I have always been fascinated with stories about the Amish people. A large community of them are located in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. I think that a lot of my interest is due to the fact that there is also a large community of Mennonites in the area. I was raised in a Mennonite Brethren Church in Dinuba, CA. Our church was not a lot different from the Baptist church down the street. However, the Mennonites in Pennsylvania are largely of the Old Order that are similar to the Amish. The main difference is that they do have cars and electricity. However they also wear the prayer caps and ladies wear dresses similar to the Amish. All the different orders of Mennonites participate in the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) that provides assistance with disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and others. It was interesting to hear that the Amish are part of the MCC too.

We went on a tour of the Amish community in a buggy with an Amish driver. He even took us to his own farm where we were offered homemade pretzels and root beer by his wife. It was fantastic to hear his stories about his family and neighbors. Seeing an actual working farm was so interesting. They grow a lot of corn, soybeans, and tobacco. They also raise cattle and some even camels. We went by a field with so many camels that were right next to the buggies. We also saw a team of horses plowing the fields and another one harvesting the corn. We stopped at an Amish shop that sold many of the crafts that they create. They also sold homemade root beer and fresh hot soft pretzels. We had to try both of those, of course. The pretzels were so good we went back and bought four more for later. Those of you that know me should know that I love soft pretzels and these were the best I have ever eaten.

So interesting to see the simple life that they enjoy. No electricity and technology that can often hinder communication between families and friends. Sounds kind of nice and sort of like we were brought up. We didn’t have TV till I was in the eighth grade and did things a lot like the Amish or Old Order Mennonites still do today in some regards. I learned how to sew on an old treadle machine like the Amish still use. We also hung the clothes out to dry on the clothesline till I was in high school.

 

Later we toured an example of an Amish house and school. They have one room schoolhouses and only go up to 8th grade.  When the school is full they build another one.  So there are a lot of one room schoolhouses in the area to handle the many children.  They are not allowed phones in the house so they often have community phones in a building like the one below that looks something like an outhouse.  They also grow most of their own food and have large gardens.  The guide explained the difference in the clothing between the Amish and Mennonites. They also explained what the different Orders were allowed, such as electricity, cars, dress, schools, etc. I have included pictures from this tour as well.

The Amish ladies are well known for the beautiful quilts that they make.  You can see the one on the bed below is colorful and intricate.  I went to a quilt shop and could not resist.  I bought a small one.  I got a neutral color since I didn’t want to pay for the more expensive ones.  They are in the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.  Most were out of my reach.  Looking forward to showing it to all of you when I see you.

We went to a great Assembly of God church on Sunday. I made a great friend there who introduced me to an Old Order Mennonite friend of hers. We met at Starbucks and talked a lot about the differences in my life in the Mennonite Brethren church and hers. They are what they call Black Bumper order where they are allowed to have a car but it has to be black, no color allowed. I really had a great time and have made two friends for life. God was so good to allow me to meet them.

We really enjoyed our time among the Amish and the Mennonite community. Hope you enjoy the pictures Next blog will cover our trip the Hershey PA. See you all soon