Molly PavlovichA few years into retirement, Nancy LeRoy was growing antsy. She looked at her husband, Bill Umberger, and said, “I’m bored. Let’s open a Bed & Breakfast.”
The couple had worked much of their careers running an interior design and general contracting business together and given their backgrounds, were well suited for such an endeavor—as spontaneous of an idea as it may have been. But Bill wasn’t fully convinced, as opening a B&B would require coming out of retirement and taking on the heavy workload of starting and managing a new business.
Soon thereafter, they learned about Airbnbs, and the far-fetched became more plausible. At the time, they were living in their custom built house in Fairview Township, from which they previously ran their business.
The unused office space nicely transitioned into two bedrooms, and they added a new bathroom to the space and completed a few minimal cosmetic updates. After photographing some well-positioned listing images and creating an enticing description, they were ready to give Airbnb a try.
“The first day we listed it, we got a bite—a reservation—which was unbelievable to us,” Nancy remembers. “I said to Bill, ‘Now what do we do?’ And from there, it went on for five years.”
During those five years as Airbnb hosts, they welcomed more than 1,200 people from around the globe—from China to Russia, Peru, Europe, Italy, Africa, and elsewhere, for all types of reasons. As Bill and Nancy like to say, “The world came to visit.”
Knowing they were regularly letting strangers into their home, came with some initial apprehensions. But as they met and interacted with guest after guest—people of every size, shape, religion, and sexual orientation—these apprehensions quickly melted away.
“What we decided was God would send us the right people,” they said. “And He did.”
MEETING AROUND THE TABLE
Leaning into the hospitality of B&Bs, which is not mandatory nor do all Airbnb hosts choose to embrace, they offered a cold continental breakfast every morning as part of their amenities. Nancy would set the table the night before and prepare a sweet treat baked item, and Bill would prepare the coffee fresh in the early hours, toast English muffins, and offer other small morning bites. Gathering around the table with their guests, many over-breakfast conversations lasted between an hour and a half and two hours.
“We made peace at the breakfast table,” Nancy said. “And we were blessed to meet so many wonderful people who welcomed us into their lives, as we did for them.”
During one breakfast, a Muslim family, who booked the Airbnb stay to be near a Muslim convention at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, invited Bill and Nancy to accompany them as guests, but they had conflicting out-of-town plans. The following year, however, the family stayed elsewhere, yet remembering Bill and Nancy, re-extended the invitation. This time, with a clear calendar, they joined—enjoying traditional dishes during dinner and attending a service spoken in both native tongue and English.
Nancy and Bill also recall inviting a newlywed French couple visiting for a four-week honeymoon, who were seeking a true “Americana experience,” to join them at church for Wednesday night dinner—a simple yet heartfelt weekly tradition in their lives.
“In fact, they wrote to me after they got back to France, saying that was a highlight of their trip because they have nothing like that in France,” Nancy said.
Five years and 1,200+ people later, Bill and Nancy didn’t have one person that they wouldn’t welcome back—and many did come back as repeat guests, earning them an esteemed Superhost status from Airbnb. But most of all, they’re grateful for the lessons in trust and open-mindedness that it taught them.
“It reminded us that most people are basically good,” Bill said. “If you treat other human beings appropriately, they more often than not respond the same. And universally, when you look beyond differences, there’s so many commonalities to connect over.”
In 2020, they sold their home and closed the Airbnb to move to a Messiah Village cottage. While they were jokingly reminded upon moving in that they can’t open an Airbnb on campus, the two have found many ways to fill their hearts for hospitality here at their new home.
Nancy is Chair of the Helping Hands Committee on campus, which uplifts and serves residents and charitably supports the Messiah Lifeways mission, and Bill has been an active member of their church—only recently stepping down as treasurer. Together, they’re continuously strengthening their faith and community connections through regular Bible studies on campus. They also continue to meet around the table, with friends new and old, at Messiah Village’s various dining venues.
“If you get into talking to people here, they have a wealth of knowledge, information, and wisdom. They’ve been to all different kinds of places, achieved many things, and lived remarkable lives,” the couple said. “Everybody has a story, if you’re willing to put yourself in a position to listen.”
