Vol. 5 No. 8
December 1, 2010 Inside This Issue...
Holidays Better When We Remember Others
By Theresa Smalley
Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, love and goodwill to all. But with all the stress and commotion of the season, many of us end up feeling more like Mr. Scrooge than Santa Claus. I believe that’s because many of us can get caught up in the hoopla and forget the real reason for the season. What I tend to do when I start feeling a little blue is to find a way to do something for others. Examples include wishing people that I meet in stores and other casual environments a happy holiday and saying so with a heartfelt smile. Other examples are dropping my spare coins in the Salvation Army collection bucket and doing something nice like offering to babysit so a friend can
do her Christmas shopping. I like to take cookies to my neighbors or shovel an elderly neighbor’s sidewalk or driveway. Volunteering my time to a worthy holiday cause is wonderful too. Even if I’m busy, I can spare an hour or two to help people less fortunate than myself by helping to organize a drive at work or in my neighborhood. I can collect food and personal items and donate them to a local shelter for the homeless or for battered women. It’s easy to get involved as an individual or as a group – i.e., your church, your scout troop, your family, your co-workers, etc.
Share a Plain Country Christmas See Plain Country Page 1
Continued on page 2
Enter Our Holiday Scavenger Hunt for a Chance to Win a $35 Gift Certificate of Your Choice! See page 28 for all the details.
AFS Visitors Spend a Day in Plain Country By Jacquie Foote
Postal Customer Local / ECRWSS
OR CURRENT RESIDENT
Middlefield Post P.O. Box 626 Middlefield, OH 44062
PreSort Std U.S. Postage PAID Middlefield, OH 44062 Permit No. 77
On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Middlefield area hosted representatives from over 22 foreign nations. They were here to learn about the lives and values of members of the Amish community. They came from as far north as Greenland, as far south as Chile and as far east as China. Lately, they have been living in places called Kent, Shaker
Heights, Chardon and the like. They are “foreign exchange students,” here under the auspices of AFS. It has taken more than 60 years for AFS (formerly the America Field Service) to evolve from its origins as a volunteer ambulance corps in 1914 to what it is today, the world’s most experienced international student exchange organization. The first step along these lines was taken by Stephen Galatti who helped create AFS Fellowships in French Universities, which sent 222 college students both to and from the United States between 1919 and 1952. Since then, AFS has offered international exchange programs to more than 50 countries around the world. Every year AFS sends and hosts nearly 13,000 students and teachers throughout its partner networks
Chayanan (Opor) Chaikampa of Thailand (from left); Sallie Messerly, host mother to Kaiwen (Kevin) Wang of China; Pureemas (LK) Phoinautaiwat of Thailand; and Klara Nyman of Sweden enjoy each other’s company at a recent Amish wedding dinner. (Post Photo/Frank Foote)
each year. This year, AFS has 26 of their students in the northeast Ohio area, each with an unforgettable experience. Debbie and Alan Fedele organized this year’s Amish Day. Burton resident Lisa George, involved with AFS since she spent time as a summer exchange student, is now an active volunteer at both the local and national levels. Amish Day permitted the students, their sponsors and companions, and others interested in the AFS program to tour the cheese house, see a video about the Amish community and tour local Amish businesses. At an Amish School, the AFS students and the Amish schoolchildren and teachers who had voluntarily given up part of their Saturday to be there, regarded each other with slightly shy curiosity that each group was allowed to satisfy during a question and answer time. Watching horseshoeing, a buggy ride and an excellent Amish wedding dinner followed. Those who met the students were impressed by their courtesy and curiosity. These young people are walking advertisements for the program. Sponsors of students who have returned home speak of them as true members of their own families. The AFS is always looking for families to open their homes to one of these amazing students as well as for students who are interested in studying abroad themselves. Please contact the local area volunteer for more information using their www.afsusa.org website.
Christmas in the Country Open House Page 18
Cardinal Schools Happenings Pages 22-23
Spotlight On ... A.H.Christiansons Page 26