Her World In and Out of the Amish

Today, I share Saloma's Story. She grew up Amish and left as a young married adult. The former Amish who I've had most experiences with are teens or those in their early twenties. Saloma, however, left after marriage and children. Here's her touching story . . .

 Down Memory Lane

    "Hi, my name is Saloma and I'm the oldest child in my family. I have two brothers and two sisters. I was born in 1977 into a very conservative Old Order Amish family in Fredonia, PA.

    My parents bought a dairy farm when I was seven years old. We didn’t have much of any toys and what we had we usually made ourselves. We made stilts out of two-by-fours and chased each other around in the barn. Our heads would almost touch the barn ceiling.

Springtime was such a lively, exciting time on the farm. There were new foals and calves and we would give them each a name. My dad had to work in a sawmill to help with the farm payments so the field work fell on me most of the time. 

I would harness up those huge draft horses all by myself. I had a five gallon bucket I would stand on to throw the harness over their backs. Then out to the fields I would go to get the fields ready for planting. My Dad never let me plant because he was afraid my rows would be crooked.

Then came busy summertime! We would have a huge garden because we canned everything for the cold winter months. We raised all our vegetables and also had 3,000 plants of strawberries to pick and sell. 
      Then would come hay-making. We didn’t have a baler so we dumped it loose in the haymow and spread it around and stomp it down. 
          Then soon it was threshing oats time. The neighborhood men had a trashing machine that they would pull from farm to farm. Then they would come together and help each other thrash oats.

I got married when I was 20-years-old and we have six wonderful children. We moved to a 52-acre farm in 2002. My husband became a pastor of the Amish church 2007. 

In 2009, he really wanted to leave the Amish and I pulled back because I knew I would lose all my family and my friends. They would put me in the Ban. I finally decided to get consoling because I was really struggling. 

At the consoling place is when I first learned that Jesus would love me even if I left the Amish. That is when I became born-again. 

It was a real struggle because my family told me I was headed for hell and that it would be better for me to leave my husband. 

In 2009 we left the Amish and started going to a Mennonite church. And then the unbelievable happened in March of 2010. My husband was unfaithful to me and is currently still living in adultery. That's where a new chapter of my life began. 

Through it all I have become closer to God. He is so faithful to me when I’m down in dark valleys or when I’m on the mountaintop.

I have found out we can have joy in the midst of our sorrows! One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 3, v 5&6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.

God Bless, Saloma"

Saloma and her oldest daughter

I wanted to share a "before" pic with you but Saloma had none to show. 

"We never had our pictures taken til I left the Amish, which was 6 years ago." 

Some orders are a bit lenient about allowing photos but not Saloma's former order. So we'll just enjoy what she looks like today.

Your turn! Got a word of encouragement or question for Saloma? Leave it below in Comments.