Fifty-eight Years

   Today we are celebrating 58 years of marriage. When I look at our wedding picture I see a blissfully ignorant 19-year-old bride who didn't know as much as she thought she did. Thankfully, the groom was 23 and had a little more sense than the bride.

   I also see a bride who sweated her way through a hot summer day with no AC in a long-sleeved dress made of lace over taffeta that did not breathe. In those days, skirts were knee length. Floor-length wedding dresses were considered worldly and forbidden. I made my dress about mid-calf which was about as long as I dared. I'm glad I did that because now it would be embarrassing to have a skirt on my wedding picture as short as I normally wore them. Underneath the skirt was a half slip made of stiff netting to make the skirt stand out. That fashion was going out of style but a wedding dress still needed a stiff slip. Today, women in our church wear long skirts every day with the approval of the church, and I appreciate the modesty.

   Flowers were also not allowed in weddings in the 1960s. Brides usually carried a Bible with a normal black cover or a lacy hankie. I wanted a white Bible but that was considered extravagant since it would only be used for the wedding. I got permission from the bishop to cover my Bible with the same fabric as my dress and have two white ribbons trailing from it. There were red roses and ivy scattered on the tables at the reception. After the meal I picked up a bouquet which I carried the rest of the day.

   We left that evening for the West Coast and traveled as far as Chambersburg before we got a motel. The next morning we attended the service at the Chambersburg Mennonite Church where one of my friends was a member. Our route the next couple weeks took us south to Mississippi, Texas, just across the border into Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, and then east through the Midwest. We came home to settle into a rented house while we built a new house. We moved into the new house with our first child in the fifteenth month of our marriage and still live there.

   

   Many things have changed in 58 years. Life itself is a series of changes. One thing that has not changed is our commitment to each other. We went into it fully intending to stay the course. There have been ups and downs, but that is to be expected. The longer it goes the more I treasure each day. I know our time on earth is running out and I am very grateful God has granted us 58 years together.

Canassatego's Arrows

This is shared from a website called Uncharted Lancaster. I learned something from it. When you reach the end, get out a $1 bill and look at it.

From Lancaster to the Constitution: How a 1744 Native American Speech Shaped a Nation

In the sweltering summer of 1744, the streets of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, were alive with unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells. Hundreds of Native Americans from the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy had traveled by foot and canoe to this bustling colonial town to participate in what would become one of the most significant diplomatic gatherings in early American history. Known today as the Treaty of Lancaster (1744), the two-week conference not only reshaped colonial land claims but planted the seeds of American democracy through the powerful words of an Iroquois leader: Canassatego.

Setting the Stage

At the time, the Iroquois Confederacy was a formidable political and military force, stretching across what is now New York and parts of Pennsylvania. With tensions rising between British colonies and French forces in the Ohio Valley, the colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia saw an opportunity: secure Iroquois neutrality—or better yet, alliance—while also acquiring Native land.

The setting for the negotiations was Lancaster’s original courthouse, located in the heart of town where today the Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands in Penn Square. From June 22 to July 4, colonial commissioners and Iroquois leaders gathered daily inside the courthouse to talk, debate, and drink—a lot. Conrad Weiser, Pennsylvania’s trusted interpreter, served as the go-between, translating long speeches delivered in rich metaphor and oral tradition. Each speech concluded with the dramatic presentation of wampum belts, thunderous applause, and hearty cries of “Yo-hah!” from the Iroquois.Negotiations between colonist leaders and the Six Nations

Outside the courthouse, Lancaster was transformed. Hundreds of wigwams sprang up on the edge of town, their fires sending up steady plumes of smoke scented with bear grease and venison stew. Native families mingled with the 1,500 residents of Lancaster, shopping in the market, inspecting colonial goods, and prompting mutual curiosity. Townspeople hung out of windows to catch a glimpse of the painted delegates. Many were shocked to see the visitors eating with their hands.

The Goals of the Treaty

Colonial leaders had two key objectives: first, to extinguish Iroquois land claims in Maryland and Virginia to clear the way for westward expansion; and second, to ensure the Iroquois would remain neutral, or even supportive, in the looming conflict with France. In return, the Iroquois received gunpowder, blankets, metal tools, trade goods, and a generous supply of rum. By the end of the conference, land claims were signed away, alliances were confirmed, and symbolic gifts were exchanged: a scarlet coat for Chief Canassatego from the Virginians and a bold-laced hat for Chief Gachadow from the Maryland delegation.

But the most enduring gift of the Treaty of Lancaster came not in the form of rum or rifles. It came in the form of a speech.

Canassatego: The Smartest Man in the Room

The clear voice of reason during the negotiations belonged to Canassatego, an Onondaga chief and a leading spokesman for the Iroquois Confederacy. Described as tall and powerfully built, with a full chest, brawny arms, a good-natured smile, and an electrifying presence, Canassatego commanded attention every time he spoke.Canassatego speaks to the assembly.

Born in the late 1600s or early 1700s, Canassatego rose to prominence as a diplomat during a turbulent period in the relations between the Iroquois and the colonists. By 1744, he had already participated in several key negotiations and had proven himself a savvy leader who understood both Native and European politics. Though he could not read or write, his command of logic, metaphor, and oratory made him one of the most influential Indigenous leaders of the 18th century. His final speech at the Treaty of Lancaster would become legendary.

 A Bundle of Arrows and a Lesson in Unity

On the final day of the conference, Canassatego rose before a packed room of colonial officials and Native delegates. In his booming voice, he urged the colonies to consider the Iroquois model of government: a confederacy bound together by shared purpose, mutual respect, and coordinated action.

“We heartily recommend union and a good agreement between you, our brethren,” he said. “Never disagree, but preserve a strict friendship for one another and thereby, you, as well as we, will become the stronger.”

Then, in a striking moment of symbolism, he reached into his quiver. He pulled out a single arrow and broke it easily across his knee. Then he pulled out six arrows—one for each of the Iroquois nations—and bound them together. This time, no matter how hard he tried, he could not break them. The message was clear: united, the colonies would be unbreakable.Canassatego holding six arrows representing the Six Nations.

Canassatego concluded with the wisdom of his ancestors: “Our wise forefathers established union and amity between the Five Nations. This has made us formidable. This has given us great weight and authority with our neighboring nations. We are a powerful confederacy, and by your observing the same methods… you will acquire fresh strength and power.”

Franklin, the Founders, and the Constitution

Canassatego’s words did not disappear into the summer air. They were recorded, published, and widely circulated in colonial newspapers, most notably by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, who had long admired the Iroquois League’s political system, was deeply inspired by the speech. Ten years later, at the Albany Congress in 1754, he would reference Canassatego’s advice in his push for colonial unity.

Some historians now recognize Canassatego’s speech as a foundational moment in American political thought. His call for unity influenced not only Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union but also—decades later—the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution itself.

Though Canassatego was assassinated in 1750 by pro-French Native factions, his vision outlived him. Today, his speech is considered one of the earliest Indigenous contributions to the philosophy of American governance.

A Legacy in the Great Seal

The influence of Canassatego and the Iroquois model of confederacy is not just a historical footnote—it’s woven into the very fabric of American symbolism. On the back of every one-dollar bill, in the left talon of the eagle, you’ll find a bundle of 13 arrows. It’s a direct echo of Canassatego’s bundle of six: strength through unity.

This iconography, part of the Great Seal of the United States, was designed to represent the 13 original colonies standing together. It is a powerful visual legacy of the advice delivered in a Lancaster courthouse nearly 300 years ago.

Canassatego and the Great Seal of the United States.

Epilogue: Two Weeks That Changed a Nation

When the Treaty of Lancaster finally concluded, the Native families packed up their wigwams, loaded their horses and dogs, and departed the town. The smell of bear grease slowly faded. But something profound had taken root in the minds of the colonists, especially in men like Franklin.

The treaty may have settled land disputes and secured short-term alliances, but its true significance lies in the philosophical bridge it built between two worlds. Canassatego’s counsel didn’t just help shape a confederacy of Native nations. It helped shape the birth of a new one.

Father's Day 2025

    Father's Day this year was very special. First of all, we were glad Leroy survived his open heart surgery and is healing rapidly. Second, with a daughter living out of state it is nigh impossible for all our children to be with their dad on Father's Day. As far as I can recall that has not happened since 1991 when she got married. But this year our annual family cabin weekend happened to fall on Father's Day.

    The cabin we had been going to for many years was sold so this year we tried a different cabin. It was a rainy weekend so the children couldn't be outside much but everyone seemed to be enjoying the weekend.

   On Saturday morning we discovered that without preplanning most of the younger grandchildren were wearing yellow. One of the two girls in pink and the smallest boy with a yellow shirt are great-grandchildren. The 1-year old held by his sister are grandchildren. 

   We filled two tables at meal time.

   There were crafts for the small fry,

   games for the older ones,

   a puzzle for the adults

  and relaxation for young and old.

  Everyone attended the church of their choice Sunday morning and regrouped at the cabin for lunch. With Father's Day in mind, our daughter provided some of Leroy's favorite foods---shrimp and a cherry cheese pie. We froze the historic moment of father and children all together on Father's Day. (Two deceased children will always be missing.)

 Before anyone left we preserved another moment of all of us with the 1967 Chevelle we drove for many years. They lined up by age behind the car. The oldest was 15 when the youngest was born. We had that car crammed full with six children for one year until the oldest could drive. That would not be possible today but car seats were not required in 1983 when the youngest was born. 

   The weekend passed by much too fast but the memories will keep us smiling.

Gold or Yellow?

    Yesterday I was sitting in a waiting room while my husband got an x-ray. Sitting beside me was a black lady who was doing the same thing. She was on her phone a minute or two and then turned and apologized for not saying hello immediately. She said in the country she came from you always say hello to people you meet.

    She spoke English with an accent so I asked what country she came from. She said they were from Kenya and had been in the US a long time but now were going back to do "charity work." From then on, the rest of the things she said were about how they want to tell everyone about Jesus and what He has done for them. She knew her Bible well and quoted Scriptures freely, saying people are too materialistic and that is not what life is about. I agreed with everything she said. She put me to shame. When have I ever had a conversation with a stranger that was all about Jesus and spreading the Good News?

    The early Anabaptists in Switzerland were passionate about evangelism and spread their faith everywhere they went. They were not fazed by the high cost. If a man was ordained he could expect to be executed in about six months. As persecution drove them to more tolerate areas of Germany and France, they accepted the terms of not proselytizing and kept to themselves. When our ancestors came to America, they continued the isolation from society and became known as "the quiet in the land."

     Sad to say, too many of us are still quiet. We don't see meeting a stranger as an opportunity to share our faith. And I  am as guilty as anyone. I never asked the lady what her name is but her enthusiasm for sharing her faith will stick with me. Silence is not always golden, sometimes it's plain yellow.

The Prayer of Faith

    Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, human life has been a terminal condition. We know that no one lives forever but it is easy to ignore the fact, especially when we are young. As the years roll along and we age, we think about it once in awhile that our time on earth is rushing by. But life continues as usual and we go along without dwelling on the possibility that we are living our last days. Of course, there could be an accident or something that brings life to an abrupt halt but there are no dark clouds looming on the horizon. We had some things in order in case something happened but saw no dangers of life ending any time soon.

    That's how we were living until Easter this year. When Leroy admitted he was having some chest pains, he saw his cardiologist who ordered a cauterization. He had three stents put in three years ago and we thought he probably needs more stents. The cauterization showed stents would not help and he needed open heart bypass surgery. With the condition of his clogged arteries, he was in danger of having a heart attack at any time. Suddenly we were staring the possibility of death without a moment's notice. What would I do if I was left alone?

    Leroy was scheduled for surgery on May 21. We prepared with an anointing service on May 18. It was a solemn service as all the ministry laid hands on him and prayed for healing and peace of mind. I had peace of mind as well and felt confident he would survive.

   Surgery had to be postponed two days due to a tangle with the insurance. We left for the hospital at 6 a.m. on Friday, May 23. Our son and another son's wife sat with me in the waiting room until the surgery was completed. Leroy was taken directly from the OR to the ICU where he was for two days. He doesn't remember much of those days.

    He spent four more days in a private room and came home on May 28. Then we tackled the hard part of doing therapy to get him going again. He cooperated and responded well. Our children took turns being with us,. The first two days someone was here around the clock. Then we were alone at night and soon I was able to help him and take him on walks myself. 

   Twelve days after surgery, he was back to making his own breakfast and able to walk one-third of a mile. His rapid recovery exceeded our expectations. He has not regained his full strength but the visiting nurse who comes to the house said she was amazed how well he is doing in such a short time. The physical therapist came, did an evaluation, said you don't need me, and discharged him. In a few more weeks he should be back to normal.

    Leroy had a good doctor and nurses. He did his therapy faithfully. But the credit for his rapid healing goes to God and is an answer to prayer. To God be the glory!

   "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick." James 5:14-15a

A Life Well Lived

  My sister is retiring from forty years of teaching English at Terre Hill Mennonite High School. A life well lived and fulfilling career. The school honored her years of service with a retirement party on March 30. 

  The yearbook committee dedicated the 2025 yearbook to Dr. Burkholder. They also videoed this interview with her as her final year of teaching comes to a close. To  see the video, copy and paste the link to  your browser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jkvVfKLQHI

It Came to Pass

 

   Fifty-six years ago we bought a 1.3 acre plot of ground from my uncle and built a house. We moved into it in the fall of 1968. The following spring we planted grass around the house and started a garden behind the lawn. Our family grew and the garden wasn't large enough to grow all the food I needed to can and freeze to feed them. 

   I don't remember which year it was when we doubled the size of the garden. It then stretched the entire length of our land and was the width of the space between the trees on the picture below. It was about four-tenth of an acre. Our neighbor plowed and disced it for us every spring with his tractor.

Looking from top to bottom (above) and bottom to top (below)

    A garden that size was a lot of work, but it takes a lot of food to grow five boys and a girl. They all helped with the work of growing and preserving the food. We had a strawberry patch and planted all sorts of vegetables. At the peak of our gardening, it was taking six cups of corn for one meal. The garden was not big enough to grow enough corn, so the corn for freezing came from Grandpa's farm. 

    After some of our children married we cut the garden in half and planted grass in the top half. As the size of the family decreased, so did the garden. We cut the width in half sometime later.  I don't have pictures of every decrease until 2009 when we cut it in half again.

   Leroy worked up  the ground with a tiller behind the garden tractor and we planted grass in the top half.

   The garden now was mostly for fresh eating. We planted peas, lettuce, onions, and cabbage in April. Then in May we planted potatoes, corn, green beans, and tomatoes. I also planted a row of Cana tubers along the right edge.

   We cut the width of the garden in half again when we were empty nesters. After a disastrous garden season in 2024, we decided the time had come to give up gardening. There are so many produce farmers in the area we can easily get fresh produce without the work of gardening. Leroy said, "It will mow easier than it will hoe."

    Yesterday our youngest son came and planted grass in the small remanent of what had once been a huge garden. The garden had been doubled once and reduced four times. The fifth time it was reduced to zero. It came to be and passed into history. But oh the memories we made in that garden!

  

The Same God

   Yesterday I read the story of Gideon in Judges 6. God called him to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. He hesitated and asked God for a sign. First he asked that a fleece he laid out would be wet with dew in the morning and the grass dry. When that happened, he still hesitated and asked for the opposite---that the fleece would be dry and the grass wet. As I read the story I was reminded of something that happened ten years ago.

   Stephen Burkholder was serving with a mission in Nepal. On April 25, 2015, there was a 7.8 earthquake with the center about 53 miles northwest of the capital city of Kathmandu. Aftershocks continued for several days. Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese were homeless with entire villages flattened. Tents were suddenly the hottest item on the market and sold out quickly. Stephen found a place in India to get tarps and was involved in their distribution. 

   One day he was sitting beside a little country road with a pile of tarps waiting for a truck. One of the men helping with the work called and said there was a hailstorm where he was and it was heading Stephen’s way. He could see it coming and there was absolutely no place to go for protection. He prayed, “Lord, I’m here on your business and I’d really rather not get wet and pounded by hail.” He sat there watching the storm coming and eventually it was lightning and hailing all around him. He didn't have a fleece, but the spot where he was sitting stayed dry.

    Our God is still the same God! He still does the same miracles if we ask.

As Goes the Home

    In the 1960s the ladies in our congregation attended the Associated Sewing Circle meetings held semi-annually. Women from the Lancaster Conference churches in the surrounding counties met in Lancaster County for these meetings. We would hear what was being done in the sewing circles and what the needs were in home and foreign missions. Inspirational talks and reports from various missions were given. I remember looking forward to these meetings because my pen pal from Adams County was usually there. I don't remember when the organization dissolved but I do know attendance declined until it wasn't worth having the meetings anymore.

    After I was married, I attended the Homebuilders meetings, also under the Lancaster Conference. The purpose of  Homebuilders was to encourage women in their careers as wives and mothers. I attended these inspirational meetings until we left Lancaster Conference for a more conservative group. 

    During the time I did volunteer work at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, I was given the job of making a chart of all the organizations for women from 1975 to 1999. There were groups for Literature, Nursing,  Jr. Girls Activities, and others. The Jr. Girls Activities was consistent all the way through but other groups changed over the years. Some died out and new ones were started.

   It was interesting to see the year Homebuilders was dropped it was replaced with Business and Professional Women. It was soon followed by Credentialed Women and then Women in Leadership. The reason the Associated Sewing Circle and Homebuilders were dropped is rather obvious. Women went to work and were not homemakers or sewing anymore. They were too busy building careers to attend meetings for things that did not have priority in their lives.

     The world considers women working as normal and being a homemaker is an unfulfilled life. I beg to differ! Being a homemaker is the most fulfilling career a woman can have. God designed women to be nurturers and men to be leaders and protectors of women. Many of the problems in marriages today are caused by women who have stepped out of their place in God's order. Women who try to work full time and raise a family find the load is too heavy and they are spread too thin. A woman's place is in the home. A mother who puts her child in day care misses so much of their formative years that pass so quickly.

      I am thankful my daughter and all my daughters-in-law chose to be stay at home mothers. This does not mean they cannot do anything except cook and clean. There are many things women can do at home to earn a little money or help others, but the children need to know that Mom will be there to send them off to school and there when they come home. They will eat a home cooked meal and eat at the table as a family. They will read the Bible and pray together. Building a good home is a lot of work and cannot be done as a side job. 

     Look at the church today. Has replacing Homebuilders with Business and Professional Women improved our families, churches, or the world in which live?  "As goes the home, so goes the church, and so goes the nation."

Time of Renewal

     We are a week away from the first day of spring, but this week feels like spring is here. The snowdrops and crocus are in full bloom. Geese are flying north and a few robins already showed up. This week I used the wash line for the first time this year and we also saw 70 degrees for the first time. The farmers around us are busy spraying and hauling manure. Planting season is just around the corner.
  Spring is my favorite season. It is a time of revival, renewal, and promise. I am always amazed how quickly things turn green with a few days of sunshine and rain. Spring is known to throw us a few curves and dump some snow. But if that happens, we know it won't last long.

 Spring is invigorating and especially so this year. We have gone through one issue after another this winter, beginning with a trip to Boston for a wedding in November. Then I had hip replacement surgery a week before Thanksgiving. That was followed by weeks of therapy to build up the strength in that leg. I had a cold that dragged on for a month and later a sinus infection that lasted three weeks. Leroy's 101 year-old mother died in January which required a funeral and disposing of her things. That was barely over when our son was in the lot for minister. The week of suspense ended with one of the other nominees being ordained. After that, things finally started to settle down into a dull roar the middle of  February.

    We never know what a day will bring forth, but spring gives me hope and an energy boost. The puzzles are back in the box and the crochet hook is put away. The scrub bucket and window cleaner came out this week. I am fully recovered from my hip surgery and feel better than I have for years. This week I revived my habit of a daily walk I gave up four years ago. It is such a blessing to walk a mile without pain.  I'm looking forward to working outside again without an aching leg.

   And finally this weekend we can make the trip to Ohio to see our newest great-grandchild who was born the end of October. God is good and I am thankful we survived another winter with only speed bumps and no traumatic life-changing events.

The Peace Oak

     During the last half of the 1600s, many Mennonites left Switzerland to escape persecution and went to France. The king of France knew they were good farmers and wanted them to come and restore the land that had been ruined in the Thirty Years War.
    Wherever they settled in the Alsace-Lorraine area, the Mennonites met in one of their homes for Sunday worship services. In the late 1600s, when Jacob Amman was their bishop, they adopted more strict rules and separated from the Mennonites. Their neighbors called them heftler (stapler) because their clothes fastened with hooks instead of buttons. Eventually, the Amman group was called Amish.
   The Amish were not allowed to buy land but they rented farms and worked hard. After a few years, the ruined land grew good crops. They had nicer farms and made more money than their neighbors. They were jealous and complained to the king. He forced many of the Amish to move to other places in France. In 1708, a few of these families went to Salm in the Vosges Mountain area where they lived in relative peace and prospered.

    The peace on the secluded Amish farms was a stark contrast to the turmoil of the French Revolution that began in 1789. After the king was executed in January 1793, the National Convention struggled to bring the outlying principalities such as Salm into the new Republic of France and recruit enough men for the military. In March, Philip Charles Aime Goupilleau of Montaigu and two other men were sent to Semones (the capital of the principality of Salm) to bring it into the Republic of France and have people swear allegiance to it. While there, Goupilleau met an Amish man from Framont. He invited Goupilleau to visit them, which he did. During this visit they gave him a copy of the Dordrecht Confession and recommended he visit their bishop, Jacob Kuperschmidt, in Salm. Goupilleau kept a diary of his travels and described his encounters with the Amish. 

    In April Philip Goupilleau, George Couthan, and Michel visited Jacob Kuperschmidt. Michel seems to have been an assistant for Couthan who was crippled. Goupilleau and Couthan were supporters of Maximillen Robespierre, the ruthless leader of the Jacobian party who sent wagon loads of people to the guillotine for suspicion of disloyalty to the Revolution. Refusing to swear the oath of allegiance or serve in the military was evidence of disloyalty. How would these officials respond to the Amish who refused to do both?

    Goupilleau's diary reports that they were impressed with the well-kept farms of the Amish. At their request, some of the Amish men led them up the mountain to see the ruins of the castle of the Prince of Salm which was slated to be torn down. Jacob Kuperschmidt then explained their beliefs on swearing an oath and defenselessness (nonresistance) and invited the visitors to join them for dinner. At the end of the meal it was the family's custom to sing a hymn. Goupilleau wrote that they sang the third hymn in the Ausbund and it sounded like a chant from hundreds of years ago. 

    According to the legend, at the end of the meal Goupilleau said with tears in his eyes, "You take care of the farming and we will take care of the fighting." That is where the often-told story ends but it was not the end of the story. Goupilleau's diary does not include that sentence. He does say he thought these humble hospitable people were some of the most upright and sincere he had ever met. And he said it was almost with tears he said goodbye and wished he had been born among these good citizens. Jacob exchanged addresses with Goupilleau and promised to keep in touch. Some of the Amish men accompanied the visitors to Framont where they would spend the night.

    Back in Paris, Goupilleau and Couthan gave the Committee of Public Safety a glowing report of their visit with the Amish and recommended they be allowed to serve in peaceful ways or pay an exemption tax. In August, Jacob Kuperschmidt and his son-in-law, Christian Gerber, went to Paris to personally present a written petition to the Committee of Public Safety. Goupilleau was out of town but Couthan was there. The committee read the petition and after lengthy discussion signed a recommendation that the Anabaptists be allowed to serve in peaceful ways or pay an exemption tax. The recommendation was signed by the blood-thirsty Maximillen Robespierre, George Couthan, and four other committee members. 

     Although it was only a recommendation and did not have the teeth of the law, the jubilant Amish and Mennonites considered it a law. According to the legend, Jacob Kuperschmidt planted an oak tree as a memorial of the great answer to prayer. Anabaptist tour groups go to see the huge old tree every year. The printed recommendation was treasured and safely stored in Jacob Kuperschmidt's house until it was yellowed with age. In 1857, Nicholas Augsburger (who was then the Amish bishop and a son-in-law of Christian Gerber) showed the paper to Alfred Michiels who wrote a book about his visit with them.

    It's a great story, but unfortunately it was not the end of the Anabaptist's struggle to maintain their peaceful beliefs. The recommendation proved to be only a temporary relief. As it was only a recommendation, some local officials did not feel bound by it. Those who resented the Anabaptists ignored it and some young men were forced into the military against their wishes,

    The turmoil of the Revolution continued with Robespierre and Couthan being executed in 1794. It finally ended when Napoleon Bonaparte assumed power in 1799. In 1803, he revoked exemption from military service. An appeal for exemption was denied and the Amish began moving to Germany, Bavaria, and Prussia. Another appeal presented in 1809 was also fruitless. In 1829, Christian Gerber, Joseph Hirschy, Christian Engel, and John Hirschy of Salm petitioned the Minister of the Interior for exemption without success. 

    The Amish and Mennonites who remained in Alsace, Lorraine, and Montbeliard realized they would not be able to escape military service and many of them immigrated to America. Christian Gerber's daughter Barbara and her husband, Johannes Gingrich, immigrated in 1840 and settled in Metamora, Illinois. More than 3,000 Amish crossed the ocean to settle in the United States and Canada in the first half of the nineteenth century. The last Amish congregation in Europe was located at Ixheim, Germany, about five miles north of the border of Lorraine. They merged with a local Mennonite congregation in 1937.

   When James Hershberger visited the 200-year old Peace Oak in Salm, he thought it was a great story and picked up some of the acorns that had fallen from the tree. He became the "Johnny Appleseed" of the Peace Oak and planted oak trees multiple places in Virginia and Ohio.

   And that's the whole story of the Peace Oak.

Sycamine Tree

   Yesterday I learned something in the Sunday school lesson from Luke 17:5-19. Verse 6 mentions a sycamine tree. In Luke 19, Zaccheaus climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passed by. When I read that, I always pictured a North American sycamore tree with white peeling bark. Wrong! The sycamore in Israel was a fig tree. There were two kinds of fig trees, the sycamore fig and the mulberry fig. The mulberry fig was sweet and good to eat but the sycamore fig was bitter. 

   In the first four verses of Luke 17, Jesus told his disciples that if someone asked for forgiveness seven times in a day, they should forgive. The disciples said they needed more faith to do that. Then Jesus said, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." Jesus was saying a small amount of faith can do great things, even the ability to forgive the same person seven times in one day. 

   Why did Jesus use a sycamore tree for this illustration? 

   The sycamore grows wild everywhere. It is a tall tree with deep roots. It is difficult to get rid of. If you cut it off, the root will send up a new shoot. The fruit is bitter. It can only be eaten in small bites. The wood was preferred for coffins. 

   The sycamore is like unforgiveness. Anger, bitterness, and grudges (unforgiveness) grow naturally in every human being around the world. The root of bitterness goes down deep and is difficult to remove permanently. Unforgiveness produces a bitter fruit. If harbored and chewed on a bite at a time, it can poison your life and even make you physically sick. Jesus said if you can't forgive others, neither will God forgive you. So the fruit of unforgiveness is death.

   Unforgiveness is hard to get rid of but it can be rooted out by faith in Christ who overcame death. As we follow Him and live by the principles He taught, we can forgive like God forgives. Ezekiel 18:21-22 says, "If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live." God forgives and forgets, never mentions the sin again. The fruit of forgiveness is life.

   Although North American sycamores do not produce figs, they will always remind me of the high cost of unforgiveness.

Sycamore in Israel

Fire of God

    You may have figured this out long ago but I recently became aware how often God showed Himself as fire. The first one is in Genesis 15 when God appeared as a burning lamp while making a covenant with Abraham. Fire from heaven was used as judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah. 

    Jump ahead to Moses and God speaking to him from a burning bush. The children of Israel were assured God was with them by a pillar of fire every night. Fire from heaven was used several times to punish the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness. 

    When Elijah prayed on Mount Carmel, fire from heaven consumed the altar and licked up the dust to prove God was the one true God. A chariot and horses of fire took Elijah to heaven. Elisha was surrounded by horses and chariots of fire. Fire from heaven fell on the altar at the dedication of Solomon's temple.

     Jesus told His disciples they would be baptized with fire. On the day of Pentecost, tongues of fire sat on each of the believers. The fire was confirmation it was an act of God and His presence was not just with them but in them.

     Deuteronomy 4:24 says "The Lord they God is a consuming fire." That is repeated in Hebrews 12:29, "For our God is a consuming fire."

Remembering Mom

   We had our family dinner on Christmas Day. Our children and spouses took time out to go visit Grandma Stauffer. She was sitting in her chair as usual and they had a nice visit with her. No one guessed how near she was to the end of her life. From that point on things went rapidly downhill.

    On January 2 the Home where she lived put Mom in a hospital bed. She was very weak and not eating or drinking more than a few sips or bites. She grew too weak to speak clearly but once in awhile we could understand a few words or a sentence. From January 5 -10 we went to the Home and sat with her (and whoever of Leroy's sisters were there) all afternoon. 

   On January 8 Mom had what they call rallying. She was awake most of the day and talking clearly a lot. I sat on a chair beside her bed. When she heard my voice she looked at me and said, "Romaine, it's good to see you again." That was the last thing I remember her saying to me personally. Her mind was clear. When the nurse told her it was snowing she said, "Oh schmatza!" She had told us repeatedly she wanted to go before it is icy cold. She didn't want us to be cold at her burial.

   The next day was a different story. She only said a few mumbled words and slept most of the day. The day after that she was totally unresponsive. At 3:10 a.m. January 11, she left us for her eternal Home. She lived on earth 101 years 4 months and 10 days. She outlived all of her immediate family.

   A viewing was held on January 15 at our church where she was also a member. Her ten children were all there.

   One of the many quilts she made and other things she used or liked were on the memory table.

    She wanted to be buried in white. A pink quilt she made was used as a cover.

   One of her grandsons led the singing and another delivered a powerful message to the living. Six more grandsons served at pall bearers. Our church is in town and has no cemetery so the burial was at the Mennonite church on the other side of town. It was snowing when the service ended. We were very thankful arrangements had been made for a tent that was large enough for everyone to be inside.

   A mother-in-law is never exactly the same as your own mother, but mine came pretty close to it. I'm sure I did some things she would have done differently but she never said an unkind or critical word to me. She lived a consistent Christian life and had a great concern for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When she was in her nineties she said with tears to some of her grandchildren, "Walk with the Lord, children. It's a dangerous world out there." Her life was an example to all of us, showing us how to live and endure faithfully to the end.

Photo on her 101st birthday

Sarah S. Stauffer, 101, left time for eternity with her Lord on January 11, 2025, at the Richland Christian Home, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Born September 1, 1923, in Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Amos R. and Amanda (Shaub) Wenger. She was the last of her immediate family.

Sarah was the widow of Phares B. Stauffer who died July 12, 2004. They shared 61 years of marriage. She was a member of the Fairhaven Mennonite Church in Myerstown since its founding in 1973.

She was a dedicated dairy farmer’s wife and mother of their ten children. She enjoyed quilting and gave many quilts to her children and grandchildren. The greatest legacy for her descendants was her example and consistent faith in God.  She was active in the Sewing Circle at the church and in her later years volunteered at Jubilee Ministries. The story of her early life was written in the book A Home for Sarah.

She is survived by her children: Leroy (husband of Romaine), Bernville; Kathryn, West Willow; Edwin, (widower of Carol), East Earl; Sallie Martin (widow of Luke Martin), Greencastle; Irene, Myerstown; Jane Martin (wife of Clifford), Ephrata; Rose Boll (wife of Randy), Manheim; Bonnie Hurst (wife of John), Newmanstown; Nelson (husband of Teresa), Elverson; and Gloria Hurst (wife of Paul), Myerstown. She is also survived by 26 grandchildren, 74 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by four grandchildren, Beverly, Benjamin and Steven Stauffer, and Ryan Boll.

A viewing will be held on Wednesday, January 15, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Fairhaven Mennonite Church, 801 S. Railroad St., Myerstown. The funeral will be at the church on January 16 at 10 a.m. with a viewing one hour before the service. Interment will follow in the Myerstown Mennonite Cemetery.

 In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Fairhaven Mennonite Church or Richland Christian Home.

The Roma People

    Have you ever said you were gypped? Do you know the origin of that word? I just learned the answer to that question and also that they suffered genocide with the Jews in the Holocaust. The following article on the gypsies (now called Roma) says it better than I could, so read and learn with me.

By Cameron Hewitt and Honza Vihan

Europe is home to a largely overlooked population of 12 million people who share a language and a culture quite distinct from the European norm. While spread out across the continent, the biggest populations live in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia. Together, the Roma people constitute a bigger European nation than the Czechs, Hungarians, or the Dutch — and yet have little political voice or cultural presence in the wider society.

The once-common term "Gypsy" (derived from "Egypt," from where they were thought to have originated) is now considered not just inaccurate but derogatory. The Roma are now thought to be descended from several low north-Indian castes. (The language still spoken by about two-thirds of today's European Roma — called "Romany" or "Romani" — is related to contemporary Indian languages.)

A thousand years ago, the Roma began to migrate through Persia and Armenia into the Ottoman Empire, which later stretched across much of southeastern Europe. Known for their itinerant lifestyle, expertise in horse trading, skilled artisanship, and flexibility regarding private property, the Roma were both sought out and suspected in medieval Europe. Similarly, the gadjos (non-Roma) and their customs came to be distrusted by the Roma.

The Industrial Revolution threatened the Roma's traditional livelihoods, making their wandering lifestyle difficult to sustain. Many Roma became entertainers (fortune telling, music and dancing, horse shows, dancing bears), outlaws, and metalworkers. Roma were initially not allowed to enter Austrian territory, but as the Habsburgs recaptured lands once controlled by the Ottomans (including Slovakia and Hungary), they permitted the Roma already living there to stay. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as "Gypsy music" funneled into the theaters of Vienna and Budapest, a romantic stereotype emerged of the Roma as people living an idyllic, nomadic lifestyle, with dancers swirling nightly around their campfires to intoxicating music — and all while weilding mystical powers over white Europeans. This notion still persists in many corners of Europe today.

But white Europe's image of the Roma also had a sinister side. Even today, people might warn their children, "If you don't behave, I'll sell you to the Gypsies!" And when someone is cheated, many English speakers say they've been "gypped" — an ethnic slur so deeply ingrained most don't realize its origin. The widespread bigotry had long been encoded in many legal restrictions that kept the Roma from enjoying full citizenship.

In the 1930s, Nazi Germany stripped the Roma of all citizenship, and in the 1940s, Hitler addressed the so-called "Gypsy question" (how to deal with the Roma population) with full-on genocide, sending hundreds of thousands of Roma to the gas chambers on the basis of ethnicity.

After the war, communist governments in central and eastern Europe implemented a policy of forced assimilation: Roma were required to speak the country's predominant language, settle in towns, and work in new industrial jobs. Rather than producing well-adjusted citizens, the policy eroded time-honored Roma values and shattered the cohesiveness of their traditional communities. It left the new Roma generation prone to sexual, alcohol, and drug abuse, and filled state-run orphanages with deprived Roma toddlers.

When the obligation and right to work disappeared with the communist regimes in 1989, rampant unemployment and dependence on welfare joined the list of Roma afflictions. As people all over formerly communist Europe found it difficult to adjust to the new economic realities, they again turned on the Roma as scapegoats, and state-sanctioned persecution continued in many areas.

Today, many Roma live in segregated ghettos. Most children start attending school, but a high percentage drop out, and many have children of their own at a very young age. Those who make it against the odds and succeed in mainstream society typically do so by turning their backs on their Roma heritage.

Many countries have no viable, organized movement for Roma rights, leaving many Roma stranded on the fringes of mainstream society. However, Europe-wide organizations (including the European Union and NGOs such as the European Roma Rights Centre) are working to seek justice for the Roma people.

Some areas have seen success stories: In the Czech town of Český Krumlov, for instance, the large Roma community of 1,000 people — about 5 percent of the town's population — are well-integrated in the life of the town while remaining proud of their cultural identity. Across Europe, many are hopeful that with the EU's increased focus on cooperation and human rights, the Roma will find a place in contemporary European society.

https://classroom.ricksteves.com/videos/romania-s-roma-or-gypsy-population