July 2020 Update
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| 575 US Highway 250 | Greenwich, OH 44837 | Office: (419) 962-1515 |
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Manager, Weddings, and Speaking Schedule New Beginnings Homestead
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| Manager, Weddings, and Speaking Schedule |
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Wedding Bells Times Three In February, I officiated the wedding for James and Katie. In March it was Daniel and Amanda. In April, it was Speaking Schedule Now that churches are opening their doors for ministry, we have been traveling and speaking in several churches in OH and have others scheduled for NY, DE and PA. We are moving forward on the next great Amish Awareness Conference, taking place on August 21-22 in Dillsboro, IN. You are invited to join us. I promise, if you have never been to an Amish Awareness Conference, you are in for a challenging and life-changing two days of ministry. Bring yourself, your spouse and your children. We have something for everyone! Since the conference is very close to the Creation Museum and Noah’s Ark, plan on spending the week and taking it all in. You must register at www.AmishAwareness.com. We are also planning out a (2-night, 1-day) 2020 Vision conference, which will take place in Holmes County in October. More details will follow in future Ministry Updates. —Joe Keim |
We found a manager for 
Luke and Katrina—and now, because of COVID-19, we are having a second (bigger) wedding for Luke and Katrina on July 4th. Esther and I had so much fun going through 5 sessions of premarital counseling with each couple separately. Luke feels the call to go into ministry, which added a 6th counseling session. See Katrina’s testimony on the back cover.| New Beginnings Homestead |
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Hello Friends! It has been a while since an update has been brought from New Beginnings Homestead. For those of you who may not know, NBH is specifically designated for young women who leave the Amish and desire to start a new life. For some of them, it is the first time they have ever felt safe enough to explore who God created them to be, who He is to them, and also to pursue healing and wholeness. Additionally, it is a place where they can get help to obtain their driver’s license, GED, and become financially independent. With that being said, currently there are five young women living here: and as God leads, there will be more. It is definitely an adjustment each time a young lady comes, but we welcome them and look forward to seeing how they grow while at NBH.
Another endeavor this year has been to plant a garden. One big area was tilled up, and then each girl got her own little plot. Since this is the first time for a garden, it took quite a bit of work to get the ground ready for planting. However, the girls did a great job, and so far the veggies seem to be doing quite well. Not only that, it is good therapy to work in the garden! For those of you who desire to partner with us to make a difference in these young women’s lives, there are multiple ways to do so. Many times, there is a need for a lady to be sponsored financially until she is able to get on her feet. Sometimes we need things that the girls can use in the apartments, whether it is kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or living room items. Most importantly, prayers are needed to intercede on their behalf. Please pray for me as I work with them, and pray for them to know Jesus intimately and grow in Him. As I sign off, I want to leave you with a testimony of a young lady who lived here for a while…
I gave my life to Jesus when I was 8. I really strayed from Him during my teen years...I tried so hard to fit in with the youth from my church, but I was always different. Not better, just different. I wasn’t raised from a religious perspective, but from a Christian perspective. Therefore I knew that I could never stay Amish. At 18, I was so dissatisfied with the church. My life had been uprooted, and everything I dreamed for my future was gone! I began praying that God would lead me wherever He wanted me - to use me in His great plan. My parents, then Old Order Amish, joined a New Order church. I loved the people, but I just never felt at home. So I kept praying, and He led me to New Beginnings. Leaving was hard. I knew things would never be the same. But, as I hugged my parents that day and came to New Beginnings, I knew, without a doubt, that I was where God wanted me to be! When I arrived, I immediately felt accepted and loved! Velda helped me find a job and get my driver’s permit. She helped me practice driving and never yelled at me for almost causing accidents! She was always there to listen and answer any questions that I had! At New Beginnings, we created our own family. The girls that lived there were so accepting. Every time someone new moved in, we did our best to surround them with love and kindness. I have wonderful memories of the year that I spent there. We had dinner/movie night once a week. We often did fun things together on the weekends, and we always helped each other out when possible! None of this would have been possible if Joe and Esther hadn’t listened to God’s voice all those years ago! I’m so thankful for them and Velda! I couldn’t have come this far without them! I recently got married to the love of my life and we are so excited to see where God leads our future. He really does work in wonderful ways! May God richly bless you! —Velda Miller, Mentor at MAP |
As the Spring and Summer months have arrived, so have the times of campfires and gardens. One of our favorite things to do in the summer is to have a campfire where we can sit around to talk and roast hotdogs and s’mores. It is always so good to spend time together and have some fun when we can.
My name is Katrina Given. I left the Amish in April 2019. I was scared to be making such a huge decision since I was only 18, but I knew in my heart that it was what God wanted. 
