Unscripted Magazine Spring 2024 - Flipbook - Page 49
WHY I GIVE
John Rabenstein, Messiah Village Resident
G
iving has always been a part of John
Betty passed away in 2004 following a major stroke
Rabenstein’s life—from his earliest to
and living in honor of his extroverted wife who always
his most recent memories.
When he was just five years old, he remembers
his brother, Kenneth, waking up in the middle of
the night with severe symptoms of appendicitis.
Ken was rushed to the hospital and was fortunate
to make a full recovery. That was a turning point in
his house, John said, and attending church became a
several-times-a-week occurrence from then on.
“After my parents became Christians, we started
giving, even when we as a family of four were living
on a meager $10 to $12 a week salary,” John said.
“My parents were also firm believers in the message
of Matthew 6:3-4. ’When you give to someone in need,
don’t let your left hand know what your right hand
enjoyed volunteering and engaging with communities,
94-year-old John has aspired to remain active and
involved on campus—over the years helping with the
Messiah Village Residents' Council, Auxiliary, and
fundraising campaigns.
“ I thank the Lord every
morning for being able
to live here and being a
part of this community.
It’s such a loving and
gracious place to be.
is doing.’ So giving wasn’t something we spoke about.
It was just something we did.”
Before moving to Messiah Village, John and Betty
lived up and down the northern east coast—from
Carrying with him the humble heart and morals upon
which his parents raised him, John too doesn’t often
give and tell. However, he shares now with the hope to
inspire others to look beyond themselves for ways, big
and small, to bless others.
various parts of Pennsylvania to West Virginia and
Connecticut—all the while deepening their hearts for
serving others. During this time, John earned degrees
in psychology, elementary education, speech therapy,
and audiology, for which he put to work as a speech
John and his wife, Betty, moved to Messiah Lifeways
therapist for a public school, later working with older
at Messiah Village from Connecticut in the early
adults with mental health needs, and teaching special
2000s to have access to the continuum of care after
education and rehabilitation at the University of
Betty had her first stroke. The quality of care, coupled
Connecticut for 25 years. Together, John and Betty
with the opportunities to continue to live vibrantly
also spent many of their years helping build and plant
through clubs, activities, and other forms of growth
churches in local communities.
and leisure is what led them to choose here.
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