We have learnt a lot in class about the Amish community, and I think the best way to honour this

learning, is with casual and funny illustration. So let me present you, Abram (the grandfather) Aaron
(the father), Dorothy (the mother) and Sawyer (the son) four members of an Amish family living in
Pennsylvania. And one by one they are going to tell you what being Amish means for them.

 Hi, I am Abram, for me being Amish is all about our history!!! I am so excited to tell you about it...
the history of our people: primarly the term Amish refers to the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church.
The church originated in the late 17th century among followers of Jakob Ammann. Jakob Ammann
(c. 1644–c. 1730) was a Mennonite leader whose controversial teachings caused a schism among his
coreligionists in Switzerland, Alsace, and southern Germany. Ammann insisted that any
excommunicated Mennonite church member should be shunned socially and that anyone who lied
should be excommunicated. Following Jesus’ example, he introduced foot washing into the worship
service and taught that church members should dress in a uniform manner, that beards should not
be trimmed, and that it was wrong to attend services in a state church. Although Ammann sought
reconciliation with the Mennonites, he continued to insist that all who had been excommunicated
should be avoided, and therefore his attempts at reconciliation failed. Our communities sprang up in
Switzerland, Alsace, Germany, Russia, and Holland, but emigration to North America in the 19th and
20th centuries and assimilation with Mennonite groups gradually eliminated the Amish in Europe.

 Good morning y’all I am Aaron, sawyer’s father and Abram’s son? We, Amish, are not just a group
of people who decide to live the old way, we have beliefs, values and principles!! Because i know
that some English people romanticize our way of dressing. Two key concepts are necessary to
understand our practices we value the rejection of (pride, arrogance, haughtiness) and humility,
calmness and family are our mainstays. Our willingness to submit to the "Will of Jesus", expressed
through group norms as Our everyday life and custom are governed by an unwritten code of
behaviour called the Ordnung, and shunning (Meidung) remains an integral way in which the
community deals with disobedient members. We celebrate the holy communion ( eucharist) twice
every year. Our Religious services are conducted in High German, and Pennsylvania Dutch an
admixture of High German, various German dialects, and English—is spoken at home and is common
in daily discourse. 

 Now it’s my turn, I am Dorothy, aaron’s wife and sawyer’s mom, our Amish lifestyle is regulated
by the Ordnung ] which differs slightly from community to community and from district to district
within a community. What is acceptable in one community may not be acceptable in another.
The Ordnung is agreed upon – or changed – within the whole community of baptized members prior
to Communion which takes place two times a year as my husband said.
My community are best known for their plain clothing, most of it self-made, and nonconformist
lifestyle. Men and boys wear broad-brimmed black hats, dark-coloured suits, straight-cut coats
without lapels, broadfall pants, suspenders, solid-coloured shirts, and black socks and shoes.

Men grow beards after they marry but are forbidden to have moustaches. Old Order Amish women
and girls wear bonnets, long full dresses with capes over the shoulders, shawls, and black shoes and
stockings; their capes and aprons are fastened with straight pins or snaps. We, women never cut our
hair, which is worn in a bun, and we are not allowed to wear jewellery of any kind. Concerning
devices and appliances, we shun personal home-based telephones but will occasionally use a
communal one. We also eschew automobiles, instead we ride bicycles and drive horse-drawn
buggies.

My family avoid using electricity but you can find 10 or 15 miles away, families using washing
machines, batteries or refrigerators. Working hard is considered godly, and some technological
advancement has been considered undesirable because they reduce the need for hard work. We are
considered excellent farmers, as we grow and store the majority of our food.

 It’s finally my turn, I am Sawyer and I am 15 years old. People usually ask me if I go to school and
what are my plans for the future. The Amish believe strongly in education, but only provide formal
education through the eighth grade. this eighth-grade limit in the United States was deemed
acceptable by a 1972 Supreme Court ruling. Instruction is in English and concentrates on the basics of
reading, writing, and math. Amish history and practical farming and homemaking skills are also
taught. A farmer in my district gave one of his lands for a school house, and our community assisted
building it. Sometimes, we can play volleyball and softball together but we play strictly for
enjoyment and not in a spirit of competition.

Following my older friends path, I know that the period of Rumspringa is coming. For those who
don’t know what is it. Rumspringa is the period of discovery and transition. During this timeframe,
beginning at about age 16, Amish youths are no longer under the total control of their parents on
weekends and, because they are not baptized, they are not yet under the authority of the church.
For most, this means a tentative foray and a trip to the local movie theater, or driving lessons. It’s
really a test period, like; you know Jesus was sent into the desert for forty days. After they’ve
experienced it, they’ll have to choose whether or not they want to continue living the Amish
lifestyle.I am looking forward to this period as I really would like to experience the English world, but
deeply I know that I am not able to leave my family and my work at the farm. On another hand,
debates concerning technology and letting the outside world in are very common. A division
separated the church in two half, the first half have no problem using electricity and devices while
the second half is conservative and stick to the traditional life. A question arises concerning youth
Amish and the restriction of their liberty. They are obliged to leave school at the eighth grade