The day prior to the wedding Mark* came to help dad and the boys move the furniture down in the basement. Then they went outside to finish the outside things. Mom and we girls were getting the last food ready. *Names changed to protect identity. After lunch I went down in the basement to put icing on the cakes. Mark came down and sat in a chair to watch me. Soon Edna and a few other siblings came down till we had quite a party. We were laughing and talking and I was trying to

Growing up, money was a rarity. As soon as we were out of school (completed 8th grade) we were sent outside the home to work. It...

Last night I was having a go-around with a guy in a Mennonite group who was condemning me for believing that I'm saved. It got me started thinking about some of the things that the Mennonites believe that aren't Scriptural and so I will make an effort to write what those things are and then point out what Scripture says. This will also include the answers God gave to me out of His Word when everyone was giving me their opinions and interpretation of what the Bible means, ofte

Among the Mennonites, food in itself is a culture. Mennonites are hard workers and many of them raise and process their own food to keep them through the winter. It is changing now with people not living on farms and growing their own food and more and more food is bought in the store or at roadside stands. Growing up, buying food at the store was not possible except the basics like crackers,sugar, and spices. Mom bought 50lb. bags of wheat and then had a flour grinder to gri

Not so very long ago my mom came to spend the night at my house while she was in the area and as we were sitting in the living room looking at newspapers my mom asked if it's ok to talk. I didn't know what was coming because my mom usually doesn't take much interest in my life. She went on to say that someone told her that I posted on Facebook about them and she wondered what I had shared. I couldn't think of anything except that I had just put my story into a book which I wa

Usually around 15 some as young as 14 boys and girls start hanging out with their friends on Sunday afternoons either playing volleyball, baseball, or other kinds of social activities. Volleyball and baseball are popular. In the winter time if the ice is fit the boys will play hockey and the girls may have stamping parties, play games or any other number of things besides practice "dancing" so they know how when they start the "rum-shpringa" stage. Here's a few pictures of c

*This picture is not an actual one of my community. Just similar to give an example of the process. Communion for the Old Order Mennonites started the day before. Saturday morning all members were expected to abstain from any food as a tradition of preparing for Communion the next day. All members(women) were required to wear black to signify the suffering Jesus went through on the cross to save sinners. (The men wore white dress shirts and black suits but that was always the

The other morning I was reading the Bible as I usually do and I just happened to be reading the account in Acts 19:1-7: And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?