March 2013 MAP Update

In This Issue

Building Update

Mario Miller Testimony

Mario: Identity Crisis Continued

Letter to MAP: Please Help!

Meet With Local Police Department

Sowing Seeds for Eternity

Prison Update

Bible Club Update

Husband and Father Ends Up in Prison

Seminars: Local and Distant

Amish Voice Conference Line

To all who prayed, gave, and volunteered for the building project—thank you!  On February 26, the last of $33,906 came through the doors. Our plan is to start building as soon as the weather breaks.  We are now in the process of organizing volunteers who are willing and able to help us with the various stages of construction and finishing the addition.  If you have interest in helping, let us know!  Thank you again so much!

Watch our web site for pictures and updates—MapMinistry.org.

I was born in Holmes County, Ohio. I don’t remember much about it. Soon after I turned three, my mother died and that’s when everything changed. My father moved us to Seymour, MO. We left the Amish. I grew up in a very violent household. My father was strict and headstrong. We never had a decent relationship. He never spoke to me about his life, my mother, or any topic that would bring us closer together. He forced religion on me and I did not like to hear it coming from him. He did not  practice what he preached.

When I was 16, I ran away to Columbia, MO and stayed with an ex-Amish friend. There were four of us there and we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. We would work, come home, and that was my life. I soon decided to return.

The three other guys I lived with drank a lot and did drugs. I never did. I felt that was not something God wanted me to do. Inside of me I had this burning passion to make something out of my life, and I wasn’t going to let anyone or anything get in the way of that.

My determination was strong, but I felt helpless out there in the world. I hardly knew anyone or anything, so I went back. Before returning home, I had met another friend while I was in Columbia. He was not Amish but was kind and offered to help me. He told me that if I should ever leave again to give him a call. It was strange being offered help by a stranger when my own father would not help me.

It was a huge disappointment returning. I had left with so much hope and happiness, thinking I would finally be able to put all my potential to good use. When I had left home earlier, I had gotten into a huge fight with my father. I told him that he would never see me again, and if he did, I would have ‘made it’ out there in the world. It was devastating not living up to that promise.

The fights and the conflicts withmy dad escalated. It wasn’t good for my sanity and I was very unhappy. There were many times that I would go to bed in tears, thinking that I would never make it out and that this was the way my life would always be. My faith in God was strong however, and I knew that one day God would help me out of this. Every night I would pray that God would put the right people in my life that could help me. It was time to face the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to do this alone.

Finally, after a brutal fight with my dad, I called Stephen, the friend I had made in Columbia. He was glad when I called him. He was now living in Maine, so I took a bus out there.

My dad and I got into one of our biggest fights the night I left. I can still, clearly recall all the violence and the words that were said. I was full of emotion. There was happiness, sadness, anger, and anxiety. I knew that this time  I really wasn’t coming back. Living in Maine the first week was great. I went about my days pretending nothing had ever happened in my past. I would occupy my days with anything in order not to think, and to keep my mind off things. Stephen was kind to me. He ran his own small business and I worked there as his assistant, helping him, and it gave me the opportunity to make a little bit of money.

Two months went by and on Thanksgiving of that year, Stephen’s family from Texas came to visit. They were great, friendly people. They returned again for Christmas and they asked me to come to Texas. They owned their own restaurant. They said they could give me a job there and that I would have a chance to make a bit more money. Since their son had gone away to college, I could live with them and have my very own room.

I was excited and made the move to Texas. I began working at their restaurant. It was one of the most challenging and stressful things I had ever experienced. Thankfully, they were very patient with me and helped me. Also, I contacted and communicated with Joe Keim at Mission to Amish People, and he offered to help me in any way that he could.

A lot has happened since I last left home. It’s been a roller coaster of things I can’t even begin to explain. I’m excited for my future. There are still a lot of things left to be done before I can fully begin my life, but I finally feel like all the pieces are falling into place. I’ve got so much conviction inside of me that there is no telling where it will take me.

There are many things I want to do and see. I thank God every day for this opportunity he has given meand I want very much to redeem it. I want to make an example out of my life to show that with
God, anything is possible.

For ten months, Joe and Mario communicated via phone and email, planning out a way for Mario to come to OH where MAP could more easily help him begin the process of getting a birth certificate.  Finally, on February 14th, this year, Mario arrived in our area on the Greyhound bus.

As mentioned in the previous article, Mario had a difficult and uncommon situation. He felt like he had no identity and did not belong anywhere.  He had never had a birth certificate, and therefore, no Social Security number, no driver’s license, and was unrecognized by the government. He was an only child and his father wasn’t willing to help him.  In addition to his complicated situation, he knew none of his Amish family members, which made him feel all alone.

One night, while sitting at the Dairy Queen in Ashland OH, tears burst from his eyes and his body shook all over.  Finally, he looked up and said: “At age 22, I long for that one signature from the judge.  It is the only thing that keeps me from obtaining my birth certificate, which would then make me a recognized identity in the United States of America.” 

The judge, of course, needs proof from a family member or doctor or someone that Mario was indeed born where he claims.  Mario is not even sure that what he was told by his father about his early childhood is true.

In the middle of February, Joe, Mario, and Paul went to Holmes County to try to find some clues. They went to Amish businesses, visited some Amish families, and even met with an elderly Amish Historian—but no one was able to help. No one knew of Mario or remembered his family. No one could even narrow down into what sect of Amish Mario may have been born.

Pray for Mario as he has learned that his only chance may be to visit his father, try to restore their broken relationship, and see if his dad will help him.

I found your ministries online, and understand you can aid in the freedom of us Amish when it comes to things such as obtaining a Social Security Number. I am having problems with this because there does not seem to be such an organization here which will provide the aid you provide. I have a birth certificate and baptismal certificate, but the local Social Security office wants one more form of “ID” to issue me a Social Security Number. I cannot get a job without a Social Security Number, and am stuck!! Therefore, as of now, I am staying in a shelter and picking up any mail here.

Would you be willing to provide me with a letter I can take to the office as my third form of ID so I can finally work like a normal citizen? Also, please suggest some good areas to which I can move where there is support for us.

I am enclosing photocopies of my Birth certificate and Baptism record to show you what I have so far. Please help. At this point, I am almost willing to take a bus to Ohio to seek support. Everyone has pretty much abandoned me.   J.S.

As more and more Amish and former Amish end up in the court room, jail houses and sometimes prisons, there is also a need for law enforcement to have a better understanding of who the Amish are.  During the past several months, Joe has been invited to speak with the local police department, as well as meet privately with the judge to discuss ways of handling numerous situations.

Many times, there are cultural clashes, particularly among those who are still Amish.  Oftentimes, it comes down to Amish Law vs. The Law of the Land.  Incest, abuse and alcohol are the biggest problems we deal with. 

Many of the former Amish do not have a proper understanding of the law and, on numerous occasions, Joe has served as a mediator in the court room.

Kentucky Fried Chicken: It’s finger lickin’ good. Bounty paper towels: the quicker picker-upper. Maxwell House: Good to the last drop. Mission to Amish People: ???????

It seemed like a good idea to come up with a tagline for Mission to Amish People in order to summarize what we are all about. The idea was introduced at the volunteer appreciation dinner at the end of last year. We sought the advice and suggestions of our volunteers and some others. The suggestions were put into a list and voted upon. Naomi Stutzman generously offered to provide a copy of her book, A Basketful of Broken Dishes, to the person who came up with the winning tagline.

We have a winner! Congratulations to Ellen Fronek of Creston, Ohio (seen in the picture holding the book). Ellen is a faithful volunteer who now has a new copy of Naomi’s enjoyable and moving biographical story.

Ellen’s winning suggestion was: Sowing Seeds for Eternity. What do you think? Mission to Amish People: Sowing Seeds for Eternity. We pray that every day we can make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We must continue working while we still can. We  must continue taking the Gospel of Jesus to the Amish and former Amish, loving and helping them in any way that we can.

We are glad that you are partners with us as we work together and do what we can do, praying all the time that the Lord of the harvest will bless the work of our hands, changing others as He has changed us. Not every seed that we plant will germinate, grow, and bear fruit, but our job is to continue sowing seeds, seeking God’s blessing on the harvest. We are grateful that God has blessed us with so many faithful and dedicated co-workers like Ellen, serving our Master and Savior. Thank you, Ellen, and thanks to all of you. You are an essential part of this ministry. Mission to Amish People: Sowing Seeds for Eternity.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 2 Corinthians 5:18

The Lord is good and worthy of our praise. Recently, we were richly blessed with some ongoing financial support, to the point we are currently transitioning to full time ministry. I was also able to get my office set up and feel much more organized.

We have just graduated our first 15 men from the 16-week Malachi Dads class at the Turney Center Prison in Only, TN where we have three former Amish men going to prison on a weekly basis to coach the Malachi Dad class.

The name Malachi Dads comes from Malachi 4:6, where it reads: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Malachi Dads is a process where volunteers go to prison on a weekly basis to coach inmates in a process of reconciliation to God, reconnection with family and preparing to re-enter society. Statistics tell us, when a father is in prison his kids are seven times more likely to go there also. Statistics also tell us, in 1980 we had 500,000 inmates in America, in 1990 we had 1,000,000, today we are well over 3,000,000 and booming. The purpose of Malachi Dads is to break the cycle of crime and put families back together.

We have several more former Amish that are in training to be Malachi Dad coaches.

As I reflect back on the past year, a lot comes to my mind. I thought especially about the time when our Bible lessons were dropping in number. The volunteers at the Bible Club could not believe what was going on.

What can we do? What are we not doing? There has to be something we can do!

Alas, someone mentioned prayer. Well, we had prayer once a week, but that decidedly was not enough.  Joe and Tina decided we could have prayer every day at 9:30 am. We had prayer request from a lot of different people and we specifically prayed for the Bible Club lessons to increase. We also prayed that the Holy Spirit would touch the hearts of all the people who handled these lessons.

All of a sudden, the lessons started to come in much faster. But, we still needed something else. A promotion was indeed the answer.

We sent a newsletter with each lesson we sent out. In this newsletter was a sheet with spaces for one to twenty names and addresses. This seemed to be the answer.

We started this the first mailing in November of 2012. As of right now we have sent out 5,824 new names, 1,082 re-enrollees (previous students who have dropped out but now are doing lessons again) and 255 new adults.

To top off the promotion, each student who sends in names gets a pack of gum, or for 10 or more names, they get a pack of gum and a journal or hanky. We have the Lord to thank for all these new students whom we can witness to by sending them lessons. Prayer does work!

We are thankful to In His Steps Foundation for providing MAP with a $5,000 grant to help with this promotion.  We could not have done it without their valuable partnership.

There are various ways you can leave something to continue the Lord’s work when you graduate to Heaven:

Trusts: Set up a trust that may offer tax advantages and allow you to direct giving. Trusts come in many forms including: revocable, irrevocable, and living.

Estate Planning: Choose to name our ministry in your will. 

Life insurance: It is often set up so the premiums are tax deductible.

Annuities: Annuities can be set up so that you keep the principle and the ministry receives the interest.

Trained estate and tax planners can assist you in this area. Thanks for considering how you will be a good steward of God’s blessings. 

Sin most always affects the innocent.  In this case, a father/husband is in jail with the likely hood of going on to prison, while his family is trying to make sense of the immense hurt and pain they now have to endure for the rest of their lives. 

MAP and local law enforcement have spent hundreds of hours, working hand in hand, providing spiritual and emotional counseling, as well as taxi service and many other needs.  Since most of their income was coming through the father’s employment, the young boys need to pick up the slack .  In order to keep up with bills, they have already sold several horses and had plans on leaving the Amish but when it came right down to it, they felt it was too much of a change.  There is so much more to this sad story but will end with asking that you pray for them.

In February, Esther and I (Joe) were invited to do a 3-hour “Amish: Our Friends, But Are They Fellow Believers?” seminar at one of our local churches in Ashland OH. 

In March, Jonas (from KY) and Andy (from PA) met up with me and helped with another seminar in Ft. Scott KS.  While in the area, we spent several days visiting former Amish families in Wheatland and Columbia MO.  On my way home, I traveled with a German Baptist man, and ended up leading him to the Lord right there in the middle of the Cleveland airport terminal.  He was gripped with mental anguish, fearing he had already committed the unpardonable sin.

This seminar is now available on DVD for $50.  With that price, you get one workbook.  For each additional book, the cost is $8 (includes shipping).  For more information please call our office.

Since 2007, MAP has printed a 12-page publication, called the Amish Voice.  This publication goes out to 7,500 Amish people every other month.  While some Amish ask to be removed, others call and request that we add them to the active list. 

About a year ago, we started talking about opening up a 1,000 person conference line for readers to call in and discuss various articles and Doctrines of the Faith that are so dear to us.  Well I am overjoyed to tell you, the conference line is in place and you are welcome to join us too, if you want. 

To start out, we are scheduling two conference call sessions on the following dates and times:

1. Friday, March 22 at 8pm (EST) --To hear this discussion in full, dial (267) 507-0255 and enter code ID: 30875331
2. Friday, April 5 at 8pm (EST) -- join us by dialing (267) 507-0240 and then enter code #409703

To read, download or sign up to receive notifications when the Amish Voice is put online, please go to: MapMinistry.org/Ministries/The-Amish-Voice