Posts by Saloma Furlong
My Journey, Part 2
By Aleta Schrock Continued from Part 1. After I had returned home from teaching at the Old Order Mennonite church school in Ohio, I worked as a nurse’s aide in a local nursing home. I enjoyed my new job, but my heart longed to be back in the classroom teaching children. One day I drove…
Read MoreMy Journey
By Aleta Schrock, Part 1 I hated to see the end of my eighth-grade school year. Learning was fun, but the expectation was that after the eighth grade my formal education would end and I would either work at home or get a job. I worked up the courage to ask my mom if I…
Read MoreMaking Space for the Unforeseen
It seems our five-year-old friend was wise in giving his advice. We landed in a small apartment on Main Street in Ephrata, five minutes from his house. His dad and a friend of theirs helped us move our furniture into the apartment on Saturday, July 15. Then it took David and me three days to…
Read MoreNew Horizons
In my last post, I promised to bring you some news of what is happening in my life. David and I have decided to move to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There are many reasons why we’re making this decision, which I will name later. The easy part was selling our house here in Broadway, Virginia. If…
Read MoreFrom a Humble Amish Childhood to an Education that Spans the Globe
This is a bit later than I expected to be publishing the second story in the series I started in my last blog post, but I feel it was worth waiting for. Today I bring you the story of Esther Yoder Stenson, who grew up in Stuarts Draft, Virginia. I first met Esther in 2017…
Read MoreFrom an Eighth-Grade Education to a World-Renowned Pediatric Surgeon
I promised a series of stories from those who have emerged from a Plain community with an eighth-grade education and went on to earn a college education. Today I begin that series with Freeman Miller, M.D. who is a world-renowned pediatric orthopedic surgeon. His distinctions include being listed in Best Doctors in America and U.S.…
Read MoreAmish Once Removed: New Educational Horizons
It is with a great deal of enthusiasm that I announce an upcoming symposium called “Amish Once Removed: New Educational Horizons” that will be held next summer at the Young Center at Elizabethtown College. Some time ago, I was brainstorming with Steve Nolt, Director at the Young Center, about the possibility of having a group…
Read MoreNostalgia in Amish Country
Nostalgia locates desire in the past where it suffers no active conflict and can be yearned toward pleasantly. ~ Robert Hass Several days ago when my husband David and I were in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for the retreat I attended, we stayed an extra day so that we could meet up with our son,…
Read MoreA Soul-Nurturing Experience
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. ~ Maya Angelou This past weekend I attended a Safe Communities retreat in Ephrata, Pennsylvania at the beautiful Hurst Bed and Breakfast. The retreat was led by Linda Crockett, Lyn Barrett, and Mark Harris, and it was exactly what I needed at this…
Read MoreBefore Dawn
Photo by April Sachs on July 20, 2022 during her year of taking sunrise photos each morning The darkest hour is always before dawn. ~ English Proverb I was reminded of the truth of this proverb on Easter weekend. Friday evening David and I attended the Tennebrae Service at our church (Park View Mennonite Church).…
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