Hope And Courage Across America Journal

Hello again all! After spending two beautiful weeks back in Washington while Justin was home on leave I am back on the Hope and Courage road once more. The past few days have been  spent enjoying all Indiana has to offer. Our first stop in Indiana was at the Yogi Bear RV Park where we were just in time to see everyone’s trailers outfitted with Christmas decorations for the camp-wide “Christmas in July” celebration. Other features of the camp include weekly “Care Bear” movie nights, family dances, the daily pledge of allegiance with Yogi Bear himself, and a very strict speed limit of 5 ½ mph. It is quite a circus out here to say the least. It was a lot of fun and the park even gave us a free night of lodging because they appreciated our mission. So now we can say Hope and Courage is proudly supported by Yogi Bear. Sweet.

From there, we made our way to Goshen, Indiana where this current blog is being typed. We have been blessed multiple times over while in this town. For one, we have connected with Vic and Marie Stoltzfus, whose ties to my family run back all the way to Ohio. Vic was the pastor at the Mennonite church in North Lima, Ohio where my dad first started attending Sunday School. Vic really took my dad’s dad under wing and provided him with a lot of resources and support to help him beat his alcoholism. He and Marie also allowed Aunt Jeanne to live with their family while she attended Goshen College. They have been a real blessing to our family for years and have continued to do so by opening up their hearts and home to us yet again.

Two days ago, we had a real treat (especially for Mom and Chanel) when the Stoltzfuses took us to visit some Amish friends on their farm. We only intended to pop in and say hello, but they took a liking to us and insisted we stick around for longer fellowship. We wound up chatting for three hours with Elma and Perry and their two youngest children, Rosemary (12) and Kenneth (10) on their beautifully manicured farm that has been owned and farmed by Perry’s family since the 1860s. We were able to tour their farm, garden, and home; get a ride on a horse and buggy; watch the children ride horses bareback; and Chanel was even given her very own Amish dress to keep. But the best part was the candid conversations we were able to share. We shared with them our mission of the ride while they answered our questions about Amish beliefs, values, and lifestyle. Essentially we determined that we are both after the same thing: doing what is best for our family while glorifying the kingdom of God. Talking with them and experiencing their lifestyle – even if just for a few warm evening hours – was such a welcomed get-a-way from the busy, distraction-filled world in which we typically run around.

One comment made by Perry really stood out to me; he said, “Sometimes I feel as though we – the Amish – contribute nothing to our country. We hear so much about problems and conflicts out there, but it’s as if we do nothing to help.” As much as I respect Perry, though, I completely disagree. They contribute more than they even realize. They teach us to put God and His will above all else. They give us a pure glimpse of what it means to be a family and how vital it is to maintain that. They show us it is okay to slow down. They remind us that the world does not revolve around cell-phone reception towers. They grow some of our finest produce. And every now and the, if you are fortunate enough, they may give you the impromptu three-hour vacation on their lawn that you did not even know you desperately needed. So the next time you pass through Amish country, do not just point out their bonnets and snap pictures of their buggies, shake a hand, make a friend, and learn something. They are not just tourist attractions; they are the calming eye of the storm that is America.

On that note I am going to sign off and dare you to take a cue from our old-fashioned neighbors and do something bold: check your email and weather updates one last time and then shut off your computer for the rest of the evening (and no that does not mean you should just rush to retrieve the internet from your cell phone). I then urge you to go one step further and think about that one person you have really been meaning to communicate with lately and invest your time in him or her. I guarantee you will feel more rewarded doing that than you will winning spider solitaire.

Cheers,

Nicole