Faith and Trust in Lancaster

Part Two of the Amish of Lancaster County Serial.

Plain Amish Hannah Stoltzfus of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has her hands full! Her youngest daughter is about to go on rumspringa in New York City, her middle daughter has to choose between the two men vying for her hand in marriage, and her son brings home an English girl. What's a mother and wife to do? Turn to God's guidance and her own belief in hope, trust, and love to get her family through, of course.

But will it be enough?


Miriam is alone in New York City for the first time, and the temptations of short skirts, and cell phones, and handsome young men are everywhere. One young man in particular catches her fancy, but he is steeped in modern technology and luxury. How can they possibly make a courtship work without her giving up her Amish upbringing?


Read an excerpt below and find out what happens when the simple life gets complicated.



"Hello?"



Hearing her mamm's voice yanked Miri right out of the memory and
sent a flush of embarrassment racing over her. Suddenly the last thing she
wanted to do was talk to her mamm.
She couldn't tell her about Mikey or the girls she'd met through him or the
expensive clothes Pamela had bought her or how she'd exchanged her kapp and
sturdy black shoes for high heels and a skin-baring dress? How was she supposed
to make her mamm understand what it was like, existing in this
world of glitter and leisure?



Or worse, that once Miri had gotten over the shame of showing so much skin and
having people stare and snap her picture, she actually quite liked it?



"I'm here," she said. "How are you, Mamm?"



"Much better now that I can hear your voice, my girl," her mamm replied
warmly. Her accent, the familiar accent of Miri's community, suddenly sounded
strange to her. Was that what Mikey heard when she spoke? "We've been
missing you in these parts. Tell me, have you been remembering to pray?"



"Of course, Mamm,"
Miri said. Her throat grew tight with tears. She didn't want to describe this
strange, frosted, alien life. Instead, she wanted to hear about her mamm's steady,
reliable days. "But I want you to tell me everything. How are the horses?
How's Daed?
Can Annie talk about anything except her wedding day? Has she made sure the
whole community knows she's engaged to Stephen yet?"



Her mamm laughed. "Slow down, my girl! You're always
so hasty. The horses are well. I think they miss you, though, because they
nicker a bit more, swish their tails a bit less."



Miri was surprised to find that she missed the horses, too. Her heart swelled
with the homesickness she hadn't thought she had. "And Daed? How's he doing?"



"He misses you, too. You know Daed;
he doesn't say much, but I can tell the day just isn't the same for him without
you there." Miri's mamm sounded melancholy saying that, but she pushed
some cheer into her voice. "But we're all so proud of you for being such a
brave girl. Is your host family treating you well?"



"Oh, ya,
truly," Miri gushed. "They've introduced me to so many things. I had
no idea New York City was such a complex place, and without them, I have no
idea how I'd know anything. They've had me try Indian food and Chinese food and
Russian food and Japanese sushi. Who knew raw fish could be so good?"



She knew she was babbling, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want her mamm to
worry, nor did she want her to suspect just how far Miri had already strayed
from Plain living.