Duane Schlabach

December 16, 2009

First Email

Dear Joe, I was shocked to find this website as I had no clue anything like this existed. I grew up Amish and found it extremely frustrating and left home when I was 18 and moved to Montana. I worked for an outfitter for 7 years and now I am in the University of Montana becoming a high-school teacher in English and History.

I found a second family who allowed me to believe in myself and gave me the confidence to apply to go to college, which I was accepted into. My passion for education is strong because of my own experience in being held back as a child from knowledge. I believe knowledge opens the heart and mind to many wonderful things. I have accepted the Lord as my personal Lord and Savior and stand firm in this belief.

I am not convinced that any organized religion is all that good, as it tends to put an emphasis upon man instead of the Lord. I found myself and the Lord in the beauty of his creation (the mountains) and they will always be my primary source of inspiration outside of the Bible. This is a great website and God Bless!

Second email

Hi Joe, I don't have a problem with you posting my testimony, as you inquired. I admire you for doing the work your doing and wish you the best because I personally cannot do that. Whenever I go back to any Amish community I tend to get flashbacks and it takes me a week or two to regain my composure.

I was visiting the video stuff on you tube on the Amish youth and I believe that you were in it, the ABC documentary. While watching, the pit of my stomach turned as I watched these youth wrestle with families at home and freedom from the Amish. I don't mean to sound harsh but the truth of the matter is that they need to leave and when I say leave, I mean a distance in which the possibility of returning is remote.

I honestly don't have much sympathy for the Amish elders and don't care if I ever run into one of them ever again and that is where I admire you for your work. How do you do it in going back to try and help, don't you get these awful flashbacks that send you into a tailspin?

I have been asked to help out with various aspects of helping the Amish, but I don't want anything to do with them anymore, which is why it's kind of crazy that I'm even responding to your website. Anyway, sorry for my ranting, but someone will have to be held accountable for brainwashing the Amish into a sense of fear and it gets me awfully riled up to talk about it. God Bless!

-Sincerely, Duane

Email: duane335@yahoo.com

^{This Testimony has been published with permission from the owner.}