Did you know that a number of Amish call Maine home? Among the handful of settlements in the Pine Tree State are the Amish at Unity, Maine (Waldo County), an atypical group for several reasons. Everything I’ve heard about this community suggests it’s a nice little place with a few businesses and which seems to be quite friendly to outsiders (that of course is not what makes it unusual). All images…
Are you planning to visit an Amish community? What are some things to keep in mind when you go? In today’s post we look at five tips that you might find helpful. I realize people are in different situations–some of us have visited Amish communities many times, while others have not but may be planning to. This post assumes you are visiting as an outsider without…
More Than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting (by Serena Miller and Paul Stutzman) has actually been out a few months already. We took a brief look at this book in a previous post (“Are Amish Children Happier?“). I should say I’m not surprised to see a “how-to” book on Amish parenting. I’ve always thought this would be an attractive topic, given outsiders’ positive impression of…
I’ve been fortunate to spend up to two months at a time living in Amish homes. In my “regular life”, I don’t live anything like an Amish lifestyle. So that comes with both its challenges and blessings. Last week I wrote about the hardest things about living with the Amish. This week, as promised, let’s have a look at the five best things. The Five Best…
Jim Cates follows up last week’s post on income and material differences in Amish communities with part 2–on the challenges of making money, including the attraction of marketing schemes, and what happens when business deals go bad. Money…Is a Terrible Master The full quote actually goes “Money is in some respects life’s fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.” No less an expert than…
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…
Driving the Amish has come up here on a couple of occasions recently. Earlier this year we read about Debbie, an Amish taxi driver whose story appeared in the Amish monthly Family Life. I also listed it as one of my happier challenges of living with the Amish. So I thought you’d enjoy this Lancaster Online story on a County resident who’s done Amish taxi duty for four decades and…
One of the great kindnesses I’ve received from Amish friends has been regular hospitality when I visit. I don’t have to worry about a place to stay, which I know I can do in a number of homes. Usually it’s a shorter time of around a week, though the longest I’ve lived with Amish friends is about a two-month stretch. Obviously, as an English person you…
If you’ve visited more than one or two Amish settlements, you’ve probably at some point been struck by contrasts–sometimes stark differences. The most immediately obvious signs are material. Homes, buggies, clothing and other items tell stories about how the area’s residents choose to be Amish. Today Jim Cates looks at those differences in Indiana’s two largest Amish communities–the Elkhart-Lagrange County area, whose best-known place is Shipshewana,…
What are some characteristic Amish church practices? Amish do a number of things which make them different from most other Christian churches. Here are five religious customs common to the Amish, which you won’t see much of elsewhere. Five Common Amish Church Practices (Uncommon Elsewhere) 1. Home Worship With the exception of a very small minority (here is one example), Old Order Amish do not build churches…