VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 2009 Dig Your Roots Deep—But … · VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 2009 ... had quite an...

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Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . 16Contact Us. . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 31Dig Your Roots Deep . . . . . . 1From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . 2Jim Crouch Tribute . . . . . . 27Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

NewsBy Grad Year . . . . . . . . . . . 17Congrats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Family Album . . . . . . . . . . 22Sympathies . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Open DialogueHaile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Newton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Warkentin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Whitehead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ReconnectingELWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14GSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14HC/SIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Sebring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Remember WhenForster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Return to HomeCampion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Eikenberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Molenhouse . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Dig Your Roots Deep—But Where?

IN THIS ISSUE

By Kimberly Rae

I’ve been cutting roots since childhood—notin a garden, but in my life. I’m a Navy brat;my dad was in the military for twenty-two

years, and during those years, he and my mommoved seventeen times.

It was good practice for me, I suppose. Icaught “the bug”: After spending two years inany given place, I’m ready to move on to some-thing new. This was a wonderful help when Ileft home at age twenty-two to spend two yearsas a missionary in Bangladesh. It helped againwhen I left for East Africa at age twenty-six.Being uprooted wasn’t very painful for me.

But things change. I returned from Africa. Igot married. And in these past six months, myhusband and I have bought a house, fixed it up,and prepared for life as missionaries in restrict-ed-access countries. I didn’t realize it fully, butas one delightful day followed another delightfulday, tiny roots sprung out of my heart andtwined themselves gently around my new home,our families, and my secure relationship withour church.

When my six months at home were over, wepacked up all the things I had lovingly used tomake our house a home. We readied our home

to rent out to strangers. We sold a car. We saidgoodbye. Change is still exciting, but I can feelthose roots trying to hold on, until after mytugging and jerking they are snapping, one byone.

We all have roots. Some of us dig our rootsdeep into our hometown, or our church struc-ture, or our career choice. We wrap ourselves sosecurely around these things that we feel safe,settled, and at home. This is a good thing, untilwe have to uproot for some reason. Suddenly,those warm and safe roots become a strangle-hold. We try to pull away, but the roots remainwrapped around whatever we leave, and we moveon feeling part of ourselves left behind. I knowgoing overseas is the right thing for us to do,but I feel like I’m leaving with half-shreddedroots still reaching out behind me.

What are we supposed to do about makingroots? Roots aren’t bad, but they should neverkeep us from obedience. God often speaks aboutroots in His Word. Over sixty times, Godaddresses this issue. Let’s look at our options:

Option 1: Don’t have any roots at all .Some of us may wonder, since uprooting

causes so much pain, why develop roots at all?

Wouldn’t we all be better off if we didn’t set-tle, didn’t put down roots anywhere? I triedthat philosophy for a few years and found itdidn’t work. We aren’t meant to be unconnect-ed to everything. Just as a tree with no roots isdestined to topple, a person with no roots isdestined to fall. Even trees without roots can-not grow and cannot stand through the small-est of storms.

As the body of Christ we are to be connect-ed to others in a bond of unity (I Cor. 12:12).We were created to live in community and fel-lowship with others.

Option 2: Put your roots in worth-less things.

We might know that we’re not to be rootedin worthless things, but the question is: Whatdo we actually do? What do you find yourselfspending regular time on? What do you run to,to get away from it all? The mall? The TV? Afiction novel? Food? These things aren’t bad inmoderation, but if we find ourselves growingto depend on them for strength, we have devel-oped roots in the wrong places.

In I Kings 14:15 God uproots Israel as apunishment. Israel had dug roots into idols

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Published twice a year, Simroots is a non-profitpublication, produced by SIM MKs, for SIM MK highschool graduates (includes AEF, AEM, ICF mergedmissions) and their caregivers.

Please send donations to:SIMROOTS SIMROOTSc/o SIM USA c/o SIM CanadaP.O. Box 7900 10 Huntingdale Blvd.Charlotte, NC 28241 Scarborough, ONUSA Canada M1W 2S5704-588-4300 [email protected] [email protected]

Tax-exempt donations should be made to SimrootsProject #US 501087 and and sent to SIM USA or SIM Canada.

To donate online, go to www.sim.org/giveusa.

Please send correspondence to:EDITOR LAYOUTKaren Keegan Grace Swanson222 Hyle Avenue 1565 Gascony RoadMurfreesboro, TN 37128 Encinitas, CA 92024(615) 895-9011 (760) [email protected] [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR PROMOTIONDan Elyea Deborah [email protected] PO Box 273

Greenbank, WA 98253WEBSITE (360) 678-3214Minna Kayser [email protected]@sim.org

To view our Distribution of Information Policy, log onto http://Simroots.sim.org, Vol. 20 #2.

made by man. Can you think of the man-madeidols we can mistakenly cling to? Ask yourself:Could I live for a week without ____? Ourlives are not intended to be controlled by worth-less idols and addictions. Trees with rootswrapped around unstable things are as destinedto fall as the ones with no roots at all.

Option 3: Put your ro o t s i n g o o dthings.

What about all the good roots we have spreadinto and around all the good things in life—ourfamilies, our friends, our churches, our careers?Job had secure roots in many good things, andin one day, all was uprooted (Job 29:19).

I don’t believe it is wrong to be rooted to thegood that God has blessed us with. Those rootsare good, but they are not secure. No matterhow tightly we may wrap our hopes and dreamsaround our children, they may walk away fromGod. Families change. People die.Relationships get severed. We move. Sicknessand natural disasters all make those roots vul-nerable. If our roots are all wrapped up in onlythe good and not the best, we may find our-selves toppling suddenly when life tears our cir-cumstances into pieces.

Option 4: Secure your deepest rootsin the only secure place.

So what is the best way? There must besomething more solid, and yet more flexible, to

dig our roots into than our comfort zone. Isthere any way to have truly secure roots that wenever have to worry about? Yes! Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in theLORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For heshall be like a tree planted by the waters, whichspreads out its roots by the river, and will notfear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green,and will not be anxious in the year of drought,nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

I don’t like the idea of “uprooting” myselffrom my family and friends that I love, to movehalf a world away. But my roots in Christ willstay. It is my choice which roots to develop—the ones that may break, or the ones that aresecure. I still need to invest time and energy andlove into the relationships in my world. But myroots—the parts that draw sustenance; the partsthat hold me firm; the parts that keep me fromtoppling over—those roots must be in Christ,not in myself, my comfort zone, or even inpeople.

Colossians 2:7 says we are to be, “Rootedand built up in Him and established in the faith,as you have been taught, abounding in it withthanksgiving.” As we obey the Lord to gowhere He has called us, we feel the pain ofchange and adjustment to new circumstances ofour lives. However, when we are rooted andgrounded in Him, no matter where we go, wenever need to feel uprooted again.

Jeremiah 17:8 “For he shall be like a treeplanted by the waters, which spreads out itsroots by the river . . .”

Used by permission fro m ABWE/TheMessage.

BooksChild of the Outback

Written by an MKwww.childoftheoutback.com/Anyone care to read and give us a review?

Always FaithfulMargaret Lacey: A Story of God’s ProvisionBy David G. Sawyer

This little paperback is a collection ofshort vignettes of the adventures ofMargaret Lacey—missionary mother of

Beaj Beacham and seven other children, severalof whom have also served overseas. She workedin 4 African countries doing medical work, andthough widowed after 25 years, she continuedto serve her Lord on the mission field. Margarethad quite an adventuresome spirit! She isdescribed as adaptable, daring and high-spirited.You can obtain your copy from the author for$7 US +SH. ([email protected])

“The blossom cannot tell what becomes ofits odor; and no man can tell what becomes ofhis influence.”

- Henry Ward Beecher

Dear Readers,Three things strike me about this issue of

Simroots. First, the passion we feel regardingour boarding school experiences, whether it beGowans Home, Bingham, or Kent Academy,whether it be staff, student or parent—it seemswe are still processing those experiences andhow they’ve impacted us. I hope you feel freeto continue to dialogue about your journey.

Second, the astonishing revelation of theimpact our parents had on the mission field. Ifind it fascinating to read the accounts of MKswho are returning to their roots, reconnecting

with childhood friends and nationals, seeingthe country through adult eyes, discoveringthat their family is not forgotten.

And third, much closer to my heart, is torealize that we are becoming the next genera-tion. The sympathy section never lacks forentries! My own mother’s name is now addedto the list, and I wonder what legacy I will beleaving behind? Someday my children willreturn to this house in Murfreesboro,Tennessee, and say, “Remember when . . .?”And they will recount their own stories, andprocess their own experiences. And life goeson . . . .

Sai an jima (until a little while),Karen (Seger) Keegan (KA, HC 72), Editor

Letter from the Editor

R E M E M B E R W H E N

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R E C O N N E C T I N G

Sebring MK Reception Christmas 2008

Submitted by Jeanette Silver [email protected]

SIM’s Sebring Retirement Center held its annu-al MK reception December 26. MKs num-bered 13; parents, teachers, and dorm staff

rounded out the crowd to 47. Chad Winsor (KA 88)MCed. The schools represented were Hillcrest, KA,Sahel, and Cheefoo (China). Coming the furthestwas Janet Rhine (KA, HC 72) from Portland, OR.The oldest MK was Harold Adolph (76); theyoungest, Shelby Winsor (6).

Don Campion (HC 72) shared about his recenttrip to Nigeria. Steve Hagan, husband of Cindy Ter Meer (KA 89), told about his various ministries,his present one being the pastor of the CMA churchhere in Sebring. Their children, ages 9, 6, and 4,bedecked in sunglasses, sang “Feliz Navidad.” Steveand Cindy also played a piano duet. We had a get-acquainted quiz, sang carols, ate chili and cookies,and chatted.

Jan and Irene Rhine

George and Bob Rendel

Chameleons and Politicians

By Debb [email protected]

You know those chameleons on the old Budweiser commercials? They haveprehistoric-looking heads with eyes that that point forward and backward atthe same time; their feet/claws look like they have two digits that can grasp,

as opposed to skittering claws; and they can change their color to adapt to their sur-roundings. Those things ran wild where I lived in West Africa, and because theyweren’t aggressive, they made good pets. Well, due to the above description I justgave you—the looking both ways, the color changes, and even their movementshave a sneaky swaying motion—the Africans were convinced that demon spirits werein the chameleons.

When my folks went out toEast Niger to start a mission sta-tion, I was just a baby, aboutone and a half years old. Theyhad been there several months bythe time I was two, and an inci-dent happened that greatly influ-enced my self-perception.

Dad had a group of men sit-ting with him out by the house,and he was teaching them fromthe Bible. All of a sudden, themen jumped to their feet,grabbed up their robes, and scat-tered in all directions as if theywere running for their lives. Dadwas shocked, to say the least,and stood there wondering whaton earth he had said to offend themen like that. And then he sawwhat had frightened them. I camewalking around the corner of thehouse holding a chameleon byits tail. I was then told in nouncertain terms that I wasNEVER to bring a chameleonaround that could be seen by anyone Dad was talking to. I learned then that I had“power over people” even at two years old. I also learned that I could get into bigtrouble if I ever abused that power. Pretty good lesson. I think a lot of our politi-cians need to learn that lesson, eh?

I met a lady from Ghana when I was helpingwith an event at our church, and she let me

goyo her baby!

History of Kent Academy on CD and DVDOver 3500 photographs, countless memories, personal diaries, KA School Board

Minutes, book excerpts and more. KA movies on DVD. Will send to you when you send

a donation to Simroots, c/o Deb Turner, PO Box 273, Greenbank, WA 98253.

Send YOUR photos and stories to Grace Swanson, 1565 Gascony Road,

Encinitas CA 92024 . ([email protected])

Open Dialogue

Submitted by Dorothy [email protected]

My Report to the SIM Board ofGovernors in June 2008 included asection on Child Safety. I wanted to

update the Board on progress towards the inter-agency (e.g. Wycliffe/SIL, NTM, AIM, OMF,WGM, and many others) international ChildSafety and Abuse Response Network that isbeing developed. Following my Report and thediscussion, the Board agreed on a Minute whichreads “that the Board recommends DorothyHaile work with the SIM USA’s Adult MKAdvisory Committee (AMKAC) in order tooffer their resources of experience more specifi-cally to other Sending Offices.”

Several members of the SIM USA AMKACmet at the International Office with me(Dorothy) to discuss how the Minute could bestbe implemented, and there has been later e-maildiscussion too. We believe that there are strongreasons for further efforts by SIM to re-connectwith its adult MKs.

We wrote up a “Rationale” document whichhas been sent out to our SIM Sending Offices.This document sets out the rationale for thework of the Adult MK Advisory Committee,about which many Simroots readers alreadyknow a great deal. Now the Board of Governorsis recommending that SIM’s other SendingOffices take advantage of the experience of SIMUSA to extend the opportunity of contact withSIM to their own adult MKs.

In the Rationale document I also said thatadult MKs from other Sending Offices mightcontact their Offices, and I do want to encour-age Simroots readers who have contact withSIM AMKs around the world to make thisBoard level initiative known. This mightinvolve contacting a Sending Office yourself,or encouraging someone else to do so. I havealso reminded our Sending Offices about theresources already supplied by the SIM USAAMKAC and offered to send a new copy if nec-essary. In light of this new stimulus, they mayalso take the initiative to contact their adultMKs, and so it is possible that Simroots read-ers, or their friends in other countries, might becontacted by their SIM Sending Offices. I knowthat some Simroots readers have found theirrenewed contact with SIM as adult MKs help-ful, encouraging, and in some cases contribut-ing to a resolution of some issues that arosewhile you were MKs. I hope that you will feel

able to encourage others who may be contactedby the Sending Offices to take up this invita-tion for their own benefit (and very much forSIM’s benefit too, as the Mission learns fromthe experiences of its adult MKs and tries to domore to help its current MKs to thrive).

Another development in the area of child safe-ty is the establishment of an SIM Project called“Child Safety Financial Resources.” I have writ-ten up this project so that we can have somemoney on hand to pay for training of peopleinvolved in child safety, and so that when wereceive reports of alleged abuse we have themoney on hand to send trained people to inves-tigate the reports and find out the truth. Itoccurs to me that Simroots readers might beinterested in giving to this Project so that wehave the funds available to take part in trainingfor investigators, and for others involved inchild safety issues. If you are interested, you cancontribute to Project ZZ 99655, and I shall bevery grateful. (We shall be working with othermission agencies in such situations, so when anallegation about an incident concerning SIMpeople comes up, we shall be asking for inves-tigators from the Child Safety Network to beinvolved, and we have to pay their expenses. Inthe same way, our trained investigators willserve other agencies and those agencies will paytheir expenses.)

Dorothy is SIM’s International PersonnelDirector.

Gowans Home Perspective

Submitted by Jim Whitehead (GH 57)[email protected]

As a regular reader of “Roots” and analumnus of GH (1945-1957) my atten-tion was captured by the two letters

signed only “a reader.” These mentioned thepain of reading Simroots and made the observa-tion that the alumni of BA and GH may havehad—and to some extent are still having—amore difficult sojourn on this planet than theMKs from the other mission homes.

The same issue carried a lead article by J. L.Wheeler, an editor at Focus on the Family.That article reached the very different andsweeping conclusion that “. . . one thing isabsolutely certain: Any child fortunate enoughto be born to missionary parents will beblessed in ways beyond quantifying . . . onemight liken missionary children to the one inChrist’s parable of the talents” (the one whogot five talents) “. . . rather than be a liability,as some have mistakenly assumed, missionarychildhood enables one to walk among thestars.”

The juxtaposition of the two readers’ lettersand J. L. Wheeler’s article set my mind andmemories bouncing back and forth betweenthem. My memories of GH encompass knowl-edge of some anger, bitterness, and even morethan one suicide. I also know lots of successstories and memories of happy times.

“Church before church” Jim Whitehead’s white shoes

Child Safety Follow Up—Reconnecting with Adult MKs

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I recently gave a talk to a group of men inCollingwood about growing up in Collingwoodand at the GH in the 1940s and 1950s. LikeProfessor Wheeler, I tried to emphasize themore positive aspects of the experience. Irecalled enjoying the close company of a lot ofsmart, talented kids. In later years I was neversurprised to hear of their successes in the pro-fessions, trades, and the arts. I reveled in theopportunity to talk about GH. The men laugheda lot, and I left feeling smug. In retrospect Iconfess that I may have overemphasized thepositive. I had, however, at least touched onsome of the more negative aspects of the expe-rience. For example, I chose a Bible story that I

think invites a more realistic and sober analysisof the GH experience than does the parable ofthe talents cited by J. L. Wheeler. I don’t wantto criticize his conclusion that he was givenmuch and should therefore hold himself to ahigh standard. Where I don’t follow him is inhis suggestion that his own genetic gifts andthe amazing early childhood education some-how makes it “absolutely certain” that “anychild” so blessed to be an MK is enabled to“walk among the stars.” The Bible story that Iwould suggest is one that all of us at GH heardoften. It cuts to the very core of the GH experi-ence. I refer, of course, to the story of Abrahamand Isaac: the terrible story of a terrifying God

telling Abraham to take his son Isaac (the mira-cle of his old age) up to Moriah where he hasIsaac carry the wood to the place where he is todie by his father’s knife and be offered to God asa burnt offering. Only after Abraham hasobeyed and the knife raised over the questioningboy did God provide an animal substitute. Weoften heard this story in the testimony of par-ents and on behalf of the parents to explain theterrible choice the parents had made to answerthe call to the mission field and leave their chil-dren behind for as much as eight years out ofnine. We were definitely invited and instructedto see the story as analogous to our own. TheBible story doesn’t have much to say about thefeelings of the boy, except we are told that hecarried the wood and wondered about the lack ofan animal. The feelings of the goat are notmentioned. I am being only slightly facetiouswhen I refer to the goat, for if the story is, aswe were taught, analogous to the sacrifice themissionary parents were making, then we asMKs were analogous partly to the goat andpartly to Abraham’s son Isaac. Like Isaac theMKs are left damaged but alive, but unlikeAbraham these missionary parents go all theway through with the sacrifice and leave theirchildren behind.

My own experience fits the story more pre-cisely because my parents, having heeded thecall, brought my brother and me to GH pre-pared to leave us for four years. I had just start-ed kindergarten and my brother had just startedhigh school. When we arrived at Collingwood,we were informed that Mom and Dad would bestaying at GH for a month while the Missionfound someone to replace the aging lady whohad been in charge. That month stretched todecades, and my parents never got to Nigeria.Over the next few years their trunks labeled“Kano, Nigeria” were gradually unpacked, andwe stayed as a family in Collingwood.

My life at GH was happy, but I have cometo believe that I was naïve to think, as I did,that my experience was pretty much the sameas that of the other kids. I was treated the same,or more strictly, but the experience was not thesame. At age five I was pretty much obliviousto having been offered as a sacrifice, and when Iwent to bed my mother was just in the nextroom. It wasn’t the same. It’s not nearly thesame. I’m reasonably certain that the psycholo-gist dispensing advice at Focus on the Familywould not suggest four years as the optimumtime to leave your child with a baby sitter.Those kids were being hurt. I think most ofthem made a pretty good adjustment, and Ithink most of them have made a pretty goodlife. I wouldn’t say that is “walking among thestars.” I would call it a very human miracle.

Gowans Home kids

Girls’house. April 1961

Response to the AnonymousWriters/Readers

Submitted by Marian (Kirk) Newton (GH 50-59) [email protected]

You are correct in saying that some of usare reluctant to expose our feelings aboutbeing left at the “Home.” I myself have

feelings that I said would be expressed only whenmy mother and others passed on. Now I realize itdoes no good to others to vent these feelings, butthat does not mean they do not exist.

I believe that growing up at Gowans Home foreight or nine years gave me the best education,social skills, exposure to activities, life skills andfriendships that I could have received anywhere.The biggest and most important element that waslacking was the personal love and even expressionof love and acceptance that children need. That didnot happen and is history.

Physical abuse I did not see or even hear of.Mental anguish did happen, and one person whocaused it did mellow later and became a very goodfriend of my family and children. Others came forshort periods of time, and it took a lot of talkingand letter writing to convince the Mission thatthere were injustices happening, and finally some-thing was done and the staff persons dismissed.Yes, there definitely was damage done.

The rosy stories that we at GH heard were fromKA and how those kids longed to be back there.

As a Canadian living with some 40 kids andabout half of them Americans, it was very painfulto see the lack of respect and disdain that they hadfor Canada and all things British. Children dothings like that. The boys had many more privi-leges than the girls did—what else is new? As welater realized, some of the children that we thoughtwere the most privileged, were the most hurt.

Our parents came home after four or five yearsto children who hardly knew them, lived withthem for one year and then left them again for fourmore. How confusing for a child! Some came outstronger, and some are still trying to come togrips with what happened. We are all different anddeal with circumstances differently.

Last year I made a three-week visit to Nigeriaand spent a week in Dadiya, the village where ourparents were stationed for almost 20 years. Overand over again I was thanked for the sacrifice thatwas made when they came out there. The retiredpastors thanked us for the education they receivedfrom our mother and the example she led.

I guess that in the end, all our parents made adifference to many people, but some of their chil-dren were lost emotionally, physically, and spiri-tually. I have a hard time with this.

Don’t be afraid to write your feelings—we havenothing to hide; we are adults.

A Parent’s Perspective

Anonymous

Whenever I look back to the day weleft our children at boarding schooland drove off to our assignment at

another station, I am conscience-stricken.How could we possibly have done such aheartless, unfeeling thing? Like teenagers, Isuppose, we bowed to the common practice ofour peers. As SIMers we assumed it must bethe right thing to do; after all, everyone tookor sent their kids to KA, BA, Hillcrest, orwherever. So if everyone does it and the kidsall seem to be getting on quite well, it mustbe the acceptable thing to do. It certainly wasthe expected thing. That was made very clear,and if one opted to home school their children,as we ultimately did, one had to be preparedfor the not-so-subtle remarks and the stares ofdisapproval. Today on the field, home school-ing is somewhat the norm, and I applaud it.

If we had it to do all over again, would wego to the mission field? Definitely, yes.Would we send our kids to boarding school?Definitely, no. If we lived in Jos, or some-where such as Nairobi, or Niamey, or anynumber of other places where the childrencould be “townies,” yes.

Our kids came through the few years theyhad at boarding school relatively unscathed.And our daughter, with a real sense of calling,went back there to teach. Some of the staffand faculty in times past did not want to bethere and had no calling to that work and noreal heart for children. What a travesty.

The Gift of Healing

Submitted by Kelvin (Kelly) Warkentin(KA, HC 88) [email protected]

Iturned 39 this February. Not a big deal real-ly. Just a number. Except that for the firsttime in my life as I contemplated the past

twelve months, I felt like I’d aged. Like mysoul had in some subtle way softened. Eventsof life-forming proportions had swept over mywife and me—waves layered one upon theother. Unexpected storms.

We survived, of course. Storms have a wayof moving on, small and big alike, and the handof God is patient enough to help you move for-ward at your own pace. One day you find your-self looking back and seeing the emotionalchaos in softer shades. The moments of panicare gone, replaced with a calm sense of hope,and you can finally grasp what happened withmore clarity.

This maturity of perspective is a treasure thatsometimes takes its time arriving. My parentsrecently returned from a trip to Nigeria and,unbeknownst to them, brought back with thema gift of healing for me. When as a family wesat through a digital slideshow, I was struckwith a realization that allowed me to unclip aburden on my back and throw it down themountain.

For some time now I’ve harboured a grudge.At first I didn’t realize it, but gradually over theyears I began to understand that I was stubborn-ly clinging to something that was hurting meas well as my parents, and possibly even my

relationship with God. To put itsimply, I resented the objects ofmy parents’ ministry focus—every single person that my par-ents had devoted their lives to inNigeria.

I blamed them for my separa-tion from my family for eightout of twelve months at KentAcademy. I blamed them for thetears I shed in my bed so manynights. I blamed them for thefear I felt every time my parentsdrove away from school, fearingthey would be killed on thosedangerous, God-forsaken roads. Iblamed them for me having tolive a life where certain keydorm parents focused more onenforcing rules than lovinglonely kids.

Grade 1 Roomies: Steve Swingle, Ron Lyons and DaniKropf. Kelly Warkentin is the one wearing #23 in the classic

socks and sandals outfit.

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the dorm—and I see a boy who has adjustedwell to his new life. He looks happy.

And he is. Mostly. The pain of separationhas faded after a couple of days away fromhome and his smile has returned. He’s oblivi-ous to the patterns that are forming, shapinghim in a way that will someday confuse him.Boarding school is all he knows, and hebelieves that this is the way it has to be so thatpeople will hear about Jesus.

I head into my fortieth year of life armedwith a new perspective on the adventure calledboarding school. I have no idea if God approvedof my parents’ decision to send me there or not,but He brought victory out of it just the same.In my tossed salad of happy and sad memoriesof Kent Academy, there is now a new ingredientcalled “dividends.” God’s persistence in bring-ing His children back to Himself was success-ful, and I’m closer than ever to seeing that as agood thing.

One day not long ago I came toa realization that I felt a little likeTom Hanks’ character in SavingPrivate Ryan. He tells PrivateRyan near the end of the moviethat Ryan needs to earn what theydid for him, namely the loss ofsoldiers’ lives so he could gohome early. “Earn this,” he tellsRyan. “Earn this.”

What my parents brought backfrom Nigeria for me was ananswer to the core question myheart wanted to know: was itworth it? Did the investment payoff? Was my loss of a “normal”childhood redeemed by spiritualdividends in the lives ofNigerians? As far as I was con-cerned, the answer to those ques-tions was important. If God reallyhad called my parents to go toNigeria to save lives for Him—and I went to boarding school tohelp make that happen—thenlives had better have changed or itwas all a big waste of time.

I’m open to acknowledgingthat someday I’ll view that line ofthinking as absurd and arrogant.Who am I to weigh my childhoodexperiences against someone’seternal destiny, right? Trust me, I know. Merelythinking that sentence brings up a wellspring ofguilt. Everything is so intertwined that it’simpossible to isolate my own pain withouthurting someone else. At the same time, it’simportant to acknowledge the thorn aggravatinga wound and give it a name.

The fact of the matter is that God did use myparents to plant seeds of change—seeds thatsprouted so persistently they are still flourish-ing today. One important example occurredshortly before they came back home. They wereintroduced to a man who one night over thirtyyears ago watched a Jesus movie that my dadwas showing in his little village. As a directresult of that childhood experience, he is todayserving God as a missionary. That’s big. That’san opportunity to check off the box labeled“dividends.”

But there is a cost when a missionary choos-es to send his young children away for a bettereducation—and it needs to stop. A six-year-oldchild should be able to have supper at homeevery day after school. The father should be theone kissing his young son goodnight—notleave it to a stand-in parent who doesn’t knowhow to show affection. A mom should be therein the middle of the night when her son has a

nightmare—not a substitute. It seems clear tome that missionary parents’ first divinelyappointed mission field is their family.

Parents who today still choose to separatethemselves from their children for lengthy peri-ods of time—whether it’s military, missions ordiplomacy—will face consequences landingsomewhere between subtle and dramatic. Iknow there are great success stories, but thatdoesn’t make it all right. Young children needtheir parents.

What about me and my parents? Well, we’vetalked about it. Cried about it. I understand whathappened, the missionary culture in which theyoperated, and the expectations of their peers. Iget it. They get it. They see how it affected meand now have regrets. Am I painting all mydorm parents with the same brush? Absolutelynot. Was Kent Academy the worst thing thatever happened to me? Not even close. I some-times imagine myself traveling back in timejust so I can be there again in that moment. Totaste the fruit. Feel the rocks. Hear the siren.Walk the halls. Smell the rain.

But that environment did have an impact onme that I am still monitoring and trying tounderstand. It’s funny, because I see pictures ofmyself in the annual class photos—up on themonkey bars, under the mango tree, in front of

Grade 2. Back: ? , Heather Gibbs, Miriam Payne, ? , Paul Sawa, Gyro Gin, Dani Kropf, Debbie Fawley, Alice Kietzman

Middle: Mary Sneath (teacher), Felicia Greer, Leonie Dipple, ? , Darilyn O’Donovan, ?, Sara Alexander, ? Front: Joshua Gindiri, David Musa, ? , Lynette Lloyd, Mariya Kutwal,

Musa Dah, Victor Sawntong, Kelly Warkentin

7

R E T U R N T O H O M E

8

Don & Sueanne Campion standing atop Mt. Sanderson

Return to Nigeria 2008

By Don Campion (KA, HC 72)[email protected]

My wife Sueanne, Betsie my youngestsister, Johanna my niece who isBarbie’s daughter, and I spent three

weeks of November 2008 in Egbe, Jos, andKano in Nigeria. We had a fabulous time andspent much of our time with Nigerians and mis-sionaries. At Egbe we spent time at theHospital, at Titcombe College, at GeorgeCampion Academy and at a new orphanage forboys supported by a Texas organization calledHELP. We flew KLM from Miami toAmsterdam to Abuja then out of Kano back toAmsterdam, and then to Miami.

The reason for our visit was two-fold: 1) To attend the Egbe Centenary

Celebration of 100 years since the Gospelcame to Egbe through SIM missionary,Tommie Titcombe.

2) To review progress and observe thecurrent state of the ECWA Hospital Egbe.

The Centenary Program theme was“Thanks be to God for His UnspeakableGift” (2 Cor. 9:15). It was a very well orga-nized seven days of worshiping God withthe entire town of Egbe praising God forthe joy of salvation and the missionariesthat brought the message. When our familywent to Nigeria in 2002 for the 50thanniversary of the Hospital, I thought thatevent was big, but this CentenaryCelebration included all the Christianchurches in the town of Egbe resulting inan enormous event. The event washeld on a soccer field in the center ofEgbe Town with electric generatorsto produce power for the sound sys-tem and lights. The ceremoniesincluded several books beingreleased, a detailed program agendawith events every day from 9 a.m. to10 p.m., the dedication of a newcomputer center built for the town,open-air worship, concerts, culturaldance performances, and numerousspeakers to the thousands that attend-ed throughout the week. Withoutexaggeration, the town residentstreated us as guests of honor and asthe official representatives of themissionaries that had served in the

Egbe area as teachers, medical staff,maintenance staff, etc. who had madeinvaluable contributions to theNigerians who lived in Egbe Town.We were not expecting the hospitali-ty, the affection, the gifts, and honorshown to us every day.

There was story after story how amissionary introduced them toChrist and encouraged them to attendschool or taught them at the nurses’school and hospital, and then men-tored them into their various careers.Stories of how their children weresaved during complicated births, how

relatives were saved after a seriousaccident. Others expressed theirgratitude for being mentored by amissionary allowing them tobecome business professionals,engineers, or lawyers. It is hard forus MKs to really know how muchour parents impacted the lives ofso many Nigerians—but it washuge! Rev. Tommie Titcombe waswith the Sudan Interior Missionwhen he came to Egbe in 1908 toestablish a church which eventual-ly would be recognized as one ofthe first ECWA churches.

The Centenary concluded havingmade a huge impact on the entireregion and bringing Christians ofevery denomination closer togeth-er in their mission of reaching allfor Christ.

The most common request ofthe hundreds of people we metwas to take the message back toAmerica and Canada that Egbeneeds long-term missionaries tolead, teach, and mentor them asthey have done in past years. Theydesperately want the knowledgeand teaching that comes frommissionaries working in the med-ical fields, maintenance, and edu-cation. I believe the complexityof operating a hospital, recruitingprofessionals, equipping the hos-pitals, etc. requires the assistance

Don & Sueanne, Johanna, Barbie

Standing in front of what used to be Bingham Memorial Hospital but is now ECWA Headquarters

9

and leadership of SIM, and I put together a report toreview with them in the next few weeks.

From Egbe we went to Kent Academy, Hillcrest,and Miango. We had a great potluck dinner at BeajBeacham’s house with many other Hillcrest teachers,Mark Redekop, Phil Bender, and Bill Ardill. TheHillcrest, KA, and Miango compounds look great. Ifyou have a driver, and you drive only during the day itis very safe. We hit a few road blocks, but as soon asthey realized we were expatriates, we greeted them inYoruba or Hausa, and they are super friendly. TheNiger Creek Hostel had eight kids. The SIM JosGuest House is right around the corner from theHostel and very comfortable. We even took in aHillcrest senior class play. Hillcrest really needsteachers, and the Hostel is desperate for houseparentsif anyone is interested. November is a great time ofyear to visit. Mark Redekop and his wife drove us upto visit with Sue (Long) and Terry Hammack in hotdusty Kano. The hospitality of the missionariestoward us and the friendliness of the Nigerians madethe return to our homeland even that more special.We look forward to what future involvement God hasfor us to do as it relates to Egbe.

Sue (Long) & Terry Hammack celebrate their 30th anniversary

What is left of the Swinging Bridge – just the two stoneentry points on each side of the stream

KA dining room

KA playground with Mt. Sanderson in the background behind the boys’dorm

Kirk Memorial Chapel


10

was surprised at how much ofthe furniture is the original fur-niture: wardrobes, dressers,beds, playground equipment,lounge furniture, and evenlaundry bins. (I remember hid-ing in them to read after lightsout.) I was impressed with theattitude of the staff towards theministry that they have to the150 children attending Grades1- 6 there: they see it as a min-istry, not a chore. I was there the day the schoolre-opened after Christmas holidays and observedthe excitement of the kids and the staff. Is it anyeasier today for them? “How do you survivethis?” I asked Gloria Baba as we drove togetherback to Abuja. Initially it was very hard, but itis worth it in light of the quality of education,the spiritual input, and the fact that they comeout of KA with the ability to relate as equals

with others. Other things have changed that Ireally was pleased to see: the kids all go homeevery other weekend. One parent is required tocome pick them up. Parents are required to cometo every special event. I think that some of thesense of abandonment is being reduced throughthis approach. I loved the fact that two 6thgraders walked up to me and very confidentlyasked me if I was a new staff person this term!

Jos—I saw Jos through new eyes. I saw thecheckerboard impact of Muslims and Christiansliving side by side in a city where there aredeep-seated desires to do away with the checker-board realities. The burned-out areas speak ofthe tenacity on both sides of this struggle. Myheart was touched by the stories of relationships

Return to Nigeria 2009

By Ruth Maxwell (KA, HC 73)[email protected]

It was 32 years ago that I last visitedNigeria. Things have changed immensely inthe area where many of my “station” memo-

ries exist. Karu has been swallowed up byAbuja, and the Abuja I knew no longer existsin any form. It is now a mushrooming Africancity complete with highways, hotels, and high-rise apartments by the hundreds!

What hadn’t changed was our old com-pound—except that it looked much older.Surrounding the compound were all the crowdednew developments that come with being on theedge of Abuja. And yet an island of ministrywith much history remains. The relationshipswith Nigerian believers that our family wasconnected with also hadn’t changed. Wow!What an incredible highlight! I criedand cried as I hugged “Baba andMommy.” Baba worked in our homefor 19 years and knew us better thananyone. Listening to them and theirchildren talk about the impact of ourparents and family on their marriageand family was like listening to sto-ries I believe we will hear in heaven.It was a gift of indescribable propor-tion for me. God really is delightedwith the evidence in the lives of oth-ers that we have lived our lives wellfor Him. His “well done” will belinked in part to fruit in the lives ofothers—at least where that kind offruit is an option. It was interesting tome that they didn’t talk about whatDad and Mom had done—they talkedabout who Mom and Dad were andabout the relationship they enjoyedwith them. They also talked about the role weas kids had and how, even though we weren’taware of it, we too had an impact in their lives.I was left speechless, humbled, and thankful forthe unchosen privileges of my life.

On Mom and Dad’s gravestone we put theverse “They rest from their labours, for theirworks do follow them.” What I saw and experi-enced bears evidence to that truth!

On the other hand, some places haven’tchanged. Kent Academy looks just like italways looked. Miango Rest Home looks thesame except that all the trees have become SOBIG! The mango tree outside of the girls’ dormmakes the dorm look really small. The KA din-ing room looks the same—just fewer tables. I

that reached across religious linesand provided safety for those whoshould have been enemies, thestories of missionaries who tookin and fed hundreds of endangeredand scared people and the chal-lenges that remain for everyoneliving there. A 7 p.m. curfew andmultiple checkpoints brought backmemories of coups and the yearsfollowing the Biafran war and thefact that life somehow continues

on—tumultuous and yet steady.My new eyes also allowed me to see wonder-

ful new ministries to the neglected of society.Given my present ministry here in SouthAfrica, these keenly interested me. Widowssewing sellable items and children being takenin and cared for through Gidan Bege were two ofthe projects that especially caught my eye.

I also saw how all of Jos is built on rocks—millions of rocks! It is funnyhow that kind of thing just fitsinto the “normal backdrop” ofchildhood, but when seenthrough adult eyes you realizethe wonder and the challengeof it all.

And then came Niger Creekand the Hostel. I arrived thereexpecting lots of time to sitand chat with Beaj Beachamand Redekops. Wrong! TheHostel roof had been removedto be replaced during the dryseason. Wrong! One rain total-ly did the ceiling in. It allcame down into the Hostel,making an unbelievable mess.Mark Redekop took on theadded challenge, and his teamof men replaced not just the

roof but the ceiling and wiring as well. Beaj,the new Hostel parent, seized the moment andrequested a new paint job. The finalizing of thewiring, the painting, and the clean-up all hap-pened in a few short days. Talking got relegatedto meal times and late nights—sort of normal, Ithought. I’m so glad I got to help with theredoing of the Hostel. It felt like a fitting taskto be a part of. A tiny chance to make it betterfor the next generation.

Now I am back in South Africa where life isso very different from West Africa. I stillsavour those memories. A new addition to myroutine now is that it isn’t unusual to receivephone calls from Nigeria. I don’t dare waitanother 32 years!

MKs at SIM retreat at Miango Back: Mark Redekop, Stephen Foute, Bill Ardill,

Stu Carlson (Wycliff, Peru), Phil Bender Front: Sue Hammack, Marc Cunningham, Ruth Maxwell,

Beaj Beacham, Ruth Carlson

Ruth Maxwell and Baba whoworked in our home for 19years—an incredible mandeeply in love with God

11

Return to Sudan

By Sylvia Eikenberry [email protected]

At the end of my internship with WorldConcern in Kenya in 2007, I wanted totake the opportunity to travel to the

Sudan, land of my birth, since it is so close toKenya. My Sudanese friend Pastor Ramadan Chanhad encouraged me to try to go to Sudan, andindeed, without his help inKenya and the help of ourChristian friends in Sudan, itwould have been impossible todo the traveling I did within theSudan. But God worked manymiracles along the way to allowme to make the trip of a life-time!

Pastor Ramadan Chan, whoseparents were some of the earlyChristian converts as a result ofSIM’s work in the Sudan, andhis colleague Pastor ThomasPout, who is related to theambassador, accompanied me to the SudaneseEmbassy to help me to get my visa forKhartoum. The Sudanese ambassador granted anofficial one-month visa within 24 hours and evengave it to me for free! (People are still shakingtheir heads about that, because it is very difficultfor Americans to get a visa to Khartoum.)Ramadan drove me to the airport, which was verykind of him.

On the plane, I was seated next to the Ministerof Darfur, Mr. Alfred Yokwei, who is a Christian.We chatted and I told him I was visitingKhartoum after almost 50 years to see the land ofmy birth. He told me about the reasons for theconflict in Darfur. When I asked him, “How muchis it to take a taxi to Khartoum?” he said, “Don’ttake a taxi! I will send you in my car!” I acceptedthe offer and true to his word, he sent me with hisdriver to the SIM Guest House.

Imagine arriving in Khartoum, Sudan, afterbeing away for 50 years! Khartoum is the capitalof Sudan, the largest country in Africa. It is locat-ed at the point where the White Nile meets theBlue Nile. The city has a population of over amillion inhabitants—4 million if you count thesprawl of homes, which includes Omdurman andKhartoum North. The heat was intense—114degrees Fahrenheit! It hits you like a wall and itis not wise to venture outside until the coolerhours of the evening. Khartoum is generally vary-ing shades of brown—from the brown haboob(dust cloud), which obscured the view of the Nile

as the plane landed, to the paler beige colors ofthe flat-roofed buildings. Other colors arewhite and blue—white for the clothes the peo-ple wear and blue for the sky that hasn’t seenclouds for months. Tall minarets of mosqueswere visible everywhere with the accompany-ing sound of the early morning and late after-noon calls to prayer. There seems to be plentyof money in Khartoum for modern buildingssuch as the Al-Fatih Hotel that is shaped like asailboat. The old SIM Guest House where Istayed was built in the 1930s . . . before myparents’ wedding in 1951. My mother told meshe spent her last night of single life in one ofthe guest rooms. The high ceilings and lazyfans, combined with air-conditioning, kept therooms cool. Vincent and Betty Bergman weremarried in a room downstairs in 1951 and hadtheir honeymoon on a steamship chuggingdown the Nile River. I showed the photos tomany of the Sudanese workers at the GuestHouse, but they were all too young to remem-ber the place in the 1950s.

The very first morning, I rode in a taxi toKhartoum Hospital. It had to be the hospitalwhere I was born because there is only one inKhartoum! The doctor on duty introduced meto the Nursing Sister of the hospital and shegave me a tour. I took pictures of the mothersand babies in the newer wing. She also tookme to the old wing of the hospital, and Ithought of my mother and the difficult deliv-

ery she had. (Thank you, dear Mother, forbringing me into the world!) Later, I exploredKhartoum with the help of a driver in an oldyellow taxi, rode a boat on the Nile River, hadtea at the Khartoum Hilton, saw the Mahdi’stomb, and watched the “whirling dervishes”(devout Islamic Sufis) whirling in the mosquesquare in Omdurman.

On Sunday morning, Pastor Simon Pol cameto the SIM Guest House to bring me to theSudan Interior Church (SIC) in Patihab, a sub-

urb of Khartoum. It was a privi-lege to worship there, and I didgive a word of greeting from thefront telling them about my par-ents’ work in South Sudan from1950-1958. Pastor Abram NulYhor gave me a gift of beads—necklace and bracelet. I had severalBibles for him to distribute and asmall cross-shaped bookmark foreveryone in the congregation. Theysang the Dinka song, “Yechu AchiBen Kuwekuwa Kurachi RenAranben.” (This song I have heardmy whole life because my Dad,

having studied Dinka, usually sings it loudly inthe shower.) Imagine how it felt to hear thefamiliar song sung so well by the congregation!It was deeply moving for me. The pastor talkedabout how thankful he was that my parentsbrought the Gospel to the Dinka people so longago. Pastor Ramadan told me that very fewDinka people became Christians in the 1950s,but as troubles escalated and they suffered dur-ing the wars, that by the 1980s, many hadturned to faith in Jesus Christ as their onlyhope in an a terrible situation.

After spending four days in Khartoum, it wastime to travel south. Pastor Abram Nul Yhorfrom the Dinka congregation just outsideKhartoum helped me to buy a ticket for the air-conditioned bus from Khartoum to Renk. Thereis a brand new road built along the Nile River.(Yes, the landmines have been cleared from thisroute.) After the five-hour journey, PastorBenjamin Lueth met me at the bus station inRenk. (Pastor Benjamin, now in his 60s, was alittle boy when my parents were in Sudan.)“I’m taking you to Awei’s (Ramadan’s sister)home in Renk,” he told me. “From there, wewill hire a car to travel to the mission stationin Banjang tomorrow.” I was grateful to seehim and we hopped into a three-wheeled babytaxi for the short ride to Awei’s home whereZenab was waiting. How wonderful to meetZenab—the young woman who brought hersick baby, Ramadan, to be treated in the SIM

Khartoum hospital

Pastor Benjamin watches as Sylvia gazes at house in Banjang


Return to Liberia

By Nancy (Thompson) Molenhouse (EL, HC 72) [email protected]

Our two-week trip to Liberia the middle to end of January wasawesome to say the least. We had nine people in our group;our family members included Jim, Nancy, and Katie

Molenhouse; Judy, Bob, and Joelle Koci; along with friends DaveParker (from South Bend, IN) and Clip and Ellie Kniffin (fromWheaton, IL).

We hit the ground running, as we ladies hosted an orphan girlsretreat (at the Isaac David School) for 40 girls and leaders the firstweekend. Judy was our special speaker, and she challenged the girlswith the themes “You are special,” “You are unique,” and “You areloved.” We sang, played games, made lots of crafts, and ate deliciousLiberian food in between teaching times. Christine Tolbert Normanof REAP (Restoration of Educational Advancement Programs) closedthe weekend with the “Steps to Freedom in Christ.” The followingTuesday we returned to the IDS for a morning with 50 widows(Hannah Project Women and sponsored by TWR). Judy taught thegroup on prayer and creative ways to pray. God used Judy’s sharingand personal testimony to encourage this very special group of ladieswhose objective is to pray globally.

The guys’ project was concentrated at the Susie Guenter Orphanagenear ELWA where they had a new well dug, built a merry-go-roundwell pump with tower, and a reservoir tank (at last report, the boysnow have running water for showers). In addition, the guys decided tobuild a swing set, basketball hoop, and some picnic tables for the

12

Jim helps build the merry-go-round

clinic run by my mother so long ago. Soon I was sitting in the shade talkingto Zenab, Ramadan’s mother, and many of her children, grandchildren, andgreat-grandchildren. I showed them old pictures of my parents’ wedding, ofmy mother treating Dinka patients in the clinic, and my father evangelizingin the village. I brought gifts for Ramadan’s family—Kikoy cloth fromKenya. They, too, presented me with gifts to bring to my parents—Sudanesecloth and colorful African beads. The Chan family served me fresh fish fromthe Nile that first night. It was so hot that everyone slept outside—draggingtheir beds out of the house to sleep under the full moon and stars!

The trip to Banjang was memorable for many reasons. It gave me anopportunity to travel along the banks of the Nile, enjoying the birds and trav-eling with my companions Pastor Benjamin and Zenab. We stopped atZenab’s house and met a very old Dinka man, so weak that he was confinedto his bed. When he saw the picture of my father evangelizing to the Dinkasin the village, he reverently kissed the photos—twice—and raised his handstoward heaven. “Thank you, God,” he said (in Dinka) “that these missionariescame here so long ago!” It was very moving to realize that he recognized andremembered my parents’ ministry years ago.

When it was not so hot any more, Pastor Benjamin took me to theMission compound at Banjang where our house used to be. I had been warnedthat all the Mission buildings had been dismantled during the war. PastorBenjamin explained as he pointed, “Here was the airstrip where the smallMission planes landed. Here was the clinic where your mother treated theDinka patients. And here was your house!” It felt surreal. Did I really livehere when I was little? Indeed I did! Wanting to preserve this memory, Ipicked up a couple of bricks to bring back as a souvenir home for my par-ents. The sun was setting as we traveled back to Renk in the little Kia caralong the banks of the Nile.

I could tell you so much more about the Sudan, but I’ll stop with thisstory. I returned safely back to Kenya, traveling by lorry and donkey cart toPaloich, a small bus to Melut, a MEDAIR speed boat to Malakal, a WorldFood Program plane to Juba, and Sudanese commercial flight home toNairobi. With the help of my Dinka pastors and Helene, my Dutch friend inMalakal who arranged parts of the travel, I was able to visit so many placesmeaningful to me. And so, the dream of one day being able to travel to Sudanto see my roots actually came to pass. God gave me so much more than Iever dared to ask or think. I had the opportunity to connect with Zenab, thewoman who raised her ten children as Christians, including Ramadan. TheChurch has grown rapidly and is very strong. It was indeed a privilege tovisit the Christians in Sudan and to learn how to pray for them. Perhaps oneday I will return to serve the Sudanese people.

Judy, Bob, Joelle, Gary, Ruth, Nancy, Katie

Sylvia with Pastor Benjamin and donkey cart

13

orphanage. Bob was able to spend time hanging outwith the kids, taking their pictures and memorizingtheir names. The day we left, we gathered with thehead of the Susie Guenter Orphanage, JeffersonZeon, his wife Helena, and the children, as ChristineNorman prayed a prayer dedicating the new well andplayground equipment. It was a joyous occasion forall of us!

We packed in other activities during the twoweeks including touring a retreat campus inBensenville that is being renovated by REAP, visit-ing Victory Outreach School in order to assess theirneed for a well, helping some missionary ladies atELWA with some sewing projects and having a sur-prise visit from Ruth (Galley) Luukkonnen (EL 68)and her husband Gary.

One personal highlight for me was the privilege Ihad of meeting with Kedrick White, the new admin-istrator at ELWA, and members of his staff in orderto establish a new scholarship program for childrenin the ELWA area. How exciting to hear recentlythat 15 children are in school this semester due tothis program.

Spending time with many Liberian and mission-ary friends (their hospitality was amazing) was avery special part of this trip as well. Time and timeagain we were welcomed by the Liberians with thegreeting “Thank God for life,” as they shared storiesof survival as well as family tragedies during thewar. It was a privilege to be able to sit and listen topeople’s stories, spend time in prayer with them,and encourage them. The people are hungry forteaching, for Bibles, particularly large-print Biblesbecause of lack of eye care for so long (there’s a needfor reading glasses). We brought many tracts, devo-tionals, and Bible studies which were eagerlyreceived, as were the swim goggles, swimsuits,sewing supplies, and other personal items.

This trip was such a blessing to each one of us,and we thank the Lord for allowing us to be a smallpart of what He’s doing in Liberia.

Judy and Nancy with Stephen Gibson andhis children. His father was our very firstwashman. Stephen is now an evangelist.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORPhoto Corrections and IDs,Simroots Vol. 25 #2

P. 15, KA Archives The family is my uncle and aunt (Jerry and

Gladys Friesen) and their two sons (Philip andDean). They were houseparents in the boys’dorm, and then he taught and she was the schoolnurse. I think they were at KA for maybe twoyears, and then went to Kagoro.

Judy (Ratzlaff) Klaassen

P. 16, top right, 1964 NigerCreek Hostel

You have incorrectly identifiedme as Edith Todd. It is I—EstherTobert, and standing behind me issomebody whose first name I ampretty sure is Todd, but I can’tremember his last name.

Esther (Tobert) Waddilove

On page 16 in the upper right hand corner isa picture with an unidentified male. The ID isunequivocally Jerry Hicklin, son of Dr. Hicklin,the dentist.

Ernie Hodges

Dear Karen, Please pass along my thanks to Dr. Joseph

Wheeler for his lengthy, well-written and well-researched article titled, “What Happens to TheirChildren?” For years, as I have had occasion, Ihave tried to make the point that being an MKis a high privilege if we choose to make it so.Personally I have a long-term perspective, beingan MK born and growing up in China. I wentto the Chefoo school at age six and, because ofdistance, I could not return at Christmas orsummer. As an adult, my husband and I went toNiger and Nigeria with SIM. Our daughter wentunder SIM to Burkina Faso. Thus I see mis-sions from three generations.

Dr. Wheeler makes a good point that mostMKs succeed in ways that are astounding. Hementions some famous people, but more namescould be added: Henry Luce, the founder of Timemagazine; and Thornton Wilder the playwrightwho wrote Our Town, which played onBroadway for years. Both grew up in China.Also Joseph Rauchenburger, former U. S.ambassador to Japan and linguist in theJapanese language. There are more PKs andMKs in Who’s Who in America than any othergroup.

While it is true that some small children wereharmed at boarding schools, which is an argu-ment for home schooling, thousands of MKs

have succeeded in academia, medicine, inter-national relations, education, research andmany other fields. About 17 percent havereturned as missionaries to their countries oforigin or, as in my case, countries foreign tothem. They have built up and blessed thesecountries. I am asking that some of thesestories be told.

Priscilla (Payne) Weese

Dear Simroots,As an AMK retiree who never attended any

of the SIM schools or boarding homes(although many of my cousins and friendsdid), I still find each edition of Simrootstotally consuming. Many of the familynames are familiar to me from my parents’conversations and prayers of years ago. Andin recent years, I’ve even had the privilege ofmeeting some of the retirees who knew ourfamily in Nigeria, at the SIM Village inSebring. Keep up the great work!

Dorothy (Percy) Farquhar

Dear Karen, I want to tell you how very much it has

meant to me to receive Simroots over theyears. It has allowed feelings, both good andsome painful, all fairly complex, to resur-face. Feelings that probably needed to beworked through, that never would have, inmy life, at least, without it. I also want tosay that I so appreciate your thoughtful lead-ership in this venture . . it has always felt“real.”

Ruth (Driediger) Widdicombe

XX

1414

KA/Hillcrest ReunionDate: July 3-5, 2009We will be there two nights: checking in Friday July 3, check out Sunday July 5Place: Double Tree Hotel Chicago - Oak Brook

1909 Spring Rd.Oak Brook, IL 60523(630) 472 6000

Reunion Information (online registration form, see who’scoming, book hotel room, see photos from past events,etc.): www.hillcrest.myevent.comContact:

Steve Ackley ([email protected])1526 Mayfield Ave.Garland, Texas 75041214-536-5458 cellHolly (Strauss) Plank ([email protected])Nancy (Ackley) Ruth ([email protected])

Changes this year: 1. Lodging arrangements directly with the hotel

Special group rates - Includes full American breakfast buffetSingle $97, Double $104, Triple $111 Quad $118 per night

Registration and two meals for adults and childrenFriday dinner “regional menu”Saturday Nigerian / Liberian mealAdults = $65, Kids <12 = $25

2. Registration, breakfast, and African meal for Saturday onlySaturday Nigerian / Liberian mealAdults = $45, Kids <12 = $15

Whom do you want to see?Are there people that you would like to see? Call and invitethem—you will be surprised that once they know you aregoing they will want to be there too!

Ideas: • Make a list of family and friends that you want to see.• Make sure that they get invited.• Share a ride, room, or skit.

2009 feature s• The Big Day—a one-day ticket for Saturday. Breakfast,soccer match, photo session, skits, African meal WOW!• Vendors—what would your West African friends beinterested in purchasing? Books, clothes, music . . . • Your turn—let us know what you'd like to add . . . Anyone know these two kids getting their toenails clipped by

Pauline (Grant) Herr?

ELWA Kids Reunion 2010This reunion will be at the BEACH! We are so looking forward

to great times enjoying the memories that we all have growingup on the Atlantic Ocean. We will have time to play at the beach,swim, talk, and renew old friendships.

Date: July 11-13, 2010Place: Best Western Cocoa Beach, Florida

www.bestwesterncocoabeach.comContact for registration: Karen (Ackley) Kern

([email protected]) 214-228-0648

• All rates are per night and subject to local taxes and occupancy taxes

• If you would like to come for a longer period of time before or after the reunion days, the resort will let you use the rates of the reunion.

2 beds, non-ocean (can house 5) $115.002 beds suite with a sofa, non-ocean (can house 6) $160.002 beds ocean-view room (can house 5) $178.00

R E U N I O N S

GSS ReunionCelebrating 50 years since Good Shepherd School began

Date: July 14-17, 2010Place: YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, COContact: Betty Froisland ([email protected])

1515

Last Name ________________________________________________________

Maiden Name ______________________________________________________

First Name ________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________

City ______________________________________________________________

State/Prov _____________ Country ____________ Postal Code ____________

Best Phone _____________________________ Type_______________________

E-mail ____________________________________________________________

High School Graduation Year: ________________________________________

School(s) attended nn KA nn Hillcrest nn ELWA

Others __________________________________________

Affiliation with school nn Student nn Parent

nn Staff (which school?) nn other

Spouse (if attending) ________________________________________________

Spouse’s grad year and school (if a TCK) ________________________________

Children & Ages:

1) ____________________________________________Age_________________

2) ____________________________________________Age_________________

3) ____________________________________________Age_________________

I would like help with childcare for _________ children.

I will nn drive nn fly (and not be renting a car) nn fly (and be renting a car)

Airport transportation:

O’Hare flat rate $26 if you use Americantaxi 630-305-0700

Midway flat rate $35 if you use Americantaxi

I would like to help with a reunion event: ________________________________

(i.e. Skit Night, Nigerian meal, Registration / Welcome, kids’ activities,

Videotaping, Photography, Tee Shirts, Memory Room, be a vendor - I have

___________________________________ to sell.)

I plan to arrive:

nn Evening of Thursday, July 2 (one day early)

nn am Friday, July 3

nn pm Friday, July 3

nn Saturday, July 4

nn Other, please specify ______________________________________________

I plan to leave: ____________________________________________________

REUNION RATES: • 2 nights’ lodging - July 3 & 4

Book directly with the hotel (charges are per night)

• Registration & 2 meals Friday dinner “regional menu” Saturday Nigerian / Liberian meal

Adults $65 x ________ = $ ________

Kids <12 $25 x ________ = $ ________

Rooming with (if not your family i.e. other alumni)

1) _____________________________________

2) _____________________________________

3) _____________________________________

4) _____________________________________

• Registration, breakfast, & African meal forSaturday only

Adults $45 x ________ = $ ________

Kids <12 $15 x ________ = $ ________

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE $______________

TOTAL AMOUNT DUE $______________

Make checks payable to: Hillcrest Alumni Association

Mail to: Steve Ackley 1526 Mayfield Ave. Garland, Texas 75041 214-536-5458 cell

Reunion website: www.hillcrest.myevent.comnn Yes, publish my name and graduation year on the

website. nn No, do not publish my name on the list of those

registered.

Registration FormKA/HC REUNION 2009

Chicago, IL10% late fee if registered after June 1, 2009 • All fees are NON-REFUNDABLE

16

BULLETIN BOARD

PHOTO PRESER-VATION TIP My folks’ slides were going greenand moldy, and the service of turningthem into photos was going to bevery expensive. So I bought one ofthose cheapo “slide trays” with alight that lets you sort slides. I fixed

my digital camera to a tripod andaimed the camera directly downwardat the tray and took a photo of eachslide. Turned out really well. John Lohrenz([email protected])

NEWS WEBSITE

www.faithtelegraph.com

Two AMKs have launched a news website: The

International Faith Telegraph: World Christian News &

Missions News. The founders place less focus on politi-

cal news, more focus on worldwide news, bringing read-

ers missions stories about individual missionaries and

organizations around the world. The website features a

variety of inspiring “good news” articles.

FACEBOOKIf you’re on Facebook,

check out the following groups:

KA (Kent Academy)

I’m a KA kid and I’m proud of it

Memories of Mr. Crouch

Hillcrest Baby!

We need a Hillcrest Group

E-MAILADDRESSESFOR RENT! Would you like to have an e-mail

address that says you are an MK?

[email protected] or

[email protected] are available

to anyone who is interested. Cost

is $12.00 per year. [email protected] for your

special e-mail address today!

TRAVELING TO

NIGERIA? I am hoping to take my wife, daughter, son-

in-law and maybe other siblings on a visit

to Nigeria and Benin in 2010. I would appre-

ciate any advice or suggestions that readers

may have for me. Gene Thamer

([email protected])

Editor’s Note: I’ve compiled some tips,

resources, and suggestions from several who

currently live in Nigeria or have recently

visited. Write to me at [email protected]

for a copy.

FREE INTERNATIONAL

PHONE CALLS Skype.com

Free phone calls to anyone in the world! All you need is for

both parties to have a computer with high speed Internet connec-

tion and a microphone and speakers attached (or a phone with a

USB port that plugs into your computer). Another very inexpen-

sive feature is “skype-out” which is euro-based. With skype-out,

you can call a phone from your computer at a hugely reduced

rate (like .02/min. to U.S. and Canada). You can use this when

calling friends and family when they are not at the computer (or

don’t have a computer); or friends in closed countries that don’t

allow skype; or when you want someone to turn on their com-

puter and you know they would if they knew you were looking

for them online.

MK KUDOS President Obama has appointed

retired Air Force General Scott Gration

(RV 69) to be the new Sudan Special

Envoy. Scott Gration’s parents were

AIM missionaries in Congo and in

Kenya. See:

http://africaaction.typepad.com/

LOOKING FOR

A LETTER An MK writes: I am wondering if any-

one knows of or remembers a letter that

was written by an MK (from South

America, I believe): “I am green . . . not

a very pretty green. . . .” I had it in my

possession years ago but have long

since misplaced it. If anyone remembers

this, it would be very helpful to me. I

am going through some rough patches

and it would provide insight. Please

respond to [email protected].

NIGERIAN PHOTOS

Paul Trigg recently posted to the Hillcrest listserve these URLs of images from Nigeria. If you mine here,

guaranteed that you will hit gold in this mix of personal and generic photos.

www.flickr.com/photos/thefolksinger/1576985257/

www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1483 www.flickr.com/photos/blyth/236304205/in/photostream/

www.flickr.com/photos/richard_milena/

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016575&l=5d679&id=1421156391

1974. Hi l lcres t senior guys . Don Shaw, Steve Husband, Steve Dowdell, Eldon Porter

H I L L C R E S T A R C H I V E S

B I N G H A M A R C H I V E S

Bingham kids. Do you know the names and the year?

Seen in downtown Stockholm by GraceAnne (Seger) Swanson

30

Who? Where?

Do you know this teacher and these kids?

S A H E L A R C H I V E S

31

Clip and Mail A D D R E S S C H A N G E S O R A D D I T I O N S Clip and Mail

First Name ____________________________________________________________Spouse’s Name ________________________________________________

Maiden Name ________________________________________________________________ Last Name______________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________________________________

State/Province ________________________________ Zip/Postal Code ______________ Country __________________________________________________________

Phone (Home) __________________________________________________________________Phone (Work) ____________________________________________________

Cell Phone __________________________________ E-mail ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Occupation ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

High school graduation year (based on U.S. system end of grade 12) ____________

Mission school(s) attended or affiliated with on mission field (please list all) ________________________________________________________________________

Affiliation with school as a ______ Student ______ Staff ______ Parent ______ Other Date of address change ____

I am sending a donation of $ ___________________ to SIM in honor of / in memory of __________________________________________________________________.

nn Please remove my name from the mailing list. nn Please cancel my paper copy and put me on the list to receive e-mail notification.

Send changes to [email protected] or to 222 Hyle Avenue, Murfreesboro, TN 37128

CONTACTSTo subscribe to a listserve (a chat group) for KA, Nigeria, or MK issues,

log on to: http://lists.mknet.org/mailman/listinfo

To subscribe to the BA group, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BA_alumni

To join the Hillcrest list, go to:http://lists.mknet.org/mailman/listinfo/hillcrest-l

To join the CCS list, write to: [email protected] and placethe words “subscribe alumni” in the body of your message.

To join the ELWA group, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ELWAKIDS/

American Cooperative School www.acslp.org

Bingham Academy [email protected]

Carachipampa www.carachipampa.org/[email protected]

Good Shepherd www.gss.mknet.org

Grace International School [email protected]

Hillcrest www.hillcrestschool.net

International Christian Academy www.ica-ed.org [email protected]

Murree Christian School www.mcs.org.pk [email protected]

Rift Valley www.riftvalleyacademy.com

Sahel Academy www.Sahelacademy.com [email protected]

Sakeji http://sakeji.marcato.org

Simroots Editor [email protected]

K A A R C H I V E S

K A Field Day March 1959. Arlys Goossen, Stephen Cox, BobbyHursh and Carol Lucas with ribbons

1969, 8 th grade overnighter. Bill O'Donovan, left front; CoraZobrist, to the right of his head; Sue Long to the right of Cora’s

head;Josianne Waridel (in glasses) across from him; Miss Pat (?) to hisright; Karen Seger in lower right

32

SIMROOTS222 Hyle Avenue

Murfreesboro, TN 37128-8535

United States of America

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

ZEELAND, MI 49464

PERMIT NO. 52

Visit our website at http://simroots.sim.org

See inside for

Reunion 2009 details!

On the nose of Camel Rock.Anyone know who these kids are?

K A A R C H I V E S

VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 2009 Dig Your Roots Deep—But … · VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 2009 ... had quite an...

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