Our Story WHO WE ARE... 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.
WHAT WE BELIEVE... 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 nearly a dozen times in the last ten years, and we will not stop until the orphanages are empty! We will rest in Heaven!
HOW YOU CAN HELP... 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.
Our Team PUBLISHER
OFFICE
WRITERS
Marlin Miller
Nic Stoltzfus, editorial manager
Nic Stoltzfus, Serving Our Neighbor
ADVERTISING Matt Yoder, sales advisor - Ohio Aaron Stutzman, sales advisor - Michiana + Pennsylvania
SEPTEMBER AD CLOSE
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Sabrina Schlabach, quality assurance
Sabrina Schlabach, Golden Family Adoption
Bethany Troyer, bookkeeping
Bruce Barlow, Whispers of Hope
Jan Schlabach, customer service
Rory Feek, Roots + Wings
Isaac Hershberger, production manager
Shawn & Beth Dougherty, Homestead + Roots
Seth Yoder, graphic artist
Joel Salatin, Confessions of a Steward
August 8, 2022
Ferree Hardy, The Widow's Path Elam Stoltzfus, Our Heritage
Plain Values is published monthly by Plain Target Marketing, LLC. Please contact us with any questions.
Jim Zumbo, All Things Outdoors
a: PO Box 201 /2106 Main Street, Winesburg, Ohio 44690 // p: (330) 601- 6106 // f: (330) 601- 4099 // e: reachout@plainvalues.com // w: 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.
Join us for Porch Time every third Friday from 1:00pm – 4:00pm During this time window, you’re invited to 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! 2106 Main Street Winesburg, Ohio 44690 3
JULY 2022
contents
August 2022 // Issue 110
serving our neighbor 13
FROM ASTROTURF TO CAROLINA DIRT The Story of Jason Brown and First Fruits Farm words by: Nic Stoltzfus Jason and Tay Brown never intended to be farmers — he was a pro football player, and she was a dentist. But this was the call that God had for their lives.
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ANDREW & CASSEY GOLDEN'S ADOPTION STORY The First Year words by: Sabrina Schlabach The incredible story of a family who's adopted a set of adorable twin boys with Down syndrome.
simple living 37
HOMESTEAD + ROOTS God's Will column by: Shawn + Beth Dougherty Shawn and Beth provide a transparent look into their lives at the farm and how God has provided for them.
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CONFESSIONS OF A STEWARD Honest Horse Keeping column by: Joel Salatin Joel shares his unique insights on keeping horses that "buck the trend" of traditional stalls and bedding practices.
resources 10
WHISPERS OF HOPE by: Bruce Barlow
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ONE MINUTE WITH MARLIN
ON THE COVER
PRAYERS FOR THE NATIONS
Thoughts and ramblings from Marlin Miller, publisher of Plain Values.
The transition from NFL to farmer is even more stark when placed side-by-side.
This month we take a closer look at the country of Mozambique.
community 31
ROOTS + WINGS Sowing Seeds column by: Rory Feek Each spring, we still till the ground in the same spot where my wife Joey always had her garden, and I continue to sow seeds and grow vegetables there even though I’ll never be as good at it as she was.
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THE WIDOW'S PATH Life's Valleys column by: Ferree Hardy You might not understand the road you’re on. That’s OK. God understands it. You might not be able to see where you’ll end up. That’s OK. God sees.
history 51
OUR HERITAGE Printing the Ausbund
(part eight)
column by: Elam Stoltzfus The final installment of Elam's eight month series on the history behind the printing and usage of the Ausbund hymnbook.
outdoors 54
ALL THINGS OUTDOORS Salmon column by: Jim Zumbo For many reasons, the salmon has millions of admirers across the country. They’re terrific fighters on rod and reel, some subspecies attain great sizes, and they’re a culinary delight with beautiful bright orange meat.
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one minute with Marlin
63 MILLION. That’s how many babies have been killed because of the Roe vs. Wade decision 50 years ago. My dad and I attended a pro-life event in Washington DC many years ago where more than a million people gathered… it was an ocean of folks! Like many have said recently, they didn’t believe they’d live to see the day Roe vs. Wade was struck down, and yet it happened on June 24, 2022. The only thing I can say is Praise the Lord! As joyful as the decision makes me, it leaves me with a question. Several actually. Will the Church at large, those same people waving their pro-life banners or shouting slogans, be willing to step up to the plate today, next week, and next year? Will the Church be willing to extend grace and mercy to post-abortion women? Will the Church open their arms and homes to women who want to raise their babies but need support to do so? Will Christians be willing to put aside their own fears, questions, excuses, etc., and adopt children who are being placed by their birth families? We are staring opportunity in the face to be salt and light to a drowning culture unaware of the reality of what they are part of and where it leads. It’s time to stop talking and get to work. We know where God stands on this. Now is not the time to condemn. Now is the time to extend grace, step up,
MARLIN MILLER
publisher, always looking for more friends
and stand in the gap. Eternity watches, and souls hang in the balance. As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //
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whispers of hope
SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO FOSTER + ADOPT
HOPEFUL DESPERATION column by: BRUCE BARLOW
WE KNEW HE HAD BEEN DRINKING more than we
fears to God. I recognized my powerlessness to change
were willing to admit. And we knew he had more
him or his heart. I shifted to a parental posture of
of a problem than he was willing to admit. We had
hopeful desperation. A pastor friend preached, “Desperate Parents Make
challenged him countless times and had come within
the Best Parents.” Do the right things as a parent:
an inch of throwing him out of our home many times. But, we were loving parents, deeply involved in our
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Read the Bible with your children.
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Have family devotional times.
our persistent love and advice, and surely we would
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Send them to youth group.
see a breakthrough.
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Be faithful at church.
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Learn memory verses.
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Encourage them in their academics and
children’s lives, and deeply committed to the gospel and serving Jesus. Surely our child would respond to
Then the phone call came. He told us “the rest of the story.” He had been arrested on his way to a drug buy. He said he wanted to get through the withdrawals
interests.
and then go to a Christian residential addictions program for men. That was the start of the journey to
But all of that will not matter if the Holy Spirit does
freedom for him, and for us as parents.
not do a work in their lives. He taught us that our best
I remember the fear those first few nights. Was
work as parents, though all those other things are right,
he “sick of being sick”? This is key for anyone dealing
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is on our knees in prayer. That is hopeful desperation.
with substance abuse and addiction. Would he make
On the third day of his recovery, as my son was
it through the withdrawals? I had tried so hard to be
reading his Bible, he called and shared Philippians
a good parent and not a failure as a father. I did not
3:13-14 with me. He said he was eager to forget what
want to fail my son as my father had done. That meant
was behind and strain toward what was ahead. My
more to me than anything. But that meant being a
heart was hopeful, yet I knew the difficult battle that
“successful parent” had also become my idol. So, the
lay ahead to defeat the addiction. Hopeful desperation.
second night was my surrender. I cried, opened my
We started reading Ed Welch’s book Addictions:
hands, and said, “OK God, he is yours.” I handed my
A Banquet in the Grave. It was a challenging and
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scary read but good for our hearts. Then, I called and talked to Mark Shaw, the author of The Heart of
"He taught us that our best work as parents is on our knees in prayer."
Addiction and several other Bible-based books and resources for parents and people seeking freedom from addiction. He warned about relapse, and that re-surfaced our deep fears. But, Mark also affirmed that idols in the addict’s heart could be torn down and freedom in Christ is possible. We were growing
I have had to process through lots of anger: anger
in hopeful desperation.
at the devil, anger at the power of the drugs, they are
We prayed for new ruts in his mind. The rewiring
such a cruel prison, and anger at my son for sinful
of the brain in substance abuse is real. Thought pattern
and enslaving choices. All the anger served little
ruts had been created. We prayed desperately for new
purpose except to distract my heart away from hope
ruts in his mind. We prayed that the time in God’s
and desperate prayer. I repented often, and still do, to
Word and biblical community he was experiencing at
get back to hopeful desperation.
rehab would develop new habits and mental ruts.
God has been so faithful and strong. My son never
Many people worried I would beat myself up as a
turned away from God, and his faith is stronger now
father failure. They feared we would not be willing to
than ever. It doesn’t always turn out this way, I know.
let others help us. But the desperation broke through
I have often been faced with this choice: do I trust
any reticence. God gave us amazing friends, some
that God is going to do His work in my son — OR — am I
with experience in addictions and some without, but
going to force my will on the situation, trying to make
all willing to listen, love, and pray. They bolstered our
things turn out the “right” way. Hopeful parenting is
hope.
choosing to trust God’s will for my son. //
Bruce Barlow is the board chair 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.
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FROM
TO
CarolinaDirt words by: NIC STOLTZFUS
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Jason Brown and the Story of First Fruits Farm honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. P ROV ERBS 8 : 9 -1 0 N I V
HAS GOD EVER TOUCHED your heart, encouraged you to take a leap of faith and do something big? What if it meant completely giving up your job, starting a new job in a different field, and relocating your family to a completely different state? Jason Brown did just that. He was a starting NFL center making millions of dollars, praised by millions of people. But God touched his heart, and Jason decided to walk away from the NFL to become a farmer, a career he knew next to nothing about. How did this man switch fields from AstroTurf to Carolina dirt? This is the story of Jason Brown and the founding of First Fruits Farm.
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Roots Jason’s grandfather Jasper Brown was a farmer in Yanceyville, North Carolina. For generations, his ancestors farmed North Carolina’s rich loam. During the ’60s, when schools were desegregating across the US, Jasper enrolled his children in a former all-white school in hopes of providing a better education for his children. This angered the local white community, and they reacted by harassing the Brown family: a noose was hung in a tree outside their farm, dynamite exploded their fields, and two cars full of white men tried to run Jasper off the road and kill him. This was too much for the family to take: Jasper, his wife, and four children fled to Washington, DC. Jasper’s son Lunsford grew up in DC, over a hundred miles away from his North Carolina farming roots. But he held onto them how he could: he married a girl from North Carolina and became a landscaping architect. However, Lunsford and his wife were worried about raising a family in violence-ridden DC, so his wife and the children left Washington, DC to be closer to her family in Henderson. Lunsford remained in DC at his job, so his children grew up not spending a lot of time with their father. His son Jason was born in Henderson, North Carolina, on May 5th, 1983. Growing up, Jason and his older brother Lunsford II (known by the family as “Ducie”) spent summers in DC helping with their father’s landscaping business. Jason said, “Over those summers, I learned how to make things beautiful. I learned how to landscape and garden on a small scale.”
The rich farmland of Yanceyville, North Carolina where Jasper Brown made his living
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"When he was thirteen, Jason figured out the priorities he valued most in his life: faith, family, and education. These three things were the roots that gave him strength and stability."
When he was thirteen, Jason figured out the priorities he valued most in his life: faith, family, and education. These three things were the roots that gave him strength and stability. Faith, family, education. In middle school, Jason was a chubby kid who enjoyed books more than working out. But in high school, he discovered he had a knack for lifting weights, and he excelled on the football field. Brown graduated high school in 2001, top ten in his class. That fall, he was accepted on a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Jason did well at UNC: he was ranked several times as the top center in the nation and set several school records in weightlifting. During this time, Jason’s older brother Ducie married and enrolled in the US Army. Jason was skeptical about his brother’s decision and questioned the risk involved. Ducie responded, “Before you can help somebody else, you first have to help yourself.” He told Jason that he wanted to dedicate his life to service.
Uprooted
Jason and Tay got married on July 25th, 2003.
It was in Chapel Hill where Jason met Tay.
Less than two months after one of the happiest
Tay was paying her way through college at Duke
days of his life, Jason was hit with horrible news:
University, and she was committed to her goal of
his brother Ducie was dead.
becoming a dentist and making a better life for
On September 20th, a mortar round exploded
herself. She was born into a single parent home,
in the tent where Ducie and members from his unit
and life growing up for her was challenging. Jason
were located in an Iraqi prison outside of Baghdad.
admired her faith, hard work ethic, and quiet
His body absorbed the blast, saving the lives of his
determination. The day after their first date, Jason
fellow soldiers. After the funeral, Ducie’s widow
called his parents and said, “I’ve found the one.
Sherrie gave him one of his brother’s shrapnel-
God sent me the woman I’m going to marry.”
shredded dog tags. Jason wore Ducie’s dog tag for
"Less than two months after one of the happiest days of his life, Jason was hit with horrible news..." 15
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