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Monday, June 4, 2012

This week on Jean: Jean talks about Ascension day and its celebration, with a homemade recipe for strawberry pie.



Jean is old order Mennonite from New York State. Jean and her husband David and family live on a dairy farm, and travel their community using horse and buggy. She tells her story exclusively on Amish Stories.

Jean is now accepting more questions about her old order Mennonite lifestyle, so please feel free to post your questions and Jean will answer them in future post's. Thanks folks. Richard





I don't remember if I told you about our Ascension Thursdays or not, so I will in this post. Ascension Thursday is on the 40th day after Easter Sunday. We believe Ascension to honor Jesus rising into heaven.  We do not do any work on that day except to feed the animals, milk the cows, etc.-work we must do.  Michael was kept home from the public school that day.  Susan's school is closed for the school year, but if it wasn't - it would be on that day.

We have a large dinner on Wednesday evening.  Later in the evening we have snacks. At prayers David reads the bible about Jesus crucifixion-dying on the cross for us and his rising from the dead.  On Ascension Day David, I and now Michael , has also done is,  fast until our noon meal.  Michael does not have to do this until age 15, but he wanted to so we let him.  On Ascension Thursday morning, we do what chores we have to.  I also feed Susan and David Jr. their breakfast.  After that we get ready to attend meeting (church).

Meeting and our evening prayers are Jesus Ascension into heaven and that He will come again to this earth.  Also spoken of in meeting is that we also will be taken from this earth and we must be prepared because we will not know the day, the hour or the time when we will leave.  That our stay on earth is only for a time.  It is not meant to scare us, but for us to think and pray about why we are here.  Are we doing as the Lord wants us to?  Do we put our problems and questions in our hands or God hands ?  When someone passes (dies) we should realize that they are going to be judged for their life and works on earth. We hope that God will see to let them in heaven.



After meeting, we went to David's parents, along with my parents, and many of my brothers, sisters, and our nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. for dinner.  After dinner the children played baseball, some played other games as we adults sat and talked.  Some neighbors and friends came to visit us while we were there.  On the way home, we stopped to visit a couple of folks.  With the big dinner that we had at David's parents we had sandwiches  and salad for dinner.  During prayers that evening David read in the Bible about we have no right to judge others as others have no right to judge us-only God has that right.  We should forgive when others offend us, insult us, and alike.  He explained to the children that we must forgive others as we are also sinners



Since we had kept Michael out of school on Thursday, he thought it would be a good idea if we kept him off Friday.  We did not agree, so he went to school on Friday.  This is plowing and planting season and David could use the help, but Michael's education is worth more right now.  As Michael is fourteen and we are adopting him we will  try  to see if this can be his last year of schooling, but it looks like we will have to wait until the adoption goes through before we can take him out.



Some of the farmers, especially older farmers, feel that certain crops should be planted at only certain times. Like some believe tomatoes should be planted only after Mother's Day.  Other crops should only be planted after Ascension Thursday.  Some go by planting of certain crops by the moon-but we don't. 



Be with God, Jean
Strawberry pie
1 1/2 c. water
3/4 C sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 (3oz) pkg Strawberry Jello
Fresh Strawberries (1 quart whole or halves)
Use baked 9 inch pie shell.  Cook water, sugar and cornstarch until thick and clear.  Add Jello, stir and pour over fruit in pie shell.  Cool 2-3 hours.  Top with whip cream when serving.                                    Enjoy,Jean

www.PureCountryLiving.com

I've created this website out of my own interest in the Amish/Mennonite culture and of living in the country. Its a place for people who are interested in the Amish like myself, and its also a place to share Images of the beautiful country side that is all around me. my name is Richard, and I live very close to an Amish settlement here in Pennsylvania. This site is dedicated to my mother, who had started all of this by taking me as a child to Lancaster,pa from our apartment in the Bronx projects..........THANK YOU MOM............... Richard