sa newsletter april2012

8/2/2019 SA Newsletter April2012

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Prayer Household of theMonth

Each month well pray fora specific unit. For themonth of April, pleasepray for the Johnstownunit. They are:

Lisa Bailey

Anita GarberCody HelmuthLinda JotterAlex Schuhwerk

Matt & Melanie Alwine

April Birthdays

5Ty Coblentz, ColoradoSprings

12Jeanna Beiler,Anchorage

13Abby Schrag, Philippi13Elena Entz, MMN

Staff17Brent Estep,

Colorado Springs22Linda Jotter,

Johnstown23Anna Yoder

Schlabach, Albuquerque26Todd Gusler, Raleigh

April 2012

Meet the Johnstown Unit!Each month we will use this newsletter as a way to learn more aboutwhats going on throughout Service Adventure and get to knowpeople in a specific location. This month we are focusing on theJohnstown, Pennsylvania, Service Adventure unit. Enjoy getting toknow a bit about who they are and what they are doing this year.

Back row: Lisa Bailey, Cody Helmuth, Alex Schuhwerk, Matt AlwineFront row: Linda Jotter, Anita Garber and Melanie Alwine

Fun things to do in Johnstown:walk to Sheetz

YMCAStarbucks

hikingthats about it

Favorite Shows:Whitney, Storage Wars, Big Bang Theory, Up All Night, Bent, TheOffice, The Voice, The Firm, Arrested Development, Community


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Page 2 Service Adventure NewsAlex Schuhwerk

Iwas born in Germany, but raised in Papua, New Guinea for 11 years. Iwas living in Germany for a year, when I decided I wanted to go dosomething somewhere else because I really don't feel at home inGermany. So I heard about Mennonite volunteer programs, applied, and

was then accepted and shipped over here to Johnstown. I really wantedto get away from home and grow in my own faith and knowledge ofJesus Christ. This year has been really challenging, with a three monthperiod of illogical anxiety, but God has taught me so much throughthose times, and he still continues to lead my way. I am really changinghere.I enjoy soccer, motocross riding, hanging out with people and just doingfun stuff. We also learned how to ski here, and I really enjoy that too.In Johnstown I work at two different places. In the mornings, I domaintenance support at ACRP. Basically I'm a janitor. I mostly enjoythat. In the afternoons I go to New Day with the rest of the unit. There I

lead a Bible room and middle school gym. It was very daunting at first, but now its really easy, and Godhas given me insane amounts of patience with the kids.

Linda Jotter

I am from Espelkamp, Germany. I started saving money for a trip to theUS at the age of 12. When I finally was about to finish school, I had todecide what exactly I would do next. I heard somebody talking about anorganization (Christian services) which sends people out into differentcountries to do different service. It sounded interesting to me, so I appliedfor it. They told me about Service Adventure and it sounded just perfect tome. The fact that it is in the USA made it even more attractive. Living in aunit with other Christians and working together, that was what I wanted todo. So I came here and now I am working in a preschool and an after-school program. I really learned to love those kids, although I sometimesget to the edge of my patience.I enjoy drawing, baking, playing guitar and singing, going for walks andhikes and since I am here I like to go to the YMCA. I guess something Ican't leave out here is that I drink a lot of coffee. I can basically notfunction without it.I don't really know what I will do after Service Adventure, but I trust God that he will lead me wherever

he needs me.


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Page 3 Service Adventure News

Cody Helmuth

I am from Abbeville, South Carolina. My family recently moved toLagrange, Indiana where I spent my junior and senior year of high

school. Instead of going to college, which in my case might wastemy money, I chose to do something I thought would benefit memore. A few of my cousins have done Service Adventure so I hadheard some good things about it. So with prayer it felt like the rightthing to do. I work at a retirement home called Laurel View Village.Working in the maintenance department is terrific. The guys I work

with are really great guys with good attitudes. Its fun to get to knowthem although I don't relate wellto conversation on the "Pens" (Pittsburgh hockey) or NASCAR races. I work at a daycare as well calledNew Day. This is a tough job. The kids are hilarious and stubborn. But I feel that I am learning fromthe experience.Other things that go down here in Johnstown include hiking, walking, running, Sheetz, bon fires, and a

lot of hot-dogs. I also, in my free time, like coloring, pretending to play guitar, piano, or otherinstruments, handstands and swimming if I get the chance. Over all I hope that Jesus teaches meeverything he intends to while I am here.

Lisa Bailey

I hail from the state of O-H-I-O. Canton, Ohio to be exact.I graduated from high school in 2010, and after spending a year atMalone University, I decided I needed a break from school. Andso, here I am in Johnstown doing Service Adventure.I'm placed at ACRP and New Day. From 8-2 I work asclassroom support at ACRP, a sort of alternative school/partialhospitalization program. My main role there is helping in mathclass and working one-on-one with kids. At New Day my jobseems to change every few weeks; right now I help withhomework (AKA listening to first graders read) and clean up aftersnack.In my free time I enjoy playing guitar, reading books about all sorts of weird things, listening to music,occasionally watchingkids movies from my childhood, dying my hair and then trying to get it back tonormal, spitting sunflower seeds, drinking coffee (a new addiction), coloring in coloring books, anddrawing on myself.


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Page 4 Service Adventure NewsAnita Garber

I was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Aftergraduating high school this past spring I decided that I wanted topursue missions and so I decided on Service Adventure. Its beena great experience so far, Ive learned soo much about myself,

about serving others and about God. A few things I enjoy are;waking up early, reading, singing, baking (especially things withchocolate).I am placed at Head Start and New Day. I work at Head Start inthe mornings from 8-12. I help a preschool teacher in her room,feeding kids breakfast and lunch. In the afternoons I work at NewDay, a Christian ministry for at-risk children and their families. I work in their after school program-from 1-6 helping kids with homework

Melanie Alwine

Hi, my name is Melanie (Peters) Alwine and this is my second year of being a Service Adventure leaderin Johnstown, Pa. I was a former participant here in 2004. I am originally from Germany but movedhere in 2008 after I married Matt. I am working as an optician at an eye doctors office which I enjoymost days. I guess I am good at selling things. I worked for an insurance agent for three years inGermany and now I sell glasses to people. I also try to sell ideas to my husband, like why we should goon vacation every year to the beach, or why we should buy a different car after having one for awhile. My husband is skeptical and doesn't buy my ideas very easily. I like to sing, play the piano,cook , bake , step aerobics, the beach, listen to sermons on iTunes, smoothies, eating good food, thesmell of clean laundry.Usually I like being a leader. Of course I don't like tough times. But people say that s when you grow the

most. In my weakness God can be strong. I learned the past two yearsthat God has his own timing. The Holy Spirit works on people s heartswhen he thinks it is the right time, and not my time.I often feel like other people would do a much better job of being a leaderto the participants but I try to remember that a willing heart is importantand hopefully the first step.Worship night as a unit has been meaningful to me. It is great to seeparticipants lead worship and express what they think about. Some of ushave been helping with the worship team at Cross Roads CommunityChurch, which allows us to serve together and be an active part of thechurch.Overall this has been/is a great experience. Meeting new people everyyear and building relationships. I think what I will miss the most is living

with other people.

Matt Alwine

Hello. My name is Matt Alwine and I'm originally from this area. My wife (Melanie) and I are leadershere in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. We are repeat offenders in SA, since this is our second year, and I amenjoying the busy life in a full house. My work "placement" is at a John Deere dealership where Imanage and run the repair shop. I've been tearing things apart since I was three. Learning and


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Page 5 Service Adventure Newsunderstanding how something works has always intrigued me and I teach others in the house aboutmechanical things even if they're maybe... not so interested. But people interest me too, even thoughthey are more complicated. (Wow! That was an understatement.) For fun I enjoy spending time withMelanie, any motor sport, skiing, different cultures (mostly German), helping people, good conversation,debates, and winning an argument with my wife Melanie. Okay maybe I just threw the last one in there

for fun. I also enjoy building and construction. Lately, I and some of the others have been working onthe Service Adventure house to get a nice bathroom on the first floor. I had made a great plan, but as wecontinued to work on this pre-1892 house I found things in the room that were not straight and wouldhave to fix them. (Oh. Didn't I tell you? I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times.) These changes wouldalter my plans and slow me down, but we had to keep adjusting and work with what we had. This yearhas been like that too with its many changes and adjustments. I guess it's much like what God does withme and each of us as He continues to grow, form, shape, and sometimes push us where He wants. Andas we're faithful, things develop into what they are supposed to be. This is sometimes a very hardconcept for me to accept since I work daily at keeping things running smoothly and working. It is what Ithrive on. But machines and old houses don't have God-gifted free will and choice, so that makes livingwith others a different exercise. This year I have been blessed to live with guys and gals, which has been

a shift from a household full of women. Not all good, not all bad. Just a different experience. And that'swhat makes every year of Service Adventure a true adventure. Bringing each different personality andupbringing into a house to live, care, love, and learn together. In the process, I don't always like what Ifind. (Especially, crooked walls and dirty kitchens in this house.) But how can any of us become moreChrist-like if we don't have others around us allowing us to see ourselves for the truth of all we reallyare? Flawed people needing God and each other. This is what makes every experience a true blessing.

More About the Johnstown Unit

Learning Components- making apple cider- flight 93 memorial- welding- car maintenance- baking cookies- speaking after breathing in helium- shooting skeet (with guns)- skiing- riding the incline plane (The Steepest Vehicular Incline

in the World)

Whats something you think you can't live without ???

Cody: Tacos and Enchiladas, BananasAlex: Sunflower Seeds, FartingLinda: Coffee and Chocolate, Baking Bread, SaltLisa: Sarcasm, Musik, BooksAnita : Facebook, CrocsMatt: John Deere and endless projectsMelanie : Butt Pinching

Most likely to

Cody: eat a bananaLinda: say sh** in middle of leading worshipLisa: say "I don't care."Alex: live in CanadaAnita: go to bed before anyone elseMatt: have too many projects at the sametimeMelanie: be "Debbie Downer"

Where our grocery money goesBananas (about 20 a week, still not enough)PretzelsBagelsCereal/granolaCough dropsCheese


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Page 6 Service Adventure News

Johnstown Photos

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