I meet Susan and Peter Hoover on a number of occasions when they were living at Rocky Cape (they now live in Paraguay) and I was living at Stanley (a 15-minute drive away). They established a Hutterite community there, and it was always a blessing to call in and see them. On one visit, they gave me this book (Poor but Clean) written by Susan's mother, about her life. Here is an excerpt from the near end of the book...
"... This year, 2012, I am back in Australia, enjoying our lovely Christmas season in the heart of summer. For several months, with the help of my daughter and son-in-law, I have finally finished writing the story of my life. And now, at the end of it, I must tell you why.
I do not want my story written because I think it is particularly interesting or important. To the contrary, what I want you, my children, my grandchildren, and my rapidly growing number of great-grand-children to know, is that nothing in this life is nearly as interesting or important as we often think.
Only one thing is important. That is to fear (respect) God so we may walk in the Truth, loving and serving him.
I spent my childhood and youth in the Durango Mennonite Colony. From my parents and schoolteachers, from my grandparents and older relatives that came from Russia to Canada, I first learned about my Father in Heaven. I learned to fear him and that it matters, forever, whether we take him seriously or not. Later I learned much more about him, and about our Saviour, Jesus Christ, from the Kleingemeinde, the Wissler and the conservative Mennonites.
Not all of what I heard was quite on track, and not everything I lived through among these, my brothers and sisters on earth, was perfect. That is because all of us are human, with earthly human problems, just like every church, every community, including God's people in Bible Times, have always had. But by now, drawing close to the end of my life, with nothing but Jesus and eternity before me, I can see more clearly what matters and what does not.
It no longer matters so much to me what people call themselves, or what they do not, because the only name that saves us is the name of Jesus Christ. I like the language my parents taught me and that I learned in school (German) but I now understand that the only language that matters is the language of the Kingdom of God, spoken by those that love and serve him around the world.
I have always worn dresses, as befits godly women, and covered my head as the New Testament teaches, but the issue, as I see it, is not in one exact form over another. It is the issue of modesty, of humility, of true godliness and separation from the world that really matters. And in the end, I no longer feel it matters so much whether we belong to this group or that, for in every group there can be only two kinds of people.
On one hand we have the proud and the self-confident, boasting of what they have and who they are. Some boast in their wealth and business. Others boast of their education, their religion, or their "wonderful experiences with God." Still others take pride in what they think is sound doctrine and practice. But the proud always forget God, live for themselves, and bring nothing but unhappiness, strife and confusion, wherever they go.
On the other hand, in every place I have lived from my earliest childhood to now, I have come to know humble people, fearing God, putting others first in the Spirit of Jesus, while reaping for themselves and others immeasurable never-ending joy.
From this I have seen what matters the most - that we walk in the Truth and fear God. Then we may be simple yet glad. Living ordinary lives yet fully content. And like my mother always said, we may be poor but we can be clean..."
