Dee's News May-June 2012

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Emma Miller knows how difficult it is to further an education, especially when a student’s parents aren’t on-board to help or encourage. This is often the situation many former Amish find themselves in, once they leave the Amish. That’s exactly why Emma, along with Naomi Kramer, and William Troyer, decided to set up a scholarship fund for those students who are from Amish backgrounds. Here’s more info from Emma:

“The Scholarship is called Amish Descendent Scholarship Fund and the money would be deposited directly through the student's financial aid at the university. Usually they apply that to tuition first and if there is any left over, it can go towards books etc. The majority would likely go to tuition. 

I thought about (the scholarship) many times during the years I was studying and I'd mentioned it and people were very encouraging. On my graduation day I vowed I would do my best to get it started and I reached out to two other former-Amish who are in college and the three of us put it together. I kept a blog of the process so you can see it took us very long to get this far! www.adsfund.blogspot.com/

We don't know how much the scholarship will be yet. We have to raise the money. Hopefully we'll have an estimate by May. 

We would like to first help those who came directly from an Amish background and have Amish parents who are not supportive of their decision to study. We feel like those are the ones who need the most support and encouragement. 

The money will be kept at The Mennonite Foundation in Goshen Indiana and the scholarship winner will be chosen based on grades, need, and a written essay. 

The money will come from donations, which we are still working on. There has been some interest from sponsors, but we haven't locked in a large amount yet. We have faith that we can at least raise enough money to give one scholarship by June and then lock in some sponsors who can donate annually so we're not starting from scratch each year. I am planning on donating as well, especially once I'm working full time again. (I'm finishing up a Masters degree in May.)

Our plans are to award the first (scholarship) around June/July of this year which would go towards the fall semester. 

Potential applicants should keep an eye on the website at http://adsfund.weebly.com/scholarship-application-information.html. We will update the information as soon as we're ready to take applications. They will have to fill out a form and write a short essay and supply copies of their grades (either GED or college grades) and their proof of acceptance or enrolment at a college. 

There is a form to fill out on the website which will go to me or they can email me directly at emmamiller.adsfund@gmail.com.

Our website is: http://adsfund.weebly.com/index.html

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amish-Descendant-Scholarship-Fund-ADSFund/132258213452458

Thank you for sharing this information, Emma! Please copy and paste the links above into your internet browser to donate or to apply.

One person was killed and two others injured in a one-car accident in Mansfield on March 6. The driver of the car, John Miller, 18, died in the accident. Also injured in the accident were Wayne Miller Jr., 18, and Marvin Schlabach, 18. John Miller and Wayne Miller are sons from different Amish families in Knox County and Schlabach is the son of a Smyickburg, Pennsylvania Amish family. All had moved to Mansfield and worked with Keim Construction. Wayne Miller, Jr. has since returned to his Amish family. Marvin Schlabach is recovering from his injuries with rehab in Mansfield, Ohio. Please keep the family of John and the injured young men, Wayne, Jr. and Marvin, in your prayers.

Mary Keim has a reason to celebrate! She passed her driver’s test and earned her license! Mary’s husband, LeRoy posted this about his wife and her accomplishment: “Rejoice with me! Mary passed her driving test! And to celebrate I'm taking her out for lunch at Ryan’s steakhouse! One proud woman! And I love her!”

Congratulations, Mary!

William Keim headed up another mission trip to Haiti on January 7th to 15th, 2012. 

William reports “the ministry our group hooked up with was LSM (Loving Shepherd Ministry) Homes of Hope. LSM, who takes in orphans and trains them life skills, bought a ranch in Haiti. The ranch is 200 miles from the airport and it took another 5-6 hours by bus to finally get there, but it was worth it.

They plan to have a school on the ranch and teach the orphans how to farm, so they are in need of quite a few buildings. Some will be used for housing animals, storing machinery and shops. The buildings that will be concrete, which cost more but help keep the temperature cooler, will be used for housing the orphans and clinics for the sick. Wooden buildings are hotter in summer, but are also cheaper.

Our group was to show and teach the Haitian men how to build a pole barn which could withstand 150 an hour winds. Their goal is to build 21 pole barns. Although there were a couple Haitian men who knew some English, and our guys did try to use the Haitian language when they could by using a translation chart and by memorizing common words, the language most used was pointing and hand gesturing.

It was such a wonderful opportunity to see how another country worships God. Actually, they even sing the same hymns we do, but in a different language. Our lives have been changed from this trip.”

Those who went were William and Jenica Keim, Abe Schrock, Malinda Hershberger, Levi Shetler, and John Miller. (Note from Dee: John Miller passed away from injuries he received in a car accident in March. He will be missed by his friends and loved ones.)

One marriage counselor I know has a unique approach to bringing couples closer together. He asks them to set their dinner table with candlesticks and fine china. He tells them both to dress in their very best.

The husband is to shave, splash on cologne, and wear a suit and tie. The wife is to do her hair, put on make-up, and wear her most elegant dress. Then they are to light the candles and eat their meal. 

According to the counselor, this simple assignment improves almost every marriage. Why? When we're dressed up, we tend to behave better. People are more polite when they look nice and are in a more formal setting. Candlesticks, fine china, and good grooming provide this setting. 

When a husband and wife are rude, crude, insensitive, or inattentive toward each other, you know something is wrong. Yet when they treat each other well and show gentleness, patience, thoughtfulness, or caring toward one another, you know their marriage is probably very healthy. You say to yourself, "There is a couple in love." You might even say, "I wish we could be more like that." 

Sometimes, in an attempt to improve our relationships, we create a list of all the things our spouse could and should do better. This strategy rarely works. The only thing it accomplishes is to make us more frustrated and discontented. I suggest that you start with yourself. As you become more polite and kindhearted, sooner or later your spouse will notice. (I promise she will.) In time, it will start to rub off on her — probably not as fast as you wish it would, but if you are patient and consistent, things will improve. Unfortunately, most of us get tired and give up too soon. We nag and demand and threaten and decide to give him a little of his own medicine. In doing so, we become just as rude as he is, and things get worse instead of better. 

Make a commitment to start with yourself. Start today to be more polite and less demanding, more considerate and less obnoxious, more generous and less hurtful, more attentive and less distracted, more thankful and less selfish. As a psychologist, I call this "positive regard." When you treat your spouse with positive regard, she soon begins to feel better about herself, about you, and about your marriage. Positive regard communicates acceptance, respect, and honor. Good manners do the same thing. 

Another great way to mind your manners is to say, "I'm sorry." For some reason this seems especially hard for guys. The words are so simple, but we don't say them nearly as often as we should. Good manners demand that you say, "I'm sorry" whenever it is needed. Unfortunately, many couples don't recognize when it is needed. 

So here are twelve times to say, "I'm sorry":

• When you are wrong
• When you are rude
• When you are defensive
• When you are impatient
• When you are negative
• When you are hurtful
• When you are insensitive
• When you are forgetful
• When you are confused or confusing
• When you have neglected something important to the one you love
• When you have damaged something that was your partner's
• When you have not said, "I'm sorry" as sincerely or quickly as you should have

These two words are not a cure-all for bad manners, but they certainly don't hurt.. In the southern states they often call good manners "social graces." Ann Platz and Susan Wales, two southern belles who have written a book on etiquette and charm, say that good manners are a way to show our love. When we truly love someone we act a certain way. 

Being polite is simply an effort to be kind, show respect, and treat others in the way they most desire to be treated. Wales sums it up this way: "Where there is love, there are manners." And let me add this: Where there are good manners, there is the potential for a great marriage.

Copyright © 2006, Dr. Steve Stephens, Used with permission.

The family of Renae Schwartz gave her a baby shower on Sunday, April 1st at 2:30. It was held at the Cardinal Center Campground Banquet Room in Marengo. About 60 or 70 friends and relatives helped celebrate the coming birth of little Jaxon Daniel Schwartz, who is due June 22nd. Congratulations to Renae and Daniel!

Harvey Swartzentruber joined the Lakeholm Nazarene Church, Sunday, March 4. The pastor, Rev. Scott Sharpes, also included in his sermon Harvey's testimony. Harvey is the Production and Shipping Manager at 64 Metals, St. Louisville, Ohio, and married to Lynsey (Nixon).