The Midwest for Mexico Update #2
Through 2-28-01
Written by Byran Smucker
It is so bitterly cold in this state (Minnesota I think is where we're at).
2-26
After our encouraging foray into doughnuts (see last update), we hit the road again.
Here's our brave, fearless, gentle, caring, benevolent leader at the wheel.
I have heard stories about Maranatha for years, so when I learned that we had a chance to visit there, I was whole-heartedly in favor of it. Paul had not called ahead, and he didn't know that he would know anybody there, so we were a bit uncertain when we finally found the school. So who's about the first person we see when we walk in? Christy Hershberger who, if you were on the Mexico Trip (if you don't know what the Mexico Trip is, I'm sorry; maybe the editor will explain) (Editor's note: nope, buy the CD with all the pictures and updates and movies on it if you want to know, send me an email.), you probably met, or at least saw. I know that she didn't expect to see any Oregonians; she looked rather shocked.
It turns out that John Coblentz was there, as well as a man named Pete Peters, both who Paul knew. Pete took us on a tour of the facility.
There are three terms at Maranatha. The first two are just three weeks long and the age limit is 17. This term is the third, which is six weeks long and 18 is the limit. Because of this, and the fact that the student size is about cut in half (and this was said repeatedly by staff), the atmosphere is much more relaxed and "less structured." Actually, I did not find the atmosphere oppressive at all, and when we were around the environment was fairly subdued.
Here's John Coblentz teaching a class.
So we had a grand tour of the whole school, we peeked into a couple classes, we observed the people a little bit, and just had a good time learning about what Maranatha is like. It turns out, by the way, that there are three students there from the Russian Mennonite Colonies in Mexico. One of them even knew Grace Reimer, who I just went to Bible School with myself.
Talk about a grand tour. We even got to work on the boiler!
And adjust all the valves!
After our tour was over, we were standing around talking for a little while, and Paul had made some preliminary indications that it was getting time to go, when Pete, our tour guide and all around good guy, lamented the fact that we weren't there at a time when we could sing for the school. A class had just let out, so he got the idea to call over the PA system for everybody to meet in the chapel so we could sing for them. So the whole student body came streaming by us into the chapel, and we soon followed and sang three songs. Everyone acted like they liked it. And then after that, they even fed us some homemade pretzels, cheese, and more! So it was an all around positive stop.
Very positive.
One sidenote. We were sitting around eating our snack and talking, when we got to talking about the sardine parties they have around there periodically. Sardine parties? There are two people on staff that like sardines enough to be somewhat fanatical about them. So, depending on the amount of students who share their interest, they have these parties every so often in which everyone who takes part brings their own sardines, then they go to a trailer or down to the boiler room and just sit around and eat sardines and drink pop. You definitely want to be the punctual type coming to these gatherings. It's sort of like the proverbial frog in the water. He'll jump out if he's thrust in scathing water, but if you gradually warm it, he'll stay and die. If you get there on time, you sort of get used to the odor of the little fish, but if you arrive late, the stench is all but unbearable. (Editor's note: they're real picky about the kind of mustard that they use too.)
After we left Maranatha, we headed for Grove City, Minnesota, the home church of Dorcas Smucker.
There isn't any room to spare in our minivan, we're packed in there like sardines.
We arrived sort of late, with only a half hour to spare before the service, so by the time we had changed clothes it was about time to begin. Paul probably got more questions there than anywhere else about why he didn't bring his wife and children along. Later on when we were discussing when we needed to leave the next day, someone mentioned that whenever Paul's had been out here before, they always stayed a lot longer. Dorcas never let it be short.
We all stayed at Amos and Sara Yoder's (Dorcas' parents) basement, which was a very nice accommodation.
2-27
Here's a view out the door, there's a ton of snow around here and it's very frigid.
This was taken not long after I got up, around 11 in the morning. This was after it had "warmed up" from the -18 that it was earlier.
There is a man named Jerry from the church that is into snowmobiles (they call them sleds out here). He has three of his own, and he rounded up three more, so he took all of us out.
Here's a few of them, they were very nice machines.
But first, we had to dress for the occasion. None of us brought enough clothes, some brought more than others, but they had enough suits and helmets and stuff for us all. It was a blast! I was a bit timid at first, but I was following Jerry, Tom, and Konrad, so I had to lose my tentativeness or get way behind. Well, I lost my tentativeness--at least I thought so. (Editor's note: he was starting to lose it!) My top speed was about 62 mph. That is screaming fast, let me tell you, but I found out afterwards that Konrad got up close to 70, and Dorcas, your husband got up to 80 miles per hour! We had no major accidents, however. We did have a very minor one. Jerry took us to this big drift where we were catching some air on some jumps, and once Konrad landed off-kilter and fell off. No harm was done, and he was back jumping about as soon as he got back on.
Here's Konrad actually staying on the sled.
And here's our friend Jerry!
I also took several cool mpeg movies on the snowmobile, if you want to see them buy the cd-rom I'm selling with all the pictures and movies and updates and cool stuff on it. They're only five bucks each. Send me an email.
After our exhilarating experience, we settled down to another few hours in the van. This is, or rather was, a nice van. Right now it is so filthy on the outside and cluttered on the inside that nice is not an accurate adjective. But it's been kind to us, keeping us warm (except for Tom when he doesn't wear his sweatshirt; he's rather cold-blooded) and getting us to our destinations. (Editor's note: these people I'm traveling with don't even hardly use the heater in the van! They're always complaining how hot it is and turning it off. And this is in the Arctic practically!)
Next on our places to go was Nashwauk, Minnesota. We were looking forward to this church because we knew that this was where Amanda Zook was teaching school.
Amanda says "Hi" to all her friends in Oregon.
She took the place of Crystal Gingerich, who Tom and I had just gotten to know at BMA Bible Institute. And she had just visited Nashwauk. She left the morning before we arrived, in fact. We had a good service at the church, and afterwards they had some refreshments (which is always a good thing), where we renewed some acquaintances and made some new ones. Glenda Mast, who had spent a year teaching at the school in Sheridan, is also teaching there at the Nashwauk school.
Tom, Konrad, and David stayed at the head teacher's (Rick Rhodes) house, and rudely kept him up until 1:30 in the morning! They obviously didn't have to get up early like he did. Actually, he really enjoyed it; they were showing him, as fellow-laptop users, some stuff that he had never seen before. (Editor's note: ah, yes, he'll never be the same.)
Rick and Amanda.
Rick and his wife Renita were wonderful hosts. They stayed up late with us and then let us sleep in.
2-28
Paul and I stayed at the Mullet's house, and we had a very enjoyable time there. In the morning, Paul went to the school for a little while and I stayed home and read. I was getting into a fascinating old book on ancient life in Rome when Paul knocked on the door and we had to leave.
We got to sing at another chapel service at the school in Nashwauk. And afterwards, we sang some more. We love to sing.
Paul spoke at chapel after we sang.
From there we headed to a town called Hibbing, which is home to Bob Dylan, the man who prosecuted Charles Manson, and a couple other supposedly famous people. (Editor's note: Bob Dylan was NOT the prosecutor of Manson, it just looks like it in that sentence.) It just happened to be having a grand opening for a brand-new Wal-Mart Supercenter that very day. So we inserted ourselves into the crowd and messed around for an hour or two. Then we drove to a big iron mining tourist center (that part of Minnesota is huge into iron mining). Since it is the winter, it is not open, but a man was kind enough to take us on a very interesting tour anyway.
That took a little longer than expected, so we hurried toward Kitchi Pines, and arrived shortly after 6:00, in time for a potluck dinner. This is Val Yoder's church, and actually, after another good service, the four of us in the quartet stayed at his house.
Here's a self-portrait of our entire team.