and morepersonal care. Plans are in progressfor an additional four rooms andlarge activity room (including space
Gladys ReimerDoris, Jean (Price) Cail, John Sr.Anne & John Ockers
Mary MarbaughRuth & Burt Long
Char KraayEvie Lohnes
Elsie Kastner Gloria & Bill KornfieldNikki Knowlton
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Ian & June Hay Pauline & John Herr
for exercise equipment). This will be built inearly 2009. Off-campus nursing homes (notmanaged by SIM) are the choice for thoserequiring significant amounts of personal care.Temporary guest housing is available to mis-sionaries on Home Assignment and to familiesand friends of Village residents. The Nurses’Office makes medical appointments andarranges for rides to doctors’ offices, purchasesand dispenses meds, and provides minor nursingcare.
The Villagers stay active in ministries such asthese: preaching, teaching, prison ministry,Child Evangelism Fellowship, volunteeringlocally, trips back to the mission field to serve invarious capacities, reading to thosewith failing vision, migrant ministries,assisting in many ways around theVillage, and in a continuing workingout of SIM’s “By Prayer” motto—avariety of prayer fellowships.
The Village population runs about150 these days. On a recent count,broken down by ages, the numbers ranthusly: 90s - 25, 80s - 69, 70s - 45,and late 60s - 11. Over the years, 156of these SIM Village saints have grad-uated on to their heavenly home. Thelisting of the departed reads like a
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Miriam (Veenker) Samuels, LoisBill, Edith (Todd) Hoving, Marge
Julie & Jim Wayner
Connie & Hal White
Jeanette Silver
Carol & Dave Rutt Lionel & Martha Seger
Fast FactsFirst date of residence: 1966
Number of residents: 166 (150 retirees, 16 missionary staff)
Number of houses/dwelling units: 129Oldest resident: 97
Number of missionaries who died here: 156
Garth & Marg Winsor
Don & Jean Ter Meer
Janet, Jerry & Edith (Rhine) Piekosz, and John atIrene Rhine’s 90th birthday party
missionary honor roll. Particularly for those ofus past the half-century mark, as we workthrough the list, memories wash over us ofother times and places; of loyal service ren-dered overseas; of people whose names andstations of ministry resonate with familiarityand nostalgia.
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FFUUNNNNYY SSTTUUFFFF
Submitted by Dean Hall
Submitted by Dean Hall
Walk Man
Ambulance
Water heater
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Open DialogueThe World I Come FromBy Caroline Black (BA 08)
“Describe the world you come from and howthat world shaped who you are.”
Icome from a world where ambassadors arechauffeured along dusty, unpaved roads in shiny
black cars while donkeys trot complacently on thepavement. I come from a world where hollow-eyed, open-palmed beggars knock relentlessly onthe window of the taxi I’m riding in with myfriends. I come from a world whereI attempt fragments of the languageto get myself around and people onthe street yell fragments of my lan-guage back at me. I come from aworld where school is a UnitedNations of cultures brought togetherby a common dislike of Frenchclass and where I debate the propertime for dinner with an Italianfriend, the correct spelling of“favorite” with a British friend, andpolitics with a group representing atleast five different countries. I livein a world where there is color andconfusion, prosperity and poverty,dust and development. I come froma world that is far different from my country ofbirth.
Growing up as a missionary kid in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia, has been an exciting, incomprehensible,eye-opening, instructive, and challenging experi-ence. It has revealed the huge world that existsbeyond me and the possibilities it holds. It hastaught me to see the beauty of the differencesamongst people and cultures and to cope wellwhen things don’t go according to plan. It hasgiven me the opportunity to look AIDS and pover-ty in the eyes and realize that I care—and that Ican do something to make a difference. And, ofcourse, it has brought confusion as I realize that Iam completely American but, at the same time, soincredibly not. Where I come from can be a strug-gle, but it has shaped me and taught me, and Iwould have it no other way, for it is my home.
Caroline wrote this answer to a short essayquestion for a university application.Reprinted by permission from Intercom,Issue #189, Jan-Feb 2008
All the Way to IndiaBy Howard Brant (GH, BA 61)[email protected]
In 1997, my wife Jo-Ann and I had the greatprivilege of taking the first team of
Ethiopians to India as short-term missionar-ies. While SIM helped them with their air-fares, the Kale Heywet (EKHC) churches inEthiopia raised all the money for theirsalaries. The churches in India provided themwith housing and a translator. After three
exhilarating months in India(and 1,352 professions offaith), we returned toEthiopia and went with eachteam member to his or herhome to thank their congre-gations for sending them.[One] picture stands out inmy mind.
We were in SouthernEthiopia at a place calledDilla—the area where myparents, Alberta and EvelynBrant, first took the Gospelback in 1948. It was also thehome of Subsibe, anEthiopian who had gone with
us to India. When we got to the little church,people were already in prayer. I rememberthinking that my clean pants would get dirtyas we knelt down on the dirt floor. I don’tremember what I preached about that Sunday,but I must have told them about how God hadused Subsibe and the team in India. At theend of the service, an old man stood upweeping. He could hardly speak, as there wasso much emotion in his voice.
He looked up and pointed his finger at me.“Your father,” he began, “brought the Gospelto us over 50 years ago. We were in darkness,worshipping idols of trees and stone. He toldus about Jesus, and we believed. He also toldus that if we believed in Jesus, we should tellothers about him. We did. We sent our evan-gelists all throughout our tribes and nowthere are over 450 churches among us. Wehave sent missionaries to other parts ofEthiopia, as we should, but your father alsotold us that one day we would send our chil-dren to the ends of the earth to take theGospel to the other nations of the world.
God Had a Greater Agenda By Rick Calenberg (HC Staff)
Afew months ago we held a dinner fellow-ship for people in the Portland, Oregon,
area who had served in Nigeria, long or short-term, including some retirees and their families.The occasion was prompted by the visit of Dr.and Mrs. Zamani Buki Kafang, Provost ofKagoro Seminary in Kagoro, Nigeria, wherePastor Mike and Marcia Leake, our hosts of theevening, served in July 2005. Because therewere several Africans studying in the area atthat time, they were invited to join us.
After an authentic and delicious Nigerianmeal, we gathered to learn about each of ourAfrican guests and their ministries, and hadprayer for each one after they shared. As wewere about to close the meeting, TimothyOlonade stood up and insisted that he had some-thing to share. He proceeded to give a passion-ate word of appreciation for the missionariesgoing to Africa with the Gospel, and those pre-sent as representatives of those who had gonelong ago and pioneered the work in Africa.
Missionaries were the reason these men andwomen were believers and their forefathers hadnot succumbed to the influx of Islam. He insist-ed that he and his colleagues offer a prayer ofthanks to God and blessing on us as missionar-ies who had served in Africa. This was an over-whelmingly emotional experience for all of us.Tears came to the eyes of most as each of theseAfrican men, who were church and emergingmission leaders, prayed passionately, weepingthemselves to impart blessing on those who hadcome to Africa to bring the Gospel.
For one adult MK it was a life-changingexperience. She had previously held misgivingsabout the cost paid by her and her family as herparents served as career missionaries in Africa.
Caroline Black
Today that has happened, and I just want tothank God that my eyes have seen this beforemy days have ended.
Today Subside and his wife serve as mis-sionaries in South Sudan. He and a teammatehave just recently led a leading witchdoctor tothe Lord and are discipling him and his family.
Excerpt reprinted by permission fromIntercom, Issue #187, Sept-Oct 2007
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She had been sent to boarding school and hadexperienced emotional pain and disillusionmentas a result. In tears, she testified that hearing thetestimonies and prayers of these Africans waslike a healing balm to her heart and she under-stood in a new way how important and signifi-cant was the work of her parents.
For most, it was a highlight of our missionarycareers. God had a much greater agenda for ourevening than we could have ever imagined!
Reprinted by permission from Intercom, Issue#188, Nov-Dec 2007
All in the FamilyBy Karen (Seger) Keegan (KA, HC 72)[email protected]
Early Saturday morning, on November 17, Ireceived word that my father was dying.
While I made immediate travel arrangementsto Florida, it was Kay (Kastner) Breid (KA,HC 69) who was ministering to my father inthe nursing home. During his four-month staythere, his face would light up when Kaywalked into the room because he knew he’d betreated with dignity and compassion. When Iarrived at his bedside, Kay offered to stay withme as long as I wanted her there, brought medinner, coached me through the dying process,and gave me a ride “home” after he passedaway. Funny how the lives of MKs intersectafter so many years. Not in the same class, butattending the same school, we’re brothers andsisters forever.
In His HandsBy Anna Beth Wildman (HC 05)[email protected]
Ishouldn’t be outside right now. As I stand inthe front yard of my family’s home in
Nigeria, I flash back to an evening three monthsago when I sat with two high school friends at along table in our conference center’s spaciousdining hall. Miango, the conference center, wasa 30-minute drive from Jos, my home city inNigeria, West Africa. My friends and I werehere with our families for our mission’s annualChristmas-time conference. The three of uswere playing Dutch Blitz, shouting as weslapped the dog-eared, multicolored cards ontothe table. I slammed a green six down a secondtoo late and glared at the stocky, dark-hairedguy on my right who had slid his own green sixonto the card pile a second before me. “Youstink!” I punched him lightly in the shoulder,and then looked up as Laurie, another highschool friend, walked through the doorway.Laurie’s family lived and worked at Miango,but Laurie boarded in Jos and attended the mis-sionary kid school there with me. “Hi, Laurie.Come play with us!”
“No thanks.” Laurie bit her lip, pausing awk-wardly just inside the room. “Um . . . maybe ina while.” She turned her back to us and walkedinto the adjoining room where some missionaryparents and children sat on blue-cushioned,wooden couches, watching TV. I turned back tothe game, but a few minutes later, I glanced upand saw Laurie standing stiffly beside me,watching me solemnly. “I have some bad news.We just got a phone call that armed robbersattacked a missionary compound in Jos.” Sheran a hand through her shoulder-length, darkbrown hair, and bit her lip. “They shot Elias.”
Cards fluttered to the floor as I stared atLaurie, trying to understand what she had justsaid. Elias was a missionary kid who had cometo Jos with his family two years earlier. He wasthe president of my 12th grade class at ourschool. “Shot? Is he OK? What happened?”
Laurie shook her head, and I saw tears stand-ing in her eyes. “We don’t know.” She huggedme tightly and I hugged her back, but I couldn’tfeel anything except a desperate hunger foranswers. Was Elias dead? Where did they shoothim? Why did they shoot him? I imagined Eliaslying unconscious as doctors hovered over him.Laurie pulled away from the hug. “You need totell your parents we’re having a prayer meetinghere in about 15 minutes.”
I shouldn’t be outside right now. Being out-side at night puts a tense ache in the pit of mystomach, ever since Elias was shot three monthsKay (Kastner) Breid, Lionel Seger
ago. He survived, and the pellets in his shoulderand side will eventually work themselves out ofhis body, but his family still jumps every time adoor slams or a car backfires. Sometimes Icatch myself jumping with them at imaginedgunshots.
I remember back to the previous year whenDoug, a missionary kid, told my class thatarmed robbers had attacked his family the pre-vious night. Doug lives in a hostel in Jos, whilehis parents and brother live 30 minutes away inMiango, the conference center. The armed rob-bers held Doug’s family at gunpoint, took asmuch money as they could, and hurt a womanin the middle of Doug’s living room floor.When the robbers left, they took Doug’s dadwith them. His family was sure he would beshot. “The armed robbers let my dad go on theside of the road a long distance away, and hehad to walk home. My family called the hostelthis morning and told me the whole thing.”Doug cleared his throat. “I hate those guys.”
I shouldn’t be outside right now. It’s teno’clock at night, and the March air drapes awarm, humid blanket around me. I glance at therough, gray, cement block wall that runs aroundmy house, theoretically keeping out armed rob-bers. The wall casts a shadow across my frontyard. Electricity is off tonight in my neighbor-hood, making each shadow three-dimensional.The darkness makes it easier to see the stars,which seem closer together than usual. The fullmoon casts a pale dome of light over my frontyard where I kneel on prickly green carpetgrass, petting my comfortingly large, black andtan German shepherd dog Rikkachee.Rikkachee prances in place, almost letting meget my arms around him, then bounding awaywhile I chase him around the yard.
Suddenly Rikkachee’s back stiffens. Hegrowls and starts barking wildly. Leaving mesprawled panting on the grass, Rikkachee racesaround the side of the house. I shouldn’t be out-side right now. Something rustles around thecorner—footsteps. I glance at the pale crack of12-volt battery light shining under the metalblue front door, but I’m paralyzed. When I takethe first step toward that door, will armed rob-bers burst around the side of my house?Crouching in the middle of the yard, I amexposed. Where can I hide? I strain my earstoward the footsteps; I’m trying to think of allthe normal, safe things that make night sounds,but any second now, men with guns could crasharound the corner of my house and snatch con-trol from my clenched hands. As I crouch trem-bling, I glance up at the moon that manages tocast so much light around my yard. I realize thatthe God Who holds the whole world in Hishands might let armed robbers attack me. I
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DONATIONS
Simroots will be receiving a check in
the amount of $1000 from Neva
Poole’s estate. She always enjoyed
reading Simroots when it showed up
in her mailbox. I know that she would
have liked the idea of sharing some of
a blessing she learned was coming her
way, just before going to be with the
Lord. How mysterious God’s ways
sometimes can be in how He pours
out his blessings on us! Mom didn’t
have funds. She learned just weeks
before she died that she was receiving
1/3 of an inheritance from her older
sister who had died about 5 months
earlier, and we were blessed with a
window of clarity of mind, before the
“blessings” of hospice, to learn how
she generally wanted the funds
distributed. Jim Poole
Phoebe Millis donated $25 to
Simroots in honor of G. L. Seger
(KA parent).
BULLETIN BOARD
know He has never been more present orpowerful, but in two seconds He coulduse evil to rip my world apart. Whyshould I trust a God Who might let any-thing happen? As Rikkachee continuesbarking around the side of the house, Irealize I’m humming the song, “You aremy Hiding Place.” As I recognize thesong, the words suddenly sink into mymind: “You are my hiding place. Youalways fill my heart with songs of deliv-erance. Whenever I am afraid I will trustin You.” I remember that although Godcan allow something as wild and unpre-dictable as an armed robbery, He is myhiding place—I don’t trust God for whatHe does, but for Who He is: good, lov-ing, and completely in control. No matterwhat hurts me, God’s goodness, love,and strength are unchanged.
A tall, lean silhouette walks around theside of the house and passes by, notseeming to notice me. Rikkachee followsat his heels, still barking ferociously.
This is the guard, the man whostands at our rusty, black metal gateand lets our Nigerian friends andcoworkers in and out. The guard’slight coat and thin, gray shirt arefamiliar security to me, as I see themat least every week. I stand up andgreet him in Hausa, the local tradelanguage. “Sannu, Baba!” He turnsand waves, calling in a nasal, raspyvoice, “Eh heh, yauwa, sannu.”Rikkachee lopes across the yard andflops down beside me, lookingsheepish. “Silly dog—you know theguard. He walks past every evening.”I pat his side, feeling sheepishmyself. Slowly, I stand up and walktoward my metal blue front door. Noarmed robbers yet tonight.
Anna’s story won third place in acompetition at Moody BibleInstitute. Thorn carvings. Note figures at computers.
Photo by Bill Evenhouse
NIGERIA PHOTOSwww.Flickr.com/thefolksingerPhotos that Bill Evenhouse took in August of his trip to Nigeria. (Hillcrest,
Yankari, etc.)
YOUTUBEYes, it’s hard to copy these links, so why not go to this issue on Simroots’
website where you can simply click on the link! This video produced by an
MK about being a TCK is well worth the visit.www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmBXhMaO23YWEBSITEShttp://tckid.com “A Home for Third Culture Kids”
SAHEL ACADEMYNew website: www.Sahelacademy.com
Facebook: Sahel Academy has a group on facebook,
and so far we have 111 members, past and present! For
anyone interested, just search “Sahel Academy” under
Facebook groups. Rebecca Evans
Accreditation: Sahel is working towards accreditation
with ACSI (Association of Christian Schools
International). This is a lot of work on top of an already
busy teaching schedule for many. Pray for patience,
faithfulness, perseverance and delight in this aspect of
our ministry. Nancy Carriger
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ELWA ReunionWhen: July 3-6, 2008Where: Embassy Suites Hotel(Airport), Atlanta, GAContacts:Karen Ackley([email protected])Jan Reed ([email protected])770-343-8382Robin (Miller) Zook([email protected])
ICAWhen: July 3-6, 2008Where: Embassy Suites Hotel(Airport), Atlanta, GADetails: www.ica-ed.org
KA/HILLCRESTWhen: July 3-5, 2009Where: Chicago areaDetails: www.hillcrest.myevent.com(Out of date at the moment, but thisis where current information willlive.)Contact: Steve Ackley([email protected]) 214-536-5458
SAHELDetails:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SahelAcademyReunionContact: Lisa Germaine([email protected])
R E C O N N E C T I N G
In July of 2006, I had the privilege of attend-ing an MK reunion with my husband inDallas. It was a time of getting to know
some of the friends he grew up with, and somethat he did not get to meet until that weekend. Ihave to say that I left that weekend feeling asthough I was introduced to long-lost familymembers. I had the privilege of meeting peoplethat I am sure if we ever had a need, they wouldbe there for us.
If you have never been to a reunion since youhave come home from the mission field, youneed to go!
Let me try to explain. At the Dallas reunionthere were many missions represented, but thecommon ground was the school each personattended. There were people there in their 60sall the way to people in their 20s. One thing Ican say is that they all had a good time.
One night those who wanted to, dressed intraditional clothing. Most were from Africa, sothey dressed in African clothing. It was beauti-ful. That night it was also decided to hold anauction as a fund-raising effort for a gym that isbeing built in honor of Steve Beacham, anMK/missionary who died. I have to say that thisnight was my favorite!
Let me try to paint a word picture for you.Most “students” typically have white skin, butthere they were dressed in African garb feelingquite comfortable. Why? Because this was theculture they grew up in. The best way todescribe it is in a term I learned from anotherMK: these “students” are American Africans!
So there they were dressed to the nines. Asthey came into the room, they were served tra-ditional African food from Nigeria and Liberia.My husband is from Liberia, so we got into theLiberian food line. As we were getting closerand closer to the front of the line, I got a look atwhat was being served. Wait . . . you will notbelieve what I was looking at . . . this couldn’tbe the food people were actually craving toeat?! No Way! To this born-and-raised-in-America girl it looked like . . . well, let’s justsay it looked like the dog got sick and . . .enough said. So, we got up to the front of theline, and I’m thinking, “Oh joy! Yum yum,NOT!” My husband, on the other hand, is pilinghis plate full of this stuff! His mouth is salivat-ing! He can’t wait to eat it! Thankfully, for mysake, they had some good ol’ American fare toeat too. They must have known some of uscould not eat that stuff!
Oh, in case you are wondering what it wasthey were serving, it is called Palm Butter.They were also serving some green stuff. Itdidn’t look so bad, but it still was not going togo past these lips—not when I had a choiceanyways.
After dinner, some of the students did skits.Let me tell you, my stomach hurt from laugh-ing so hard. The skit about Nigerian Airlineswas the best. This skit is not one that I can dojustice to, so you’ll just have to come to thenext reunion to see it for yourself.
I do need to tell you about the auctionthough. As I mentioned, this was a fundraiser,so someone brought a soccer ball and anAfrican shirt to be auctioned off. The auction-eer was Mama Tataba. Anyway, Mama put onher best African accent, and trust me she wasgood. She proceeded to describe each item.When the bidding started on the first item, theroom became enraptured. As the biddingbecame more and more intense, the roombecame more and more animated. Well, some-one finally won the soccer ball for quite a bitof money. The room exploded! All of theAfrican traditions in the room let loose. As thespouse, all I could think of was what if one ofthe hotel workers walked in on this? Whatwould they be thinking, seeing all these peopledoing the African jig, and the Africanchant/singing thing. I was once again laugh-ing. It was something to behold.
Another funny time was when all the stu-dents decided they were going to play soccer. Iguess it didn’t matter that most of the peopleplaying hadn’t played in years! They all joy-fully went out there on the field. Oh my good-ness, it was great! They were having awonderful time playing and bantering witheach other as if they were . . . well, youngagain. And even though only one personscored, and one person got hurt, a wonderfultime was still had by all. Maybe you wouldlike to know, it was my husband that got hurt,and it was my husband that scored the goal.
So, what did I do during the soccer game? Igot to talk to all the people watching the game.I am not normally one to talk to people I don’tknow; however, I never felt that way duringthe weekend. The students at the reunion werewarm and welcoming.
One more thing I observed during my timeat the reunion is that often during the reminisc-ing time someone’s name who was not there
was brought up. That person had been missed.So, I have to ask . . . is that person you? Everyperson who was not able to attend was missed!You are the missing piece of the puzzle insomeone else’s life. The memories that youhave, good or bad, are much needed by thesestudents, so please, please make an effort to beat the next reunion that comes your way. Startsaving your pennies, nickels, and dimes nowbecause someone out there needs you.
MK Reunions—A Spouse’s PerspectiveBy Boni Frazee, wife of David (Fuzz) Frazee (EL 78)
11
all rascally little guys running in bare feet thelast time I had seen them. To see Karen(Ackley) Kern and Steve Ackley—who weremore my brother’s peers and to realize theycould be my friends now too. Seeing TimGeysbeck who was in my class, now all grownup and realizing I grew up too. I could go onabout whom I reconnected with. I came awayfrom that weekend knowing that I had thisextended family—family I had not been withfor years but knew me as a kid and loved meand gathered me back in the fold.
Danny invited me to join the ELWA kids’Yahoo chat site, and a new chapter for mebegan. After the ELWA kids reunion in Dallas,they decided to meet in Atlanta two years later.Danny came to Atlanta, and we had African
chop with Sara (Buck)Graham and her sister, BeccaHolcomb and family whowere home from their workin Africa. We chose to be onthe committee to put togeth-er the 2008 reunion. Wespent the next day scopingout places to meet and chosethe Atlanta airport EmbassySuites. The committee nowhas people from all over theworld made up of people Ihave never met but are mydear friends already. Wegrew up in Liberia at differ-ent times and have variedexperiences but all centeredaround ELWA, the beachand good friends. We want to
revisit these times together this summer, and wewant you to join us in our sentimental journey.
As we plan this reunion, we have your needsin mind. We want you to come July 4th weekendand enjoy plenty of memories with pictures,food, conversation and prayer. Our parents’ gen-eration we affectionately call “the Saints” willbe next door having their time together.Saturday afternoon we plan a yummy Africanfeast lovingly prepared by the Kayea family andtheir friends in Atlanta. That evening, we willblend the reunions for feasting and singing andpraying together. Please join us. If you have feltdisconnected over the years from your “family”let me assure you that feeling won’t last long.Please register with us and reserve your room.
R E C O N N E C T I N G
It’s funny how our lives have such dif-ferent chapters. I want to tell you howthe chapter in my life now has pointed
me back to my first chapters.Back in the early 50s, my parents, Dick
and Jane Reed, were a part of the pioneer-ing group that God sent to Liberia to set upa radio ministry that became ELWA. Theywent out as almost newlyweds and cameback after four years with two little boys.My brother, Jim was the first Americanbaby delivered in the Monrovian hospital.Needless to say, my folks had a very inter-esting life full of hard work and adventurein a new culture.
As time went on, Dick and Jane had fourkids: Jim, John, Jan, and Jary. The workwas long, but the family/community timeswere good. It seemed like every night weate dinner on our back porch that spannedlonger than the house and watched the beautifulsunsets over our beloved beach. We had manynights of hide and seek with all ages of kids andmany nights of playing the very loud game“Pit.” We were never without fresh fruit andfish and wonderful African food to eat and, ofcourse, good friends. I never ate monkey meatlike I am holding in the picture, but my husbandlikes to tease me that I did and that I serve itwhen guests eat at our home. This was my“monkey meat” chapter of life.
Dad and Mom had to make a hard decisionand chose to take a leave-of-absence from SIMand relocate to America for our high schoolyears. It didn’t take long before I became acomfort-loving American. In college, I met myhusband, Mike, and always thought that wewould go over to Africa and use our profession-al skills in some way. The war changed any ofthe plans that I had in the back of my head. Isettled in to being a suburbia housewife/mother.After some somersaults in my heart, the Lordtold me to relax in my “easy” station of Atlantalife and that my ministry was to the peoplearound me and that He was not sending me toanother country. The adventure is simpler; thelife is softer: a new chapter. My “mini-van” lifewas in full swing.
A few years ago my parents were comingthrough Atlanta to travel to the 50th-year cele-bration of ELWA in Charlotte. I asked if I couldjoin them and had a blast. Little did I know Iwould not be the only “kid” there! What fun tosee Danny and Steve Snyder and Sam Kayea—
Janice (Reed) Ziegenbein and monkey meat
Can anyone identify these MKs?
E L W A A R C H I V E S
From Monkey Meat to Mini-VansBy Janice (Reed) Ziegenbein (EL 74) [email protected]
12
R E M E M B E R W H E N
Probably 1959-60 school year, Grade 6Ralph Todd, Wayne Guenter, Dick Swanson, Paul Shell,
Glen Coleman, Bob Rendel, Tim Draper
K A A R C H I V E S
How many times do you remember this scene at KA?
K A A R C H I V E S
Aunt Linda and the PartridgeBy Tim Draper (KA 66) [email protected]
In the eighth grade I was walking down past the new tennis courts and noticed two par-tridges on the court up close to the tall fence. I thought that if I snuck around and ran
at them I might be able to catch one up against the fence since they probably wouldn’ttry to fly straight up. Sure enough, one flew away, but I was able to trap and grab theother one. I took it to the back of the kitchen thinking that one of the Africans mightwant it, but Aunt Linda laughed and told me if I would pluck and clean it, she wouldcook it for me. Two-hundred-plus kids at that time, but she was still able to minister toan individual. I think to varying degrees we appreciated what we had as kids, but it isonly now as we look back that we realize how loved and cared for we really were.
History of Kent Academy on CD and DVD
Over 3500 photographs, countless
memories, personal diaries, KA School Board
Minutes, book excerpts and more. KA movies
on DVD. Will send to you when you send a
donation to Simroots, c/o Deb Turner, PO Box
273, Greenbank, WA 98253.
Send YOUR photos and stories to Grace
Swanson, 1565 Gascony Road, Encinitas
CA 92024. ([email protected])
Just a brief note of thanks for all thatyou’ve done over the years to keep us intouch with our heritage. For Christmas, mybrother Tim secured a copy of the KAHistory DVD which I finally had time toperuse, and many foundational memoriesflooded back. For better or worse, thosephotos represent the formative years.
Tom Kraakevik
You Know You Are a TCK When . . .Submitted by Paul Trigg (HC) [email protected]
• You have your hair cut at a barbershop for the first time at the age of 21, when therest of the time your Mom used to cut it.
• You don’t care half the time what you wear or if it matches as long as it is clean.• You or your parents don’t throw anything away and cannot get the car in the garage
because of everything that’s stored in it.• You can recommend an international airline to a friend.• You have more than one passport, either because of dual nationality or because they
get filled up.• You know all the rude words and curses, in several languages, that your Mom would
rather not hear.• You have a very wide taste in music and like to clap or tap your feet using a variety
of rhythms to the music.• You know the names of a wide variety of confectionary from various countries.• Your accent changes depending on which nationality you are speaking to.• You are familiar with a variety of strange diseases.• You can get through customs without paying a bribe.
13
R E M E M B E R W H E N
we were there, we saw a snake slither into thegutter that ran round the base of the building.There was a slab over this into the kitchen, anda drain ran under the slab at right angles to thedrain. The snake went up this drain so no onecould see it. A local mai-gadi (night watchman)smoked it out, and it reared up to strike. Phil’sdad took a swing at it with the snake’s head atthe same height as his head! Several swingslater it was dead, fortunately for him. We thenskinned it. Black mamba!
A Snake Story from IgbajaBy Nancy (Hall) De Valve (KA 77)[email protected]
We were on summer holidays from KA. Ithad been ages since we had spent time
together as a family. We had just eaten one ofMom’s delicious home-cooked meals and werestill sitting around the table, talking and enjoy-ing each other.
Outside the dining room window we heard anoise in the bushes. Mydad told my brother,Dean, “Go out and chasethat stink rat out of thebushes.”
My brother refused,saying he could tell bythe sound it made that itwasn’t a rat. He adamant-ly refused to go out, say-ing it was a snake. Bythen my dad was gettinga little annoyed with himsince he refused to dowhat he had been told.Finally my dad said,“Fine! I’ll go out and doit myself.” Meanwhile,the rustling in the bushescontinued.
Grabbing a flashlight,my dad went out the liv-ing room door and downthe screened-in breeze-way to bravely chaseaway the rat. It wasn’tlong until he came backin. His face was drainedof all color, and he could-n’t say a word. He waspointing towards the door
and making guttural sounds. Until then I hadnever seen my dad scared of anything, but hewas definitely terrified. That scared all of us.I’m sure my mom was scared, too, but she wasmore scared about my dad than about whateverhe had seen in the bushes. She shook him andtold him if he didn’t snap out of it, she wouldslap him. That was the only time I ever heardeither of my parents threaten physical force onthe other one!
When she said that, he returned to reality. Hemanaged to stutter out that there was a hugesnake slithering across the stoop on to which thedoor opened. He had no idea how long it was,but he had not been able to see either the head orthe tail of the snake. Judging by what he couldsee, and knowing the size of snakes that we hadseen in Igbaja at other times, we knew it was anextremely large and poisonous one.
My brother then ran out the kitchen door,hopped on the motorcycle and raced up to thestudents’ dorms to get help. They came runningarmed with axes, shovels, sticks, stones,machetes . . . anything they could use to huntdown the snake . . . everybody’s enemy andtheir next meal. By the time they arrived, hewas off the stoop. With flashlights and lanternsthey searched all around the house but couldnever find it. Our house was the last one on thecompound, and we had to assume he had slith-ered off into the bush. I don’t think any of usslept well that night, thinking he could still belurking nearby.
Even though only my dad had seen the snake,the whole incident made a huge impression onme because I’d never seen my parents showfear until that night. They were not diminishedin my eyes because of it, but the fear of snakeswas definitely enforced!
A “Punny” OneEthelyn Abernethy (mother of Audrey, Jennifer,and Pearl), now 101, has written her memoirsin recent years. She includes a story that herhusband, Harry, used to tell.
Ahoneymoon couple was visiting Miangoand climbed the hill behind the station.
Suddenly they saw a snake, so the young mansaid, “Hold my watch while I get a stone.” Inthe excitement she threw the watch at the snake—and killed it! Bishop Smith, a godly mission-ary of the Anglican Church who liked to makepuns said, “And do you know what the snakesaid? It said, ‘My time has come!’”
Snakes Alive!By Paul Trigg (HC)[email protected]
Ok, I think I will add some of my snakestories. While I was at Hillcrest, I used
to go hunting snakes. I would lift rocks fromthe far side so that any snakes would notslither or bite in my direction. I once foundsome eggs under a rock, which I presumedto be lizard eggs as they were a similarshape and size. However, they hatched in thebottle I had put them in, and they turned outto be baby spitting cobras. They met theirMaker under a large boulder. Bear in mindthis was when I was aged 10 to 14!
During my work trips to Zambia a fewyears back there were numerous snakes,many black and green mambas. Just clearingthe bush for a few buildings meant about 10of them being killed, so not all snakes are inNigeria—must depend on the habitat.
When I was at our house at Vom, mymother heard a small puppy barking. Shewent out to see what it was barking at, andthere was a spitting cobra. Itspat venom at my mother,but fortunately she waswearing glasses. Our cookkilled it and hung it up onthe washing line. My fathertook a picture of it with atoad leg sticking out the sideof it. Must have just haddinner.
My father used to go andfix the pump that pumpedthe water up to Vom hospi-tal. One time he went downas the pump stopped work-ing. He was about to climbdown into the inspectiontank where the water waspumped to see what waswrong when he saw a snakefloating dead on the water.He looked around and saw acable dangling into thewater. The snake saved hislife—he would have beenelectrocuted!
I stayed with a friendnamed Phillip in Nigeriaonce at what was then theSUM headquarters, nowCOCIN headquarters. While
14
time for everyone. We visited two schools in Chiang Mai
(Chiang Mai International School and GraceInternational School), and it was interesting tosee them. However, the visits were not simplyenjoyable occasions away from the seminarroom: I wanted us to think about these very dif-ferent schools and how we could learn fromour visits in order to provide better informationabout our own schools for both applicant fami-lies and for teachers. Pressure of time actuallymeant that we did not have as much time todiscuss these visits as I had hoped, and so wemay not have got as much value from them aswe could havedone. We spent anafternoon onmother tongueissues, which areof increasingimportance asSIM becomesmore and morediverse, and anew subject thistime was “Caringfor College-ageMKs.” Anothermain discussiontopic was theprinciples andpracticalities ofestablishing asmall educationalfacility such as aone-room school.I think we need
SIM has held MK Education Consultationsfor over ten years now. At first the partic-ipants came only from the schools, but in
April 1998 Sending Office MK Coordinators,and home schooling representatives, came forthe first time. That Consultation, which tookplace just before the AEF/SIM merger, was alsomy first opportunity to come.
In November 2007, we met in the LotusHotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. School leaderscame a few days earlier than the larger groupand worked on some big school issues includ-ing teacher recruitment, curriculum, informa-tion flow (school to new teacher, new family toschool, and so on). They prepared materials topresent to the main Consultation, which startedon Sunday evening November 4 and ended thenext Friday. For this week about 35 peoplewere present, and we spent a considerableamount of time on reports, always followed byprayer. We had some special times of prayer,too, including special prayer for Jennifer Clarkwho teaches at Murree School in Pakistan(there was political turmoil at the time), and forAnn Christian who had just made the majortransition from being Director of CarachipampaChristian School (Bolivia) to be a RegionalMobiliser (and the MK Coordinator) for SIMUK. One special innovation was the presenceof representatives from both Latin America andEthiopia (the latter from the Kale HeywetChurch). We really wanted to learn of theirconcerns in MK education and to give them theopportunity to be involved in our discussions. Ibelieve they, too, went away with much tothink about and some helpful resources, and infact that it was a stimulating and encouraging
SIM MK Education ConsultationChiang Mai, Thailand, November 2007By Dorothy Haile, International Personnel Director, with “MK Education Coordinator” as part of my responsibilities
the flexibility of such facilities in more andmore places these days and hoped we wouldend up with some practical resources that couldbe used.
Responses to this Consultation were verypositive. There was a constant buzz of discus-sion, and I believe many valuable friendshipswere made or strengthened. We were certainlyaware of the prayers and interest of many peo-ple around the world as we met together. Pleasedo pray for good follow-up and practical appli-cation of what we all learned. Pray also forteachers for schools, and for small educationalfacilities, and in-home school support.
MKs on the field total 753: 41 attend boarding schools176 are home schooled137 go to local/state/national school256 attend MK/Christian schools57 attend secular international schools101 are not yet in school26 fall outside any of these categories.
SIM MK Education StatisticsThe figures represent the MKs on the Field on October 1, 2007. Dorothy chose that date because it falls in the school year for both the northern andsouthern hemispheres.
MK schools with the most SIM MKs are:Bingham Academy in Ethiopia (39)Sahel Academy in Niger (38)Hillcrest School in Nigeria (36)Carachipampa Christian School
in Bolivia (25)Rift Valley Academy in Kenya (22)Dakar Academy in Senegal (21)Hebron School in India (11)
K A A R C H I V E S
I do believe there is a relationship betweenthe provision of good MK educational facilitiesand the capacity of a Field to attract and sustainmissionary families. This does not mean that Ithink there should be a school on every Field,but I do believe that thinking ahead in this areaof member care is vital to the strategic planningprocess.
Mrs. Hodges with some of her former students on staff in the 80’s—ConniSyring, Jean Hodges, Linda Crouch, Sue Hammack, Bonnie Husband
Submitted by Conni Townsend
15
As you can see, Frances isexpecting, so this istoward the end of school
term, which in those days wasabout mid-July. Mid term lastedabout twelve days between gradesbecause of rainy season. Franceshardly missed a beat, for by thetime the new term began she waslooking after two full dorms ofgirls, grades one to eight, caringfor two pre-schoolers, and a newbaby whom she nursed. Carolwould start Grade One at thebeginning of the new term shortlyafter Frank was born, and thenFrances became her first pianoteacher. But Peter would be onefull year longing to do just that.
Andy left early, and Dennisstayed on for a few weeks into theGrade nine correspondence, until he had toleave because of family illness. His folks werewith the American [Baptist] Mission. Dennishad some schooling in Egypt, if I recallcorrectly.
All the rest in the picture were SIM folk.Dennis [Dennie] has only recently retired fromMAF U.S., At one time he flew in Ethiopia,even giving Miss MacDonald a flightyexperience. He became an MAF instructor andflight engineer.
Tammy Spitler, pianist extraordinaire.Mildred Hay [later Ladd], now deceased,
piano teacher and wife of station head, GrahamHay, mother of two daughters, Ginny and BettyChenault, whose Daddy was tragically killed,and also of Jimmy and Helen Hay.
Frances Wallace, [See her bio The Shapingof a Saint, written by her family following herdemise in 1999.]
Murray Hodges, who would become ateacher as well as a piano tuner . . . nowgrampa.
Bob Ratzlaff [later Ratzliff] father of Brian,who like his Dad and Grandfather Ed, becameSIM Ethiopia missionaries. Bob was also headof Missions at Briarcrest about the same timeBingham grads Dr. John Kayser, was head ofMissions at Prairie, and Dr. Jon Bonk was headof Missions at Providence. Bob has only justretired from a full preaching career.
Howie Brant, the child preacher, who at themoment of this writing is travelling Asia, Africaeast, west, and south, and working with his wifeJoAnne for Sudanese and Ethiopian evangelistsin Sudan, etc.
Russell Schmidt, working at Trinity Westernin Langley, BC. Photographer and cyber-kid parexcellence!
Andy Rutherford, recently deceased,surgeon, worked much of his career with folk in
UAE. His widow Ruthcontinues to commute to UAE.
Dan Perkins, scholar andphilatelist, who has completelydropped off my radar. [Sadface]
Mary (Wollman) Hofer,yet living in Sioux City, IA, asa widow. Was teacher of Grade3-4 at Bingham. She organizedmany of the BA photo albumsalong with helping with yearbook, field days, and studyhall.
Mary Macdonald, affec-tionately known as “MaryMac” whose height and staturewere measured longingly asone, then another and another,of her students overtook her.
Most who started in Grade One were shorterthan she, but . . . .
Upon retirement in Toronto, Canada, Maryworked with the Mrs. G Ministries—Biblestories on tape and CD, with accompanyingbooks. (Now the first ones are being translatedinto Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.)
Faith Rutherford, whose life wasprematurely cut short as she predeceased herbrother.
Bingham Academy Fifth GradeBack: Sherry Stinson, Jeannie Anderson, Denise Licklider, Jane McLellan, Kelly Brooks
Middle: Loren Kliewer, Steven Iwan, Robert Coop, Russell Smith, Edward Estelle, Mark VeerFront: Susan Nagel, Karen Adams, Ruth Dye, Beth Welling
BA Verse Dinner—Graduation, March 1956Submitted by Roy Wallace (BA Staff) [email protected]
B A A R C H I V E S
16
encounter errors, contradictions or unclearmeaning. It is an author’s right torequest that a piece be run by him/herfor approval before going to print. Ourassumption, however, is that withoutthis expressed request, the editors havethe right to edit without the author’spermission. Mostly it’s a time issue for us.
We also must edit for consistency inmechanics: punctuation, grammar,spelling, and formatting standards we’veset for this magazine. We accept both
American and British standards, dependingon the source. (Incidentally, I note thatMKs are quite inconsistent. If you attendedan American school in a country that wasformerly ruled by Britain, it’s no wonderyou’re confused as to whether you“practice” or “practise”!) Some grammarrules change over the years, and as webecome aware of the changes, we try tokeep current. Just for the record, we havedifferent standards of abbreviation fordifferent sections of Simroots—mostly for
the sake of space.We’re not perfect. We make
mistakes. Just know that eacharticle and each issue is prayedover both during and afterpublication. Above all, we viewthis magazine as a ministry. Wetrust our efforts bless youmightily; it certainly blesses usto produce it! We welcome yourcorrections, comments, andsuggestions.
Sai an jima (until a little while),Karen Keegan, Editor
Dear Readers,Occasionally the Simroots team has to
make some tough decisions regardingwhat to print, what to omit, and what toedit.
In our News Updates section, we haveto decide whether or not our readers careto hear about our grandchildren (do we?)the latest details regarding our healthissues (a sensitive topic for some), andhow often one person or family should befeatured. Do we include news about ourparents in a magazine for MKs and theircaregivers? (Generally, we don’t havespace, though in this issue, we felt itappropriate to include some photos of theSebring residents to accompany our front-page article.) And do we print informationabout us sent in from family members?(Yes, because we assume our parents andsibs will filter what is appropriate andacceptable.) It is assumed that if you areon our mailing list, you won’t mind ifwe print your news! And it’s alsoassumed that if you do mind, you willinform the editor.
We also have to decide whether or notwhat is submitted actually qualifies as“news.” Many news updates submissionshave to be edited. For example, some justsend in their prayer letters in their entirety.We have to filter out what we considermost useful to our readership, else oneprayer letter could take up severalpages just by itself. Most often wefilter out pleas for money and prayer,simply because we assume we allneed both!
After we’ve collected all the news,we have to choose articles from alarge stack of submissions,attempting to provide a variety oftopics, interests, and schoolsrepresented. Speaking of space, weoften tighten up pieces that need it—both to fit on a page and forimproved readability. We strive tofully maintain the intent of the pieceand to use the original words assubmitted, but sometimes we
Letter from the Editor
Sahel Faculty (’88-’89) John Hoess, Barb Longworth, Marie Laure Husson, Jean Campbell, NancyDeValve, Fred Zobrist, Lucia Isch, Joy Brown, Waltraud Ziegler, Celeste-tina Binemma
S A H E L A R C H I V E S
Perhaps one of Linda Klassen’s creations? Does anyone remember what year this was?
K A A R C H I V E S
Page 32The boy between Oliver and
Musa is Bambo Bangbose.Jeanette Silver
Page 8, More KA ChorusesIn God’s Green Pastures
Feeding
17
PHOTO IDs from Vol. 24 #2
Page 31959. The 2 ladies are Cindy
Cummins and Helen Lucks. Shewas taking Cindy home as she(Helen) was going on furlough.
Anne Ockers
Page 9 This picture is of KA kids who went to Ben Lippen, a boarding school in
Ashville, NC. It must have been shot in the spring of 1964 when Sharon,Murray, and I were seniors and Ken had already graduated. Robert would havebeen in his first year there (sophomore).
Jan E. Kiefer
Probably a time when Dr. and Mrs. Kraay were visiting and took us KA kidson a beautiful fall drive up the Blue Ridge Mtns. and then for a picnic. Theyear was 1962 or 1963. I was a freshman at Ben Lippen when this picture wastaken.
Ramona (Veenker) Wiley
Page 30It is Charlotte Jacobson, not
Phyllis, with Nancy. Phyllis (Jacobson) Mithen
Page 31, KA archivesThe two kids are Bobby and Patricia
Hursh, and I would guess the year to bearound 1957.
Chuck Frame
Page 31KA archives
The photo of 5 ladies: IreneSausauer, Hazel Knowles,Millie ? (Not Frieda Janzen),Sarah Loewen, and JeanetteSilver.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Sharon Goertz, Robert Kraay, Dottie Herr, Ken Kraay, Ramona Veenker, Murray Cox,Kathy Herr, and Jan Kraay
Karen, Keep up the good work. Even though I never
went to boarding school, and that seems to be theorganizational template for the “zine,” I stillenjoy reading every issue. Any chance ofcreating a small column about non-boardingschool MKs? Or were my sisters and I and oneAustralian MK I knew the only SIM ones? Ourmission field experience may have been different(atypical), but our post-field experience issimilar.
David
Editor Reply: Yes! I am very interested in doingthis, but I need your help. Anyone care to writearticles for us?
My brother-in-law, Emmanuel Isch, is one of the vicepresidents for World Vision Canada. He was representingWVC and a shipment they were sending with Samaritan'sPurse from Charlotte on a chartered 747 to North Korea—perhaps the first flight to go directly to Korea from theU.S. without stopping since the Korean War. I just hap-pened to drop by after work that morning to spend timewith Emmanuel while they started to load the plane.Maybe Franklin thought I was the pilot, I don't know.Because Franklin is a pilot, and we had a mutual friend, wedid talk a little bit while we waited and hence the phototaken by Stacia Vong Hogeterp, Emmanuel's WVC col-league.
Jon Stilwell
Franklin Graham, Emmanuel Isch, Jon Stilwell
31
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Barbie Swanson’s classmates: Mary Ann Nielson, Bev Ostien, Carol Hursh, RuthAnn Worling, Cindy Cummins, Florence Harrison, Sharon Goertz, Carol Langdon,
Mary Jo Beckett. Barbara died in 1952 at the age of 6.
KA Home Ec Class c. 1965 Back: Linda Glerum, Kay Kastner, Nancy Rendel
Middle: Sharon Lorenz (?), Carol Pullen, Lynn Hovey, KathyBraband, NancyKay Jacobson, Ruth Hodges
Front: Sharon Truax, Judy Ratzlaf, Miriam Veenker, Judy LeesSubmitted by Erika Kretschmer
Trumpet players 1972
KA Room Contest Outing, Linda Glerum (?) and Miriam Veenker
Submitted by Erika Kretschmer
32
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Ever wonder what the staff did after we left KA to go home on Christmas vacation?They partied!
___, Gerry Craig and Pauline Herr. Ginny Patterson in background.1959 New Year’s Eve party
