School on a Bus (a.k.a. Radical Sabbatical)

Lancaster, Pennsylvania is home to one of the largest Amish communities in the U.S. Throughout the area we witnessed horse-drawn buggies, wagons, scooters, bicycles and even in-line skates as the primary mode of transport for many citizens. The Amish farms are intermixed with non-Amish farms. We learned that the population has grown significantly and is struggling to find enough room.

Primarily an agrarian lifestyle, all members of the family have a role in running the farm. A common sight was teenage boys riding a plow down the field, pulled by a number of strong work horses. The one room schoolhouses appeared to be a friendly alternative to home schooling. Adam in particular was drawn to the Amish lifestyle. He was hooked when he saw two children about the same age as himself driving their own buggy being led by a pony.

It helped our understanding to visit the Mennonite Information Center just outside of town. The center gives a sensitive overview of both Mennonites and Amish, their struggles and their differences. Both are against any type of violence. However, Mennonites have accepted modern technologies while the Amish continue to reject most of them. We learned the Amish differ in what technologies are acceptable and which are not. Most have come to accept the use of generators but only some accept the use of the telephone. Each community decides for themselves what their standards will be, with a desire to not be entrapped in an unfulfilled lifestyle of busy-ness and over reliance on material things.

The Amish lifestyle was alluring – especially the sense of community that seems to exist. There is a lot to be said for the stability of spending your life within a broader community where faith and personal relationships matter most.

Adam: The Amish do not join the war.  They are from Germany so some talk German. They learn English in school. They use a buggy. And they don’t use electricity. They are the fastest growing population. Each family has an average of seven children.