The Harvest-Interview of a {former Amish} Woman, Part 5

A video with interviews of how some former Amish found Christ in the midst of a closed society. And if you have ever wondered how you can make a difference in the Amish society or if you are former Amish or Mennonite and you know others still "in", then stay tuned to the very end of this post. Today, we're continuing our series about an Amish woman who was shunned for her faith and left the Order when she was married and in her 30's. Once she began questioning the "faith" based on Jesus Christ, her troubles began inside the Order. All the words are solely "Deborah's" and in her "voice" and because of her contacts, in present day, with the Amish, she needs to remain anonymous (thank you for understanding, ahead of time). I only edited paragraph sizes (smaller bites for easier reading). Bold, italics, and larger print are all mine, to emphasis areas of interesttWe'll be doing a series based on questions from Hillary's gracious readers!




Deborah: Over the years I've thought a lot about how to minister to the Amish and to help bring a clear understanding of salvation, By grace are you saved through faith... not by works lest any man should boast  Eph. 2:8-9 

 

Q: So what exactly is the "rumspringa" and why do the Amish have it?

Deborah:  "Rumspringa" is a time in every Amish teenagers life when they are allowed to be unsupervised in their activities and time spent with other Amish teens.

It starts when they are sixteen and continues until they are married. The rules for this period of life vary a little in the different communities but the main purpose is to find a life partner from among the other Amish young people.

Because this time in their life is largely unsupervised there are a lot of things that many of these teens participate in, including drugs, alcohol and sex.

Most parents know their children are participating in these things but it is looked at as "sowing a little wild oats" before you "settle down".  These parents would not give their verbal consent to these things, instead it is consent by non-confrontation for the most part.
The parents themselves went through "rumsgringa" and expect their children to do the same.

It is in no way seen or endorsed by the Amish as a time for clear thinking teens to "make a decision" if they want to stay in the order or not. 

To portray it as "a time to make a decision" sounds very noble but anyone that leaves the Amish order regardless of their age, will experience rejection.

Some will experience more rejection then others based on their respective community and a number of other variables including how much they speak up and proclaim truth.

If the former Amish joins a congregation that is similar in lifestyle, that can be viewed as much more acceptable then forsaking it all for the sake of Christ.




Q: What happens if someone runs away and needs help?


Deborah: Most in this group are teenagers and eventually do go back to the Amish order.

Many are so hungry to experience some freedom and the braver ones often run away from home. For this group, the motivation may not be hunger for spiritual freedom or truth, instead it is often the same lack of maturity that causes teenagers in general to experiment in the forbidden, regardless of the culture.

These teenagers eventually get lonely and homesick and go back to what is familiar and comfortable, especially when their motivation for leaving was merely to experience things like driving a car, going to the movies, etc..


However, from this group of teenagers, there is a percentage that respond to the gospel when they hear it, most for the first time. These young people hopefully will then go on to experience true freedom, a journey that is often difficult and hard.

 There is also the issue of not being able to help those who run away before they are legally adults. The law requires they be returned home to their legal guardians, of course.

 


Q: So how can an outsider, an "English", reach the Amish?

Deborah: The biggest misconception I think outsiders have would probably be that the Amish are somehow "different" then the rest of humanity. They have the same physical, emotional and spiritual needs that the rest of humanity has.

Their values may be different because of their culture, but those among the Amish that don't know the Lord are just as lost as any other person without Christ.  

For those that live near an Amish community and have a desire to minister, pray and ask the Lord for open doors of ministry.


Pray for an opportunity to share the Gospel with those that are hungry and trust Him to send some your way according to His will. If you experience a lack of response please keep in mind you may be planting seed for a future harvest.


The Amish do not have TVs or radios and most of them read a lot to quench their curiosity about things outside their community.  Because of this I believe handing out very simple gospel tracts is a good way to present the gospel to them. 


Please don't pass out any literature promoting your church doctrine or your denomination, only the simple gospel of "repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ."  Trust the Lord and allow Him to lead them by His Spirit to the congregation He has for them and the life He has for them.


These are "my people" and I cringe at the thought of them exchanging one set of "rules" or man's expectations, for another set just as damaging.
This happens to many of them and it happened to me.

I had to "come out" out of several congregations that took advantage of my propensity to follow man in my early Christian walk, a propensity that I believe came from immaturity and a childhood that trained me to obey without question.


These subsequent quagmires I walked through after leaving the Order in search of freedom, added to the pain by repeated rejection.



Q: What do you consider the best effective tool for reaching the Amish?

Deborah: My own salvation experience is a good example and proof to me that the Lord will meet a hungry heart where ever He finds one.

 I was alone in a room when I found Him as a teenager and my life was forever changed. 

There really wasn't any single person or act that spoke to my heart and caused me to reach out.

The Holy Spirit is not at a loss or limited to help those whose hearts cry out to Him even if they don't have access to the things we often assume are necessary to experience salvation.


I have come to the conclusion that prayer is the most necessary and the most effective tool in my pursuit of bringing the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Amish.


Prayer that the Lord would open the eyes of their understanding and turn their hearts to repentance of sin. Prayer that they would turn from dead works and serve the living God.

Prayer that the fire of God would burn in their midst.

Prayer that  they would be filled with the power of the Spirit to live in victory.

Prayer that they would be more than conquerors through the Him who loves them.











Mission to Amish People Promo from Shane Burgett on Vimeo.
 

To know more and hear in their own words {former Amish} people tell how living in a closed society and with rules was like "digging a hole" with no purpose, then watch this video.  Deborah wants you to know about her heart for setting the captives free. Visit the Mission to Amish People (MAP).


And also their Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mission-to-Amish-People/324236356023