J.M.J

On a cold winter night, a man heard thud, thud, thud against his picture window. Going to investigate he found several birds stunned and lying in the snow and more birds skeltered around in the air. The man know that a deep cold front was to arrive in hours and, being kind, he thought he would open the door to his barn so the birds could get shelter. The more he tried to guide the birds into the barn the more agitated they became. The man realized the birds were scared of him, a big creature, shooing them toward that big opening of the barn. The man thought if he could only become one of them he could show then the way to safety. At that moment the church bells began to ring forth. I was midnight of Christmas Eve. The birds vanished and he realized the reason the Christ child came into our world. That was so that God could become like one of us to lead us to that heavenly home.

While most things you do cause no fear, those same actions for The Vineyard residents may be overwhelming and fearful. One of the beauties of The Vineyard is that each resident knows he or she has a friend in the staff and volunteers. The residents learned all of us have handicaps of some kind and they willingly put up with our shortfalls to keep The Vineyard Community going. The Vineyardites wish you all could visit. They are happy that so many continue to say prayers and send resources that are vital to the continuation of The Vineyard Community. The residents have a long term goal of building a facility to offer care for their elderly friends. Only god and you could make such possible. May the Christ child and His Holy Family watch over and bless you as part of The Vineyard Family.

What’s Old Is New Again!

A volunteer in 1980 who was involved in not only starting the grape vineyard but who was instrumental in the creation of The Vineyard Home wrote the below. I was Christmas time in 1980 and everything was a new challenge. At the same time these were the oldest of vocations, grape growing and care of your weak or ailing neighbor. They were also two of the pursuits that Jesus talked about.

This poem by R.E. Haley was first published in the December 1980 issue of "Vineyards of West Virginia" and subsequently published in the 1982 Summer issue of the "Vinifera Wine Growers Journal." You can see how care of the medically fragile or mentally handicapped can apply to this poem as well as grapevines.

Anchors Away!

One of the reasons we have been late producing a newsletter, is that Sean McGee has earned his strips after completing "Boot Camp" at Great Lakes, IL. Terry and Randy McGee, the proud parents, and his sisters Megan & Erin, along with Lorie, Sean’s wife, and her family attended the graduation ceremony December 21^st. Sean and Lorie now go on to Charleston, SC where Sean will be trained in nuclear power plants. We probably won’t see Sean around here to help out for several years but he has become so much a part of The Vineyard Community that residents, staff and volunteers and many of the newsletter readers have asked about him and his adventures. America you are in good hands, Sean is on watch! He follows both of his grandfathers who served in the Navy.

                                            Sean McGee

                                               Peter and Leslie

Leslie Update

One of our first residents was Leslie Christina Mary Gocke as she would let you know. When we were unable to obtain the help of the medically trained Benedictine sisters from Tanzania and because of our aging staff, we had to place Leslie in a home that could provide proper care. Every week we visit her. The staff associates and many of the volunteers have also dropped in to see how Leslie is doing. Regrettably she is now bed ridden and generally non-responsive from her Alzheimer’s condition. Recently after fighting off pneumonia she has had several seizures requiring hospitalization again. Leslie is back again at Country House memory care facility. We ask you to join us in prayer for her good.

Donations for the endowment fund

Prayers for the Benedictine community to come and augment our staff

                                              The Residents at the Christmas Party

Don’t forget, you can receive the newsletter electronically, just send an email to     vineyardhome@frontiernet.net with your name and email address!!!