Rachel Gingerich

I was born into the Schwartzentruber Amish sect, which is the strictest Amish group. I enjoyed many benefits from growing up in the Amish culture. I liked the strong sense of community that the Amish have, and it was a great experience growing up on a farm and helping to take care of the garden and the animals. I loved having chores and helping out around the farm. As with most families, my relationship with my family had its ups and downs, although for the most part we had a good, strong relationship with one another. There were, though, definitely certain subjects about which we disagreed and argued.

I eventually began to feel the urge to leave my Amish lifestyle behind. I felt the Lord calling me to become baptized, but not necessarily in the Amish community. I wanted to learn about salvation and baptism before being bound to the Amish church for life. I decided to leave on a Monday morning while doing laundry. That day, I wrote and left a note for my parents, and someone came and picked me up.

When I left the Amish, my friend, Anna, was there for me. She helped me connect with some of my family and friends in North Carolina, and they helped me get settled into the “English” world. John and Katie, my brother-in-law and sister, let me live with them for about eight months. Another family member who helped me was my brother, Dan. Thankfully, through these family members and friends, I always had a place to live and a strong support system.

Even though I have left the Amish, I still have contact with my family. They will talk with me and correspond back and forth, but they also make it very clear that they do not agree with my lifestyle choices or with my decision to leave the Amish.

One of the hardest parts about leaving the Amish was that it was really hard for me to depend upon other people. I constantly felt like I was bothering someone for a ride to work or a ride to the store. I basically had to rely upon others for all of my transportation. All in all, though, it has been a great process being able to adapt to the “English” culture; there are a lot of things I like about this culture—including the freedom.

When I left the Amish, I knew that I wanted to learn more about God and salvation. I definitely have a better understanding of salvation and God's mercy and grace now than I did back then, and I have surrendered my life to the Lord. My goals now consist of getting my GED and possibly even getting involved in doing some missions work. I have a long term goal of becoming a midwife. I am very excited to see where God leads me!

This testimony has been published with permission from the owner.

Note to the reader:

We would like to encourage you to leave a message for Rachel below.  When you do, it will notify Rachel and be an encouragement to her.  God bless you!