[Valerie]

A good friend of mine shared a wonderful story at this 14 yr old Amish Settlement, about as north east as you can go in our country before entering Canada. Smyrna Mills Maine. He says it is the best Amish settlement he knows of, having visited over 75 communities in his travels. This Amish community did something very unusual. A legally blind, divorced, grandmother visited their community to look at the cabins they build there. She met my friend. She shared her current life situation-apartment dwelling in Boston-my Amish friend with the huge heart, convinced her to consider the Amish way of life there in Smyrna-she went back home. She wrote the bishop, expressing her desire to join. He told her to visit for 2 weeks, staying with various families, see how she'd like it, go back home, pray, decide. So she did. She loved it. This is what she wanted for her life. Her & her seeing eye dog. So, the community men built her a cabin-they welcomed her in. They provide several hundred a month for her well being. I hear she wears a covering, and, pants! She is so grateful, for what they've done for her, she said it would take a bulldozer to get her off the property-

I've not heard of an Amish community reaching out to an outsider to this extent before, but sure am touched by it-and thought worth sharing-

[Simon Peter]

Quote

I've not heard of an Amish community reaching out to an outsider to this extent before, but sure am touched by it-and thought worth sharing-

That is indeed an interesting community, Valerie. Normally, Amish communities are not allowed to accept a 'divorced' person in as members. I remember a divorced couple being taken in as members in Missouri and... wow.. almost all surrounding church districts and other communities in other states 'broke' fellowship' immediately.

I am curious as to the outcome of the lady's desire for membership. Was it granted?


Curious George?!?

Simon Peter

[Valerie]

Simon Peter, on 07 February 2010 - 08:19 AM, said:

That is indeed an interesting community, Valerie. Normally, Amish communities are not allowed to accept a 'divorced' person in as members. I remember a divorced couple being taken in as members in Missouri and... wow.. almost all surrounding church districts and other communities in other states 'broke' fellowship' immediately.

I am curious as to the outcome of the lady's desire for membership. Was it granted?


Curious George?!?

Simon Peter

Well, George, from what I understand she may never be a "member" of the church-but is of the community. They look after her and cut all her wood to get her through winter, etc-the funny thing is, they go over & above the Biblical requirements for taking care of a widow! She has living grown children-and was reciving social security, so really, they were just honoring her desire to live there and had compassion on her life-pretty amazing if you ask me. Did you ask me?

[Simon Peter]

trenthole@gmail.com, on 07 May 2010 - 06:33 AM, said:

I think this group would have been associated with Emo Stoll (cookville TN ) they would not be in the Amish Church Circles.To explain their are community groups such as Lobleville Tn. Decatuar Tn. Belize that were started from X Amish ,German Baptist and Old Order Mennonites many have these groups left their churches to become more plain and threw in evengical practices.

This is interesting! Many years ago I enjoyed reading Elmo Stoll's articles in the Pathway magazines.

One day a van load of people from Lobelville, TN stopped in at St Jude's in Memphis TN. to donate blood. Wow! It is amazing how God will put people into your life to strenghthen you. Eli Mast and Jr. Beachey left a deep impression on my heart. Little did I know at the time why God sent them to Memphis that day... divine appointments!! PTL for His Great Love!! It just gave me the hibby-jibbys. Please dont ask me to define that.

Valerie, do some of the Smyrna Mills people have cars? There were several in Lobelville that had a vehichle... maybe they weren't members. I don't know. This gives me a good idea of what the church in Maine is like.

We are blessed!

Simon Peter

[Valerie]

Oh, I'm so sorry to bring disappointment to you both, no this is definitely an Old Order community of Amish-they will not allow members to have cars, but are patient with outsiders who come to church for awhile, not forbidding them to have cars-they are different, than most I hear about-BUT not evangelical minded as far as going out of community-just welcoming of outsiders to their church. I've heard they prayed over a man recently who showed up at church, covered with tatoos, and his girlfriend, and several came around him and prayed outloud regarding his confession of problems, which I believe is unusual for Old Order Amish to do? I too have heard of the Cookeville TN group-SP, nice that you've been blessed by the guest poster, who hopefully will share more! You should visit Smyrna Mills ME and see for yourself-or Unity, (I believe there's some Stolls there) who had the pig roast welcoming outsiders to their group-But they too, are Old Order-