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Page 2 Mission to Amish People —www.MapMinistry.org
Joe’s Schedule
So far this year, we have
shared the ministry with 11
churches. Hardly a week goes
by that we do not get re-
quests, asking if we could
come and speak.
March 25:
Quarryville PA
March 26:
Lancaster PA
Note:
I will be speaking at a
fund raising banquet on
behalf of Andy Geesey and
Plain New Life Ministry.
Andy is a missionary to the
Amish in Lancaster PA and
a partner of MAP. His web
site is PlainNewLife.org.
March 28:
Ashland OH
April 22/23:
Atwater OH
May 17:
Smithville OH
May 20:
Owensboro KY
July 8:
Nitro WV
July 15:
Lima OH
Aug 5:
Ashland OH
Sept 15:
Findlay OH
Sept 21:
Blanchard PA
Note:
we will be doing the
seminar
with
several
churches in the area.
Oct 1-3:
Wadsworth OH
Ministering in Wisconsin
—by Joe Keim
In February I
spent 10 days
in Greenwood
and
Barron
Wisconsin,
sharing
the
ministry
and
doing our semi-
nar,
“
Amish:
Our Friends, But Are They Fellow
Believers?
” In every service the
attendance was outstanding and
the presentations were
well received.
It was amazing to
meet a number of peo-
ple who had traveled
for two and three
hours to learn more
about our beloved
Amish and the need
for evangelism and discipleship
among the culture. Some of our
attending guests belonged to a
Christian Harley Davidson Mo-
torcycle Club. The love offering
for MAP was generous.
During my stay in Wisconsin, I
spent several days with the
Shrock family (below) and their
pastor, preparing them for minis-
try among the Amish communi-
ties in the mid-west. As you can
see, Melvin and Ella put me to
work. I think I even gained a blis-
ter.
In April, Melvin, Ella
and their family will
attend a week long
missionary
training
school in Spencer OH.
Afterward,
they’ll
meet with the MAP
Board for an interview
and, if approved, begin
a partnership with MAP.
Their goal and burden is the same
as ours—present the ministry to
churches as well as raise prayer
and financial support to go into
possible full time ministry.
The Schrocks, who left the Amish
about five years ago, have a tre-
mendous burden and
are already reaching
out to Amish and
former Amish with
the gospel.
As you can imagine,
this is an exciting
time for all of us.
Every week, we get
together to pray that the Lord
would send more missionaries to
our people who live in 28 states
and Canada.
Schrock Family, Missionaries to Amish
—by Joe Keim
Almost five years ago
my wife Chris and I
were introduced to
two former Amish
brothers Eli and Abe.
We began to build a
relationship
with
them. Both young
men
knew
Jesus
Christ as their Savior
and, shortly afterward, we started a Bible
study. Sensing God’s leading we
“figuratively” adopted Eli and Abe as our
sons. They have been at our family gather-
ings and our children have accepted them
into our family.
A few years later, a third brother, Johnny,
left the Amish and joined his brothers in
Ashland. Johnny came to know the Lord
and soon joined our Bible study. Since
Chris and I had adopted
Eli and Abe, we felt that
it was only right to adopt
Johnny as well. Now we
have three adopted for-
mer Amish sons.
But our story does not
stop here. A fourth
brother, Jonas, left in
February. He spent his first night in the
English world at our home. On Sunday he
came to church with us. And on Monday, he
came to our home for a Bible study with his
brothers Eli and Johnny. We were in the
book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 6. We came
to verse 11, where it reads: “
And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our
God.”
I told them that some of the Corinthians had
been saved (washed), set apart (sanctified),
made right (justified) before God. And that
as redeemed children of God we become
just like that when we are born again.
I looked across the table at Jonas and he had
this look in his eye of uncertainty. At that
point I turned to the Book of Romans where
we made our way through the Romans
Road, explaining each verse and its rele-
vance in the life of an unbeliever and the
promises of new life that God gives through
them. I spoke about the free gift of salvation
from John 3 and, at that point, I asked Jonas
if he would like to receive the free gift from
God. His response was, “I was ready ten
minutes ago.” It was then that his brother
Eli and I shared the joy of leading his broth-
er to Christ.
A New Family Member
—by Wayne Vallowe
Jonas, Eli, Johnny and Wayne