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May 
The below pictures are from various Pathways classes offered so far this Spring term:
Mr. Shenk is a professor at Messiah College. He led this Pathways group on a trail highlighting various plants along the way.
This picture was taken during our course on renewable energy.
These ladies are part of the Tabitha’s knitting group. Students from Messiah College join them once a month.
Croquet Your Way’s Steve Fluder teaches residents the rules of the game.
13
May 
Do you remember how wonderful it was as a child to join others and learn to color, sing, read, talk, do math and play games? School was a lot of fun and it was important to you and your family. But what if you do not grow up with the language of the country where you live? How do you learn? School is a challenge.
So that is why three of us from Messiah Village, with some high school and college students and several other adults, are part of an after school program tutoring immigrant students.
The Somali Committee of Central Pennsylvania works with African immigrants and one thing they offer is a tutoring program for about 40 students between kindergarten and twelfth grade. The students who were eight to 15 years old when they came to this country have the most difficulty. Very young children have the opportunity to learn with other young children but older children, where English is a second language, have difficulty with reading, science, history and mathematics. Think about being able to read English at about second grade level but being in sixth, ninth or twelfth grade. Not easy; a challenge.
We help middle and high school students with their homework and academic projects. With younger children we may play games, practice reading, or learn multiplication tables. And this spring soccer players from Messiah College have helped with tutoring and then practice soccer or basketball with the students. The kids love it. They like the snacks too.
The kids are beautiful, fun and full of energy. Some are from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Most are Muslim so the girls are dressed in required outfits where the boys dress like Americans.
We, the three residents, are the Tutor Trio but there are other MV residents who tutor in Harrisburg and the local area. Helping children keeps us young – we wish.
11
May 
I was once told by a Messiah Village resident to never say “good bye,” instead you should always say “so long.” This has stuck with me for many months. As some of you may know, my last day of interning at Messiah Village was yesterday. I had a wonderful send-off and I was very happy to see everyone I’ve worked closely with for one last time.
Graduation is looming and the closer it gets, the more excited I become. I’m ready to take this next step in my life! As college comes to a close, I know this is just the end of one great chapter and the beginning of another. I’m sure if you think about your own life you can pick apart the chapters. I think all chapters are unique, one is not better than the next. It’s really about living your life in the present.
Although I’m unsure of what comes next for me, I know that what will be written will be good. So for now, so long, Messiah Village. I will never forget the people or the life lessons I have learned while here.
8
Apr I’d like to introduce you all to Lois Hanson, a resident of Messiah Village who I’ve grown to know and adore. During my junior year of college I spent Thursday evenings with Lois chatting, swaping stories and playing Rummikub. Her stories and reflections of the past have always piqued my interest so I asked her to share her thoughts on the Great Depression and relate it to the current recession. Please post any stories or thoughts you have after reading about her experiences!
“A memory of life in the 1930s would not be complete without a mention of the Great Depression. In October of 1929 (the month I was born) the Stock Market crashed and life for everyone was changed. By the time I was old enough to know anything about it it had been going on for a number of years. Our family was not as hard hit as some. Families had to survive as best they could. My friend, Jane Parker’s, father was unemployed and depressed. Her mother supported their family by sewing for people. My father had several pay cuts but my folks were frugal. I had to wear hand-me-downs, which I hated because they didn’t fit among other things. Daddy also was given some items from his customers. The most memorable is the wind-up phonograph with a storage cabinet below that contained some records. Some were Caruso and some were just fun. We kids played “Pony Boy” until we drove everyone crazy. We also loved “Beer Barrel Polka” and “Yes, We Have No Bananas.”
In 1939, when war had already begun in Europe, my father got at big order from the Frankford Arsenal and the depression was over for our family. We got an electric refrigerator, a 1938 Plymouth (our first car), and I went to camp for a week.
Now, early in the 21st century our deep recession has been compared to the Great Depression. Many of the characteristics are the same in each. People today are experiencing foreclosures, loss of jobs, and soup kitchens. However, to compare my personal experience is to compare a young child’s point of view with that of a very senior adult living in a retirement community. The only valid comparison that I find is the sense of security I felt and feel. As a child I was not really aware of the problems my parents faced. I felt secure. As an adult at Messiah Village I also have a sense of security knowing that if I am responsible with whatever resources I have, I will be taken care of. My ultimate security is in trusting my Savior, Jesus Christ.“
12
Feb You can enjoy mugs of hot cocoa with friends and catch up on that reading you’ve been meaning to get to. You can take a walk in a winter wonderland or even ski down Messiah College’s Cemetery Hill (It’s not impossible, believe me!). Everyone works together; your neighbor shovels your car out and you pass along the favor by helping a friend push their car out of its stuck position. (Anyone remember the movie Pay it Forward?!?) So many good deeds are done when snow falls.
Our lives often become so hectic, so chaotic that we never allow ourselves to slow down. I think blizzards are one of God’s ways to make us really appreciate life and each other. It’s fun to hear friend’s and coworker’s stories about their snow adventures. Please share your stories and reflections about this past week and the snow storms. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
