Amish Romance: Let Go and Let God

Chapter I

Character Names:

Lead lady: Ruth Byler

Sister: Mary Byler

Brother: Abram Byler

Father: Samuel Byler

Mother: Emma Byler

Friend: Sarah

Aunt: Sadie

Boy: James Townsend

Neighbor: Mrs. Schrock

Amish words:

Schweschder – Sister

Bruder – Brother

Mudder – Mother

Rumspringa – Running around years. A time when Amish teenagers make a decision to become a member of the church.

Gott – God

Gut – Good

Wunderbaar – Wonderful

Ordnung – Church Order

Ant – Aunt

Ach – Oh

Englischer – Non-Amish person

Kapp - Cap

Chapter 1

"I am so excited!" Ruth exclaimed.

"I know. I am happy for you, dear Schweschder," Mary replied.

Ruth looked at her sister Mary and smiled. It was a beautiful morning in Lancaster County. The family had just finished breakfast, and Ruth and Mary were in the kitchen cleaning the dishes. The biggest part of their morning routine was already done. Ruth had woken up at dawn, collected the eggs, milked the cow, and then turned it out to pasture. While Ruth cared for the animals, Mary had gathered vegetables and helped her mother with the breakfast.

"You will follow me soon enough," Ruth said.

Mary was a year younger than Ruth, and the two of them were very close. A few days before, Ruth had celebrated her fifteenth birthday, and she knew that it meant the advent of rumspringa. Most of her friends had looked forward to this as a time to be more social with boys of their age, but Ruth was more excited about the fact that it was also an opportunity to finally become a member of the church.

Rumspringa was a time when teenage boys and girls were allowed a bit more freedom as they began to court and made a formal decision about whether to join the church and agree to live their lives in accordance with the rules of the Ordnung, the Amish community order. Ruth had seen some of her friends spend rumspringa at home, while others had gone to stay with relatives while they pondered their decision. In most cases, her friends had already made their decision, and they therefore used most of their time during rumspringa observing adults, learning from them, and emulating their behavior and values.

Ruth was already learning from her mother the habits and work ethic of a respectable Amish lady. She had a deep faith in God and she knew that this would be her chance to prove her devotion to God.

The dishes were soon done, and Ruth wiped her hands with a cloth.

Mary had a dreamy look in her eyes. "Mudder told me that next year it will be my turn for rumspringa. I would love to go to the singings and spend more time with the boys."