Linda Peterson and MaryAnn Hadley take a break from sprucing up the Battle Creek Historic Village site.
Invited to serve as tour guides at the Battle Creek Historic Adventist Village (HAV), Mary Ann urged her friend Linda to join her. The duo stepped in to continue tours after the site directors' retirement, and they have since dedicated seven months to the project.
While Mary Ann conducted tours, Linda took on various responsibilities, including trash removal, gardening, and enhancing the property's aesthetic appeal with flowers. Her efforts caught the attention of a representative from the Barn Believers organization, who suggested she apply for a grant to restore the village's barn. Linda successfully secured $5,000, which funded the installation of a new barn door and apron (a concrete or other type of approach to the barn), completed by volunteers. She is currently gathering materials for further renovations and welcomes volunteers with carpentry skills to join the effort.
Adding to the community engagement, Linda’s grandson, Daniel, a contractor, has been working on volunteer housing at HAV, performing repairs and painting the exterior of one residence. This year, Mary Ann and Linda plan to remain at HAV from April through December, inviting others to visit for tours or to lend a hand, just as John and Jan Matthews have done.
The former North American Division stewardship director, John Matthews, and his wife Jan, decided to support the village after retirement. One day he said to his wife, Jan, "I've got to do something! I can't just sit around here." So, they took off for Historic Adventist Village to volunteer for a week in June.
John noticed that signage at the village needed refurbishing, so he started a five-step process: clean the sign well, sand the wood, repair the holes and blemishes, paint both front and back, and do finishing work on the lettering. Since he couldn't get all the signs done in one week, he took nine of them home with him. Jan wasn't going to sit around either. She is a nurse, but that week she transformed into a tour guide and clean-up assistant to help Linda Peterson.
If you're looking for a profitable way to enjoy your retirement, you are invited to partner with Adventist Heritage Ministries by filling out a volunteer form on the website (adventistheritage.org) and joining these friends who are making a difference.
Brenda Kis is editor of the Adventist Heritage Ministries bulletin.
