Heart of
by Karen Unternahrer
Missi ns
A Different Perspective
Overhearing my husband respond
to the question, “What will you miss
the most?” I wondered how I would
answer it myself. Moving with our
three youngest children to Costa
Rica for language school, then on to
the Dominican Republic for a service
assignment prompted this question
frequently. It didn’t surprise me to
hear Mike say he will miss the changing seasons. In Costa Rica the average
annual temperature is around 70 to
81 degrees Fahrenheit. Gorgeous! Of
course, with that there is no changing
of the seasons to enjoy.
Not particularly fond of winter
weather, I knew the same answer
would not be my own; although I suppose it is related. Apart from relationships I think it is the field crops I will
miss most. In the spring, the crops first
come up like a green haze hovering
over the land. ‘Knee-high by the 4th of
July’ may be a benchmark for farmers
elsewhere, but in LaGrange County
the corn is tall and starting to tassel
by then. I love to see the wheat fields
changing until the farmer knows just
the right time to harvest. And, finally,
the corn and soybeans with machinery running day and night; (sigh) it’s a
beautiful sight.
Currently, we are making our home
in the city of San Jose, Costa Rica in
Central America and the landscape is
certainly different. In this mountainous region we are at an elevation of
3800 feet whereas LaGrange County
stands at 880 feet above sea level.
Rather than farm equipment, it is the
metropolitan bus system that regularly
lumbers by. Every twenty minutes a
city bus stops right outside our front
gate; consequently, the exhaust fumes
waft in as passengers get off and on the
bus. Whew! I guess if it’s not the odious
farm animals of LaGrange County perfuming the air, it’s the pungent diesel
exhaust of San Jose.
Including the greater metropolitan
areas interconnected and surrounding San Jose there is a population
of more than 1,297,518 people who
call this ‘home’. Under the Central
America-Dominican Republic Free
Trade Agreement (which includes Costa
Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and
the United States), the initiative for
environmental management systems
have only been introduced as recently
as 2007. One similarity most every
country around the globe shares is the
slow process of governmental bureaucracy! Thus, in metropolitan areas, the
air Costa Ricans and their counterparts
breathe leaves much to be desired;
air pollution remains an undeniable
aspect of city living.
I have to admit, I do miss the fresh
air of a bright, crisp fall morning. But
just yesterday, looking back over their
first year of being on the mission field
here in Costa Rica, a new found friend
of mine said, “Until I became one, I had
no idea how much a missionary really
has to give up in order to obey God’s
call on their life. In comparison, until
I became one, I had no idea how much
more a missionary gains in a life so
enriched by obeying God’s call.”
What is God’s call on your life?
What burden has He put on your
heart? He may not be asking you to
serve in another country but are you
willing to obey His call on your life
right there in LaGrange County, Indiana?
High Honor Roll ... cont. from 48
Christopher Reed, Adrienne Roth, Aden
Schmucker, Wanda Schrock, Zachary
Schrock, Amy Schwartz, Carla Schwartz,
Darla Schwartz, Trace Scoles, Brianna
Strong, Alex Stutzman, Dena Stutzman,
Andrea Weaver, Nadine Wingard, Fallon
Wisel, Ryan Wisler, Tori Wisler, Aaron Yoder, Andrew Yoder, Carl Yoder, Dale Yoder,
Darin L. Yoder, Darrin L. Yoder, Dena Yoder, Kristine Yoder, LaVon Yoder, Martha
Yoder, Tonya Yoder, and Tessa Zimmerly.
Grade 9
Chandler Aspy, Kylie Barker, Jolene
Bender, Jacob Berkey, Ciara Borg, Alexis
Brandau, Alyssa Buckley, Kyle Burge,
Sidney Byrkett, Zach Carmack, Buchanan Carpenter, Jessica Castle, Alexandra
Chugunova, Ashlyn Congdon, Claire
Cramer, Kristen Duff, Taylor Eash, Jasmin Etchason, Daniel Flores, Stephen
Gierek, Shania Gonser, Erik Hart, Timothy Hostetler, Bailey Huffman, James
Jantzi, Taylor Jones, Jamin Lambright,
Cody Litwiller, Kathryn Lovell, Abigail
Miller, Daron Miller, Heidi Miller, Nicole
Miller, Stephanie Mowery, Elaine Mullett,
Victoria O’Donnell, Tori Oesch, Kathryn
Schrock, Lovina Schwartz, Alexis Singleton, Mitchell Slaven, Koryn Stevens, Jordan Stoltzfus, Tiffani Tefft, Alexis VanDeMark, Madison Weir, Hannah Witham,
Julia Wright, Tapanga Yankosky, Kathy
Yoder, and Courtney Young.
Grade 10
Samantha Anderson, Kellee Barkes, Taylor
Bender, Sarah Bish, Jasmine Bogan, Jordyn Bontrager, Sarah Brugger, Erika Byler,
Casey Calvillo, Hunter Christner, Kohle
Christner, Gabrielle Downey, Jalen Fry,
Logan Good, Courtney Grossman, Amber Gunthorp, Micah Hunsberger, Rachel
Johns, Xander Laughlin, Jaron Lewton,
Brianna Marks, Jeanie Miller, Katelyn
Miller, Logan Miller, Reed Oesch, Amber
Roth, Heaven Schrock, Chanda Strong,
Kimberly Stutzman, Jamar Weaver, Seth
Weaver, Kacie West, Aaron Wheeler,
Brooke Wigner, and Brooke Yoder.
Grade 11
Devin Aspy, Taylor Benefiel, Teddy Berger,
Austin Borg, Jordann Braid, Heather Buchanan, Kelsey Carmack, Candice Chupp,
Carrie Chupp, Jacob Churney, Ben Cramer, Parker Fought, Nelson Grate, Stephenie Hochstetler,
continued on next page
The Hometown Treasure · Dec. ‘11 · pg 49