The winner of this year’s peacemaking essay contest is Ashley Krueger. She received her award during worship services on Sunday, Dec. 4th. Ashley, aged 10, was born and raised in Hellam where she lives with her mother, father, older sister, Nicole, and one cat named Sassy. She is a fourth grader at Kreutz Creek Elementary where her favorite subject is math. Ashley plays the viola and recently participated in her third school concert. She loves to play and make new friends. In her spare time she loves to bowl with her classmates in the school league. She takes great pride in this and has been doing this twice a year since she was five. Ashley reads and also loves to draw and color. Her favorite vacation spot is Ocean City, Maryland and she also loved visiting Niagara Falls. 

  
    Peacemaking is felt all over the world. Lots of people in the world living or not have been part of keeping peace. I believe peacemaking can be a simple thing for anyone to take part in. The world has many smart peacemakers who have changed the way of things today and this is what peacemaking means to me.

    Ask yourself. What peacemaking is? Peacemaking is when you try to keep calm in any situation. Peacemakers are good natured people and have a big heart. Making peace can start out with doing small things and anyone can do this. Who can be a peacemaker, history has a lot of famous peacemakers Martin Luther King Jr. known for uniting all people of any color. Mother Teresa a woman who had nothing but gave everything. Ghandi who believed in forgiveness and not fighting and what about Jesus? When he did the sermon on the mount he said “the peacemakers will be blessed and will be called the sons of God.” These are the well known peacekeepers but we also have a lot of less well known ones. How about mom, police officers, judges, teachers, friends, neighbors, pastors, and counselors. They all make and keep peace. When you are part of it all it will put a smile on your face and many others. We should all give a little more.