Ask an Amish Person: Submit Your Questions
Indiana Amishman Merlyn Yoder, who has contributed articles for us on the Ausbund, beekeeping, and being an example, has offered to answer questions you might have about Amish life.
Here’s Merlyn’s bio again:
Merlyn, his wife, and six children live in northern Indiana. He has a job in the RV industry and his hobbies include woodworking, working on engines, beekeeping, orcharding, and history.
So feel free to ask your questions in the comments below. We’ll pass them all along to Merlyn, and he’ll choose which to respond to.
We’ve done this on more than one occasion in the past. Most recently, John Stoltzfus of Lebanon County, PA answered a number of your questions. Here are the topics John covered previously:
- Books & Furniture in Amish Homes
- Do Amish do anything special for Valentine’s Day?
- Are the Amish self-sufficient?
- Children with Special Needs
- Medical Visits & Vaccinations
- How do new settlements get started?
- Accepting Outsiders
- What kinds of things do Amish do for fun?
I’m looking forward to seeing your questions, and Merlyn’s responses!
Buggy photo: ShipshewanaIndiana
Cell phones
I know you don’t use cell phones in your homes…but as a mom and a nurse wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a cell phone in case of a medical emergency even if you don’t use it for anything else?
Gardening
My wife and I go up to Lancaster PA. a lot. While we drive the back roads we notice a lot of vegetable gardens. In these gardens there are a lot of different flowers planted through out the garden. I was wondering if these flowers were there for beauty or are they there to deter insects. If the later what flowers do they use to repel insects?
there has been a lot of discussion on ‘Amish America’ about the challenges of being Amish faced by English people trying to join the faith and ‘born and raised’ Amish youth who ultimately choose to leave, but, I was curious, what in your opinion is the most challenging and yet rewarding part of being Amish?
Children
This is not a new question, rather one I’ve had most of the 50+ years I have known Amish. When you see little kids,at least in the public eye,they are well behaved. My latest observation was recently at the Amish consignment auction in Marion, WI. In the furniture/quilt tent were three little boys about 5 yrs of age just watching and being good. Their dads were most likely helping with the furniture, so not that far away. No mischief…just watching for probably a good hour. I’ve come to the conclusion that Amish kids are ok being bored, which helps being in church for three hours.
Another observation was a dad who had 5 little girls with him alone. Mom must have been taking her turn in the food line. The three oldest ones just sat, one hanging over dad’s knee, and the youngest around a year old, sat in her dad’s lap. No toys, no books, no entertainment other than watching the auction. And then us fellow observers ask ourselves…why are they being so good?
I was at the Marion Auction too! And saw the same boys! I always am impressed at the their behavior! We go every year and I do occasionally bring my youngest son. He fits right in with the children there. What an amazing example they set for my boys!
We hear about how the young leaving the faith and move on due to rejection of all the church rules and such. But do older Amish leave too? Do older folks or maybe even entire families in later stages of life (40 on) leave? You don’t really hear about this but as communities become more populated and English pressures build up around them I wonder.
Question
My husband and I were in WI and when we were driving back to our campsite he was asking how to tell if a lady was married. Is there a way to know as I know the Amish don’t jewelry. I know the men usually grow their beards out.
On the note my husband was surprise when we stopped at an Amish house to look at his wood work and the Amish guy took time talk and show us his workshop. It really made my husband’s day.
Thank you
Natalie
social issues
Growing up old order, I virtually never heard anyone talk about social issues not directly affecting the church. Barely a mention of abortion, gay rights, race relations or social justice.
With many amish becoming more integrated with the outside world, is there more debate or discussion about current political or societal changes?
Are they addressed by the church?
Children
How does the family teach children how to behave? What do they do to teach little ones to sit still in public? Any approaches that have worked for you?
In articles in “Family Life” I’ve read the term “breaking the child’s spirit” several times. To the “outsider” this would seem to equate with “breaking a horse to ride.” Sounds awful when applied to children and it makes one wonder if “breaking the spirit” is the early training to discourage later “jumping the fence.” So Mervyn, what does “breaking the spirit” of a child consist of? Harsh physical punishment, the “death stare” (as my kids used to accuse me of), just what?
Here is an interesting pdf on child rearing.
http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/fileadmin/template/Samples_books/TTUAC.pdf
I would love to know what all vegetables the women can from their gardens. Also, how much is the average? Do they keep a garden year round? Do they ever buy from each other to can if their garden does not produce enough to feed their family? Oops…that is more than one question!!
I have the same question as several others. How do the Amish discipline their children. I guess we are curious because so many English children have no respect or discipline and are very loud. I know from watching the TV show the Nanny that very undisciplined children act out for attention because they do not get attention otherwise. Could this be why Amish children are calm and obedient? They do get attention so no need to act out.
Thanks for taking time to answer our questions.
hearing loss
I was reading this article that the Amish has a way to stop hearing loss or prevent hearing loss ,is this the truth? If it is
then who can I contact to find out more about it?
I am not a spammer, Just a normal old lady looking for information. I am going deaf, had a set of hearing aids but lost one of them and it is rather hard wearing the one with out the other one. Thank You ! Jeanne R,
I have noted the huge change from the old standard plain brown (Morgan?) horse to many different varieties of horses being used to pull the buggies, wagons, etc. What brought about the change? Did the horse choice become more lenient? Or was there a practical reason for the change, such as a shortage of the plain brown horses?
Would you consider moving to NZ
Hi there, I have read about your problems in finding farms in America due to cost and space. Have you ever thought about immigrating to places where there is plenty of space….like New Zealand for example? I know that community is important to you but would you consider opening a church elsewhere?
For many years, I have wanted to have a conversation on a deeper level with an Amish person. I want to know more about gelassenheit. I understand what it means, yeilding to a higher authority, submission and humility. But how does one go about this? I understand from a Christian perspective, yeilding to God’s will, but how does the average American, who is taught to be independent and self-assured, do this in their everyday life?
I would also welcome responses from Rebecca and Mark on this matter.
I’m not Mark or Rebecca or Meryln (Obviously), but maybe I can help you out a little bit and then they can correct me if I am totally off. lol
From my many discussions with Mennonites and Beachy Amish I have come to understand Gelassenheit as the willing yielding of one’s rights for the unity of the whole. It comes from a spirit of humility (e.g. considering others better than yourself). An example in the plain community might be style of dress. While there is no defined style in the Bible, a plain church would decide on what they want their standards to be. Everyone in that group then agrees to follow those standards for the peace and unity of the group.
In evangelical churches it might mean willingly accepting, without grumbling or complaining, if the pastor chooses to play a different style of music than what you might prefer, such as; contemporary over hymns or Praise and Worship, etc. Another example might be sitting at a restaurant and wanting to order a glass of wine. If there is anyone at the table who does not agree with alcohol, gelassenheit would be not ordering the drink, even if you feel it is not against your beliefs to do so. Even asking if it is okay puts the others in an uncomfortable position. Gelassenheit is the opposite of rebelliousness or having to have one’s way. It’s putting others before one’s self.
Thanks, Jessica. I really appreciate your input. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear in my question. I understand what the word means, I am just not sure how to go about implementing it in my life.
Perhaps my problem comes from having been the trainer and later the regional manager of a multi-million dollar corporation. I had to be the one with the answers.
What I need to know is, how do I now go about becoming a submissive neighbor and friend? I really do want to change but I’m just not sure how to go about it.
Thank you for taking our questions, Merlyn!
I have a simple question (especially since our sliding screen door broke a few weeks ago and we can’t find a replacement and my cat & I miss the nice breeze from that doorway): Do the Amish (Old Order, New Order, etc.) use window screens & screen doors? I read about some not using screening. Doesn’t that cause a lot of bug problems in the house? I know we’re being warned in my area about mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus, among other deadly diseases. How do the Amish keep them out of the house (especially in hot weather when windows are wide open)?
One more question…do most Amish women still use straight pins to fasten their clothing? At what age is a little girl taught/trusted to pin up her clothing?
Thank you again. I look forward to reading your answers!
Alice Mary
Memories
What is your favorite memory as a child?
I am really looking forward to see what Merlyn has to say. I’ll wait to see his answers before I comment. Don’t want to jump the gun. But, hey, I just might need to give the Holmes County perspective:) This should be pretty interesting !
And I hope you will give the Holmes perspective Rebecca, that always adds to the discussion. Lot of interesting questions so far.
Not really a question for Merlyn, but for Eric. Why do so many of my E-mails from amishamerica end up in Spam ? Any idea ? Is there anything I should or could do ?
How to prevent Amish America emails going into your spam folder
Thanks for bringing it up Rebecca, sometimes spam filters can be overagressive.
You can mark them as “not spam” in most of the major services. You may need to do this a few times before the system “learns” that it’s not spam.
I’ve pasted directions on how to do this, and links to more info, for the major email providers below. If anyone else has had a similar problem I hope this will be helpful.
Gmail:
If you find a message wrongly classified as spam, you can unmark the message. Just select the message, and click the Not Spam button that appears at the top and bottom of your current view. Unmarking a message will automatically move it to your inbox.
If you find that some senders’ messages are consistently being mislabeled as spam, you can prevent this by:
Adding their email addresses to your Contacts list. Gmail will deliver messages from members of your Contacts list to your inbox, unless we know with high confidence that they are spam.
More: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/9008?hl=en
Yahoo:
– You can move a message from the Spam folder to your Inbox: Check the checkbox beside the message and select the Not Spam button.
– Using Not Spam “educates” our filtering system: By sending these examples to Yahoo for review, it will increase the effectiveness of Yahoo Mail’s filtering system.
Add them to your Contact list: Adding someone to your Contact list ensures they won’t end up in your Spam folder.
More: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN4910.html
Hotmail:
To prevent Hotmail from banning important messages as spam:
Select Options | More Options… from the Windows Live Hotmail toolbar.
Follow the Safe and blocked senders link under Preventing junk email.
Click Safe senders .
Type the email address or domain you want to put on the Safe senders list in the Sender or domain to mark as safe: entry field.
More: http://email.about.com/od/windowslivehotmailtips/qt/How-To-Make-Sure-Windows-Live-Hotmail-Does-Not-Ban-Important-Mail-As-Junk.htm
Outlook:
The preferred solution is to leave the junk mail filter enabled, and to train it instead.
It does mean you need to periodically log in to Outlook.com on the web and see what you find in the junk mail folder there. Then, for each non-spam (or “ham“) email message you find there, right click on it and mark it as not junk:
That will then also help “train” Outlook.com’s spam filter to learn that, for your account, email that looks like this should not be placed in the junk mail folder. Unfortunately, your indication that it’s not junk is just one of several signals that the junk mail filter uses, and you may need to repeat this more than once as new messages arrive.
You can also set up “safe senders.” More: https://askleo.com/how-do-i-stop-outlook-com-from-putting-legitimate-messages-in-the-junk-mail-folder/
AOL:
To modify spam controls
1. Sign on to the AOL service with your master screen name.
2. Go to AOL Keyword: Spam Controls.
3. In the Spam Settings window, click the Spam Settings for drop-down menu, choose a screen name for which you wish to set the spam controls for, and then click Go.
4. In the Sender Filter section, ensure that your friend’s email address is not present in the Block mail from addresses I specify text box. If your friend’s email address is present, remove it from the text box.
5. In the Content filter check for the following:
If the Block mail containing pictures or files box is selected, and your friend’s email contains pictures or files, you will not receive the email. To resolve this issue, click to clear the Block mail containing pictures or files box.
You will not receive the email from your friend, if it contains any words or phrases that you have blocked. To resolve this issue, click to clear the Send mail containing specific words and phrases to my Spam folder box.
6. Click Save.
7. Click OK, and then close the Spam Settings window.
More: https://help.aol.com/articles/Spam-Controls-incorrectly-identified-ema-USH2732
Thanks, Erik, I’ll try it.
what about the anabaptist english widow
A mennonite widow has the passion to remarry and share her God given gifts with an Amish man. Can she remarry and be accepted into his Amish community?
RE; How to become Amish in an English Speaking Amish Community?
What would an adult in her early 60’s need to do to become Amish? I don’t look my age, She looks like about 50 years old. I’m Serious! But she feels like she wouldn’t have any problems. Because she wears her hair up in the back of my head and she wouldn’t mind wearing a prayer bonnet like you call it. She don’t mind working around the house. She can cook and bake. But in these communities do they have electricity & bathroom facilities in the house? She was just wondering about this for a friend.
One more question: What city & state are these type of communities located? Could you write down the names? Thank you!
Glad to see all these questions come in on quite a range of topics. I won’t send this to Merlyn until at least the end of the week, so there is still time to add yours if you haven’t yet.
Re; information about clothes & English speaking communities
Do the Amish women in an English Speaking community, wear long sleeve dresses or elbow length sleeve dresses? Do they use a sewing machine to sew them or sew them by hand? Do they pin them together or use buttons? What type of material do they use & what colors also are allowed? I wear plane color clothes all the time, so that wouldn’t bother me. I would appreciate if you could answer my questions. Thank you very much! ONE MORE QUESTION: Could you send me the names of the communities & addresses where these English Speaking communities are located also/ Thank you!
Re; information about clothes & English speaking communities
ONE MORE QUESTION: Could you send me the names of the communities & addresses where these English Speaking communities are located also/ Thank you!
Kitchen Table
Do you know of any Amish businesses that make and sell tables for the kitchen? Looking to buy direct from someone, not from one of the retail businesses in Shipshewana/Middlebury area. Anyone else, feel free to respond. Definitely would like a smaller table, we don’t need the chairs. Thank You.
Re; this comment page & about your life
Who ever looks at these comments and answers these questions of all the people that write in. I think it is very wonderful that you are doing this for us. I’m serious! Because you are taking time out of your work schedule to do this for us non-Amish people. God Bless you!
Just to let you know; even though I am a different religion; I feel like I live your life in a certain way. Because I like wearing plain color clothes, nothing real fancy. Work always comes first for me before anything else. I believe in going to church & listening to the word of God. Which is very important in our lives. Plus I am not one of those outside people that like to stare at you all because you wear something different. I don’t believe in doing this! I think it is very wonderful that you wear what you do. Because to me it’s no different then some Religious Nuns wearing full habit dresses. You have your special ways in your community & those nuns have their special ways also. Plus I know you don’t allow pictures. Which is wonderful! I would never take pictures of you all. Maybe just the scenery if I wanted to or if I could. I love your ways of living. You are very wonderful people! Many blessings to you all!
Hearing loss treatment
Hello:
I recently received an e-mail regarding an Amish hearing loss treatment. Is this true? If so, I would appreciate any information that you can supply. My hearing aids are a help, but not natural.
Thanks you so much.
Stay well…
Warren Shuman
Question
Can you explain the difference between a gma and a Freundschaft?
Are either (or both) of those words interchangable with “Church District”?
What about Buddy Groups? What are some other formal and informal sub-groups among the Amish?
I have seen support groups for mothers whose children have a certain medical concern, circle letters by birth date, and groups for those attending school the same time. What are some others?
Thank you so much.
Machts gut!
Also, what is a ‘dale’?
Thanks
Amish programs on Television
On television, the Amish are portrayed as foul-mouthed, disobedient individuals that are in complete rebellion of their old life of being Amish. It seems like such a negative way to portray Amish. It confuses me because the Amish I have met are kind, moralistic, simple living people, who do not cause trouble for anyone. I am not Amish though, and I would like the real scenario of how Amish live their lives. Is there a “wild side” to the Amish that I have missed all these years?
Sherry, I hope Merlyn will be able to answer you in more detail. But, hey i just couldn’t help myself. My opinion and that of most Amish would be that no REAL, truly devout Amish person would be on TV.
Re; Amish people
Sherry, regarding your comment. I know what your talking about re; TV programs. But I think TV adds more untrue things to programs then what they should. They try to bring bad things out on people which is really sad. I don’t believe Amish people are that way. Because of all the things I have read about Amish People; I think they would be reported to their Brethren or their Bishop if they did things like that. Do you agree with me on this? And to clarify things: I AM NOT AMISH. But I believe in a lot of their ways and I pretty much live like them; with exception of a few things; like them.My clothes are regular clothes skirt, blouse, vest. But they are plain colors, no prints. I live like this: because i feel more comfortable without all that fancy things. I don’t even own a TV. I own just a small radio. That’s it. I have read a lot about Amish in the last few years and I think they are considered very nice people. They would bend over backwards for you or anyone else. Plus welcome anyone into their homes. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS LET ME KNOW. OK? Thanks for understanding what i wrote. God Bless!
Children
Whenever I read about the Amish I hear that their children get up at 4 or 5am to help with the milking or other chores. I think this a good thing for them to work hard at an early age. I have my youngest daughter (13) still living at home. I would like to get her up early to work with me. I can’t seem to be able to get her up before 6:30 without her getting very hard to live with. She goes to bed at 9 so it’s not because she stays up late. My married daughters used to get up at 6 with no problems. My question is, How can these children get up so early and still function happily all day? Thanks so much for answering these questions. ~Diane
Frugal Living
I have so many questions but what I wonder more than anything is how we English can live a simpler life in a world that has lost perspective of what is really important. Faith family and frugal living are what I value but at times I feel like everything from the cost of living in a home, buying groceries and just the wants of others has gone crazy.Even if a mother wants to stay at home in many cases it is not possible. So my question would be what do you believe the top 5 things we can do in the English world that you Amish do to save money and lower our financial responsibility.Thank you for this chance to ask questions.
How much attention do you pay to how outsiders view the amish?
I remember how much my identity as amish was based on the way we were seen by “English”
They saw us as either saints who led perfect, simple lives with no problems; or as uneducated, uninformed hypocrites.
I remember my grandparents in particular being embarrassed and horrified if an amish person made a public mistake “what will they think of the amish ”
Is it worse now with all the reality shows? Or easier? Is there less expected out of amish people now?
I enjoyed your post. I realize that looking at the Amish, because you view a clean cut, solemn, God-fearing christian who is very polite, they suffer through trials and tribulations just as everyone else in the world. I think that not understanding or seeing how they live their lives, you only make your assumptions based on what you see in public, which gives you the wrong impression of what their lives are really like. The reality shows are the only televised view of how some Amish live their lives. These isolated cases do not give a wider picture of what Amish really are like and send a negative message. I wish these shows were more in tune with the whole picture of Amish life.
Holidays.
Do Amish celebrate Christmas? If yes how..
Question for Merlyn
Based on statistics I see, the population of Amish is growing. Also hearing that as farm land becomes more scarce and families having fewer children, that obviously means that the majority of those children born are staying in the Amish culture.
With the heavy influence of the current modern world on young people (Cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), what do you attribute as the most telling reason these young folks are retaining their culture and not being pulled away to the modern world around them?
Renting
My wife an i live in a travel trailer and we have spent much time in Lancaster CO. We love the Amish their life food and cooking. We would love to be able to rent a space on a farm to park our trailer a live there. I understand there would be a problem with having electric sewer and high speed internet, but maybe this could be worked around.
We do not need cable for TV. because we do not look at TV.
Sincerely,
Charles and Liudmyla.
Amish business
I live in a heavily Amish populated area and would like to start a business serving the Amish community. I need ideas on what products or services would be appealing and helpful. I know technology is a questionable area but perhaps there is something I can provide that would be acceptable and profitable. Any suggestions?
RE; Amish Books
Good Evening!
My questions to you this evening are the following;
1. For NON-AMISH, Is there a place that we can buy the book the AUSBUND BOOK? Do you know how much this would cost?
2. Do you know where we can buy a language book to learn how to talk in: PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH? Do you know how much this would cost?
Could you let me know when you have a chance?
Thank you very much!
ausbund& Penn.Dutch language
Go to Amazon.com for the ausbund 40~80$ depending on it’s condition.
The Penn. Dutch language is learned but you can understand and pick up the Penn. Dutch language easily if you learn German.
I hope this helps 🙂
Ausbund and PA Dutch resource
Let me just jump in here, you can get an Ausbund for much cheaper than those prices quoted on Amazon. Many Amish stores sell them. One of the best options for mail order is Raber’s Bookstore out of Holmes County, Ohio.
Raber’s Bookstore
2467 County Road 600
Baltic, OH 43804
I don’t have their price sheet in front of me but it should probably be under $10.
A nice book for learning PA Dutch written by a Lancaster native is Speaking Amish by Lillian Stoltzfus. This one is also cheaper from a non-Amazon source. I believe I got mine from Masthof bookstore which has it to order online at $19.95:
http://www.masthof.com/products/speaking-amish-a-beginners-introduction-to-pennsylvania-german
Amish-Mennonite Heritage Center in Berlin, OH sells both the Ausbund and several books that have translated Ausbund hymns. Also a book “Speaking Amish” w/ a CD. They have a website.
Weather
How do the Amish keep track of the weather when there is no TV or radio? It seems the weather is getting more violent as the years go on. Do the Amish know what to look for when it comes to the weather especially during planting and haying time?
weather
Well, my parents were children in the time period before radios and TV–I suppose people read Old Farmers’ Almanac, listened to their aches and pains, and all kinds of forecasting done by watching how the crops were growing, what kinds of insects were out, etc.
Just chatting with an Englisher
I have read many books about the amish by different authors. Some of them are from the Amish areas and some are Amish. I am of German desent and I love listening to the Mennonites we have living around us and I always wanted to learn to speak it. I know you speak in High German during your chuch and also low German. Is High German considered to be the actual German language from Germany itself and the low German the dialect that the Amish speak? I know there are variances of the dialect among different Amish settlements but from what I have read about all of the different settlements, they do have a sermon in High German and low German. I was just wanting to clarify if that meant the actual German spoken over in Germany. Thank you for reading my question and I am sorry it is so long. God bless……
Is it possible to do a tour to the amish community?
I always wondered how it’d be to be Amish i am one that is fascinated by the different cultures. I think it’s cool
Amish fiction
Although plot lines are fictionalized, how authentic is information about Amish life in most of the Amish novels? Which authors are recommended by Amish readers of Amish fiction? Finally, why aren’t novels considered too worldly for the Amish?
Which is easier to join!
Good morning, Rebecca or Erik!
I have a question; which is easier to join: A Mennonite order or and Amish Order? And could you tell me the difference between these two?
I am really interesting in knowing!
Thank you very much!
ANOTHER QUESTION: I was wondering when my questions were going to be answered. I wrote them last week and I haven’t noticed any answers except where I could buy some books to learn the language. Could you answer my questions when you have a few minutes? Thank you very much! Have a wonderful day!
Amish and Mennonites
Bernadette,
See more about “What’s the difference between Amish and Mennonites?” at
https://amishamerica.com/whats-the-difference-between-amish-and-mennonites/
Bernadette I do know Merlyn has received the questions, though I am not sure on when he will get to them. I can just chime in on your question on “English speaking” Amish communities…I am assuming that you mean those that might use English as an everyday language and/or church language. This is a pretty unusual thing among the Anmish. One unusual community where this was attempted that I know of no longer exists.
The language is an important part of the culture and Amish are generally not shaping their churches to be especially open and easy for outsiders to join (that doesn’t mean they refuse people who have a true conviction, but they are not a group that actively seeks converts). So it’s not really something you can expect to see much of.
I’m glad Rebecca jumped in to help answer your other question and also that Linda shared the link, hope that helps.
Re; a variety of things
Erik or Rebecca,
So if there is no more English speaking communities, then if someone wanted to join and they didn’t speak Pennsylvania Dutch/german what would you suggest for them to do? Maybe Join a mennonite community first that speaks English, then try the Amish later on?
And do you know of a good state to live to join the mennonites or maybe a Beachy Amish community? And who would I contact?
If this is the case; What type of dresses should be made & bonnets? And with what type of material?
I will watch for answers from one of you.
Thank you very much for helping me out! I really appreciate it! God Bless!
Bernadette, First let me clarify something. When you talk about English-speaking Amish communities, what do you mean. There are a few communities that speak more English than others, but I’m not aware of any that speak all or mostly English and none that have totally English services, but most of the more forward thinking Amish speak English very well and would help you feel comfortable. try to google Beachy Amish. You can find a lot of information. Also my friend told me there are horse and buggy communities in Tenessee that are very much like the Amish, but are Mennonites that speak and use mostly English. And as far as specific dress styles I would say you would have to make personal contact with someone from whichever community you’re interested in and see what their requirements are. People are given a period of say a year or more to adapt clothing styles and other regulations, but you’d have to get in touch with the specific church to find out. Just go as you are and learn to know the people and ask them what is appropriate, be up front about your intentions and be open to instruction. Another option would be Charity Fellowship churches. They are typically very seeker-friendly and have a wider variety of dress styles as long as it’s plain and they wear veils, instead of caps like the Amish. Hopefully you will find what you seek. Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find.
Bernadette, I would say a Conservative Mennonite or Beachy-Amish would be easier to join than Old-Order Amish mainly because of the language and you could live a conservative, scripturally based life and still have a car and electric. For Beachy-Amish I think you can just search a certain state/Beachy-Amish and it will give you several options. If I remember right I think Erik was going to turn these over to Merlyn this week, but keep in mind he probably needs time to write the answers and Erik will need time to get them on here.I’m planning on also commenting on some of these questions, but I want Merlyn to have first chance unless you specifically ask one of me.
questions re; mennonite & Amish info
Dear Rebecca,
Thank you very much for all this information re; the different Amish & Mennonite order! I really appreciate it! It has answered a lot of my questions that I was wondering about.
I really appreciate you sending me this information!
Have a wonderful day!
God Bless!
Prayers always,
Bernadette
Re; information about clothes & English speaking communities
Rebecca, What you just sent me regarding these two things, have really helped me out in which way, I would like to live in the future. Because now; i can check out this information more on the internet & just think about where I would fit in the best. RE: Prayer & Church Services, I love going to them to hear about the word of God. To me this is the most important thing in my life. Because God will always lead us in the right direction. Correct?
So, Thank you very much again for all you have done for me! God Bless!
PS: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL OF YOU ALSO!
Prayers always,
Bernadette
to Bernadette
First of all, Bernadette, I believe you are sincere in your seeking. Your P.S. , “Happy Independence Day to All of You, Also” kind of threw me because it seems to me that the type of life you are seeking takes away much of the independence the rest of us enjoy. What independence of a personal nature is there if the “community” dictates the width of the hem of your dress or the length of strings of your bonnet or things of that kind?
Do you realize the pacifism of the Amish and like groups and what our lives might be this July 4 had all our fathers and grandfathers been of a that mind? There will be those reading this that will maintain that total pacifism from before 1776 would have been preferable and I respect those opinions, just don’t agree.
Best wishes in your search and where it leads.
RE: Carols comments
Carol, to let you know, I am not taking away your independence. You have the right to do the things you want to. And I have the right to do what I want to. I’ve done a lot of things in my life and I am just searching for something different at this time. I may not join that type of life. But for right now; I am just searching for a type of life that will make me happy with the way I lived my past. Quite a few years ago. OK? And re; the length of anything I wear. I was always told by my mother to wear my skirts and dresses a certain length and have the hem a certain width. She was very fussy! I never wore anything real fancy. It was always plain colors.
But for right now, I going to live the way I want to until I decide otherwise. Which is a nice quiet life and do things at home that i like to do.
Adoption
Do Amish adopt children?
Yes, There are quite a few families in our community who have adopted. If it wouldn’t be for all the legal hassle, probably more would.
Join an Amish Community from Europe
Good day Mr. Merlyn, my name is Stefano, I am 34 years old and I live in Italy. I would like to ask you, if you please, information about have the possibility to join an live for a period with an Old Amish Community: 1- I think the best first step is to start a printed correspondence (not by internet but ordinary mail) with a bishop of a community to have more details possible for a future living, and I am asking you if you have some contacts to give me. 2- perhaps this is a silly question but I do not know how to bypass it: if a Family would like to accept my presence, have I to pay daily for food and a place to sleep at night or can I repay them with my work on fields or in whatever other principal job the family do?
Thank you very much Mr. Merlyn, God bless you.
Preferred Vitamins/supplements
I work for a vitamin and supplement company and was asked by an Indiana pharmasicst what are the top ten used in an Amish community. I could only make suggestions based on my limited knowledge of Amish culture. Are things like Folic Acid, valerian root, saw palmetto and St John’s wort used? What are the most popular supplements?
Jello by the ton
I’m very curious…on visiting an Amish store in Kentucky, I found that nearly ⅓ of the store was taken up by shelves and shelves of brightly colored jello in every hue, bagged by bulk. It was mind bending. What on earth do the Amish do with all that jello? Does it have some religious significance?
I really want to know.
Thanks
B
Jello by the Ton
I always thought it was jello, cream cheese, sour cream and/or whipped cream that made up 95% of the dessert recipes!!
M
Jello by tons
Well maybe it is….do they really do all that much with deserts? All I know is jello figures prominently and I was really curious.