A Brief ReCap...Mentzer 2013

Some of you will find this post before your copy of it finds you via snail mail.  That's okay...I'm old fashioned and I still think it's fun getting letters, but if you find yourself doubling up, feel free to recycle, etc.  Oh, and if you're looking for the Haiti Photo Book I mentioned...go back to the post before this one.  Cheerio!

 March 24, 2013  

Spring greetings from a snowy Stilwell, Kansas!  As I am writing this we are getting our third 6+” snow storm of the year, so instead of green grass and daffodils outside, I look out to see a winter wonderland.  Lots of snow, however, makes me much more appreciative of the sunshine, gentle rainstorms, and brave flowers I hope to see by this time next week.  So why all this spring-y-ness?  Well, when last Christmas rolled around, I quickly abandoned all hope of getting Christmas letters out.  Nate still wanted to send something, so I said “How about an Easter letter?”  Thus this letter was born.  I know sending an Easter letter is a bit unconventional, but hey…we’re a little odd ourselves.  Besides, Christmas isn’t the only time for love, joy, and hope.  The way I see it, if we are Christians the events of holy week and Easter Sunday really illustrate the ultimate act of love (Jesus dying for us), a true source of joy (He’s Risen!), and the best reason to hope (Sin and death are defeated…God ultimately wins!  Who doesn’t want to be on the winning team?).  Like Christmas, Jesus is also the Reason for the Easter Season! 

So that’s the rationale behind all this…now for the “New Year” newscast.  Yup…Nathan and I are still living in our same little place in Stilwell, KS.  We like the community hereabouts, and have recently started seriously looking for a home to purchase, so that will probably provide some more excitement for 2013. 



Nate with Haitian Co-Workers

Nate is still working for Black & Veatch in the Power Generation Services group; it keeps him pretty busy. This group works on several small studies and projects for power plants across the U.S. As such, he travels to different sites from time to time.  In his free time, he helps out with the youth group at our church, and has responsibilities on K-State’s Acacia Fraternity Board of Directors.  He’s dabbled with a little wood-carving, and enjoys being out of doors as much as possible either hunting, biking, hiking, or gardening and especially getting back to the farm.  He also is an unquenchable bookworm, and has already set (and so far is achieving) a goal to read one book every week this year. 

Heather and DiMarco

I started out the year working for Research Concepts, Inc., a company that makes satellite antennae controllers, as a bookkeeper.  In addition to keeping the books, I had a few other responsibilities, including helping with the remodeling of the new office building the company purchased.  I also took up teaching sewing classes for kids at JoAnn Fabrics last march.  In September I left RCI to pursue some other personal goals, but am still teaching at JoAnn’s.  I love teaching my enthusiastic and talented students, and have enjoyed creating a few new classes to add to the corporate mix.  Only recently I’ve implemented a series of Fashion Design classes for kids, including a week-long “Fashion Camp” this summer.  Bring on Project Runway!  On the side I’ve made a couple of customized quilts, two sets of banners for our church, and a few other things.  In my spare time, I volunteer with our church’s Caring Ministry helping to distribute food to needy families, and I also make trips to Manhattan as a member of Clovia’s Alumni Board.  Otherwise I keep busy reading, writing, blogging, and visiting friends. 

Last year was filled with both joy and sadness; weddings (including both of Nate’s sisters!), funerals, and two 50^th anniversary celebrations.  We also snuck in a twenty-five mile backpacking trip to the Missouri Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend, and flew out to Washington State for another wedding in January 2013.  Our big adventure for the past year was our mission trip to Haiti in June 2012. After nearly two years of saving, fundraising, supply-gathering, planning, and even a little Creole-learning, Nathan and I, along with eleven other friends from church spent a week in Bercy, Haiti.  While there we helped in the construction of a much-needed addition on to the village school.  We also held a Vacation Bible School day and played with the children that reside in the orphanage and the village.  My favorite part was worshipping at a little mountain church a few miles from our village.  We also experienced the noisy and colorful market scene, and a swam at a nearby beach.  It was a moving and eye-opening adventure, and already plans are being made to go back in January 2014.  If you’d like to see the picture book of our trip I put together, I’ve shared it on my blog http://walkwhileyouhavethelight.blogspot.com/ .  Also, to learn more about Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home, the orphanage where we stayed and helped, you can see them on Facebook, just search for Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home.

Heather & Nate in Seattle, January 2013

Well, that is the last fifteen months in a nutshell.  Life, much like hiking trips, is often full of ups and downs, but after all the scrambling, sliding, rock-hopping, sore feet, lack of oxygen, cold air and unpredictable thunderstorms that roll-in, the amazing panoramic view from the peak is always worth it.  So on we climb in 2013, to see what new adventures God has in store for us.  And even if we end up having to do some technical climbing up a sheer rock face with plummeting drops on both sides…or, um…maybe let’s just say no matter what life throws our way we can keep on climbing because of the hope we have in our Risen Savior.

 Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.†

Hope you have a Happy Easter, and a fabulous 2013!

  J Nathan & Heather Mentzer