Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Within REACH

Note: I published this on Dani's Daily Thousand by accident. It was meant for my newer blog, Dani's Discoveries, which you can access with this link.


Can one visit 52 different conservative Anabaptist-run ministries (and talk personally with some of the people that make those ministries happen) all in one – or two – days? Is there such a possibility? Well, there is, and it’s within REACH.

In my last post, I mentioned that recently Ken & I had the privilege of attending REACH, which is a ministries convention put on by Faith Builders every two years on a weekend in March. It’s held at a huge Calvary Church near Lancaster, PA. By huge, I mean big enough in its main auditorium to seat the 2000-plus people that attend on Friday, the second day of the two-day event, when entire high school grades from some schools will cancel classes and come and add to the 1739 other people who are already there.

It also has the capacity to comfortably handle the 15 or so breakout sessions that take place simultaneously at different times throughout the day. What may not be so comfortable is navigating the foyers and halls teeming with attendees to get to the breakout sessions rooms on the four different levels of the building.

The first year Ken and I went to REACH, we went to separate workshops during the breakouts time – Ken to a basement room and I to a chapel smaller than the main auditorium on the same level. When we met up again, the first thing Ken said to me was, “There’s another whole church down there!” It’s good that current Faith Builders students were strategically placed throughout the church to assist the throng in getting to the proper rooms.

Another large room on the main level of the massive church was lined with tables where the 52 different ministries set up their displays of literature and “advertising” pens, handbags, candy, or, as in one case, office scissors. (score!) Typically, two or three people associated with the ministry manned the booth; someone was on hand to explain briefly what the ministry is about and to answer questions anyone might have about it.

It was also the room in which to figure on taking a long time to get from point A to point B on account of meeting up with people you hadn’t seen for years. Depending on where you were headed though, you may have chosen to streamline your encounters, narrowing them down to mere seconds: Hello, ____! Face lights up and big smile appears. How are you? Doing well, and you? Good too. So good to see you again. You, too! See you later. (maybe or maybe not, you think as you graciously slip away and go another few feet until bumping into the next friend or acquaintance)

One of my favorite things about REACH is listening to the speakers in the main assemblies and in the breakout sessions. Throughout the talks on God’s will in the Kingdom, the power of the Gospel, finding identity in Christ, being faithful in supporting roles, reflecting the image and glory of God as a woman, and bringing Light to darkness, I just kept thinking oh, this is so good. People at REACH are passionate about the King and being in His Kingdom service. There’s something very energizing about mingling with that many people who have the same focus – someone said you can “feel it in the air”, and I think I know what he meant. It’s not hard at all for me to imagine the Spirit moving through the place as a rushingmightywind.


I also got to feeling slightly overwhelmed by so many opportunities in ministry. After hearing the 20-second blurbs about each of the 52 ministries participating at REACH 2019, hearing longer explanations of a few of those during Ministry Focus sessions, and browsing many of the display tables set up in the Ministry Displays Room, I realized I could be involved in soooo many areas.

I could pray, counsel, camp, send money, stock books, visit prisoners, study, nurse, broadcast, support, fly, preach (okay, maybe some of these I couldn’t do since I’m not a pilot and since I am an Anabaptist woman), publish, train, sing, and bake. I could teach – how about in a city school? and I love language – it would be fun to get involved in Bible translation somehow, and that couple who turned their home into a haven for troubled Anabaptist young women inspired me (how could one not be intrigued by a ministry with a name like Aquila Villa?!) So many opportunities are within REACH!


And as if it wasn’t enough God-saturation (really, though, could one ever get too much?) to be at REACH for two days, on Saturday night we went and saw Jesus, what’s showing right now at Sight & Sound in Lancaster. I loved the emphasis placed on Jesus rescuing people, ordinary people, like me. I cried a bunch. There was a young girl – maybe 8 years old? – sitting with her family in the row behind us, and I heard her sniffles at times throughout the story, and her tearful explanation to her mom during the crucifixion scene: “I don’t want Him to die!” and felt I understood completely.

But even Ken joined me in crying joyful tears at the Resurrection scene. It was just so delightfully moving. Jesus didn’t end with the Resurrection, though; it went even beyond the Ascension, to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the transformed disciples writing and telling The Good News. (Right back to that ministry/witnessing theme we’d been hearing at REACH!)

So, yes, I came home from that weekend in Lancaster with my head and heart full. My devotion to Christ is deeper, my understanding of discipleship is broader, my longing to show and tell Him to others, greater. The question is Where do I start to put to practice what I have discovered?

Perhaps right at home is the place to begin. Around my kitchen table. Being gracious with family members in conversation. (I felt like you were interrupting me. Really? And here I thought I couldn’t finish what I was saying because you were interrupting me!) Listening long to a chatty neighbor lady on the phone. Engaging in friendly conversation with the checkout person who is tossing my groceries into the bags willy-nilly rather than me pointedly packing them my way while stewing inside.

I want to remember what I discovered in a recent Sunday School class on Power in God’s Kingdom. Our teacher pointed out that, while there is definite power in sudden, loud and blasty things, there is also power in the long, quiet, and unpretentious things of life, such as a seed growing into a tree that bears fruit. In ministry, I want to realize the slow power of God. “The kingdom of God is within you” Jesus said in describing to the Pharisees how the Kingdom would look. Slowly, quietly, faithfully, I can begin Kingdom ministry. This is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit of God who dwells inside me – within reach.

This Post’s Quotable:


“They almost fit,” she said.

This Post’s Childhood Memory:

I remember what a treat it was to Go to the Bookmobile when I was a little girl. The bookmobile was a bus, a commercial-sized one, converted into a portable library. Every few weeks (in the summer?) this delightful books-on-wheels phenomenon made a stop at The Log Cabin Store, which was only a quarter mile or so down the dirt road from where we lived, and Mom would take us children to visit it. We’d take back the books we’d checked out on our previous visit, and spend time browsing for another set to take home this time. I remember entering the bookmobile through the tall, narrow, hinged doors and smelling the black ribbed rubber of the inside steps and aisles, as well as the paper and ink of the books. It was a hushed and enchanted world. We got to go to the children’s books section among the shelves and shelves of books, sit on the low circular metal stools and pull out some interesting-looking books to pore over right there and to, glory be, choose a few on our very own to enjoy at home – for a couple of weeks. I loved the large square books, with crinkly plastic over the covers and lots of pictures, such as the Richard Scarry series. It was also extremely fascinating to watch the librarian take the card out of the little pocket in each book we were checking out and ink the date on it with her little rubber stamp.




 Did you ever visit REACH or a bookmobile? What were your impressions of either?

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Introducing New Blog



Hello, Everyone,
This is to inform you that I have started a new blog. Mosey on over to Dani's Discoveries here, if you care to check that out. Note: I am still in the process of starting out, so things will be different than on Dani's Daily Thousand. Please bear with me as I tweak and twiddle.
Have a great day!
Danette, aka Dani

Friday, January 11, 2019

2018 Ken Martin Family Update



A Few of our Favorite Things...
in 2018


A Favorite Person (for Ken & me)

We’ve had another year of ordinary and extraordinary experiences as a married couple - times of laughter and feeling close to each other and times of tears and working through challenges or misunderstandings. We celebrated our 30th anniversary in October. We plan to extend the celebration by going on a two-week trip to Costa Rica at the end of January. We’re so excited – the day Ken booked our flights and made the reservation for our week at a seaside resort, we were practically dancing with happy anticipation. 
A Favorite Family
We are so blessed to call this particular group of people, The Kenites, our family. We always enjoy spending time with our little tribe, whether it’s in our own living room or backyard, on a trip, at a cottage or at a local event. Some family time highlights this year include the February Family Day outing that Ken, Kerra and I had when we visited Kayleen at Faith Builders in Guys Mills, PA (where she was a student in a two-year teacher training course). We got to sit in on her classes and interact with some of her classmates. Later, our whole family attended Kayleen’s graduation at FB on May 19. Another lovely together time was when we all stayed at a cottage near Tobermory, ON for a few days in August. We greatly enjoyed relaxing, canoeing, playing games, cooking, reading, and exploring/hiking at The Grotto, a gorgeous area on the shore of Georgian Bay in Bruce Peninsula National Park.
For last year’s Christmas gift, Ken gave the family tickets to a play, “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It was very enjoyable to watch that (and then discuss our impressions of it afterward) one evening in September. There were also the rather impromptu gatherings for family birthdays or “just because” that were special, too. We all love being with Rolin & Joy at their house in Hawkesville (about 10 minutes from our house) and with Ricky & Jasmine in their basement apartment home in Etobicoke, a district of Toronto, where they moved in September to be closer to Ricky’s school (he’s finishing up a 3-year course in graphic design at Humber College). 
A Favorite Visitor


In July, a fine young man named Carlin Atkinson started showing up at our house some weekends. His main purpose in coming here has been getting to know Kayleen better. Carlin comes from Lock Haven, PA, but his current job is at Faith Builders as “the IT guy”. He is smart, keen on details, and is very thoughtful of others – especially Kayleen. 😊 We love it when he comes. Other visitors we enjoyed hosting at different times throughout the year were “Bear” (aka Keith Yates), our blind, burly, beloved friend who pays us a visit every fall, Schrock relatives who came to take in a birthday celebration for “Grandpa Brenneman”, and Kayleen’s FB friends. For instance, when the Faith Builders Chorale came through our area, Kayleen had the nine girls in her class here as overnight guests.
Ken gave me some outdoor furniture for my birthday this year. I liked using the umbrella table and chairs out on our new backyard patio area numerous times this summer when we hosted groups such as Ken’s Grade 10 classmates, our small Bible Study group, and some of our orchard workers when their relatives were up from Trinidad for a visit.    

A Favorite Trip


In July, Ken & I, Ricky & Jasmine and Kayleen went on a trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota where we had three family reunions – small, medium and large in size. We started out by spending several days with my family, the Tribe of Dan as we call it, at a church campground (with cottages) on the shores of Clam Lake, WI. We did the usual eating, gabbing, playing Wiffle ball and reminiscing that we do at Schrock reunions, but we also did a unique activity which made special memories. As a family, we sang the choruses and some of the solos/duets/special parts of the cantata “David the Shepherd Boy”, directed by Dad.
From that campground we traveled to Camp Jim in MN for a big Kauffman reunion, which includes my uncles & aunts and their descendants on Mom-Eva’s side of the family. On the way there, we stopped at a park where we met Ken’s sister Laurel and Verlynn’s family for a picnic and a few hours of visiting and playing Spikeball. That was the mini reunion in between the medium and large ones. Fun times were had by all.
A Favorite Church Social

I’d actually be rather hard pressed to choose a favorite among the ethnic meal, the literary/talent night and the weekend-long church camping event as some of the church socials we had this year. Ken & I were the senior couple of the team to plan Grace Church’s monthly activities, so we put extra thought and energy into these times. It was rewarding to see the large group enjoying what we had designed for an event.
Perhaps the latest events with our church family have been more special with the knowledge that these will be the last with Grace Church as we know it. We are starting a second congregation in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Lord willing, this new group will begin to hold services in March of this year. Our family plans be a part of this new venture.  
A Favorite Outing

In March, I took Kayleen & Kerra and Joy & Jasmine, my “Dear Daughs and DILs”, on our third almost-annual KM Ladies’ Outing. We four locals (at the time) drove to Erie, PA on a Friday night and Kayleen drove over from Faith Builders to meet us there. We had a nice supper at a restaurant near our motel that evening, after which we hung out in our motel room. We had a good discussion on our one-word theme for the weekend this year - “change”.  The next day we went to some bookstores, thrift stores and regular shopping places. After a lovely late lunch at Olive Garden, we headed home, getting back to our menfolk in decent time on a Saturday evening.
A Favorite Announcement

One Friday evening in October when Ken and I were home alone, Rolin phoned to share some special news. We are going to be grandparents! Yay!! I think if you would have sneaked up on Ken or me during the next few days after that, you could have easily caught us smiling to each other or to ourselves. Rolin and Joy’s baby is due to arrive in April, so we have a few more months to prepare for grandparenthood, if there is such a thing. Certainly the wee one is already mentioned in our prayers. 
Some Favorite Joys-after-mourning




March was a difficult month for us. One chilly evening we got the startling news that Martin’s large apple storage building in Vienna (MFFF orchards site, located a good hour’s drive from here) was on fire! The entire structure was destroyed, along with apple storage equipment and a quarter of last year’s apple crop. The heaps of twisted metal and blackened fruit in the smoking ruins made such a disheartening scene, but it wasn’t long until tendrils of hope began to appear in the whole situation. And always, there was the gratitude that no human life was lost in the fire. Clean-up seemed to take a long time. Over the summer, rebuilding commenced with the promise that storage space would be available in the new building for the 2018 apple crop. God arranged for this to happen, using the skills of many workers. The electrical work was delayed considerably; the equipment was finally up and running “on its own” weeks after all the harvest was in, making us thankful for a powerful generator in the meantime.
Around the same time as the storage fire occurred, Ken’s dad got the results of some medical testing he’d had and it wasn’t good news. The doctors discovered cancer in his colon. In May, Dad Martin had surgery to remove the cancer. Thanks to the Great Healer, the surgery was successful and Dad didn’t need any further cancer treatment. It is such a blessing to see that Dad’s health has recovered over the months since his surgery. Now he is waiting on another surgery date - he is having a lot of pain in his one hip which needs to be replaced. 
A Favorite Lesson Learned

Kerra attended SMBI, a Bible School in PA, for a 6-week term in the Spring. She also went on the week-long choir tour following term, so she was gone seven consecutive weeks in April and May. Since she had teaching responsibilities at Countryside School, (teacher’s helper in Gr. 1, tutor in Gr. 2, music teacher for Grades 1-4, teacher of a few other classes) she had to find a sub for those weeks she was absent…and it seemed – at the time – to make the most sense to have her mom fill in for her. I was glad to make it possible for Kerra to experience Bible School and for the most part, I enjoyed my teaching stint, but I was not prepared for just how much it would stretch me. At times I allowed my perfectionism to reign and took the job too seriously before I learned heavy dependence on the Master Teacher.
Still, there are numerous fun – and funny – times I recall from my time at CCS. One day the second-grade boy I tutored had the word “mission” in his new spelling list; to introduce the word to him I asked if he’d ever heard of someone going on the mission field. He nodded and pointed to a picture of a field out west in his spelling book and declared that it was a mission field. This same student, a farmer at heart, told me in spelling class that he didn’t know about the town kind of mayor, but he knows about a mother horse “mayor”. I chuckled over this sentence on a first-grade girl’s paper: “One time the hiderow whent of.” (Perhaps it would help you in decoding this message to know that here in Canada we sometimes refer to electricity as “hydro”) Another lol moment was the time I was waiting on a second-grade boy to come in for recess and one of the girls in his class told me that I’d be waiting a long time because he was in England! Turns out he was in London, ON for an appointment that day!
A Favorite Quote

In closing, here is a quote that describes our thoughts well as we stand at the Year Gate, thinking back over 2018 while peering into 2019:

“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied:
‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.”

This was written by Minnie Haskins as a preamble to her poem called “God Knows”. Minnie served as a missionary in India for awhile; does the last line, “in the lone East”, refer to India? Could we also read into it an allusion to Jesus? He is our Daybreak, and He will return for us one day, “splitting the eastern sky” as some songs describe it. Into your life wherever you find yourself right now, may your Daybreak dawn!

With Love for our Favorite Friends!
Thank you for your friendship and your contribution to our lives. It is truly a gift.
Gratefully,
Ken & Danette, Kayleen and Kerra Martin