Tom Brokaw said, “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” These words struck me last night as I enjoyed a dinner roll with chocolate butter at the Hershey Lodge. Indeed, the sweetest place on earth felt even sweeter as we celebrated 5 distinguished winners of the 3rd Annual Coretta Scott King Women For Diversity Award. The awards, sponsored by Women-Connect

The Fall 2010 cover of Women-Connect magazine published and founder by Patricia Gadsden.

magazine, shine a spotlight on Capital region women who are working to better the world by making a difference in their own backyard. I was moved by stories of women who have sacrificed, inspired, persevered, and encouraged — all for the sake of ending bias and promoting understanding.

Today, at Messiah Village, we will celebrate nearly 400 volunteers who demonstrate this same kind of selfless love. Where we would be without volunteers? It’s too hard to imagine a day without their concern, helpfulness, and cheer. The theme for this year’s appreciation is “Messiah Village Volunteers…Keeping us Growing!” Our volunteers help us grow in many ways; they help us grow spiritually and emotionally. They help us grow organizationally as we continue to welcome new residents, clients, and friends to our mission. We value their time and their ability to connect their talents with our needs. So….what can you today to make a difference?
- Find a way to volunteer!
- Say thanks to a volunteer!
- Thank God for people who volunteer in our community!

It’s been said that service is the rent we pay for living. As we celebrate the volunteers at Messiah Village today, let’s think of ways to model their example and pay our rent!

Last week I spent a few hours browsing the Brethren in Christ Archives at Messiah College. The Archives is home to thousands of photos, letters, publications, and artifacts from the early days of Messiah College and Messiah Village. What a thrill to hold a leather-bound ledger from 1897 and see the carefully scripted entries detailing each donation and each gift of food  given to help our ministry grow. People often talk about “the good old days.” We all seem to think that life was simpler then, more genuine and less crazy. As I’ve been researching our humble beginnings on Bailey Street, I agree that life was simpler in many ways – but it wasn’t without its struggles and challenges.  I’m amazed at how many people rallied and sacrificed to ensure that the Messiah Rescue Home could get its footing. 

Ida Byers and friends can peaches for residents to enjoy.

 Today, 115 years later, we can enjoy reminiscing about the good old days, but let’s remember to be thankful for the men and women who sparked and nurtured that vision that is the Messiah Village of 2011.

Remember the old blue and yellow Pennsylvania license plates that said “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania?” Apparently some people thought the slogan was too cutesy and it was ordered off the license plates in the late 1980’s in lieu of the more traditional “Keystone State” slogan. I’ve been thinking about friends a lot lately. Our family has been plagued with illness this month; strep throat, pink eye, stomach pains, and the flu. During these frigid, snowy, germy times, we’ve been blessed by friends who have brought meals, walked our dog, taken our son to school, and made countless other offers of goodwill and friendship! Just yesterday, a friend took my son to her house so he could play in the snow and watch movies with her kids. It was a much-needed break for all of us! As Messiah Village celebrates 115 years of serving the community, I am glad that we can lend a friendly hand to those in need, whether we serve them at Mount Allen Drive or in their homes or at the Mechanicsburg Senior Center. As I count my blessings, I see the faces of many dear friends who have made my life easier recently. And..I’m very privileged to work at Messiah Village where we enhance life! Three cheers for friends!

As Christmas draws near, folks of all ages often feel the urge to peek under the tree, rattling packages, pressing the paper to see if any words or shapes are visible.  My 6-month old daughter has just started crawling and scooting around the house. Although she has no idea what Christmas really means, even she finds the cheery packages hard to resist. Just yesterday she scooted over to a bright red bag and tried to tip it over — hoping to catch a glimpse of what’s inside. (She was most disappointed when I re-routed her back to her blanket of toys!) Christmas surely is a wonderful time of year. As we celebrate Christ’s birth, we also enjoy family traditions like gift-giving, cookie baking, Christmas caroling, and visiting.

As a fundraiser, I enjoy the spirit of gift-giving all year long. Messiah Village is blessed to have a substantial group of faithful donors and volunteers who give in many ways. Without their support, we could not fulfill our mission of enhancing lives. During this most blessed holiday season, I’d like to say a special “thank you” to everyone who has supported Messiah Village during the past year. We are both humbled and delighted by your concern for our ministry. 

May you and yours enjoy this Christmas season, realizing that our greatest gift is the gift found in Bethlehem’s manger.

We’ve all heard the expression, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” How about totally repurpose? Take a look at this picture from Karnataka, India. Do you recognize the playing pieces on that game board? They’re old wooden “nickels” from Messiah Village’s 110th anniversary celebration in 2006. The tokens were used as part of a program here and the leftovers were given to Karen Deyhle, missionary to India and daughter of Messiah Village residents, Paul and Lela Hostetler. Thanks to Karen’s creativity, she has put the wooden coins to many uses to benefit the children she and her husband, Dan, serve in India. Karen shares, ” After Bible stories and singing, the kids can color, do puzzles, play games, etc..  The boys seen here are playing the memory game, made with wooden ‘coins’ from Messiah Village. I put pairs of stickers on the bottom side. They love it! And children beat adults at this game every time!” As we enter in a season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for Karen’s ministry and her creative spirit. I’m glad that Messiah Village can play a small part in enhancing the lives of children an ocean away! May you be blessed this Thanksgiving season as you recall the highlights of your year.

Here is the Karnataka group of KIDZ-UP children, presently meeting on the ground floor of a new, but unfinished building. When it is done and the pastor's family moves in, the adults will meet in the front room and the children will meet on the flat roof with a half-wall around it to keep them from falling off!

As we near Thanksgiving, many people think of sage as a spice for flavoring their holiday turkey and stuffing. At Messiah Village, we celebrate the SAGE Awards in early November — complete with a delicious meal! This year, we will gather for the 6th time, on Thursday, November 4, and honor 8 outstanding folks. These individuals are savvy, active, growing and enlightened. From Chambersburg to Harrisburg, this year’s recipients are volunteering and giving back in unexpected and inspiring ways. If you’re feeling blah and need to add a little spice to your life – consider coming to the SAGE Awards Celebration on Thursday night. A few seats are still available but tickets are required in advance (check MessiahVillage.org for details). You’ll enjoy a reception, decadent meal, and keynote address by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra’s beloved and energetic Maestro Stuart Malina. You’ll also hear the wonderful stories of 8 older adults who age with purpose, zest, and passion! Come out and be inspired. (But please don’t delay, reservations are required and no tickets will be sold after Tuesday, November 2.)

Stuart Malina will serve as keynote speaker for the 6th Annual SAGE Awards at Messiah Village!

How was your summer? Mine was eventful…on June 1, we welcomed a new baby to our family. Sarah Grace joined her big brother Noah around 7:50 p.m. that evening. Our life hasn’t been the same since! I had the joy and privilege of staying home all summer, enjoying my new baby and my budding kindergartener. Now that summer is over, Sarah is rolling over and sleeping all night, Noah is going to school all day and taking piano lessons, and I’m settling back into my work routine. Our summer was great. Really great. I enjoyed being home. But now that I’m back to work I remember all the reasons I really love being at Messiah Village. Last week, every employee was invited to attend the State of the Village program. We watched a beautiful video (while munching popcorn!) and heard Dr. Lesher’s updates. As I watched the screen full of highlights from the past year, I got a little teary-eyed. Messiah Village is full of life and full of joy! There’s never a dull moment here. We are home to gardeners, painters, singers, volleyball players, Pathways instructors, volunteers, spelling bee champions, grandpas, clock “doctors,” pie bakers, quilters, cello students, and world travelers. I enjoyed my time away but it’s really good to be back.

The Connections campaign spaghetti dinner raised $1,200 and lots of fun! Here’s a shot of our youngest patron…what do you think?

Check out the socks on Jere and Steve, or the Wacky Wicketeers!

On Saturday, April 24 Messiah Village hosted our very first charity croquet tournament – Wicket on the Green! Yes, I said croquet! Unique, right?  Unlike a golf tournament, croquet can be played on our beautiful Nittany Lawn so there’s no need to travel. As a familiar backyard sport, croquet is something that can be enjoyed by all ages.

We hosted 21 amateur teams and 4 USCA professional teams! People came from Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland to play…and the winners went home with great cash prizes, thanks to our main event sponsor, Turkey Hill Dairies!

You could feel the excitement in the air as blue skies broke across the beautifully prepared green lawn.  Some players were all in white, looking very genteel. Others donned arygle sweaters or crazy rainbow socks to add some fun to the game.   From the youngest player to the oldest, everyone had a grand time playing croquet, enjoying gourmet sandwiches and french fries, and listening to a fantastic guitar ensemble.  Best of all, the event created awareness of the Endowment Fund for Benevolent Care.  Some of the professional players made donations to Messiah Village before they left because they appreciated our mission and wanted to help!

Mark YOUR calendar for next year’s tournament – Saturday, April 30, 2011. You won’t want to miss the fun and camaraderie of this wholesome competition.  This year’s players have all been energized and many have said they’re coming back next year – but not until they buy new croquet sets so they can practice!  Maybe you should dust off the old mallets in your garage or basement and get some wickets in the ground this summer.  You just might be a Wicket on the Green champion next year!

The Whackers team, seen here, went on to finish 3rd in the amateur division!

A bird's eye view of all 9 courses on Nittany Lawn.

Yesterday I took my son to school for his kindergarten test.  As we drove, I told him that he’d meet his new teacher and that she might ask him a few questions to get to know him.  (I tried to be very cool and not show that I was a little nervous about this milestone!)  As he sauntered down the long hallway, holding his teacher’s hand, I sat  in an empty office filling out paperwork.  A few minutes later, he came bounding down the hall, smiling, and holding a newly sharpened pencil.  In the parking lot, I asked him about “the test.” He said it was great and then proceeded to say, “Did you know Miss Jones is only 27 years old and that she lives one mile away from the school?” I laughed and laughed….why was my child asking his teacher all these questions when HE was the one there for testing?  Later, as I related this to my husband, we laughed again. And then I realized that my son is entering a new relationship. Come September, he’ll spend 5 days a week with this teacher, learning, laughing, and growing with her and his classmates. I guess it’s only fair that he ask her a few questions!

As we think about living and working at Messiah Village, it’s important to remember that good relationships are based on knowledge and a mutual respect of the other person’s stories.  And speaking of stories, our residents have great stories!  If we really want to embrace community life, we need to ask questions and really hear the answers. Maybe this week, you’ll meet someone new. You don’t have to ask them their age, but you could ask them about a favorite vacation, a beloved hobby, or a childhood pet.  Sometimes the simplest question starts a great friendship.