Remembrance Day in my Classroom

On this day when we remember the people who died on a battle field, may we also remember those who died for their faith -- for the freedom to serve God as they believed.

May our 'moment of silence' include not only the ones who lost their lives on a battle field, but also those who bravely stood up for their faith and many times were ridiculed for it; labeled as 'cowards'. I believe it took every bit as much courage to stand firm for their convictions of peace and love, come what may, as those who chose to bear arms and fight. But rarely are conscientious objectors mentioned on this day set aside to remember. It sometimes seems, because they didn't choose the battle field, their sacrifices were all for naught. They didn't go for naught, at least to those of us who believe as they did.

My sister, Elma, freind Kathy and myself near Falkenstein

On or around Remembrance Day, I usually share a story from our history with my K-3 students. This year I chose one which happened in Austria on December 6, 1539 - the Falkenstein account. A very sad story where 90 Hutterite men were forced to leave their community, and were imprisoned at Falkenstein Castle, about 10 Kilometers from their community. I can't even imagine what those women and children must have gone through. Some weeks later the men were marched from Falkenstein to Trieste, Italy, about 480 Kilometers away. There they were imprisoned again, knowing they'd probably end up as slaves on galley ships. By some miracle most were able to escape and returned to Steinebrunn, their home community, which undoubtedly caused great joy, mingled with sadness for the twelve who had been recaptured and were never heard of again.

As I told this story, I carefully left out the parts were the men were cruelly tortured, for I knew that would be too distressing for these young minds. I had my student's rapt attention for the entire time, unlike other times when they have to be reminded to keep listening. It seemed as if they understood, that there was something very special about this story, and wanted to hear it all. After the story, one little girl announced, "My dad said, 'today there will be a moment of silence for the people who died in the war. Maybe we should have a moment of silence, too." I was touched and agreed. We solemnly observed our moment of silence and I was amazed that eleven young, energetic children could stay completely silent for an entire minute.

View from Falkenstein

What really helped me share this story was the fact that I've been to Falkenstein and Steinebrunn and was able to, in a way, bring the story some life with my pictures.

I'll never forget standing in these historical places and thinking about the stories stories of strength, courage and unwavering faith they hold. What a legacy! Looking down on those farm fields and vineyards, I could well imagine Hutterites working them. I wondered what it would be like if Hutterites would live there. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to see these places, which enable me to share these stories in a more meaningful way.
(To read about my time at Steinebrunn and Falkenstein)

 May these heroes of faith always be a source of inspiration as we continue to work for peace.

Looking for a Christmas Gift with Hutterite Flavour?

It's a gorgeous day here in Manitoba; by this time we usually have snow. But today we have clear skies, bright sunshine and the temperature sitting at a lovely 12 ̊ C. And I'm thinking Christmas...

...all because, someone reminded me that Hutterite Diaries would make a unique Christmas gift. Needless to say, I agreed.  So, I'm not waiting for temperatures to drop and snow to fly to write this post. If you're wondering why this gift would be unique, here's the reason: there are not that many books around that were written by Hutterites.

On that note, if you happen to have someone on your list who'd appreciate a gift with Hutterite flavour, why not Hutterite Diaries? Perhaps you have a Hutterite friend who you'd like to surprise with this book -- I know there are many who've never heard about it, and would most likely be thrilled for a chance to read it. If you choose to use this as a gift idea this Christmas, then there's another reason it's a good idea to post this now -- you'll need time to order it from places like Amazon and Menno Media, if that' show you prefer to shop. Hutterite Diaries is on sale (30% off) right now at Herald Press.

But I'm sure there are many stores across Canada and in the US where you could get Hutterite Diaries. If your favourite bookstore doesn't have it, just ask, they may wish to order it. Most of the time they're happy to hear about new books. (Bookstores get a 40% discount when they order five or more copies from Menno Media.). Just a few days ago I heard about a bookstore in Saskatchewan, Canada who will be carrying the book soon. It's located at the Hodgeville Hutterite Colony. Other places in Manitoba and Saskatchewan that stock my book are:

• McNally Robinson in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

• Hutterian Brethren Book Centre, MacGregor, MB

• James Valley Book Centre, Elie, MB 

• Heritage Books and Gift Shoppe, Portage, MB

• Portage and District Art Centre, Gift Shop, MB 

Some of you may be close enough, so you could come and pick up a signed copy at my home.

Feel free to share this post.

Here's a taste from the Hutterite Diaries Christmas chapter: 

We started Christmas concert practice in late November, and everybody was working diligently to learn their pieces. One grade-three boy in particular needed extra help with one word. In our German recitation of “The Four Candles,” Jonathan had a line from Romans 15:13 (KJV): Gott aber der Hoffnung erfülle euch mit aller Freude und Frieden im Glauben (Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing).

Jonathan struggled with articulation on a daily basis, and he simply could not remember the word Freude (“joy”). Instead, he always said Freunde (“friends”), which is understandable since the words are so similar. While God does indeed give us Freunde, we told him, in this verse it just wouldn’t make sense. Jonathan had no problem saying this particular word—Freude—in isolation. But when he said his line, he simply could never get it right. 

Teachers, parents, siblings, and fellow students tried to help him, but alas, nothing worked. On our last day of practice, I resigned myself to the fact that he would never get it. I just hoped the audience would be able to figure out the meaning of what he was saying.

On the night of our program, Jonathan was looking sharp, dressed in his Sunday best: pale green shirt and black pants. Standing on stage with the other students, he was beaming, as if he had not a care in the world. I was sitting in the front row of the audience in case the students needed prompts. I kept telling myself not to worry about Jonathan’s almost certain mix-up. His was the last line of the piece, and everybody else had done their parts well.

While I was still wondering whether it would help him if I mouthed the word, Jonathan eagerly started his verse. All of us who had worked with him held our breaths . . . and then sighed with relief when he said the word perfectly. His bright smile said it all; he was happier about this accomplishment than any of us!

Later, when we were reflecting on our Christmas program, Freude took on a whole new meaning for Jonathan and for all of us. I was reminded of God’s promise in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you.” Jonathan was telling us how happy he was that he was finally able to say his piece flawlessly. When asked how he did it, he simply replied, “I asked God to whisper it in my ear, and he did.”

 

Official Opening of Huttererpark (news link)

For the next few days (till Nov 6, 2015) you'll be able to view this ORF TV clip on the official opening of Huttererpark in Innsbruck, Austria: 
  http://tvthek.orf.at/program/Orientierung/1366/Orientierung/10886875/Brocken-in-Tirol-Erinnerung-an-die-Hutterer/10886891