Wanda E. Brunstetter - New Beginnings

2008 by Wanda E. Brunstetter

ISBN: 978-1-59789-898-0

eBook Editions:

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62836-180-3

Kindle and MobiPocket Edition 978-1-62836-181-0

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Barbour Publishing, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words or 5 percent of the entire book, whichever is less, and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: From Rachel Yoder: New Beginnings, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

All Pennsylvania Dutch words are taken from the Revised Pennsylvania German Dictionary found in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Scripture taken from the H OLY B IBLE , N EW I NTERNATIONAL V ERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Cover artist: Richard Hoit

For more information about Wanda E. Brunstetter, please access the authors Web site at the following Internet address: www.wandabrunstetter.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

Printed in the United States of America.

To the students and teachers at the Pleasant
Ridge School in Shipshewana, Indiana.
Thanks for letting me visit with you!

achoh

benselsilly child

bopplibaby

bruderbrother

dankithank you

daeddad

dochderdaughter

dummdumb

gaulhorse

gemmummeltmumbling

grossdaadigrandfather

grossmuddergrandmother

gut nachtgood night

hochmutpride

jahyes

kappcap

kichlincookies

kinnerchildren

kummecome

lecherichridiculous

mammmom

middermothers

millichmilk

mudichspirited

mupsichstupid

naasnose

naerfichnervous

narrischcrazy

reiderrider

rutschichsquirming

schmaertsmart

schnellquickly

schpeckmausbat

schweschdersister

verhuddeltmixed up

wunderbaarwonderful

Duh die katz naus.Put the cat out.

En aldi grauns.An old grumbler.

Es dutt mir leed.I am sorry.

Fege.Run about.

Kanscht seller gaul reide?Are you able to ride that horse?

Schpiele gern.Like to play.

Was fehlt dir denn?Whats the matter with you?

Was is do uff?Whats the matter here?

Wie gehts?How are you?

P lunk! Plunk! Plunk! Plunk! Ten-year-old Rachel Yoder dropped four dirty spoons into the sink full of soapy water. Mom had gone outside to hang some laundry on the clothesline and left Rachel to wash the dishes. Doing dishes was not one of Rachels favorite things to do on a sunny spring morning. Shed much rather be outside playing with her cat, Cuddles; riding on her skateboard in the barn; petting their old horse, Tom; or looking at the colorful flowers blooming in Moms flowerbeds.

Rachel looked out the kitchen window and spotted Grandpa Schrock working in the garden. Even pulling weeds would be better than doing dishes!

At least I have two hands I can use to do the dishes, Rachel thought. When shed broken her arm a few months ago, shed learned to do some things using only one hand. She was glad her arm had healed and she didnt have to wear the uncomfortable cast anymore. And she was glad this was Saturday and she could go outside to play after the dishes were done.

On the other side of the yard she saw Pap and her seventeen-year-old brother, Henry. They were building a dog run for her brother Jacobs dog. Jacob was twelve years old and was sometimes nice to Rachel, but most of the time he just picked on her. Now that spring was here and the snow had melted, Pap decided it was time to get Buddy out of the empty stall in the barn. The big, shaggy, red dog had slept there since Orlie Troyer gave him to Jacob a few months ago.

Buddy had been nothing but trouble ever since hed come to live at their place. Rachel thought he deserved to be locked up. During the winter, when Jacob kept Buddy in the empty stall, Buddy jumped over the door and escaped several times. Rachel was glad the hairy mutt wouldnt be able to escape from his new dog run with a sturdy wire fence around it.

Rachel washed all the silverware and looked out the window again. She saw Jacob step out of the barn. Buddy was at his side, wagging his tail and nudging Jacobs hand with his nose.

Rachel frowned as she thought of all the times Buddy had licked her hand or face with his big slimy tongue.

Swish! Swish! Rachel ran the sponge over one of their breakfast plates as she continued to stare out the window, where she saw Buddy and Jacob in the backyard, playing with a ball.

Jacob tossed the ball across the yard, and Buddy raced after it. Jacob clapped his hands to call Buddy back, but Buddy didnt come. Instead he rolled the ball with his nose, and then he took off in the opposite direction. Jacob sprinted after the dog, hollering and waving his hands.

Rachel grunted. Mupsich [stupid] dog never does come when you call him. She thought about the whistle Jacob bought so he could train Buddy. But blowing the whistle never made the dog come when he was called. Buddy had a mind of his own. Rachel didnt think he could ever be trained.

She sloshed another dish around in the soapy water, rinsed it, and placed it in the dish drainer. I hope Cuddles isnt in the yard right now. If Buddy sees my cat, hell probably forget about the ball and start chasing after her.

Rachel grabbed the frying pan Mom had used to make scrambled eggs for breakfast and dropped it into the soapy water. Woosh!several bubbles floated into the air. One landed on Rachels nose. Pop! She giggled and wiped it away then started scrubbing the frying pan.

The rumble of buggy wheels and the clip-clop of a horses hooves pulled Rachels gaze back to the window. When the horse and buggy came to a stop near the barn, Uncle Ben stepped down, followed by Aunt Irma, and Rachels cousinsMary, Nancy, Abe, and Sam.