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JANUARY 2021
PLAIN VALUES
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Cultivating Anchored Community MARLIN MILLER
Publisher
KEVIN BILLE
General Manager
MATT YODER
Sales Advisor // Ohio
AARON STUTZMAN ELAM STOLTZFUS
Sales Advisor // Indiana Sales Advisor // Penn.
NIC STOLTZFUS
Editorial Director
JAN SCHLABACH
Customer Service
BETHANY TROYER
Bookkeeping
ISAAC HERSHBERGER
Graphic Artist
SETH YODER
Graphic Artist
LANDON TROYER
Photographer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nic Stoltzfus
Marcus A. Yoder
Dr. Don DeYoung
David and Karin Holder
Ferree Hardy
Dr. Teresa Hoxworth
Merissa A. Alink
FEBRUARY AD SALES DEADLINE
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January 6, 2021
Plain Values is published monthly by Room to Bloom. Room to Bloom is a nonprofit, tax-exempt Section 501(c)(3) organization. Please contact us with any questions regarding Plain Values.
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THE FORMALITIES This publication and its contents are © 2021, Room to Bloom. 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 or implies an endorsement.
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JANUARY 2021
ISSUE 91
CONT HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS
// 20
The most amazing way to make hot chocolate—it needs some special tools, but the end result is worth it.
EVERY CHILD COUNTS: AMY ELDRIDGE AND THE STORY OF LOVE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
// 10
Oliver’s mother didn’t want to abandon her son—she wanted to raise him! Was there anyone out there who cared enough to help her save her child?
PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE
PLAIN VALUES
INSTANT OATMEAL PACKS // 37 A homemade, organic, and inexpensive version of a store-bought favorite!
Thoughts and ramblings from Marlin Miller, publisher of Plain Values. // page 7
FUNDS AND BENEFITS
Every month we provide a listing of opportunities to help out those in need. // page 50
GOOD STUFF WITH KEVIN BILLE
This month, Kevin discusses the importance of preparation. // page 51
ON THE COVER
Little Auden, an orphan with Down syndrome who has been given a second chance by LWB. 4
ENTS TRUMBULL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER // 23
A STICKY SITUATION
// 27
JANUARY 202 1
HOLDING HEARTS // 3 1
Serving the health care needs of the community for over 113 years.
What if we could design tape that automatically cleaned itself every time it got dirty or wet?
...the heart is a fragile thing. Not only does it break, but sometimes it even stops.
LOST PRIVILAGES
OLD DAN
EYE PROBLEMS
// 39
The Russian encroachment these people feared came as a result of the losses of Russia in the Crimean War.
// 42
Jeremy’s passion reminded me of those little things in life that mean so much— little things like owning a dog.
// 47
Many problems can develop in a dog's eyes, this month we will discuss a few of the more common ones.
This new section of Plain Values is devoted to showcasing local goods and services to our readers. Each reader will enjoy one of four editions, depending on where they live. Our hope is that the "Plain Pages” can be a resource in finding local businesses to assist you in your needs as well as in your wants. // pages 34
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MESSAGE from the PUBLISHER words by: MARLIN MILLER
If I asked you if the God of the universe has the right to
He is merciful! Why does He tell us to be humble? Because He
be proud or arrogant about being the God of the universe, I
is humble!
think we know the answer is a resounding “yes.” We can all
Look at who Jesus mentioned when he quoted Isaiah
agree that He’s earned that right. But have you ever considered
about being anointed to proclaim good news to the poor, the
the possibility that God could be humble? When Jesus finished
captives that are to be released, the blind that will see again,
washing the feet of his disciples, Philip asked him to show
and the oppressed that will be empowered. These are society’s
them the Father. “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so
despised and most looked down upon! Jesus makes sure to tell
long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen
the lowest the good news first because they are the ones he
me has seen the Father.’” Read it again in John 14 verses 8 and 9.
identifies with the most. This is the connection we share to all
Washing someone’s feet is one of the humblest acts we
people everywhere from all of time… we are blind and taken
can do for another person. Jesus (God in human form) washes
captive, we are poor and oppressed. In one way or another we
twelve other men’s feet, and then says that about God the
are all messed up, some just hide it better than others!
Father. That is almost too much for me to fathom! Diving in
He has fashioned mankind to be humble because He is
deeper, it becomes clearer as you read of His concern for the
humble…I’ll leave you with one more question. Which is the
needy and the poor. “For the cause of the oppressed and the
greater king? The one who never comes down from his palace
groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will
to associate with his people? Or the one who, after the day’s
bring safety to him who yearns.”
responsibilities, puts on common clothes and walks the streets
All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who
investing time with his people? As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //
delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?” All of a sudden, it makes sense when James says in chapter 4 that, “He gives us more grace. This is why it says: ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” And in Psalm 138:6 the writer tell us that, “Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.” Our God has a humble heart! He can identify with the lowly because He is humble. Why does He tell us to be holy? Because He is holy! Why does He tell us to be merciful? Because
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Amy Eldridge and the story of Love Without Boundaries
words by: NIC STOLTZFUS
His lips were blue. He let out a cough and
child—in their minds, why would anyone spend
struggled to suck in air to fill his lungs. Oliver’s
money on a child who had special needs?
health was failing him, and his mother was yet
Oliver’s mother had tried to have a child for eight
again filled with worry. She had taken her son to
years without any results. When she got pregnant,
three different hospitals specializing in cardiology,
she knew that the child was a precious gift, and
but the doctors told her that they couldn’t help her;
she wanted to keep the baby. In order to live, Oliver
they said the best she could do would be to take her
needed heart surgery. But his mother was poor, and
son home to die. Tears streamed down her cheeks;
she couldn’t afford the surgery. In order to give her
she couldn’t fathom the death of her only son—she
son a chance to live, she considered giving her son to
wanted him to live!
an orphanage, as they would have the funds to pay
The doctors told Oliver’s mother to take her son
PLAIN VALUES
for the surgery and other medical care.
home to die because Oliver was born with Down
For many parents in China who have children
syndrome and a congenital heart defect. In China,
with special needs, the lack of funds and support
there is a major stigma against children born with
means that they are forced to abandon their
special needs. Typically, when a pregnant mother
children; this means many children with special
goes in for a pre-birth ultrasound, if the doctors find
needs become orphans. In fact, nearly every child
that the child has special needs, the policy is to abort
living in a Chinese orphanage was given up by his
the baby. The doctors saw her son as an unwanted
or her family due to medical needs.
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Oliver’s mother didn’t want to abandon her son
funds on surgery for another child. Amy’s heart
to an orphanage—she wanted to raise him! Was
was filled with a heavy sadness. Couldn’t they do
there anything else that could be done? Was there
something to save this precious child?
anyone out there who cared enough to help her
Amy’s original intent of visiting this orphanage
save her child?
in southern China was to come back with some ~
~
~
~
answers for her youngest daughter Anna, who was
~
adopted from this same orphanage several years earlier. But when Amy arrived at the orphanage,
The Story of Baby Kang
she realized that there were still more children
Amy Eldridge picked the baby up and held
who needed help. On the plane ride back home to
him in her arms. His thin little body was blue;
Oklahoma, she couldn’t forget what she saw at the
his small torso rose and fell with great effort; the
orphanage: hungry children with emaciated faces,
baby boy was simply trying to breathe. Little Kang
boys and girls starving for affection, and Kang.
was only a nine-month-old frail baby, born with a
Amy knew she had to do something to help the
heart defect. Amy asked Dr. Huang, the orphanage
orphans—especially Kang. Her heart couldn’t let
doctor, what could be done for Kang. The doctor
go of that little gaunt, pale, and listless baby boy.
shook his head and said that nothing could be
When she got home, Amy sat down at her
done—the orphanage didn’t have any money for
computer and wrote an e-mail to all her contacts
the heart surgery, as they had just spent their last
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Kang as a baby Kang after his surgery
Kang as a teenager PLAIN VALUES
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asking for help. She shared her experience in China and these were some of her closing words: “On my trip, I met a tiny baby boy who is slowly dying in the orphanage because his heart is bad. The main doctor at the orphanage is such a kind and compassionate man, and he pulled me over to this little boy and told me with great sadness that they don’t have the money needed to arrange for this child to have surgery. It is a humbling and sobering experience to hold a little child in your hands that is so ill with no hope of getting medical treatment. I am crying again as I write this because I remember every detail about his perfect little face. His mother and father abandoned him simply because he had the bad luck to be born with a heart defect. I held him and thought I could not let this same defect also take his life. “I have never in my life done anything like this before, but I realize that I cannot do this alone, and so I am asking all of my friends to please consider sending a donation, no matter how small, so that I can get the funds to the orphanage for this little boy to have surgery.” Amy sent the e-mail and held her breath—what happened now? The surgery was expected to cost between $5,000 to $7,000. She was just an Oklahoma soccer mom! Could she really raise that amount? She realized that, whatever happened, it would not
Shanghai. With the funds from Amy and her friends,
be by her own effort. One day when she was praying,
the orphanage flew Kang and two other orphans to
she felt God lay these three words on her heart: Every
Hangzhou so Dr. Mitchell could fix their hearts.
child counts.
Kang was the last surgery that Dr. Mitchell ~
~
~
~
performed. His surgery didn’t go as planned. Dr.
~
Mitchell had been told that Kang had a routine heart
Amy’s e-mail was shared countless times and
defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot, but it turned out
people from all over reached out to offer their help
that the case was more complex. Since the holes in
and support. Hundreds of letters of support poured
Kang’s heart weren’t where the scans had indicated,
in, and Amy ended up with enough funds for not just
Dr. Mitchell had to hold the boy’s heart to feel where
one heart surgery, but three. An adoptive mom from
he needed to repair it. This more intensive surgery was
Colorado—whose daughter was also from the same
successful but presented problems post-operation with
orphanage as Amy’s daughter and little Kang—had
the blood flow. Kang’s condition worsened: his kidneys
gotten Amy’s e-mail, and she put Amy in touch with a
began to shut down, and he entered into a coma. Amy sent an e-mail out to her friends asking for
pediatric heart surgeon in Denver. Dr. Max Mitchell was
prayers:
headed to China in a few weeks to do heart surgeries
“Could everyone please just lift this little child up?
on children. Amy quickly reached out to him, and he
He doesn’t have a mother or a father, but I know he
agreed to perform Kang’s heart surgery. Dr. Mitchell was performing his surgeries in a
has people all over the world rallying behind him and
hospital in Hangzhou, a city in northern China nearby
wishing him well. He has no idea how many people are
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