sa newsletter february 2012

8/3/2019 SA Newsletter February 2012

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Prayer Household of theMonth

Each month we’ll pray for aspecific unit. For the monthof February, please pray forthe Albany unit. They are:

Jule Horsch Jenny Isaak

Melissa JantziKelsey KlaiberBethanie Wedel

Lauren & Mark EashHershberger, unit leaders

Prayer Request

Pray for your localcongregation and yourhome congregation thismonth.

February Birthdays

2 – Heidi McHugh, Philippi2 – Mike McHugh, Philippi2 – Allison Shetler, Philippi15 – Kelsey Klaiber, Albany 18 – Mark Eash Hershberger,

Albany

18 – Melanie Alwine, Johnstown

February 2012

Meet the Albany Unit!Each month we will use this newsletter as a way to learn more about what’s going on throughout Service Adventure and to get to know people in a specific location. This month we are focusing on the Albany, Oregon Service Adventure unit. Enjoy getting to know a bitabout who they are and what they are doing this year.

From left to Right: Jennifer Isaak, Melissa Jantzi, Bethanie Wedel, Juliane Horsch, Lauren Eash Hershberger, Kelsey Klaiber, and

Mark Eash Hershberger



Service Adventure News

Name and Service Assignment: Kelsey Klaiber (Ohio), activities assistantat the Mennonite VillageBest SA experience so far: running around like children at the coast (playing jump rope with seaweed, etc.)Most awkward SA experience so far: trying to jump over a fence to the

port-a-johns in fear of having an accident What I’m known for (according to others): getting tons of care-packages,loving the Beatles, saying that every movie is her favorite, saying “anyway”as a word to agree with someone, wanting to go to Denny’s late at night, wearing her TOMs shoes until they are in shreds, always being up for anadventure

Name and Service Assignment: Jule Horsch (Germany), assistant in

before and after school program, teacher’s assistant at South ShoreElementary, worker at Helping Hands Homeless ShelterBest SA experience so far: jumping from a cliff into the water of CraterLakeMost awkward SA experience so far: accidentally running into a glass doorat a progressive dinner while almost everyone was inside watching me What I’m known for (according to others): dance parties, mad piano skills,being protective of her bed, awesome voice, sledding down the stairs(finding entertainment in random things), fun to mess around with/tease

Name and Service Assignment: Jenny Isaak (Germany), teacher’ assistant at South Shore Elementary and South Albany High school,helper at Quail Run at the Mennonite VillageBest SA experience so far: being invited to people’s houses fordinner for ten days in a row (and not having to cook!)Most awkward SA experience so far: a teacher at the elementary school asking me whether I was a student or a teacher What I’m known f or (according to others): baking German bread,

talking in weird accents (not her normal one!), singing in harmony toalmost every song, her love of oldies music, fruit-lover, awesome glasses




Name and Service Assignment: Bethanie Wedel (Kansas), cashier atHabitat for Humanity, teacher’s assistant at South Shore Elementary Best SA experience so far: jumping into Crater Lake and going to thecoastMost awkward SA experience so far: when people don’t know my name

What I’m known for (according to others): always has chap stick toshare, she is “the orange head”, loving purple, Glee fan, amazing memory, country music, doing her chores

Name and Service Assignment: Melissa Jantzi (Virginia), worker at Helping Hands Homeless Shelter, assistant in the Alzheimer’s unit at the Mennonite VillageBest SA experience so far: forming deep relationships with the residents atHelping Hands- I hope that I have been even a fraction of the blessing thatthey have been to me

Most awkward SA experience so far: arriving to work with the back of my pants wet from my wet bike seat What I’m known for (according to others): filling the house with Phantom of the Opera music, popcorn eater, loving used book stores, loving Audrey Hepburn, coffee fanatic, appreciating old movies, loving babies

Name and Service Assignment: Lauren Eash Hershberger (Indiana), SAleader, part-time nanny, Zumba instructorBest SA experience so far: camping in a yurt and taking a three-hour nap (whilemissing the rain!)Most awkward SA experience so far: feeling like the ‘odd ones’ while being theonly ones with clothes on at the hot springs near Eugene What I’m known for (according to others): shaking her booty at Zumba, loving curry, loving her ferrets, goofy sense of humor, being “momma bear” to the“cubs”, getting everyone hooked on knitting, being a super-nanny, great cook

Name and Service Assignment: Mark Eash Hershberger (Indiana), SA leader, marketing assistant atCoastal Farm and RanchBest SA experience so far: finding fun things to do when we didn’t have

lights in the evening for a week Most awkward SA experience so far: having to ask for the part of my present that was left out because it may have seemed too girly (really- it isok to give me lotion! ) What I’m known for (according to others): playing the ukulele around thehouse, singing songs without the correct lyrics, being “papa bear”, loving the game Settlers, calling the house in alternate personalities, being a great artist, always cheerful and fun




Other thoughts….

Probably one of the most exciting things about Service Adventureis the weekends and what you make out of them. Almost every weekend since we’ve been here, we have gone somewhere really

exciting. For example, we went to Crater Lake, one of the mostbeautiful places we’ve all probably ever seen, and to make anadventure out of it we jumped off a cliff into the ice-cold water. We already went to Portland a coupleof times, to go to a concert, to the Saturday market, and to check out other fun places. Some weeks ago we went up to Seattle, and had a blast up there. As you can see, we use our weekends to have a greattime, and I only named some of the things we did in the last 4 months. The best part is probably that westill have almost six months to go to see even more places and enjoy our time together. -Jule Horsch

Albany Mennonite is a very welcoming and hospitable community who loves Service Adventure. Itsmembers are very generous and love to give away: barely a day goes by that we don’t receive acontribution from a member of the church. Albany Mennonite really has been a blessing to all of us.

Not only are the sermons of our awesome Pastor Meghan an encouragement but also the people’sconstant display of love is an encouragement to me. – Jenny Isaak

When I first considered taking a year off, my greatest concern was the feeling of being left behind by allof my classmates. I knew that I would go back to college the year after, and then I would forever becatching up to my friends. Somehow, I got over this fear enough to apply and ultimately join theprogram Service Adventure, and I’ve been grateful ever since. Having this time away from classes andhomework has been a fantastic opportunity for me to refocus on the important things in life. Living incommunity helps me remember the importance of relationships with others, and full time volunteer work keeps me focused on the importance of my relationship with God. These past months have

directly prepared me for college by helping confirm my decision to be a nursing major through my work at the Mennonite Village retirement home. I’m also sure that the countless unique experiences that Ihave had through volunteering, living in community, and simply living in a new part of the country willalso be unforeseeably valuable in the future. At first I thought that a year off would set me behind my peers, but now I see that in many aspects, this year has sent me far ahead. – Melissa Jantzi




Service Adventure gives participants loads of work experience. Itlets you get out into the real world. We get to work in places thatfit what we like. If someone wants to be a teacher, they can volunteer at the school and get inside knowledge of a teaching job. Or if they want to work in the medical field, they can take a

CNA class at the nursing home to prepare them. We get toexperience lots of different work places too. Some of us work atthe homeless shelter. Working there, you get a chance to hear lifestories of some of the people there. Even though they don’t havemuch going for them now, they still know that God has bright

plans for them. Whatever we do or wherever we work, all of us have a blast and can’t wait to go to work in the morning. There are all sorts of different experiences to be had each day.

We all really enjoy our jobs here in Albany. We get a lot of different experiences from our variousplacements. Every night, sitting around the table for dinner, we always have awesome stories of ourdays. Those of us who work at the school come home with crazy stories of what the kids did that day.

We’ve heard fascinating life stories from residents at the retirement home and intriguing stories of how the people at the homeless shelter are trying to turn their lives around. These are some of the things that we’ll keep with us even after we go back home. Biking to work in the rain doesn’t even seem all thatterrible when we know that what we do helps out our community. - Bethanie Wedel

Every Monday we have our learning components. We always havelots of fun. Some of our learning components were making peanutbutter play dough, making bracelets, and making German bread.One time we lay in the driveway, with our pillows, and watchedMark change the oil in the car. We even got to dance around the

living room when Jule taught us to do ballroom dance and cha-cha-cha. - Kelsey Klaiber

10 Things We Recommend You Do While You Are in Oregon1. Visit Crater Lake (make sure you bring your swimsuit)!2. Go to the coast for some beautiful hiking.3. Take a trip to Powell’s used bookstore in Portland. Its three floors cover an entire city block! 4. Crabbing 5. Explore Portland and the Saturday Market.6. See the ten falls at Silver Falls State Park.

7. Hang out in coffee shops in Corvallis (our favorite is the Beanery).8. There is no sales tax here — shop!!9. Hang out in your car while someone else pumps your gas.10. Camp in a yurt- basically a tent with beds and heat!




Albany Photos

sa newsletter february 2012

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