The Amish Challenge

Let me preface today's post with a disclaimer. "Great!" you're thinking. "What did GGG do or say now that's gonna cause great gnashing of teeth and wrenching of hands?!?" Well, nothing. Yet. Here it is: I did, in fact, have a great time on this trip and had some wonderful, amazing experiences. I think I had an expectation of what I thought being amongst the Amish would be like prior to embarking on this trip. So, please read the rest of this blog keeping that fact alone in mind. I don't think I necessarily have to point this out; however, religion is a touchy subject for some people, and I do not want my thoughts to be misinterpreted here.

When I think back to the religious aspect of this trip, there are several thoughts that come to mind. While not all people agree with me here, I am the kind of person that is fascinated with learning about other people's countries, cultures, and religions. I believe that God created us so that we are all unique and have something to offer others that they can take away and be blessed by it. For example, in a religion where leadership is reserved for males only and their houses of worship even remain segregated, Jewish women, the female head of the household, is the one who lights the candles 18 minutes before the sun sets on Friday night to mark the beginning of Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath. Mosques, in the religion of Islam, are also segregated and only used for prayer services -- things like instruction or marriages do not take place in these grandiose structures. I would not know about any of this had I not gone to a mosque in Istanbul last November and taken a Jewish heritage tour of the city with an amazing young father, Josef Ben David, who took our group past three two-foot-thick bomb-proof sets of doors just to reach the actual synagogue where he would talk to us about various traditions in the Jewish faith. I love learning about the traditions and practices of people who are completely foreign to me -- it is truly amazing to witness the diversity of Elohim's creation.

Specifically, though, I really felt that I fell short in this department on my recent trip to Pennsylvania, however. Lancaster County, PA, is considered the heart of Amish country for our nation, yet I felt as though things were very hidden or clandestine. One thing I have learned from being in Muslim countries is that you don't go around outright taking pictures of people, unless they come up to you. I really wanted to respect the privacy of these beautifully simple, quiet, humble people, but I was just aching to hear their voices, have a conversation with them, to hear what their daily lives were like, to hear about the tenets of the Amish faith to see what, if anything, we shared in common. But I still felt as though we were kept at arm's length.

We were invited by a Mennonite pastor to attend his congregation's Sunday services, and I was disappointed that we weren't able to attend. Had I known we wouldn't be able to attend, I think I would've skipped out on the movie at the Mennonite Information Center and just had a good conversation with him.

As we progressed through the trip, we did pick up tidbits of information about the Amish here and there. We absolutely fell in love with the adorable Amish children we saw everywhere, peering warily at us from underneath tousled braids and neat straw hats. I love the fact that they focus on how pride can infect our lives and how they are constantly humbling themselves, almost to the point of subduing who they are (which I think maybe could be a little extreme). I learned that you would never hear them tell you that you were going straight to hell for not believing as they do. I think that's a lesson every human being, especially modern day Western Christians could take to heart. HisGirl was interested about how their views impact evangelism, but I think that there is a way you could marry the two concepts of wordless witness with the call to expose others to the good news of the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and effective.

Even as much as I did learn about the Amish, they still remain a complete mystery to me. I wanted to respect their privacy, but oh, how I wanted to really get in there and hear more! I found this document at the Mennonite Information Center that really blew me away, and I think this is the true challenge to believers everywhere:

THE AMISH CHALLENGE

"We realize that not everyone is cut out to be one of the plain people. Many have not the opportunity, but here is the challenge:


If you admire our faith, strengthen yours.

If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours.

If you admire our community spirit, build your own.

If you admire our simple life, cut back.

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

--an Amish man writing in Small Farm Journal, Summer 1993

Meet The Chicas

I, like S4J, am having trouble knowing where to start and what all to say. What makes it worse is that, the longer it is since I've gotten home, I'm losing the freshness of all the memories and the high of being in Pennsylvania this time of year. It's taken me several days of working a paragraph at a time to even get this much out! I'd better crank out a couple of these while my brain is still functioning...

I thought I'd take some time to introduce you to the Chicas. Not all are bloggers, although some are. And let me state right off the bat, as to avoid any unforeseen "issues," that I'm not trying to be clique-ish here. I just want you all to find out what I enjoy about each of the '08 girls. With no further adieu, I give you the Chicas of 2008!

As many of you know, this is HisGirl, mommy and blogger extraordinare. She is the fearless leader in the group, our virtual cruise director. I may be the first one to charge into a burning building, for example, because someone said there is a child trapped inside, but His Girl will stop everything and discern a proper and efficient plan of action that is usually a hundred times more effective than bursting through the door. To say she is zany and hilarious is to really not do her justice, and to say that she thirsts for more knowledge of the Lord is the understatement of the year. I'm the cranky Martha trying to make everything just-so and be a good hostess, while she is the focused Mary, sitting at the feet of the King, soaking up wisdom and love that she doles out in generous measures to everyone in her path. And just when you think she's going to tell you to settle down, she does something completely hysterical like get verklempt over homemade fried chicken at an Amish restaurant. She is the Devoted Disciple of the group.

Next comes S4J, my musical partner in crime. I have known her the longest out of all the girls, and is actually the person who introduced me into the group. S4J is also the co-cruise director. She accuses me of being multi-talented just because I have musical ability. This heffer can take photographs that make Annie Leibowitz look like she's using a Dora the Explorer disposable camera, not to mention sing like a profession and even learned how to play guitar on a 12-string! Her sense of humor is just skewed enough for us to be lots of trouble together yet somehow keep her out of hot water. If you were to be stranded on a desert island with the two of us, I'd be the one trying to make a fire. She would be figuring out how to clean the water and sterilize things, after washing her hands, of course. I'd be kvechting about mosquito bites while she'd be singing some silly song about mosquitos being minions of the devil in the most pleasant voice you've ever heard. She would also let you cry tears of frustration until you were completely exhausted. She is our Loving, Looney Listener.

Our next chica is not a blogger, so she doesn't have an online handle. Let's call her... Rebecca Yoder. Or the Weaverton Schoolmarm. Your choice. Mrs. Yoder here is apparently the one we've got to keep our eyes on. She is quiet, gentle, funny, but has started coming out of her shell. She's like a geode: she may appear like your average, everyday stone you might find on a naturewalk, but once you have cracked this stone in half, there are brilliant, spectacular crystalline formations that you would never know was there if you only looked at the outside of the stone. What an unexpected surprise! When I first met RY she was quiet and reserved but always sweet as shoo-fly pie. Then last year in Seattle she surprised me by playing percussion (read: homemade shaker) during praise and worship. This year she pulled the rug out from under us! Not only was it her idea to put a certain someone's chonies on the line for "Jacob Yoder" next door to see, she hornswoggled us into a one room schoolhouse for an encounter with the living dead! (Think the Amish version of "Children of the Corn" and you'd be on the right track...) That sneaky Rebecca Yoder. It's always those quiet ones that you never suspect. That's why she's our Blossoming Blessing.

Here is one of our newest chicas, fresh off the farm. I really think this picture speaks more volumes that you could ever know. Also not a blogger, this new chikkie -- let's call her Bambi Stoltzenfus -- is my SOUL MATE! (OK, like, in a friend-to-friend way, you dirty birds!) It's a rare thing when I meet someone who shares so many qualities of mine. There is another chica who falls into this category, but she was not able to be here for this year's excursion. At any rate, I worried that we I would run her off and make her think we were complete weirdos. Yeah, right! Not only did she fit right in, she helped us take our ridiculous silliness to unheard-of levels. I don't think I've laughed so hard in my life about teaching kids why they need to use handsoap! If you were at a New Kids On The Block concert with her and asked her, in a moment of adolescent stupidity temporary weakness, if you should throw your panties on stage, she'd be two steps ahead of you: she'd unsnap the sides and give hers a toss and look at you like, "Hurry up!" However, I think my favorite thing about Mrs. Stoltzenfus is, in addition to her hijinks and hilarity, she is incredibly grounded and unwavering in her faith. She is the High-Octane, High-Quality Chica.

Meet yet another new chica, Jenster. (She's the one on the left.) Jenster graciously opened her home and hospitality to S4J and myself the night before the other chicas arrived on the scene, and I wonder if she had any way of knowing just what she was getting herself into! Mwaa ahh ahhh!! At any rate, she's funny, sneaky, and can crack the funniest joke you've ever heard while keeping a completely straight face. Two seconds after she's said the most hilarious, snarky thing you've heard in your life, she's overflowing with a wisdom and perception of how real life intersects with scripture and holy relationship that just blows your mind. On top of being a wife, a mother, a breast cancer survivor, and new chica, she is also gifted at speaking and integrating how faith should look in our lives, not how we should talk about what we believe. She is definitely the Deep Waters Chica.


This is our Chikkie. She makes each and every trip with us, in full garb depending on where the Chicas are headed that year. This year she is sporting her plain clothes, reminding us to focus on simplicity and keeping it simple. She may be the quietest member of the group, but her presence is always required in group pictures and ridiculous antics. Part of the fun of going on this trip each year, besides the big "reveal" of where we're headed to next, is to find out what Chikkie will be wearing to coordinate with the new location or theme. Not seen here in this picture is her evil twin, the Dirty Birdie. DB hasn't actually made an official appearance yet on these trips, but her presence is well-known and represented! We try to keep this under wraps, but once you get a gaggle of women together, well, you can imagine how it goes from there!

Lastly, here I am, giving you my best Jacob Yoder impression, trying desperately not to wet my pants with stifled laughter. If you could only know how hard we laughed on this trip, you'd think we would all have ripped abs by now! As for what I bring to the group, that depends on who you ask. Despite what actually ends up transpiring, I attempt to bring music and laughter to the group. I can usually be counted on to say something off-color to get someone to laugh or purposefully get the group charged up and their energy flowing. Which chica would I be, then? I'm just good ol' GGG.

Where Do I Even Start?!?

Jenster. S4J. HisGirl. The Liberty Bell. Independence Hall. Cheesecake Factory! Amish buggies. The aroma of horses, "etc." Homemade rootbeer. Adorable Amish children with no shoes. Scary, waxy animatronic people in a one-room schoolhouse. Delicious homemade shoo-fly pie. Praise and worship. Devotions. Laughing so hard you hope you don't pee your pants. Bags so big under your eyes from lack of sleep that you're certain you'll be charged at the airport for carrying extra luggage. Special treats planned by precious friends. Did I mention scary, waxy animatronic people?!?

I would love to give you the play-by-play for each day of the trip, but that would take more time and attention than my kids are allowing me to give my computer today, and rightly so. As usual, this Chicas of Faith trip was a blast, and it was such an unexpected adventure. The theme this year was, "Simply Following Him," and we had a very free-flowing approach to how this trip would play out. We welcomed another couple of Chicas to the fold, and dearly missed those who were unable to be there in body but were absolutely there in spirit. And even in the midst of the churning turmoil that I was going through personally, I was able to walk away with a new understanding of people and situations, along with this gem that the Lord gave me today:

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you." -- II Peter 3:9 (NIV)

OK, God -- lesson learned.

P.S. -- IS IT 2009 YET?!?