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how do the amish and mennonites deal with illness and disability?
i am a 57 year old woman who has a number of chronic disabilities. this is very isolating for me as i am pretty much bed-bound. i have faith in god which helps of course, but i do not really have any family so this makes things much harder. i used to be very active and was a high school english and foreign language teacher.
as i know how hard these groups work, i wonder how they relate to people who are unable to work due to illness,plus how they relate to the disabled/ill from a spiritual point of view.
incidentally, i would be grateful to have an occasional correspondence, by email or snail mail, with a mennonite or amish woman or family sympathetic to my situation. i read that these people do not have much time to write, but as i don’t have much energy to write, that might work out well! also, is there a tradition of communal praying for the sick? thank you.
Dear, Lisa
Hi my name is Garrett and I want you too know Jesus loves you and so do I. I would be more than happy to correspond with you, My e-mail is hermitspark1@aol.com
I am sorry I have not responded lately you can write me anytime, Remember God loves you and so do I.
Lisa I am not Amish nor Mennonite, but I will pray for you. I suspect that a Amish woman would be willing to trade letters with you.
thankss for the prayers
dear tom, thanks so much for the prayers. i wrote more about my situation below. have a blessed christmas, lisa
To Answer Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I’m not Amish or Mennonite either, and maybe someone else can answer as well, but from what I’ve learned from Amish friends & formers, they are very sympathetic & caring to ill & disabled.
If you’re feeling they may look down on one’s inability to contribute, I have not seen that in stories I’ve heard. I know of an Amish community in Maine, who allowed an outsider woman who was legally blind to join their community. They even built her a cabin & help with her needs. This isn’t common, but I’m just saying that as an example of their care for ones with special needs. Spiritually, the Amish always seem to pray “God’s will” for healing & most things in life. They are not exempt from having illnesses & disabilities anymore than we are it seems.
I know of a couple ladies who may be able to write if you would send your address to me vjesusnme@aol.com then I can write them in meantime to see if they have time to write, especially with winter here in OH, less outdoor chores.
May God who is rich in mercy & grace, comfort you.
Valerie
amish/mennonite views towards the disabled
dear valerie, you are v kind to write.here in france i get uk television and there has been a great series about some british teens who went to stay with different amish and mennonite families and how it transformed their views of life. i had always been attracted to their simplicity and values and this series reminded me of that. of course they also have illnesses; one woman had had cancer and she told of getting many scrapbooks which aided in her recovery, but i also know that they are hard working so i wondered about the place of someone who could not work…
obviously the bible is very supportive of the sick and jesus has a special concern for them.my priest friends and i look at illness as a way to share in jesus’s suffering, but it is hard sometimes of course. the worst is to be rejected by my own family, as if i am not worthy of anything; it is like a survival of the fittest for them and the rest are left behind. i am married but my husband has severe psychological problems so frankly is more of burden than a support for me, and i give a lot of energy and time to him.
i am someone who is positive most of the time and who does not give up, and my husband agrees that even now i am a very hard worker when i can be!i also believe in helping others to forget my own difficulties; i hate to see others suffer. sometimes people take advantage of me as i am such a soft touch(!)
i have a rare genetic illness called ehlers-danlos syndrome, hypermobile type. it is a collagen disorder that affects me in many many ways; because of it i had to have 7 major c-spine surgeries and have a lot of metal rods etc in my neck and spine; i also have developed cataracts at a young age for them; i also had to have multiple foot surgeries due to deformities caused by this illness, and many other problems. overall, it causes enormous fatigue and pain. i take morphine every day which hardly touches the pain but also does not make me feel drugged. i do not drink or smoke.
one of several reasons why i don’t drink is that i was given a contaminated blood product so developed hepatitis c as well! ironic. i have a sleep disorder so don’t sleep, i have osteoporosis, i have lyme’s disease, i have a lot of rheumatological problems like bursitis, tendonitis, and osteoarthritis.
the things that help are faith, a positive attitude,keeping a sense of humor, helping others, and my animal companions who stand by me, 2 small dogs and 2 cats. i love animals, cooking when i can, gardening when i can (including vegetable gardening), literature (as i said i used to teach english and spanish and french), surrounding myself with beautiful art and crafts of all types, music of most types, travel ( though i can’t do that anymore), learning about different cultures, lovely textiles, jewelry and gemology, history, social history,classic films, architecture, and pioneer history ( i am a 5th generation californian). so i have a lot of varied interests! i used to write a lot but don’t have the energy to do that do much now.anyway, i am sure someone out there would share some of these interests! i am happy to write by email or snailmail. i moved to france from san francisco 11 years ago as i couldn’t get health insurance in the usa. i came here on my own with a dog and 2 cats, not knowing anyone. i eventually met my husband jack who is scottish and was also an english teacher. we built an all wood house (unusual for france) and for awhile did B&B. i put in a lovely garden with a lot of roses and fruit trees plus the vegetable garden, a green house, and 3 hens for eggs. it was not easy coming here on my own, changing languages, etc, but though i miss a lot of things about the usa i mostly like living here and especially appreciate getting free health care!it is sad to be so isolated though, and stuck in bed most of the time. the few friends i made here have mostly dropped me as i became less able to do things…
my address is: lisa kuhn, dormouse house, 34 rue de medan, 78670, villennes sur seine, france. my email is lisa.dormousehouse@gmail.com.
thanks so much valerie and have a happy christmas!lisa
Dear Lisa,
The Lord surely has given you grace as your attitude is inspirational to say the least. I’m studying the 4 gospels and you are correct, Jesus compassion is throughout for the sick & afflicted.
I’m a 2nd generation Californian (southern, though), transplanted in Ohio now & love it as well. Will catch up in email, but thank you for sharing, because it will gain prayer your way & help someone else reading as well, God Bless you.