Mountain View Conference

Did you know there is an Adventist connection to a famous groundhog? One of the first French Creek Freddies, West Virginia’s popular weather prognosticating groundhog, was found and raised by members of a Mountain View Conference church.

Jean Shaver shares the following:

On May 7, 1987, my husband, Harry, found a newborn groundhog in the middle of a road. Harry put her inside his shirt pocket and brought her home.  I gave her some warm milk in a small pet bottle which she accepted immediately.

Harry named her Happy because it was my birthday (and hers). Happy would sleep around my neck every night. After about 12 days her eyes opened, and I was the first person she saw, so she thought she was human and I her mother.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20, KJV).

This text comes alive as I reflect on my past and present Christian experience. Paul experienced many challenges in sharing the gospel (2 Cor. 11:24–30). Although not suffering physically like Paul, I gave up my military career to serve Christ. My plan was to retire after two decades and go on to another career and then retire from within the public sector of the same field of service. I could have had two pensions and been financially set for life. At the time, I thought I was really living Galatians 2:20. That was nearly 29 years ago.

“And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3, KJV).

When I was a boy, my grandfather used to say, “If you can put salt on a bird’s tail, you can catch the bird.” He would then hand us the saltshaker, and off we children went for hours of fun that brought joy and laughter to the adults watching from the porch. Needless to say, we wasted lots of salt and could never get close enough to those illusive birds.

Story by Valerie Morikone

Donald West (known as DW) was born and raised in Parkersburg, W.Va. When he was 9, DW and his parents, Don and Leona, joined the Parkersburg church.

DW began attending Parkersburg Academy and was soon involved in Pathfinders, youth leadership, music and even preaching. After sixth grade, DW attended public school. Five years later, a calamity in his family resulted in him leaving the Seventh-day Adventist Church. “I began to follow my dreams of becoming a rock star,” shares DW. Amber, DW’s wife, was born and raised in Kanawha, W.Va. “I grew up with my father showing me the simple ways of life,” she says. “At a young age, I told my grandmother and mother that I had Jesus in my heart and wanted to be baptized.”