It’s snow! Lancaster County is being hit by the same snow storm that’s blasting the rest of the east coast. 5-6″ so far where we are, and more on the way. This is the kind of snow that might bring out the horse drawn sleighs. Look for them in the Amish farmlands along our back country roads. Very picturesque!
But, since snow doesn’t stay on the ground very long here, they may not be around for long.
An Amish barn north of Lancaster, PA burned to the ground on Friday, September 25th. Construction on the new barn began almost immediately. We showed pictures of the construction progress three days ago.
Here is what the new barn looked like yesterday, only one week after the original barn burned down:
And here is what it looked like today, only 8 days after the fire:
New Amish Barn, Only 8 Days After a Barn Fire
It was three years ago today that gunman Charles Roberts entered the Nickel Mines Amish School in rural Lancaster County. In this tragic Amish school shooting, he shot to death five young girls and wounded others before killing himself.
Some of the families who lost a daughter that morning have since given birth to new children.
The school was subsequently torn down and the ground plowed under to do away with the visual reminder of the tragedy. A new Amish schoolhouse, the New Hope School, was built at a different location a few months later to serve the children in that district.
While this tragedy received national coverage, it was the subsequent story of Amish forgiveness toward the killer and his family that amazed so many people.
You’ve probably heard about the Amish and their work ethic. How hard working they are. How they pull together as a community to help one another during times of need.
Amish Barn Raising - Lancaster County, PA
There was a barn fire in Lancaster County last Friday, September 25, 2009. Local volunteer fire companies arrived quickly to battle the blaze, but there was no way to save the barn. They were able to save the farmhouse and the other farm buildings and silos.
Well, as I said, the Amish are hard working. And fast! These pictures were taken Thursday, October 1st, only six days after the fire. As you can see, the new barn has already been framed and the roof is half finished. Amazing! (How long do you think it would take government bureaucracy to accomplish what these Amish did in six days?)
For fascinating video footage of an Amish barn raising sequence, see the video “The Amish: Back Roads to Heaven”. For more detailed information on the Amish people and their lifestyle, see our Amish Information pages.
An Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, PA
On October 2nd, 2006, Charles Roberts broke into the Nickel Mines Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, PA and killed a number of school girls. The story of that tragic Amish school shooting made national news. But the resulting Amish forgiveness displayed in the lives of the entire Amish community made international headlines.
The events at Nickel Mines and the story that followed have now been described in three fascinating books. These books describe the faith and love that brought healing three years ago and can still bring healing to our society today:
The above was the headline in a story from the Vernon Broadcaster in Vernon County, Wisconsin. It seems that some residents from the city of Viroqua have complained to local officials about horse manure on city streets.
The city has asked a local Amish community elder “if the Amish could use a sling device that would catch manure before it hits the ground”.
Another suggestion was for the buggies to carry a bucket and a shovel. Can you imagine what that would do to congestion on city streets if the buggies had to stop every time a horse made a deposit? And what if the buggy had only one occupant and there was no place nearby to tie up the horse so it didn’t run off?
Here was our reply to their dilemma:
Here in Lancaster, PA, living alongside the Amish is a way of life. The Amish are good neighbors. Sure, their horses do occasionally make a mess on the streets. But after a few days it either dries up or the rain washes it away. Horse manure is far more tolerable, and smells less, than what dogs do. And it’s a lot easier to get off your shoes!
The following blog comments were by Ken Seifert from Andover, MA (http://www.andovertownsman.com/education/local_story_176123626.html?keyword=secondarystory):
“Since 1990 I have been very fortunate to have become good friends with an Amish family near Kinzers, PA. [Kinzers is about 10 miles east of Lancaster city.]
“Christ, pronounced Chris, is the father of 10 children and the bishop of his community, His wife, Elsie, is the wonderful model of what a wife, mother and grandmother should be.
“On one of my visits I had the opportunity to share a conversation with Christ on the serenity and quietness of most Amish people I had observed. He is a very humble man and it was quite difficult to get him to talk about himself. I asked if he could tell me the reason for such characteristics…. He began by telling me there was a good reason why God gave us two ears and only one mouth. Yes, one should listen twice as much as one speaks. Then he gave me his blueprint for listening to people. When he meets people for the first time, he listens to whether the person is telling, sharing, questioning or just talking. I asked what does “just talking” mean. He said that is when a person is using words but saying nothing….. Christ said if a person is sharing and questioning then they are usually very nice people. If they are telling and talking then they probably have issues. He then cautioned me that one should be patient and see if there is a pattern to the way a person communicates. If however the person is a teller and a talker, then he gives them common courtesy. He would rather spend time with a sharer and questioner.
“I have applied the model many times since the revelation, and must say his observation about people by what and how they speak is right on the money…. As a devoted family man and one who recognizes the importance of community, I can say my association with that special Amish family has been life-altering.”