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592^nd engineering boat and show regiment. He was a bulldozer operator but later became a tractor mechanic. He received four bronze stars for his service. Being involved in the Philippines Liberation he received two more bronze stars. He was on his way to Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped and the war was declared over before he got to Japan. He was discharged with good conduct in November 1945. During his three years of service each day he wrote one or two letters to his gal back home that she cherished and kept.

In the meantime, in 1942, Brother Kenneth got a contract with the Frick Co to sell equipment and Minneapolis Moline tractors and then received his license for operating a business in 1944. During the wartime it was impossible to get much farm equipment so farming was still a livelihood. After the war, Irvin and Austin Yarborough, both veterans, had a certificate to buy army surplus equipment, so they did it to sell. Equipment was hard to get, so the Leinbach boys still also farmed. Finally, Brother Ken said to his Brother Irvin, are you going to farm or sell equipment? At that point they quit farming and became serious about selling farm equipment. They began buying, selling and swapping machinery with dealers from other states, especially Ohio. They even hauled a little coal.

  Minneapolis Moline was bought out by the Avery         Tractor Company so they began sell Avery tractors. Later Avery was bought out so they began selling Oliver tractors. From 1960 to 1970 they were dealers for John Deere tractors. Afterwards, they got into the buying and selling used machinery without a dealership. In 1973 Br. Ken sold his share of the business to his Br.Irvin. Irvin developed the Leinbach Machinery Company into a machinery manufacture called the Leinbach Line plus continued to buy and sell farm machinery all over the country, even the world.

Br. Irvin loved his business, employees and gave many a person opportunities to work and sought the potential in every person. His business gave him the opportunity to reach out to others with assistance all over the world. He was very generous to the mission work of the Moravian church. He shipped tractors and equipment to Alaska and Tanzania, for I saw them there, and to Honduras, and Nicaragua and was generous to the Laurel Ridge Camp grounds. He bought, packed and shipped containers filled with medical supplies, clothes, tractors, books, sewing machines, typewriters, computers plus many other different items to Moravian missions. He also contributed to some native missionaries with salary assistance. Time will not let us begin to tell all he has done for the Mission work of the Moravian Church and the Bethania Moravian Church Global Concerns Committee.

Br. Irvin and Sr. Gretta Gene were presented a plaque by the Mission Society in recognition for their generosity and dedication to World Missions. I found the following written at that time: Visions and dreams are the fuel stimulating motivation and action. After going to Rajpur, India, in 1988, Brother Irving and Sister Gretta Gene discovered a need for marketing and selling handmade rugs. From this need, they presented their dreams and vision to the Global Concerns Committee at Bethania Moravian Church. Thus, The Moravian Tibetan Rug Shop was opened in 1989. Other opportunities for aiding missions arose and more dreams and visions emerged. Then approximately five years ago, the name was changed from the Moravian Tibetan Rug Shop to The World Mission Shop (and relocated in 1997). This gave the shop a wider base for marketing merchandise and crafts generated by native peoples providing them with selfhelp. After expenses each year, the profits are given back to mission. Thanks for the dreams and visions of Br. and Sr. Leinbach.

The World Mission Shop was dedicated on June 29, 1997 and opened on September 27, 1997 with the assistance of many volunteers. They have also been instrumental in helping mission work around the world giving of themselves and of their resources. We could say that Brother Irvin has shipped tractors and equipment around the world, for example: Alaska, Honduras, and Summanwange, Tanzania. Br. Leinbach has been responsible for furnishing, packing, and shipping containers to missions in the world. Just recently a container was shipped with medical supplies to Tanzania (Summanwange and Tabora on March 27, 2001). They have helped build churches, provided resources to aid individuals, and labored in Christian love hosting and caring for others. All this generous mission effort has been in the name of the Moravian Church, or Bethania Moravian Church Global Concerns Committee. They have never aided in mission work for personal attention nor wanted any credit, only that God’s name be honored.