Sarah's Orphans
Page 32
The town of Cody’s Creek does not exist in Oklahoma. The place I visited and researched was Chouteau, which was originally called Cody’s Creek when it became a stop on the Katy Railroad in 1871. The Amish community in Chouteau does allow the use of tractors, both in the fields and in town. They still use the horse and buggy when traveling to church, a wedding, or a funeral.
I would like to offer a special thanks to all the people who wrote me regarding their experience with adoption. While I thoroughly researched the adoption process, I changed some details to fit the story line.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Several characters are grieving at the beginning of this story—Sarah, Sarah’s brothers, and even their mother. Each one deals with grief in his or her own way. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, we’re told there is a season/time for everything, even a season to mourn. What can we do to help someone who is grieving?
2. Paul is excited about rejuvenating a run-down farm, but when he realizes it might include befriending a family of “orphans,” he hesitates. Why is that? What is it about helping others and drawing close to them that intimidates us?
3. Mateo and Mia are living in an abandoned trailer behind an abandoned barn. Do you think that’s possible in our day and age? Could there be homeless children living in abandoned buildings? Why or why not?
4. At the end of chapter 20, Sarah realizes that her family has a lot in common with Mia and Mateo—that they are all abandoned. Have you ever felt abandoned? What does Scripture say about our heavenly Father and His faithfulness to us? (You can begin by looking at 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Galatians 4:6.)
5. We meet Elisa for the first time in chapter 47. She’s not an admirable character. She seems selfish, desperate, and even callous toward her children. She seems a lot like Sarah’s mother. But in chapter 55, Mammi tells Sarah, “I won’t be judging either of them. In my heart, I believe they are doing the absolute best they can. It’s only that, to us, it seems as if their best isn’t very good.” How did you react to this statement? What does the Bible tell us about offering grace and forgiveness to others? Some passages you might read over in your Bible include Matthew 18:21-22; Mark 11:25; and Ephesians 4:32.
6. When Brian is hurt, Mateo and Isaac struggle with the question of why bad things happen to good people. It’s a question many of us have. What would you tell someone who asks you this question? What Bible verses could you point them to for answers?
7. Becca tells Sarah that she could be experiencing a crisis of faith. What things can we do for a friend who is struggling in this way? What can we do when we experience this sort of crisis ourselves?
8. When Sarah finally receives a letter from her mother, she is both relieved and a little upset. She’s still dealing with feelings of abandonment. How would you have counseled her at this point?
9. Sarah and Paul have strong feelings for one another nearly from the beginning of the story, but Sarah’s fears hold her back. Whether it’s a friendship, a family relationship, or a romantic relationship, what kinds of fears hold us back? Find three Bible verses that discuss the topic of fear.
10. This book is filled with imperfect people. In fact, nearly every character has a flaw of some sort—Sarah’s mother, Mateo’s mother, even Sarah and Paul. Philippians 1:6 says we can be confident in this, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” In what specific ways does this give you hope?
RECIPES
Ham and Macaroni Salad
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups chopped ham
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bell pepper (any color), seeded and chopped
2 T. dill pickle relish
2 cups creamy salad dressing (you may also use Miracle Whip)
3 T. prepared yellow mustard
¾ cup sugar
2¼ tsp. white vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. celery seed
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the ham, eggs, onion, celery, bell pepper, and relish.
In a small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed. Pour over the vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Bars
1 cup peanut butter
⅔ cup butter, softened
1½ cups brown sugar, packed
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 12-ounce package dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 9 × 13-inch pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and sugar until well blended and smooth. Make sure any lumps of brown sugar are dissolved. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy and thoroughly blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly until the batter is once again smooth and creamy.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the batter and put into the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a butter knife, swirl the chocolate chips through the dough. Bake for 40 more minutes. Remove from the oven. The bars are done when a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean (some chocolate may stick to the knife). Let cool for an hour before cutting into bars.
Chicken Casserole
8 oz. broad egg noodles
½ cup butter
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (optional)
⅓ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
pinch of sage
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook noodles as directed on package. Melt butter and cook mushrooms in a large skillet until lightly browned. Stir in flour and blend in with a fork or slotted spoon. Stir in broth and milk seasonings. Whisk sauce constantly until thickened.
Combine sauce, noodles, and chicken. Adjust seasonings to taste. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Applesauce Coffee Cake
⅔ cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1½ cups peeled, cored, and finely chopped apples
¼ cup fat-free liquid egg product or 2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or ½ cup pecans
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 T. flour
1 T. whole wheat flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 T. butter
¼ cup walnuts or ¼ cup pecans
Lightly coat a 9 × 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the ⅔ cup flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl toss together the chopped apple and egg product. Stir in the sugar, ¼ cup of the nuts, and applesauce. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Topping:
Stir together the brown sugar, the remaining flour, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly, stir in the remaining nuts, and sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.
Maple Cream Pie
1 can condensed milk
⅔ cup maple syrup
pinch of salt
Cook on low heat, very slow, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles. Pour into a baked pie
shell. Chill for one hour.
Topping:
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup pecans, chopped
Whip ingredients except pecans until thick. Pour on top of pie filling and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Amish Oatmeal Cookies
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ cups flour
3 cups quick-cooking oats
½ tsp. salt
Powdered sugar for rolling dough
Cream brown sugar and butter together. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, flour, oats, and salt. Fold into wet ingredients. Chill for at least one hour.
Form into balls and roll them in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and press the balls down a bit. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or so. Don’t overbake them.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
1½ cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2¾ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt and then add to the shortening mixture.
Stir together the 1 T. sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll in cinnamon sugar mix. Bake 8 minutes at 400°.
Twelve-Egg Pound Cake
1 pound butter
3½ cups sugar
¼ tsp. salt
4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
12 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Cream the butter thoroughly and then gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Mix together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Add ¼ cup of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and beat well. Alternate adding the remaining flour and the eggs until all have been added and blended well. Add the vanilla and mix well again.
Bake in two 10-inch tube pans for 1 hour at 325°.
GLOSSARY
Aenti—aunt
Bruder—brother
Dat—father
Danki—thank you
Englischer—non-Amish person
Fraa—wife
Freinden—friends
Gotte’s wille—God’s will
Grandkinner—grandchildren
Gut—good
In lieb—in love
Kapp—prayer covering
Kinner—children
Mamm—mom
Mammi—grandmother
Nein—no
Onkel—uncle
Ordnung—the unwritten set of rules and regulations that guide everyday Amish life.
Schweschder—sister
Wunderbaar—wonderful
Ya—yes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published more than one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel Falling to Pieces was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award winner. A Promise for Miriam earned a spot on the June 2012 Christian Retailing Top Ten Fiction list. Vannetta was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full-time. She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.
When Tragedy Arrives…Forgiveness Brings Healing
Brian Walker has it all—a trust fund, the job of his dreams, and a beautiful woman at his side. But all of that changes in one tragic moment. Six months later he finds himself in the small town of Cody’s Creek, Oklahoma, and eventually becomes a member of the Amish community located there.
Brian feels God’s hand directing his path, and he begins to hope that perhaps his past is behind him for good. However, nothing prepares him for the day his bishop asks him a question.
Brian’s choice changes everything.
A story about the miracle of faith, the solace of love, and our ability to forgive and be forgiven.
(ebook-only novella prequel)
When Disaster Strikes…Hope and Love Rise to Meet It
When a tornado hits the farms surrounding Cody’s Creek, Oklahoma, Anna Schwartz’s life is changed forever. She suffers a devastating injury and suddenly finds herself learning to negotiate her world from a wheelchair.
Three people—Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz—join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe, an Englischer, writes for the local paper. Jacob, recently arrived in town, stays on as a hired hand at her uncle’s. And Ruth, her grandmother, offers her deep faith and compassionate spirit.
Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world’s attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable.
When Loss Seems Overwhelming…Grace Ushers in Peace
Joshua Kline travels from his farm in Oklahoma to offer aid to an Englisch town on the Gulf Coast of Texas after a hurricane has ravaged the area. He takes his younger brother Alton with him because the last thing Alton needs is another brush with the law. Joshua is pleasantly surprised when he hears that Becca Troyer, the bishop’s granddaughter, also plans on joining their team.
What will he find when he arrives in Texas? Certainly, Englischers and other Plain people, who provide fresh perspective on life as the Amish volunteers help restore order from destruction. But a budding romance? A call from Gotte? A possible healing of his relationship with Alton?
Joshua’s Mission is a story of love, forgiveness, and the grace of God that carries us through even the most desperate situations.
Fall in Love with the Amish of Pebble Creek!
A Promise for Miriam, A Home for Lydia, and A Wedding for Julia introduce the Amish community of Pebble Creek, Wisconsin, and the kind, caring people there. As they face challenges to their community from the English world, they come together to reach out to their non-Amish neighbors while still preserving their cherished Plain ways.
Enjoy These Free Short Story E-Romances
Download Them Today from Your Favorite Digital Retailer!
These two short story e-romances are an exclusive bonus from the Pebble Creek Amish by Vannetta Chapman. Fans of the series will enjoy this chance to briefly revisit Pebble Creek, and new readers will be introduced to an Amish community that is more deeply explored in the three full novels.
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About the Publisher
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