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As Myron Augsburger wrote in his Foreword, the stories are continuing. In them we can find answers to questions like these: How does a little Mennonite girl growing up in a small Virginia village become a professor bringing positive changes internationally in countries like Nepal? How does a librarian become the author of a whole range of history books? How does a young man who loved farming become a president who brought new life to a junior college? What kinds of changes did World War II bring in the lives of many of these peace-committed authors? How did their perceptions of their Christian Mennonite faith change throughout the years? In Part I of this book, “Making Sense of the Journey … as Administrators,” the authors answer some of these questions as they write of their experiences as provosts, deans, presidents, and leaders of organizations like the Mennonite Central Committee. In Part II, “Making Sense of the Journey … as Language and Science Teachers,” the authors answer both similar and different kinds of questions as they trace their years as teachers and also activists. In Part III, “Making Sense of the Journey … as Authors,” the writers—a librarian and teachers—use the tools of their own literature to pin down historical facts and bring to life new perceptions of their world. In Part IV, “Making Sense of the Journey … as Internationalists,” the authors take us along with their questions and new answers to far countries. Finally, in the Appendix, Ray C. Gingerich, Director of ACRS (the Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society), answers the question of what this group of retired professors is continuing to contribute to Eastern Mennonite University and its broader community. Calvin W. Redekop, Chair of the ACRS Steering Committee, and those closely involved in the publication of this second volume of memoirs wish to thank these storytellers who have here shared their life journeys. As with the first volume, special thanks goes to Ray C. Gingerich for his leadership in the ACRS Monday Breakfast Series, from which this second volume also comes. Further, he is the skilled photographer of most of the portraits of the authors; and to him, also, thanks are due for the detailed index. Jan Luyken’s (aka Luiken) historical engraving of Jesus preaching his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7) in the cover design was taken from David Martin (1639–1721), Historie des Ouden en Nieuwen Testaments: bverrykt met meer dan vierhondred printverbeeldingen in koper gesneeden [History of the Old and New Testaments: translated with over 400 engraved copper plates by Jan Luiken], published in 1700 by Pieter Mortier, Amsterdam. Clearly to the authors of the following memoirs, this sermon by Jesus was not a set of unattainable principles but actual ways his followers were to relate to those within and without the people of God. Thanks are due to Calvin Redekop for researching the Luyken volume and to the Menno Simons Historical Library at Eastern Mennonite University for the use of the engravings on this and our first volume. Again to daughter Suelyn Swiggum goes much appreciation and gratitude for her hours of painstaking work on the cover and interior book design as she prepared the final manuscript for the publisher. It has been a pleasure to work with Michael A. King, President and Publisher of Cascadia Publishing House LLC, who has brought to this task a vision for the publication needs of ACRS-EMU, as well as high standards and Christian commitment. We anticipate this to be the beginning of a longer cooperative partnership. It is at King’s initiative that Volume 1 in this series is being reissued simultaneously with the publication of this second volume. Finally, as the editor of this volume, I wish to thank my husband, Robert Lee, for both his careful work on his own memoir and also his assistance with some of the editorial tasks—as well as for his being so important in my own journey. —Nancy V. Lee |
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