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Dee ’ s News
Vo l ume 4 I ssue 4
We want to welcome Iva
Miller to the MAP staff.
Following is some of her
story:
I grew up in an Amish
community in northern
Indiana. I am the young-
est child of four. I was
ten when my 21-year-old
brother died after a two-
year battle with a brain
tumor. My oldest sister is married, and another one is no
longer Amish.
I was taught that if I was obedient to my parents and to the
Amish church, I would have hope for salvation. At the
young age of 12, however, because of a summer Bible
school ministry and MAP’s Bible club, I received Jesus
Christ as my Savior. I remained Amish and became a bap-
tized member of the Amish church at age 17. For the next
three years, I read the Bible more. I found myself discour-
aged because I did not understand the Bible or even how
to read it. Discipleship and Bible study are not allowed
within Amish culture.
I wanted to know God more deeply, and I wanted my life
to be meaningful. I turned again to the Bible, this time to
study it with a real hope to find answers and to know more
of God. I began to study the book of Romans. God’s
Word held the answers to every question I had. I shared
this with my mom one day, not expecting her extremely
negative response. Her fear was that this would cause me
to one day leave the Amish. She was right.
In April, I committed my life to God. Immediately follow-
ing this was the most challenging season of my life. As I
read the Scriptures daily, the fruit of His Spirit grew within
me. My mom noticed that I was not the same person.
Though I was now more patient and loving, she did not
like that I was different. I would urge my parents to have
devotional time with me, knowing that if Christ is the cen-
ter of our family, conflict would have to leave. My mom’s
response was that the Bible was brainwashing me.
One day after work, I was broken to find that my mom had
taken my English Bible away from me. It became clear that
I would either need to stay and submit to my parents or I
would need to leave the Amish. The pressure got more
intense.
In October, I had the opportunity to live in the apartment
of an elderly couple. Though my parents did not think I
would ever leave the Amish, on January 2nd, 2010, I left at
6:30
a.m. with my last bag, leaving only a note on the coun-
ter for my parents. As the van took me past the place where
my dad was working, intense emotion filled me, and tears
ran down my face. I realized the reality and seriousness of
the choice I had just made.
My parents tried to get me to return. They even tried to
arrange for me to become a patient at the mental facility
where I was then volunteering. For two months I contin-
ued to dress Amish, but attended a non-Amish church. I
was awed at the simple freedom of taking my English Bible
with me to the church services. I loved the joyful songs and
corporately praying freely to God instead of the written
prayers given in our antiquated German language.
Another turning point in my life came in April. I was still
Amish, and I was obligated to attend council and commun-
ion services. If I would not attend, my Amish church and
community would know that I had left. I would be
shunned. As I sought and prayed through this very im-
portant decision, I realized there was no turning back for
me. I chose to no longer be part of the Amish culture.
I earned my GED in June. Desiring to know Jesus more, I
began attending a Bible school in PA. I needed to know the
Bible much better than I did. I
recognized that I did not have a
solid foundation in Christ, and I
could easily fall prey to unsound
doctrine. I needed to be able to
differentiate what was truth and
what was tradition. As I began
studying and learning the Bible
more, I was filled with a great
love for my parents and all
Amish people.
Because I had been so hurt pre-
viously, I would never have chosen to go to Indiana or to
see another Amish person again. God, however, changed
my heart, and now I am looking forward to working at Mis-
sion to Amish People and helping the Amish and former
Amish with their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual
struggles that I know so well.
I count it a great joy to have the opportunity to lead these
precious people to Jesus.
Welcome Iva Miller!
