Mindy Starns Clark - A Pocket Guide to Amish Life

MINDY STARNS CLARK

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover photoDiane Diederich

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

Illustrations by Amy Hanson Starns.

Mindy Starns Clark is represented by MacGregor Literary.

Harvest House Publishers has made every effort to trace the ownership of all poems and quotes. In the event of a question arising from the use of a poem or quote, we regret any error made and will be pleased to make the necessary correction in future editions of this book.

A POCKET GUIDE TO AMISH LIFE

Copyright 2010 by Mindy Starns Clark

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-2864-9

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

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Dedicated to the kind Amish folks who answered
my questions, aided my research, and made me feel
welcome. Your graciousness and transparency
have been a tremendous blessing!

Acknowledgments

Many, many thanks to John Clark, my sweet husband and favorite research partner.

Thanks also to Emily and Lauren Clark, Amy Starns, Erik Wesner, Dave Siegrist, Gene Skinner, Chip MacGregor, ChiLibris, Shari Weber, Vanessa Hart, Dee Benjamin, Ned and Marie Scannell, Larry and Bebe Hebling, Kim Moore, and everyone at Harvest House Publishers. Thanks also to Steve and Jamie Shane of the Apple Bin Inn in Willow Street, Pennsylvania; the Mennonite Information Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and all the members of my online advisory group, Consensus.

A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Amish-related nonprofit organizations. Visit www.morefrommindy.com, for more information.

W hy are we so fascinated with the Amish? If were not marveling at their enchanting dress and simple lifestyle, were grappling with their unusual practices and austere ways. Our curiosity mingles with admiration, confusion, and suspicion. Just who are these people? Why do they live this way?

And why do we care so much?

Without a doubt, the Amish ignite our curiosity. We buy Amish-made products, cook Amish recipes, read Amish fiction. We take vacations to what we call Amish country, those Amish-heavy regions like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Holmes County, Ohio. While there, we look for them from our cars and think about sneaking photographs of them from a distance. We wonder what it would be like to live without constant interruptions, the stress of the rat race, and the intrusions of modern technology. Once in a while, we think we might like to be one of them, to live as they do.

Usually, those thoughts pass just as quickly as they come, for we know we couldnt survive without television, without e-mail, without driving. We dont really want to be one of them, and yet the allure remains. The Amish themselves dont always understand our attraction either, but in response a wise Amish man once issued the following challenge:

If you admire our faith, strengthen yours.

If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours.

If you admire our community spirit, build one.

If you admire the simple life, cut back.

If you admire quality merchandise or land stewardship, then make quality.

If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them.

This popular saying is frequently posted on the walls of restaurants and tourist attractions in Amish country. The first time I saw it, I understood why its message was so important: We cant all be Amish, but in many ways, we would do well to follow their example.

Unfortunately, thats not always easy to do. Given the vast proliferation of Amish-related myths, inaccuracies, and outright fallacies, its easy to misunderstand even the most basic facts about the Amish. The goal of this pocket guide is to clear up most of those misconceptions by providing accurate information about the Amish and the lives they lead in a thorough and easy-to-access format.

Youll notice some symbols in the text:

Living near Lancaster County myself, I have developed great respect for the Amish over the years. Though I could never live the life they live, I understand why it works for them. I do not see them through rose-colored glasses, nor do I pass judgment on their more incomprehensible regulations. The subject is so complex, in fact, that for this book I have chosen simply to observe, question, read, study, watch, interview, and report. This process has confirmed that the Amish way of life is utterly foreign to my own, the choices they make are unique, and their ways are genuinely worthy of study.

As you read and use this book, I hope that you will gain a deeper understanding of the Amish faith, life, and values, and that this will help you to form your own opinions about why you find them so intriguing. Most of all, my prayer is that you will use the Takeaway Value points from this knowledge to enhance your own faith. Thus, may we all be iron sharpening ironAmish, author, and readerhelping each other to grow through a new perspective.