Contentment By Leroy Smucker

These are the words Paul spoke when he was in prison:

Philippians 4:10 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last

your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye

lacked opportunity.”

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in

whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

In this life today, are we content where we are? Are we looking for more?

Do we want what other people have? Are we happy with what we have?

Happiness is wanting what we have, not having what we want.

Proverbs 3:13 “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that

getteth understanding.”

Contentment brings joy, and joy strengthens our relationship with God.

The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself over what you don’t have,

consider all you have, and thank God for it. How often is our attention

drawn from the much which is ours, to the little that isn’t. We get that “I

have got to have that” feeling. Our desires can be quite easily manipulat-

ed. We need to always keep God in our decisions-making-process. His

Word, the Bible, is our guide book in decision making.

Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we

brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing

out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Matthew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where

moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust

doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For

where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Autumn 2018 Volume 7

Aquila Villa A discipleship ministry and loving home environment for hurting girls

Purpose and Vision

To bring girls who are struggling

into purpose and fulfillment in Jesus

Christ

To help them work through and

deal with life dominating problems

To help them learn and value

discipline and focus through a

structured home setting

To give them vision and

understanding of the joy of blessing

and serving others

Aquila Villa is structured to minister to girls from homes that believe and

adhere to the 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith.

We desire to see hurting girls brought into spiritual freedom and life in Jesus

Christ. Please pray for this ministry to our Anabaptist community.

Aquila Villa has an Advisory Board, and is operating under a

Board of Directors.

Craft projects

Discipleship time

A water-covered bridge

Flight 93 Memorial

“We are so thankful to our board and supporters like you.”

ADMINISTRATOR’S UPDATE BY MEL ESH

Greetings this beautiful autumn season.

A few of the girls in our home have heard about

the majestic fall colors of autumn trees in

Pennsylvania and are greatly anticipating those

changes of colors. They already make mention of

trees that are slightly changing.

We continue to enjoy this ministry God has

entrusted to us. We delight to get to know these

girls with their various personalities, character,

smiles, and antics that they bring with them. We

thoroughly enjoy our times with them; whether in

ministry, family times, or travel (as was the case

this past weekend). We have so many blessed

times together.

In July we took a family trip to visit the site and

visitors center of Flight 93 in Somerset, PA. Also

while we were out there we visited the Quecreek

Mine Rescue site. This is where nine miners were

rescued from a mine around 15 years ago. Then

we went to Guys Mills, PA to visit friends. The

one friend is on staff at the Anabaptist college of

Faith Builders and he took us on a tour of the

facility. We spent part of Saturday with our

friends and then attended their local service

Sunday morning. After this I had a speaking

engagement Sunday evening in Lewisburg, PA. In

both of those services we all shared in song and

Scripture memory. Along the way we sold four

display racks of the craft item we make as part of

our home business. These were sold to local stores

in some of the areas we went to.

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We also had a recent campout in our back lawn,

and of course this gives opportunity for many

good conversations around the campfire. We

truly have many happy and joyful times together.

The trip we took this past weekend was to

Indiana. We had a very nice times visiting with

many friends. On this trip we sold seven display

racks. The craft item the girls make during project

time many afternoons is a 50-day-card in a bottle.

It is a bottle with verses and scriptures inside.

Each note is inside a real gelatin capsule to read

and to be encouraged by. The racks have forty-two

bottles each and we make them for eight different

occasions. The proceeds help support our

ministry.

Our ministry times consist of a daily discipleship

time where residents and staff meet together at

9:00 in the morning for a time of singing, Bible

discussion and prayer. This takes place till 10:15.

Then we all take a fifteen minute break. After this

we have a counseling session with one of the girls.

We have four resident girls that reside in our

home, thus between Monday and Thursday each

girl gets one scheduled counseling session. (Of

course there are many other personal talk times

that we have with the girls throughout the course

of a week.) The scheduled session is from 10:30

AM till around noon. The matron sits in on these

sessions and observes what is being counseled

and gives her input. Then at other times when

we’re not available she does some counseling

herself. These matrons are a tremendous asset

and blessing to our home. I’m so thankful for the

team that we have.

We are so thankful for our board and supporters

like you. Thank you to each one of you who has

taken interest in the ministry God has entrusted

to us! Our God is so great!

Tuition Benevolence Fund: Tuition

is intentionally lower than the cost of

service to increase accessibility, but,

there are many among us seeking help

that do not have the means or support

to afford the full tuition. If you desire

to help in this area please earmark your

contribution: “Tuition Benevolence

Fund”. May God bless you for sharing.

Discipleship Time with Barbie

Counseling Session

Workbook/Meditation Time

Mel and Barbie Esh

Once-a-month matron chat time

STAFF REPORT BY ROSALIE ZIMMERMAN

Hello to all! It’s kind of hard to believe that three months have already gone by since I

started serving here. I have been thoroughly enjoying my role! Yes, there have been

stressful days, but all in all my time here has been very rewarding! It’s especially been

exciting coming here and serving after all that God has brought me through! He took me

thru some very difficult times through my pre-teen and teen years, and has brought me

through victoriously. Now He has called me here, to girls that are going through some of

the same things I did, and has called me to bring hope to them through my testimony.

And that has made my time here all the more thrilling!

My role here is to teach, serve, and encourage; but for me it seems like I am learning

right alongside the girls! I have learned and am being taught as much or maybe more, ☺

it seems, as them, since I’ve come here! One of the things that God has really opened my

eyes to, in an even bigger way in my life, is how important it is to have the full armor of

God (Eph. 6:10-17) on, especially when coming into a ministry like this. I’ve experienced

Satan’s attacks already several times since coming here and have seen how important the

armor of God is, especially through these attacks! It’s thrilling to me to be on the front

lines of battle against the enemy, but it also requires me to constantly be on guard against

the enemy’s strategies to bring me down!

We have many good “family times” here, also! Mel and Barb do a good job in making

us all feel like one big, happy family. ☺ I have very much enjoyed these times together,

whether it’s having a late night campout in the backyard—eating s'mores and talking

around the fire, or going on 2 different 4-5 day road trips, or shopping together till we

were worn out, or going to Mel’s parents for an evening of playing instruments and

singing while enjoying Mel’s mom’s delicious snacks ☺, or going to the Susquehannock

Park for a picnic and enjoying the amazing view of the lake and city lights below. All of

these times have drawn us closer together! I’m starting to actually feel like I have a

second family, now!

God is at work here, which is so exciting! I want to praise His name for all He is doing

here and continues to do! Thank you for your prayers and support for the ministry here!

May God bless you all!

PRAYER REQUESTS

•••• For God’s continued

wisdom and grace upon

our board

•••• For the power of Christ’s

kingdom to be raised up

in the girls

•••• For His counsel and

guidance to us as

administrators

•••• For spiritual protection

PRAISE REPORT

•••• For the ongoing spiritual

progress of the girls

•••• For our home business

that is both a blessing to

the girls and also

supplies a means of

income

•••• For Mary Esh and Rosie

Zimmerman and Sadie

Smucker who are on

staff and are willing to

carry the load with us

CURRENT NEED:

• Food mixer (5+ gallons)

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RESIDENT’S CORNER BY HANNAH

Greetings in Jesus’ name from PA! I’d like to share a bit of what God has been doing in

my life while I’ve been here at Aquila Villa. I came here struggling with doubt if I was a Chris-

tian, hurting from my past, and unsure of what I should do with my life. Although on the

surface I appeared to be a carefree happy girl, deep down I was hurting and trying to hide it

with anything I thought would help...but I was looking at the wrong things to help me.

Praise the Lord, He has helped me work through many of these things, and I can see a

definite difference. Through it hasn’t always been easy, I am very thankful for the work He

has been doing in my life. I have been deeply blessed in my time here and am enjoying it.

Please pray for me that I would continue to allow the Lord to work in my life, and contin-

ue to grow in my relationship with Him. May God bless your day!

Aquila Villa Benefit Auction, August 17th, 2018

Fun in the kitchen :)

Freezing Strawberries

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Leroy Smucker, Chairman

Old Order Amish 717.629.3915

Cleason Sensenig, Secretary

Mid-Atlantic Fellowship 717.278.0364

Nathaniel Gingrich

Mid-Atlantic Fellowship 717.572.7150

Adam Lattin

Charity Christian Fellowship 717.403.0028

Mark King

Bethel Christian Fellowship 717.278.9287

STAFF

Mel & Barbie Esh, Administrators

717.687.8057 | 717.471.9374

melbarbesh@comcast.net

Mary Esh, Matron

Rosie Zimmerman, Matron

Sadie Smucker, Domestics

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Aquila Villa 6 Happy Hoof Lane

Ronks, PA 17572-9578

Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Give anonymously. Send and make checks payable to:

Aquila Villa, 340 Rose Hill Rd, Ephrata, PA 17522

A tax-deduc+ble receipt will be provided annually or upon request (e-mail

needed) when a name and address is provided. God bless you for sharing!

Learn more at www.AquilaVilla.org