Joseph Yoder is an Amishman in the Arthur, Illinois community. He recently did an on-camera interview for news channel WCIA. This is the second part, you’ll find part 1 here if you missed it.

In this segment, Joseph talks about getting into the furniture business and challenges the community faces with technology. He explains how it came about that he was able to begin carrying a flip-phone for his work – even though the church’s rules at the time do not permit such a thing.

He further shares on how the host church and weddings – and how the growing community accommodates large attendance at weddings for example, which can exceed 1000 people.

He also circles back in a way to a point made in the previous video, on how the Amish were very reserved when he was growing up. Here Joseph explains that he and his wife encourage their children to be different than the Amish were in the past. This is about “show[ing] them that we have something in our hearts that they might want.”

And he sounds a note you often hear from the typically forward-looking Amish. “Being a traditional Amishman is way more than just myself.  It is my generations after me – is what keeps me where I’m at.”

He also emphasizes that Amish culture “will not save me.” It’s about having Jesus in his heart, he explains.

Enjoy part 2:

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