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SEPTEMBER 2020
PLAIN VALUES
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Cultivating Anchored Community MARLIN MILLER KEVIN BILLE SUE WENGERD PHIL BARKMAN MATT YODER AARON STUTZMAN
PUBLISHER GENERAL MANAGER SENIOR EDITOR COPY EDITOR ACCOUNT MANAGER ACCOUNT MANAGER // INDIANA
ISAAC HERSHBERGER
GRAPHIC ARTIST
SETH YODER
GRAPHIC ARTIST
LANDON TROYER
PHOTOGRAPHER
BETHANY TROYER
CUSTOMER SERVICE
JAN SCHLABACH
CUSTOMER SERVICE
ELAM STOLTZFUS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
FERREE HARDY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MERISSA A. ALINK
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JOHN UpCHURCH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MARCUS A. YODER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
TORRY MARTIN & DOUG PETERSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DR. TERESA HOXWORTH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
KAREN RABER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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I S S U E 87
CONT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
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Providing Health Care and Education to the Amish Community Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
PLAIN VALUES
REBUILDING: THE ROLE OF STORM AID AFTER HURRICANE MICHAEL // 11
GALLEY SLAVES AND MOVING // 37
On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated the coastal city of Panama City, Florida, and the surrounding towns. Volunteers are helping to rebuild.
While not a public execution, this was, in essence, a death sentence.
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 58
GOOD STUFF WITH KEVIN BILLE
This month, Kevin discusses the importance of resilience. // page 59
ON THE COVER
The winds of Hurricane Michael were fierce, strong enough to flip this house upside-down. 6
ENTS ACCEPTANCE
HOMEMADE MIXES
// 26
// 31
SEPTEMBER 2020
JOURNEY HOME
// 33
Sometimes I just have to accept that I can’t keep up with everything. It’s time to slow down...
Merissa shares two homemade pantry staples, along with recipes showcasing how to use them.
The Creator equipped numerous animals, large and small, with astonishing tools to find their way...
ON FIRE FOR GOD
PARASITES
SACRED GROUND
// 40
That’s when Rob finally looked into his side-view mirror and saw that the trailer had become a fireball.
// 45
Hopefully, this article will be a helpful reminder to everyone to keep up with cleaning...
// 49
God has placed within Griffin and Rachel a strong desire to bring kingdom relationship to those with disabilities.
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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SEPTEMBER 2020
MESSAGE from the
PUBLISHER words by: MARLIN MILLER
Do you ever stop to listen to yourself? My wife, Lisa,
7,000 in a day. Of course, people and situations are all
and I have found ourselves laughing after hearing what
different, and communication is so much more than
we just said. For example, the other evening at supper,
just the words we say. But the heart of the matter is that
I asked one of our kids to please stop shoving chicken
words are powerful tools for communication, and so
down the register, and telling them that we do not,
many of those thousands of words used each day are
under any circumstances, blow smoothies through the
often said without much thought. When I think back
straws onto the windows. Those are just a few samples
over my days, I am often disappointed at my own lack of
of what may be heard in our home at times.
speaking intentionally. I hope you join me in the search
Other times we hear ourselves saying phrases our
for more thoughtful and deeper conversation. As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //
parents and grandparents used often. Like, “Make hay while the sun shines,” or, “Don’t lollygag.” (What does this even mean?!?) Or when you lost something, and they meant to be helpful by asking, “Where did you leave it last?” The last one is comical because if you could answer that question, you wouldn’t have lost the item in the first place! One study shows that the average woman says about 20,000 words per day while the average man says
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reBUILDING The Role of Storm Aid After Hurricane Michael WOR D S BY: E LA M STO LTZ FU S
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
WIDOW'S PATH
HOMESTEAD + ROOTS
,,
FEATURE STORY
GOD OF WONDERS
MY
OUR HERITAGE
GREAT OUTDOORS
CANINE CORNER
SACRED GROUND
house is gone, yeah, gone. Everything collapsed. I can’t believe my eyes. I… lost everything.” — Tumi Phagan
On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated the coastal city of Panama City, Florida, and the surrounding towns. All residents of Bay County lost electricity following the storm, and three out of every four homes in Panama City suffered damage. Many people, like Tumi Phagan, saw their homes destroyed entirely. The storm, with upward of 160 mph gusts, uprooted three trees that all fell onto her house. Hurricane Michael made her homeless. After the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) moved a temporary trailer onto her property until she rebuilt the house. As an older single woman without insurance, Tumi was unsure of whom to turn to for help. “I tried to get help everywhere. When someone came out here, I ran to them and said, 'Please, please help me… I need help.’ ” For months following the storm, Tumi reached out to different agencies requesting help. She filled out form after form, and waited. People promised to help her, but months went by, and nothing happened.
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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “I've been in hurricanes ever since I've been in Panama City,” said Katie North. “This is where I have lived and never left at all. We stayed right here… it started blowing off at the top of the house, and it just was awful… The roof came off, you could see right through the attic out there. Then it blew through, it just took the whole roof and she took everything with it and it was scary… you could just hear everything just slam and bangin’. It was scary. It's just hard for me.” – Katie North Katie North sustained injuries during the storm and was airlifted to the nearby hospital in Destin. When she returned home after her hospital stay, she looked at the wreckage: her home was completely destroyed. Katie’s family has lived in Panama City for generations, and now her family home was gone. An older woman in her seventies, Katie wanted to rebuild a house on the property for future generations of the family, but she (above) KATIE NORTH'S HOME
did not have the money to do so.
(right)
TUMI PHAGAN'S HOME
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ In the months following the hurricane, many
Since Hurricane Michael affected such a large area,
different organizations came into the area to help
MDS placed volunteers all across the northwest Florida
with the rebuilding effort. The relief organization of
region. For Panama City and Bay County, MDS recruited
the United Methodist Church, the United Methodist
volunteers from Storm Aid to help with the rebuilding
Committee on Relief (UMCOR), played a vital role in
efforts, specifically the construction of new houses to
coordinating with other Christian relief organizations.
replace those that were destroyed.
One such organization was the Mennonite Disaster
In order to do work in Panama City, MDS/Storm Aid
Service (MDS), a volunteer network of Anabaptist
knew they needed an operations center. According to
churches that responds in Christian love to those
Dan Yoder, regional volunteer coordinator for MDS, “One
affected by disasters in Canada and the United States.
of the critical things was finding a place for MDS/Storm
Along with working to restore broken communities,
Aid to set up a base.” MDS volunteer Steve Campbell and
they also seek to restore lives by nurturing faith, hope,
Storm Aid volunteers Ivan Shirk, Eli Stoltzfus (Cherry
and wholeness.
Hill), and Nathan King checked out multiple sites, but
Storm Aid is a group of Old Order Amish and Old
nothing met the requirements they had for an ops
Order Mennonite volunteers from Lancaster County,
center. Then, someone told them they should check out
Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas. Among these
a place called Heritage House Ministries. Steve found
communities, there are many people skilled in the crafts
the location—ten miles north of downtown Panama
needed to build homes: carpenters, general contractors,
City, alongside Highway 231—and drove to the site.
roofers, drywall installers, and painters.
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“WORKING IN THESE PLACES MAKES YOU GRATEFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE BACK HOME. THIS IS MY SIXTH TIME WITH MDS/STORM AID.” ~
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JOHN S.
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SEPTEMBER 2020