Winter of Faith Collection

by Rachel Stoltzfus

  “Mamm, good news! It’s not as cold outside as it’s been! I have to scrape mud from the bottoms of my shoes,” she said, laughing happily.

  “Thank God! Give me your shoes after you get the worst of the mud off. I’ll clean them for you. Put your slippers on so you don’t get cold,” Sarah instructed.

  Handing her shoes to her mamm, Miriam had a thought.

  “How long has it been since the last blizzard?”

  Sarah paused, thinking.

  “Two weeks? Not quite two weeks? That’s a good question. It makes me think that, finally, this hard winter is going to be over – especially if I can’t remember when we had our last storm,” Sara commented.

  Both women turned toward the door as they heard Joseph stamping hard on the wood porch.

  “Mud! I don’t like it, but it’s a good sign! Miriam, after the laundry has been brought in and we have cared for the livestock tonight, you and I will have to sweep the porch clean. It will look very messy, otherwise.”

  “Joseph, give me your boots. I’m cleaning Miriam’s shoes. There’s no need to bring mud into a clean house,” Sarah said, vigorously cleaning Miriam’s shoes with an old towel she had dampened.

  Indeed, Amish families all over Ephrata soon realized that the heavy-handed grip winter had been exerting seemed to be loosening. Families began to ask when the children would be able to return to school.

  Then . . .

  “Sarah, there’s a new bank of clouds outside! Still at a distance, but you might want to bring the laundry in. I checked it. It feels cold but dry,” Joseph said.

  Sarah, peeling potatoes and carrots for supper, looked up at Joseph in alarm.

  “Nee! Not another storm!” She dropped the peeler, wiping her hands as she hurried to a window to check outside. “The wind is picking up. Oh, Joseph, this doesn’t look good. Miriam – oh, good, you have your coat on. Denki,” she said as she pulled her own coat on. She and Miriam hurried outside, where they brought clean, albeit slightly damp laundry inside.

  Late that evening, after the wind had continued to blow and gust, Miriam looked up curiously from her latest quilting order pattern.

  “Daed? Is that . . . rain?” she asked.

  “Ya, it is,” he said, peering outside. “I can’t tell if it’s just rain or rain mixed with snow. We will have to wait until daylight to see what happened. I just hope we will be able to avoid any more blizzards – we are still in winter,” Joseph mused.

  “Ya. That worries me, too. Farmers are having to try and plan their crops for this spring, not knowing what will happen between now and planting time,” said Miriam.

  “That’s why we trust in the Lord, hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” said Sarah briskly as she walked into the kitchen. “Hot tea, Miriam?”

  “Yes, please! I still need to finish this quilting pattern so I can start on this order,” said Miriam.

  “Well, I am going to rejoice in the sound of rain, not wind,” said Joseph.

  Waking the next morning, Miriam made a beeline to her bedroom window. Peeking outside, she was disappointed to see that snow had fallen – but the snow had ended overnight. Dressing, combing her hair and setting her prayer kapp neatly on her head, she bounded downstairs.

  “Well, guder mariye, daughter! We got snow, but not a blizzard last night. I’d call that progress, wouldn’t you?” Sarah said as she beat eggs for breakfast.

  “Ya, I would! I’m going to help daed, unless you need me in here?” Miriam asked.

  “Nee. Go help him. When you get back to the house, take your shoes off and I’ll clean them for you.”

  In the barn, Miriam milked cows and helped Joseph muck out stalls. Once that was done they fed and watered all the horses and cows.

  “Inside. It is still very cold out here,” Joseph said. As he spoke, great clouds of steam blew out of his mouth.

  ***

  All across the district, families rejoiced that the previous night’s snow had not become a full-blown blizzard. In the Zook home, Michael and Rachel began talking about the school house reopening.

  “Adam needs to get back to school. He’s doing well here, but Miss Yoder is an excellent teacher,” Rachel said.

  “I expect we’ll hear some news before very long, Rachel. When I was at the store yesterday, the talk was that fewer and fewer people are coming down with flu or that stomach virus. If the weather actually calms down, it’s possible the school board will see fit to send the scholars back,” said Michael as he sipped his coffee.

  “Adam, are you ready to go back to school?” asked Rachel.

  “Ya, mamm, but are you tired of teaching me?” Adam asked with a worried frown.

  “Oh, nee, son, nee! I just feel that Miss Yoder is more qualified to be teaching you language and math,” Rachel said with a wry grin. “And it is time for me to start supper.”

  Bishop Stoltzfus met with the three deacons.

  “Sickness is getting less and less every week. It’s still winter, but as long as we have some idea when a storm is brewing, I believe we might be able to resume church meetings. I’d like to hear from each of you,” he said.

  “I agree . . . to a point. I’d like to keep an eye on both situations for two weeks more. If we have more mild weather and no violent blizzards, and if the flu and stomach bug are truly going down, I support resuming services two weeks from this Sunday,” said Paul King.

  “I agree. The situation looks good now, but families could start getting sick again,” commented Isaac Kurtz. “Or the weather could turn again.”

  “I would like to wait a little longer, said Abram Kuhns. “The Lapp family is still mourning the loss of their daughter and granddaughter, after she died from the stomach bug. We must be cautious.”

  “Why is that?” asked the bishop.

  “Because I don’t want to see other families bereaved. Waiting for a month won’t hurt us. The flu season won’t truly end until after spring begins.”

  “Let’s talk. Then we’ll vote,” decided Bishop.

  After some spirited discussion about the pros and cons of resuming church services sooner rather than later, the group finally decided on a tentative start two Sundays later, provided no new outbreaks of illness were reported.

  “We can handle the weather. Illness, not so much. Abram, if it appears that people are beginning to get sick again, I’ll postpone the church services for an additional two weeks,” said the bishop.

  “Ya. Okay, that is good. Denki for listening,” said Abram.

  “It’s calm today. Let’s divide the district into four parts and spread the news of our decision. Now, about school . . .”

  At the end of their meeting, the deacons and bishop had decided to resume school the next week, provided no new outbreaks of flu were reported.

  “Now, the last meeting when we had our first blizzard and the flu started was at the Beiler farm. Samuel and Emily Fisher are next on the list. I will visit them and the families near them. I’ll let the Fishers know of our decision so they can get things ready,” Bishop Stoltzfus said.

  Families were happy when they knew that the isolation imposed upon them had a foreseeable ending date. Scholars were happy, knowing they’d be learning – and visiting – with each other soon. All across Ephrata, families sent up fervent prayers that the illnesses ravaging the area were truly on the decrease. Farmers and carpenters prayed that they would get the moisture their crops needed, and that the wild blizzards were truly coming to an end.

  For the families forced to stay at home, the next two weeks passed excruciatingly slowly. Children, teens, young adults and parents all looked forward to the meeting scheduled at the Fisher farm. That day dawned clear and cold. Most farmers had retained the habit of scanning the horizon, looking for clouds. Seeing only a light gray grouping of clouds far in the distance, families happily boarded buggies, loading their lunch contributions.

  “Husband, I pray those clouds hold only rain,” said Mary Miller.

  �
�It’s not as cold as it was when we were getting the blizzards. We have little wind. These clouds hold rain, not snow,” said Mr. Miller.

  However, the air temperature took a sudden, sharp drop while families were eating lunch. Feeling the sudden bite to the air, the wives and girls serving lunch sped up their serving and cleaning so families could get home before the storm hit.

  Samuel, Emily and John Fisher all breathed a sigh of relief as families boarded their buggies for home.

  “I pray they all get home – the families who live farthest out will need to move fast,” said Emily.

  “I believe they will,” Samuel said. “John, let’s take care of the livestock before the snow starts.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Most families made it home safely before the snow began falling. Three families were still en route for home when the snow started falling. Two families, very close to their farms, managed to find the entrances to their yards. They got their buggies and horses into their barns, then stumbled into their homes. The third family –the Millers – wasn’t as fortunate. Their horse became confused as the road seemed to vanish in a sudden heavy snowfall. He went off the road before reaching the yard. Both horse and buggy foundered in the deep snow, piled on top of roadside foliage.

  “We’re not that far from home! Just a few yards more. Bundle up and everyone hold hands!” shouted Mr. Miller. He led, breaking the deep snow with his boots and shins. Feeling for their wood fence, he became snow-blind and confused. The extreme cold, wind and snow all conspired to make him get lost. After several minutes more, his youngest children were overcome by the cold, developing the beginnings of hypothermia. He, Mary and Hannah soon began experiencing hypothermia as well.

  “Come here . . . sit . . . with me. Stay . . . warm,” he mumbled, not thinking clearly. He and Mary gathered their three children into a close group, huddling to share what body heat they had. As the storm blew and raged, the family’s hypothermia became severe, leading to extreme tiredness and confusion. The two youngest girls went first, then Hannah. Finally, believing the children had only dozed off, Mary and her husband fell asleep, not realizing they would never wake up again.

  This latest blizzard lasted until early Wednesday morning. Bishop Stoltzfus, worried about the members of his community, went from farm to farm, reassuring himself that everyone was safe and healthy. As he drove past the Miller’s farm, he saw their buggy some distance from the gate, lying canted at an odd angle in a snowbank.

  “No, no! Please, Lord, let them be inside and safe!” he muttered. As he stumbled through the deep snow, he fell to his knees – the horse was still hitched to the buggy, frozen stiff. The bishop stood, fearing the worst. He scanned the countryside, looking – for what?

  His eyes stopped on an odd formation of snow. Slowly walking to it and not wanting to see what might be buried underneath, he began brushing at the powdery cover. Eventually, he uncovered a dark-green hood, then a maroon-colored hood and scarf.

  “Nee, Lord, no! In your mercy, why?” he asked. He continued to brush at the snow, uncovering five bodies. As soon as he confirmed that the Millers had not made it safely inside, he drove to the next farm to break the sad news.

  “We need to get all the bodies inside – or bury them under snow so they won’t decompose too quickly,” the bishop said sadly. The weather had outsmarted him and his deacons.

  Back at the Miller farm, he, the farmer and his two oldest sons extricated the Millers from their snowy bank, lifting them tenderly onto the wagon. Once every body had been uncovered, the bishop, farmer and farmer’s sons sadly buried the bodies under several feet of snow.

  “Once it begins to warm, we will bury them. Ach, how sad to lose an entire family to weather! Denki. Get inside, where it is warm. We will let you know about school for your scholars,” said Bishop Stoltzfus.

  “Denki. If they had only gone a few yards further . . .” said the farmer.

  “No. I think the horse was blinded by the snow and wind. He couldn’t have taken them even one foot farther,” the bishop disagreed. “If you will start spreading this sad news, I’ll start letting families know. We will have another funeral to attend when it warms.”

  Regardless of the recent blizzard, school resumed only a few days off schedule. Families sent their children to school on the following Monday, five days after the blizzard ended. Children trooped eagerly into the school room, greeting friends and classmates with excitement.

  “It is good to have all of my scholars back!” said a beaming Rebecca Yoder. “We will be watching out for the weather. About illness – we believe the flu and stomach bug have ended, but if you do not feel well, tell me right away. I will get word to your parents so they can pick you up. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Miss Yoder,” chorused her scholars.

  “We have been out of school since before Thanksgiving. I trust you did the work I sent home with Bishop Stoltzfus?” At her scholars’ confirming nods, Rebecca smiled with approval. “Good. I will be testing all of you to see how far you got with your learning. It isn’t Easter yet, but I have to set the dates for our final examinations! We will have much work to do between now and then, so let’s get busy . . .”

  ***

  All across Ephrata, Amish farmers and carpenters began preparing to plant their spring crops or buy wood to make furniture for their Englischer customers. At farm after farm, men and older sons were out, plowing the earth with mules and plows. Sons and older daughters followed behind, sprinkling seed behind the slow-moving plow. In carpenter’s shops, like Joseph Beiler’s shop, carpenter after carpenter gazed at their customers’ orders and drew out plans. Once they knew what they needed to do, they began sawing the wood preparatory to making the furniture under order.

  The sad aftermath of the harsh winter still overshadowed the Amish community. Bishop Stoltzfus met with his deacons to plan the funerals for the community members who had not survived illness or weather.

  “We need to bury them before it starts to get too warm. We will visit each family and schedule funeral services. Once these are scheduled, we will let the community know so everyone can be present to help the families,” the bishop said.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  As February moved into March, the Amish residents of Ephrata were grateful to see an end to the wild storms that had pummeled them. Miss Yoder began helping her scholars prepare for their final examinations, giving them review work.

  On one long, hard day, John Fisher helped his daed with the spring planting. Coming back to the barn, he wiped sweat and dirt from his face and neck, then unhitched the mule from the plow.

  “Let’s feed and water the cows, horses and mule, John, then go inside. It’s been a long, very hard day and I’m grateful for your help,” Samuel said, exhaustion in his voice.

  “Denki, daed. I’m just glad that we planted the last of the crops today,” John replied. “If the weather holds, I plan to visit Miriam later this week.”

  “Ya, that’s fine. Just let us know first,” John said.

  “Daed, I am thinking of asking Mr. Beiler for Miriam’s hand in marriage. She is a very wonderful girl, strong in her love for God,” John said, feeling nervous.

  “Oh! So, it’s that way, is it? I agree – she is a very good girl, but I wouldn’t be surprised if her parents ask you to wait for a year or so before proposing marriage. She is only seventeen, you know.”

  “I know. I just want to let them know how I feel about her. I have fallen in love with her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

  By now, the two men had finished feeding and watering their livestock and had begun milking their herd of cows. They continued talking about John’s plans to propose to Miriam.

  “There is also the matter of her baptism into the community. She needs to make a firm decision that she is going to learn and follow the Ordnung before she takes her Kneeling Vow, John,” said Samuel, reminding his son of the lifelong commitment that the Amish made.

 
“Denki, daed, ya. I am positive she will decide to make that commitment. She has never shown any discomfort with the Ordnung. Plus, her parents are strong in the faith and they can help her understand just how serious this kind of commitment truly is.”

  “Good. Yes, I agree, Joseph and Sarah are very good teachers. They’ve helped their older children understand just how important it is to understand the importance of baptism to our community. Also . . . on the topic of children, you should know this. We are very protective of our community, beliefs and faith for a very good reason. We want to keep our beliefs and protect ourselves from the intrusion of Englischer beliefs and practices. A part of that has been our practice of intermarrying. Third and fourth cousins – and even second cousins – have married in past years. This practice has caused some health issues to become more . . . what is the word? Pronounced. Thankfully, there is no blood connection between our family and the Beilers. Any children that you and Miriam have should be strong and healthy,” Samuel said. Seeing John’s bright-red face, he chuckled.

  “I am sorry to embarrass you, but I thought you needed to know this piece of information.”

  “Denki . . . I think. Ya, it is important for us to know that we will have healthy children in time. I just . . . this topic is a bit . . .” John said, unable to continue.

  “Embarrassing, I know. When you are innocent, discussing it is never easy. But discuss it you must. I know of too many other Amish who disregarded the danger in the practice of interfamily marriage. Now, they regret it, with their children suffering from heart defects, other conditions and even mental conditions. If you had come to me, telling me you wanted to marry your cousin Rebekah, I would have told you to reconsider. Ya, I know we don’t have formal education past the eighth grade, but as long as we take our book-learning and use it for the better of our community, we can try to prevent something that can hurt us as a people. Do you see what I’m saying, Son?” Samuel asked, looking deep into his son’s dark-brown eyes.