News
Ryan White (Eli Hostettler)
| July 2, 2005 I was born to a very Old Order Amish family in Ohio with no indoor plumbing, electric or modern conveniences. Our Ordnung was very strict; we were not even allowed to see a doctor or dentist except in cases of extreme emergency. I was born at home by a local lay-midwife, the first born to my parents John and Mary Hostettler.
Parents to their daughter: Come back to the Amish
| May 4, 2005Dear Lovina, ...oh, we'd so much love to have your children. It hurts so deep in our hearts to hear what you are doing! Just think what you are doing, just THINK, to put that electricity in your...
Mary Byler: Abuse and Incest Among The Amish
| January 24, 2005When she wrote the letter that she hoped would protect her sister, Mary Byler was lying on a twin bed, surrounded by rainbow-colored walls and a sky-blue ceiling decorated with bright white clouds. A stereo sat on the floor beside her. There were no signs of the Amish upbringing she had left behind—no plain wood furniture or chamber pot. Nothing except a stuffed doll that had belonged to her 6-year-old sister. The little girl had put the doll's bonnet on backward.
An Alarming Concern for the Amish Church
| October 13, 2004I have been taught that we need standards, fences or guard rails to keep our sheep in. Why do we all have different kinds of fences or guard rails? We all want to have the strongest fences, and still the sheep may keep getting out. Didn't God give us a good enough standard? Didn't God give us the laws which govern how to build the strongest fences? How about going back to God's laws and leaving our own laws out, and see if that won't build a stronger fence?
I Will Stand for Jesus, Regardless of the Cost
| October 12, 2004Greetings of love in Jesus' name. How are you doing? I think of you often, and I have wanted to write you for a while, but our last letters felt rather cut off; it seems we are not seeing things eye-to-eye anymore.
I don't want to go on and on, writing many words because I feel too unworthy to admonish you. May I , instead, write a little about us?
When I was Amish, I was told over and over to surrender to and obey the Amish church. Last year, when I was in the ban for issues not related to leaving, I felt the Amish church was doing something wrong.
Terry Miller
| August 14, 2004I greet you in JESUS beautiful name from our little settlement of ex-Hutterites here in central Manitoba, in western Canada, just above the North Dakota border. What a joy to hear from you and to learn more about MAP and your wonderful outreach to "our people". Although not Amish, Hutterites have always considered Amish and conservative-type Mennonites "our people", primarily because of our common origin in the Anabaptist movement of the sixteenth century.
Katie Troyer
| July 15, 2004I was born and raised in Holmes/Wayne County. Ever since I was around 10 years old I purposed to know and find the Truth, and I knew the Truth is in the Bible. I also purposed I will never leave the Amish because I'd have no chance of getting to heaven if I left them.
Son to Parents: My life Has Been Changed Forever!
| February 15, 2004Mom, wondered how I spend my Sundays. I go to church almost every Sunday and five month ago I started to read my bible everyday. I can not even tell you how excited it makes me to talk and think about going to church. Every Sunday's service is different. I love it!! God is so extremely powerful.
Lydia Wengard
| January 18, 2004My husband and I came out of the Amish 3 years ago and we accepted Christ into our hearts.
Simon Miller
| October 12, 2003I was born and raised on a farm. Growing up as a young lad, I always thought, "If only I would have been an animal or something other than what I was, then I would never have had to see this dark picture painted in my mind of how a person gets to heaven."
Leaving the Amish Life Behind
| July 25, 2003The choice between living the rustic Amish lifestyle, or joining the fast-paced, convenient modern world, has always been an option for Amish teens. Many continue to embrace the security of their strict communities, where a horse and buggy is the mode of transportation, an 8th grade education is the norm, and a simple life is the road to salvation. But, as we hear from Kevin Niedermier, there are still young Amish who look for more in their lives, and choose the challenges of the outside world.
Son to Mother: Give Me Over to God
| June 21, 2003The letter below was written by William to his mother on Mothers Day. William had gotten saved and then left the Amish because he had a desire to grow stronger in his faith in Christ. At the time of this writing,it has been 6 years since he left the Amish.
Barbara Borkholder
| December 15, 2002I grew up the oldest child in an Amish family in a rural community about 45 minutes east of Cleveland, Ohio. When I was born my father worked as a construction worker. He worked in this trade until I was 8 years old. He decided he wanted to try a new career as a farmer.
Eli Shetler
| November 2, 2002I was 19 years old when I left the Amish. Why? I got in trouble with the church and so for that reason I was rebelling against my parents and didn't have a desire to change.
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John Schlabach
| September 18, 2002I was raised in an Amish home and was never shown the plan of Salvation while growing up. At the age of 18 I decided to run away from home, against the wishes of my parents. Soon after that, my uncle (who left the Amish several years before) explained the gospel to me and shared the good news about Jesus Christ and why He came to the world.
John and Polly Burkholder
| August 12, 2002I grew up in an Old Order Amish community in Pa., believing that if I remained steadfast in the keeping of the ordinances I would surely go to Heaven when I die. As long as I did not commit any of the "big sins", I should be all right. I went to church every two weeks as was required. I didn't drink or smoke. I was a pretty good boy in public.
Ruby (Beechy) Taylor
| March 13, 2002I left the Amish religion in November of 1992, after leaving a marriage of emotional, mental and religious abuse. The Lord gave me a sign that I needed to leave and I left. Three years after I left, I got a divorce so I could go on with my life. I felt lost and I was looking for a church.
Ida Wengerd
| February 1, 2001We were 53 and 55 years old. Four years ago when we left a strict Amish church of man made rules it was an awful awakening to find out the truth in the Bible.