4 October 2017 ChestnutThe Corner Photos by Sam Kulp Baptism Sunday Sunday September 17th was a the service. Nic Morales, Logan special day for SMC. Amy Adams Moyer, and Jesse Detweiler all Souderton Mennonite Church soudertonmennonite.org became a member of SMC and shared their testimonies during Hannah Hofmeister shared her the service and were later testimony and was baptized during baptized at Branchwood Park. Healthy Grieving with Memory Pillows by Beverly Miller Holiday Darlene lost her mother, Grace Frankenfield on January 10, 2017. Grace was a devoted wife, Events mother, grandmother, great- grandmother & great-great- Thanksgiving Eve Service 6:30pm grandmother. She enjoyed Wednesday, November 22 painting keepsake ceramics for Lying Beside Still Waters We invite you to a service of praise, by Beverly Miller her family, gardening, freezing, prayer and thanksgiving. All of the canning, baking, crocheting but usual Wednesday evening activities above all caring for her family. will take a break that evening. “I was lying in green pastures back to Mamaroneck and was College. “In my second year Darlene with her mother, Grace and beside still waters,” Julie attending 8th grade in Rye Neck there I became a believer. I According to Darlene, “My mom Longest Night Service 6:30pm Engle is referring to a time when Memorial High School that observed that my friends were was not only my mom, but also Wednesday, December 21 she was in an induced coma for she came down with an acute acting differently. They were my best friend, and having her Main Lobby six days after her second kidney case of strep throat. She was carrying Bibles and going to to talk to at any time of day about All who experience pain and anything, is a huge part of my loneliness during the holiday season transplant. “I was really in Psalm admitted to the hospital and Bible Studies.” Julie accepted missing her.” are welcome to this service of hope. 23. He was restoring my soul put on penicillin and bedrest. Christ through these girls and Join us in the sharing of scripture, and I felt the words of this Psalm, The doctors diagnosed her who shared the gospel with her. Darlene wanted to keep the prayer and music to acknowledge ‘Even though I walk through the with glomerulonephritis and memories of her mother alive, that God’s presence is for those who valley of the shadow of death, told her that her kidneys were so she started making memory mourn and struggle. I will fear no evil, for thou art damaged by the infection, but Julie and John pillows out of her mother’s coats, Her niece Tara commented, with me…Surely goodness and she was blissfully unaware of the Engle nighties, and shirts. The family “My aunt Darlene does so much Christmas Eve Musical “Left Out” mercy shall follow me all the possible long-term effects. has loved them. Her brother, Jim for our family and does it so 2:00pm - Sunday, December 24 days of my life.’” Enjoy a story about a shepherd boy said, “Some people have sisters, selflessly. She made these pillows After being out of school for but no one has a sister like my for members of my whole family. who has to stay back and watch the sheep instead of going to Bethlehem. Julie was the first of five children three months and her treatment sister. Our mother passed away They are priceless. She made 49 born in Mamaroneck, NY. She completed, she was able to back in January so my sister of them and they are all beautiful.” This musical will feature the SMC Choir, solos, and lots of children. moved frequently during her return to a normal 13-year Darlene visited each of my Darlene has kept herself busy childhood due to her father’s old’s life. Through high brothers and sisters along with with making these pillows and employment. At age three she school, Julie was active in all the grandkids (there’s 49 of us) isn’t sure what she’s going to do moved to Lansdowne, Pa, then sports, particularly field and had us pick out what clothing now that almost all the pillows SOUDERTON a few years later to Parkville, hockey. After high school, we would like for a pillow. The are finished. It was an excellent mennonite church Maryland, then to Long Island, she wasn’t sure what turquoise one for Jamie and outlet for her to grieve and also a NY for 2nd grade and back to she wanted to do, 105 W. Chestnut Street • Souderton, PA Peter Medico was made from the th creative way to keep her mother’s 215-723-3088 • soudertonmennonite.org Mamaroneck for 7 grade. but decided to dress our Mom wore to Jamie and memory close in the form of a take classes Peter’s wedding in Cancun about Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 am pillow for each member of her Sunday School for all ages: 10:50 am But it was soon after she moved at Concordia nine years ago.” family. 2 3 Lying Beside Still Waters Julie had been raised in the Medicine. She remembers week at the Crotched Mountain recovery from this surgery Catholic church but when she getting a letter from John a few Rehabilitation Center in nearby and she spent six weeks A Welcome Home for heard John 3:16, she started years later inviting her to a Greenfield. She was nearing in the hospital with many by Beverly Miller to open herself up to reading Dartmouth Fellowship event that the point when she would need complications and even into the Susan Freeman from the Bible and allowing it included square dancing and dialysis but still working and next year had many urinary tract Susan and Sarah to change her life. She started other activities. She consented on medication. She asked the infections. The worst episode Susan Freeman remembers attending a church in Long and the two of them were able to doctor when she would know occurred during the first few taking Sarah to the Wile Ave Island and went to a local Bible spend some time together. that it was time for dialysis, and weeks when her leg and lungs playground when Sarah was Study, made up of persons that the doctor said, “you’ll know.” started filling up with fluid. The little. She didn’t think Sarah are still friends today. She grew Eventually, they made the She often felt nauseated at work doctors decided to put Julie in an would dart out onto the street close to Jesus and this group decision to get married in July but continued her schedule till induced coma to perform slow but since she knew she would through worship: singing with of 1979. They had been dating one day when she passed out in dialysis treatments. During this not be able to run out after her, someone playing the guitar and for 5 years, so the two-month the restroom. It was December time is when Julie, very close to she attached a line from Sarah’s studying the Bible. “The Bible engagement was not much of a of 2007 when Julie started death, was at peace, lying by the ankle to her own wrist. Soon after just came alive for me. I asked shock to friends and relatives. dialysis and continued dialysis still waters of God. Sarah was born on April 2, 1990, Christ to come into my heart. I It just seemed like a convenient for the next 2 years. Susan started experiencing didn’t know what I was doing but time for John’s family that were “God brought me through. symptoms of multiple sclerosis, I have never turned back.” vacationing from their home in Her daughter, Becky, decided People were praying for me but was not diagnosed till classroom. She absolutely loved Malaysia. They moved to Beverly, to donate one of her kidneys from all over the world and I over a year later on Sept 18, teaching special education Julie felt led to study the Massachusetts and started their to her mother and Julie’s first kept hearing the verse in Psalm 1991. Sadly, Sarah never knew and admits “there was not a sciences even though she married life together. She was kidney transplant surgery was 128, ‘You will see your children’s her mother to be able to walk day that the students did not had been discouraged by her able to pick up a job as visiting in August of 2008. Unfortunately, children,’” explains Julie. She without a cane. teach me something. Their outlook on things opened my guidance counselor to ever take nurse while John was going to unbeknownst to Julie and the adds how it’s often harder on Susan was born in “cow another science class. She did seminary. John was working doctors, Julie had a clotting the family than the person going eyes to a new understanding. I country” in central PA in the wanted to make 30 years.” But well at Concordia and the door part-time for a small church disorder and her body rejected through the experience. “I felt town of Lewistown. She attended opened to continue her studies (formerly a house church) where the beautiful kidney from her I was in a protective bubble. unfortunately, MS robbed Susan Mansfield College with a music of that joyful goal. She went out at Fairfield University in nursing. they attended. daughter. The day after surgery, I almost died before the first major, but her courses seemed “I kept being impressed by the kidney was removed and transplant and then again after on disability in 2001 and in 2004 to be making music too difficult her husband left her as well. what I believe was the voice of Soon their oldest daughter, Julie and her daughter began the the second transplant surgery, with all the performing that God telling me to ‘try this.’” Stephanie, was born in 1981, long road back to recovery. Julie but I believe God had some was expected. So, she went But a month before her husband followed by Becky in 1983 and had to go back on dialysis and things left for me to do.” into special education classes left, Susan met Gayle Clemmer She met John when she travelled Ben in 1987. Julie’s pregnancies many that knew her desperate and loved it so much, she and others from Souderton to Dartmouth College with a were considered high risk due situation prayed for a miracle. A few years after the last never looked back. She was Mennonite congregation. Gayle friend. John was the one to make to pre-eclampsia and this was surgery, Julie decided to hike married in 1986. Together they invited her to SMC in August the spaghetti dinner for all of most likely an early symptom of In 2010, a woman that seemed Mt. Monadnock with her donor. moved out of Berks County to of 2004 and today, Susan says, them. John had used a recipe the kidney disease. God-sent started attending their Her donor hiked the 3,100-foot- Souderton. Soon Susan had her “Thank God, I followed His from his mom that he kept folded small church in Peterborough high mountain regularly, but first teaching job in the North leading.” The first time she came up in his wallet. It was the type of In 2002, Julie began seeing and heard of Julie’s need for a Julie trained for the celebratory Penn School District. to SMC, she remembers meeting college student gathering where a nephrologist due to signs kidney. She unexpectedly came event. A number of friends and Nancy Landes and found a “some guys sat on suitcases” of kidney disease. John had up to Julie and told her that she John joined her on the all day At the time that Sarah was born, place to sit in the center of the th th since there were not enough decided to get a doctorate at wanted to donate one of her hike up Mt. Monadnock. “I live Susan was teaching 8 and 9 sanctuary. She put her head chairs. In the morning, they all Gordon Conwell Seminary. kidneys. Julie was reluctant, each day as a gift given to me by graders at Pennfield Middle down for prayer and clearly went for a hike to see the sunrise By 2004, John had taken a full- but the woman continued, the Lord. Praise God!” School in the special needs heard, “Welcome home!” and Julie’s heart fluttered when time job at Trinity Evangelical quoting Luke 3:11, “The person John was kind enough to retrieve Church and they moved to who has two coats must share her shoe that had become stuck Peterborough, New Hampshire, with the one who doesn’t have Mentor Ministry in the mud. about 3 hours away from Beverly. any...”Amazingly, the woman was an excellent match and On September 10th, our interim youth director, At this time, she was living in Julie’s kidney function was the second transplant surgery Nate Johnson, blessed those participating in Mamaroneck again with her rapidly deteriorating and she occurred in July of 2010. SMC’s mentor ministry. We currently have 42 parents and had a nursing job was fatigued most of the time. Mentor/mentee pairs in the church! Please pray at Albert Einstein College of She was working 3 days a Julie’s body had a difficult for this great ministry.