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Cultivating Anchored Community MARLIN MILLER
PUBLISHER
KEVIN BILLE
GENERAL MANAGER
MATT YODER
ACCOUNT MANAGER // OHIO
AARON STUTZMAN ELAM STOLTZFUS
ACCOUNT MANAGER // INDIANA ACCOUNT MANAGER // PENNSYLVANIA
NIC STOLTZFUS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
JAN SCHLABACH
CUSTOMER SERVICE
BETHANY TROYER ISAAC HERSHBERGER
BOOKKEEPING // CUSTOMER SERVICE PRODUCTION MANAGER
SETH YODER
GRAPHIC ARTIST
LANDON TROYER
PHOTOGRAPHER
NIC STOLTZFUS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JOHN UpCHURCH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
FERREE HARDY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MERISSA A. ALINK
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MARCUS A. YODER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DAVID AND KARIN HOLDER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DR. TERESA HOXWORTH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DECEMBER AD SALES DEADLINE
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NOVEMBER 5, 2020
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ISSUE 89
CONT DUTCH CROSSWORD
// 22
It's that time again! Test your knowledge of old, forgotten dutch words with this month's crossword puzzle.
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BOTH HANDS: ONE FOR THE WIDOW, ONE FOR THE ORPHAN // 12
SPAGHETTI SAUCE FROM SCRATCH // 37
In 2019, Both Hands served over 120 widows and helped bring 130 children into their forever homes.
Merissa shares her favorite spaghetti sauce recipe with us this month.
PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE
Thoughts and ramblings from Marlin Miller, publisher of Plain Values. // page 9
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 humility. // page 51
ON THE COVER
One of the many children that Both Hands has helped bring into their forever homes. 6
ENTS MUSTAD HOOFCARE
// 24
JOURNEY HOME
// 29
NOVEMBER 2020
THE WRONG PARENT DIED // 33
The Mustad Hoofcare Group is the world’s largest manufacturer and seller of hoofcare products...
Getting to the right place–on the right day–isn’t a simple matter of flapping wings, swishing tails, or moving legs.
If you’re a widowed parent, you’ve probably had that thought. Often. Maybe you’ve even said it out loud.
RUSSIAN MENNONITES
FEAR
LITTLE PESTS
// 39
While not connected as closely to the history of the Amish, these people are a part of our Anabaptist community...
// 42
The beginning of a brand new set of outdoor stories from David and Karin Holder's book, Raised Hunting.
// 47
External parasites should be suspected and tested for if an animal is having skin problems.
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. // between pages 34 and 35
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MESSAGE from the
PUBLISHER words by: MARLIN MILLER
Have you ever tried to do something nice for
up: six boxes of fruit and french fries. Not one chicken
someone only to make a mistake that messes up
sandwich! I had assumed the chicken sandwiches were
everything you had planned?
in those boxes, never thinking for a second to double-
I recently went to a morning conference, and the
check. The kids were very disappointed, and my wife
organizers brought everyone Chick-fil-A for lunch. After
still had to prepare the main course for lunch. My best-
the event was over, I was chatting with a few folks
laid plans were derailed, and—needless to say—I felt
and they told me that there were some leftovers. One
like an idiot!
of the organizers suggested that I take the leftovers
I thought about what I had failed to do, and a line
home to my wife and children. I thought this was a
from one of the speakers that morning came to my
great opportunity to show my family what a thoughtful
mind: “will the fruit of my life show up in the branches of
husband and father I could be. I called my wife Lisa and
other people’s lives?” That morning I could emphatically
told her that I got Chick-fil-A for lunch for her and the
say yes! Chick-fil-A fruit ended up in other people’s lives!
whole family. As you can imagine, the kids were very
I had to smile at how his words connected to my actions.
excited, and were looking forward to chicken (which
What fruit from your life will end up in people’s
happens to be their favorite food, by the way!).
branches around you today? We may not always get
I said my goodbyes to the folks at the conference,
things right, but when you try to live a Godly life, the
grabbed six boxes off the table, and headed for the
fruit of our lives will be a benefit to those around us. As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //
truck. I saw the word “fruit” in a corner of one of the boxes, but I didn’t think much of it. However, a thought did cross my mind that the boxes were rather light for chicken sandwiches. I hurried home, looking forward to surprising my family with Chick-fil-A lunch. As I’m handing the second round of boxes to my wife, she looked over at me and asked, “Marlin, where is the chicken?” I replied, “It’s in the boxes, isn’t it?” Lisa opened up the boxes and showed me what I had picked
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Both Hands One for the widow, one for the orphan
had ten children and taking care of them was a big
words by: NIC STOLTZFUS
enough responsibility. The kids continued to beg their parents to
Religion that God our Father accepts as
reconsider. They placed photos of Kiara around the
pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans
house and signs that read “if not us, then who?”
and widows in their distress and to keep
After much deliberation and time spent in
oneself from being polluted by the world.
prayer, Tim and Dawn Haines agreed that they
JA M E S 1 : 2 7
would adopt Kiara. But the question was—how
Tim and Dawn’s children wanted their parents
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would things work out financially?
to adopt another child. Specifically, they wanted to
Tim and Dawn’s older children had recently
adopt Kiara, a little girl with down syndrome who
gone to a conference where they met a couple who
lived in an orphanage in Albania. Tim and Dawn
had adopted children from China; the couple had
Haines had ten children—five biological children,
received financial help from an organization called
five adopted children—and they had just adopted
“Both Hands.” They told their parents about it, and
their last child, Hudson, from China in 2015. Tim
Tim and Dawn looked into it. They liked what they
told his kids that adopting a child from Albania
read and decided to contact the organization to
was not an easy thing to do: you had to stay in the
seek help in adopting Kiara.
country for a period of time before adopting, and
Both Hands agreed to help with the adoption.
sometimes that process took months. He didn’t feel
This was their model: couples who want to adopt a
comfortable leaving his job for that long. Dawn was
child get together with their friends and family, and
also uncertain about adopting again—they already
they all send out letters of support asking people 12
FEATURE STORY
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
GOD OF WONDERS
WIDOW'S PATH
HOMESTEAD + ROOTS
OUR HERITAGE
GREAT OUTDOORS
CANINE CORNER
to sponsor them for a day they spend helping a
Meanwhile, Tim’s employer agreed to let him
widow. The funds they raise then goes towards the
work remotely for a period of time and had also
couple’s adoption fees.
given him a bonus. When he got home, he told the
The Haines family got to work. They showed a
family what happened. Tim said that between the
video about the Both Hands organization at church
funds from Both Hands and his bonus, the whole
one Sunday along with photos of Kiara. The family
family would be able to travel to Albania to adopt
and their friends then sent out letters asking for
Kiara. By living in Albania for seven weeks, the
financial support to adopt Kiara. Since they had
older children had the opportunity to visit the
never done anything quite like this before, they
orphanage. They saw firsthand that there wasn’t
were nervous about how it would all work out.
enough staff to tend to the orphans, and this
The family was amazed by the response:
experience led them to encourage Tim and Dawn to
strangers who had never met the family sent them
adopt more children who needed a family.
checks for hundreds of dollars for Kiara’s adoption.
In 2017, the Haines family decided to adopt
By the time it was all said and done with, the family
another child, Sophie from China. Working with
had raised over sixteen thousand dollars that went
Both Hands was such a positive experience that
towards Kiara’s adoption.
they decided to do it again. This time, they helped
The widow that the Haines family and their
a young widow named Miss Lucinda who lived
friends agreed to help was Miss Mary Alice, who
in New Holland, Pennsylvania, with some tree
lived in Reading, Pennsylvania. The volunteers deep
trimming and house repairs.
cleaned her windows, power washed the house
In 2019, the family was led to adopt little
down, and painted her porch and porch swing.
Valentina from Bulgaria. For this Both Hands 13
NOVEMBER 2020
project, they helped Miss Susan, who lived right up the road from the Haines family in Honey Brook, with painting and mending fences. Even after the Both Hands projects were finished, the Haines family, their church, and their friends have remained connected with the widows. Today, Tim and Dawn Haines have thirteen children—eight adopted and five biological— ranging from four to twenty-six, and their oldest daughter is married. In reflecting upon their journey, Dawn said, “Our journey has been very different. We never set out to have thirteen kids. We never set out to have eight adoptions. It’s been a journey and God’s faithfulness has been written all over it.” For the family’s last three adoptions, they were grateful for the support that Both Hands provided. Through Both Hands, the Haines family raised over $67,323 for the adoptions. When they adopted one of their sons from China, they had a benefit auction, which was a good experience, but Dawn said that there was something special about (above) THE HAINES FAMILY
the Both Hands experience.
(right)
“When you're serving somewhere there's some
KIARA, VALENTINA, AND SOPHIE
camaraderie that comes with this. You’re coming alongside cleaning and serving and seeing all the different ages. I think that's one of my favorite parts of seeing everyone out there; there is nobody there that’s
included, but instead with a sticky note scribbled with
too young to help.”
this message: “JT if you told me you were working on ~
~
~
~
a widow's house I might sponsor you but you're just
~
golfing. Nice cause, but not my money.” The note was pointed and it stung a bit, but the
In 2019, Both Hands served over 120 widows and
idea stuck in JT’s head—what if he did a fundraiser to
helped bring 130 children into their forever homes. The
help widows? Would it be more effective than a golf
average family project raised over fourteen thousand
tournament or a 5K run?
dollars, with a total dollar amount raised in 2019 being a
JT would have the chance to test the idea three
little over 1.5 million dollars.
years later. After church one Sunday, one of his friends,
The organization was founded in 2008 by JT Olson.
Don, approached him. Don told JT that he was adopting
Over the past decade, the organization has grown
four children from Moldova. This came as a shock to
substantially, but it all started back in 2003 with just one
JT—Don already had three children of his own and now
little note.
he was going to add four more?! He asked Don what
At the time, JT Olson was heading up a charity
happened that he decided to adopt four children. Don
golf tournament to raise funds for Bethany Christian
told JT that he had gone to Moldova on a mission trip
Services. When he sent a letter to his friend asking for
delivering beds to orphanages and a little boy named
money, his friend sent him the letter back, no money
George captured his heart, and they were inseparable
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