Martha's last post on Amish Stories: Martha talks about vacations relating to being old order Mennonite.

Martha and Joseph are old order Mennonites who live on a farm in New York state with their family, and like the Amish use horse and buggy when traveling.

Martha wishes all the readers a Merry Christmas, and a healthy and Happy New Year. And thanks everyone who read her stories that was her life and journey on Amish Stories.   Richard

                                                             

Thought I would answer your question about long vacations across the country.  Lots of times we go on vacation, we are going there for something else like a wedding, funeral, barn raising, etc. and decide to see something along the way.  For example, we went to Pennsylvania for one of Joseph's cousin's weddings and while there we went to Hershey's Chocolate World. 

The school usually has a senior trip for all the 8th graders.  One year they went to Niagara Falls for the day and another they went to Corning Glass works.  At Corning Glass Works they stayed over night and stopped at Watkins Glen Falls on the way back.  As a family we don't take vacations especially when you have two adults and ten children.  When we do travel we go by bus, Amtrak  or driver.  If a group of us are going some place we rent a driver with a van and we all go together.  Our family can pretty much fill up one van.  Sometimes a group of men will get together with a driver to take them some place fishing or hunting.  

Also. us ladies get a van once in a while and go to Waterloo shopping or a rummage sale somewhere.  As far as going across the country-it is very rare. We have never done it and don't know many who have. We don't fly because it is against our religion unless it is a emergency.  Flying is considered too modern for us old order Mennonites. If someone is injured or really sick, Mercy Flight is allowed. Having been an outsider and joined the Old Order Mennonite, some things don't upset me that do Joseph.  Our oldest son has a car right now.  He recently took some of his friends to Niagara Falls to see Nik Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.  

Joseph is not happy that our son has a car, but forgets that he had one at his age.  Old Order Mennonite do not condone cars, but some of the teenagers have them anyway.  Our son is seriously courting an Old Order Mennonite lady his age.  When he proposes-he will get rid of the car and turn in his drivers license.   Sometimes on weekends, after chores, they take the car somewhere on a day trip.  It is rare they stay overnight like they did for Wallenda's walk.  I am just glad that our son told us where he was going, why, and when he would return-some children don't.  We are not allowed to ride in our son's car.  It is against our religious beliefs-although I did the day of the fire at Jean's house.  


I asked my son (or rather ordered him)  to take me to Jean's and he did.  I told our deacons about it on Sunday and they allowed it, but asked that I don't that very often.  I have not done it before or since, but would if it were an emergency and that was the only car around. As Foster Parents we have had to take our Foster Children to parents, friends, Foster Children Parties, etc. and we use vans.  Also because our Foster Children go to public schools we also have school activities football, baseball, basketball, etc.  Sometimes these school activities are out of town. 

When we get older and our children are grown up with families of their own, Joseph and I would like to go to Pinecraft in Florida for the winter, but that is a dream right now. 

Be With the Lord

Martha

                                    My message to Martha

Thank you Martha for allowing me to share a slice of your life on my blog Amish Stories, your story was both personal and honest and I will always be grateful to you for doing that. I personally enjoyed very much reading your posts and loved putting everything together for you, and I wont ever forget you.   Richard