I love to stop at Ada's in McNairy County, TN - between Henderson and Selmer.

http://www.mcnairy.com/living/attractions.html

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/ad...country_store/

Berk, if you are serious, you should go to the christian bookstore and buy the novels on the Amish (Beverly Lewis and some other authors). They are aimed at women, I'm sure, but you will learn so much about the Amish lifestyle. It's fascinating! However, B. Lewis portrays them as really not believing in a relationship with Jesus, but portrays the Mennonites as really having one. Not sure how true that is!

Sherri, like most things "really not believing" is open to interpretation. If she states this without qualification and exception, I would disagree. It is a point to remember but is not true accross the board...

Is is true, that many of the old order groups (especially Amish) are very much into the lifestyle and often little emphasis is placed on being born again. That does not mean it is not preached. The shed blood of Jesus is preached in the Amish Church. Funny - People get very nervous when the experience of others does not match their own. So... where is that church that legalism has not made inroads??

We all know individuals who are big on speaking in tongues, "witnessing" and preaching about Jesus at the drop of a hat, but have little fruit to substanciate their Christianity.

Also in Southern Missouri! In the Diggens area there are a number of Amish.

Also up in the Trenton area there is a large group. When I preached a revival in Trentor for Pastor Melvin Rhoads back in the late 70s I used to drink coffee and have breakfast at a cafe in Trenton and my waitress was a shunned Amish girl. She had left the community for the bright lights of Kansas City and then returned to the area. My oh My the stories she told me.

One of the funniest ones was about how the boys would occasionally get drunk and unhook their beautiful John Deere tractor from the conveyor belt that handled the movement the eggs in their egg farm operation and put the tires back on it and head to town and drive up and down main street on their tractor. :)

Have fun Berk... I am sure it would be an experience of a lifetime!

I would strongly suggest before taking that big of a leap that you first read as many books and watch as many videos on the Amish as possible. Then, if you are still interested at that point, move to an Amish community. You will be held at arms length for quite some time, I imagine. From what I know about the Amish, you would have to dress like them, act like them and attend church with them for at least a year or more before you would even be considered for membership.

It is very strange, but from my understanding they don't drive buggies there. (They ride bicycles.)

I have had a fascination with the plain groups for many years. I am drawn by the simplicity of life, lack of divorce and many other facets of the lifestyle. However, I have come to understand something. It is not the lifestyle itself as much as it is the principles of simplicity and family life that so many are drawn to. I believe we can live these principles while not living in the "have to do this" environment that produces fear and a closed society. I would love to live in an Amish community (in general), but I would never actually be Amish.

Right!

http://www.amishnews.com/amisharticl...hinflorida.htm

I probably have about as much "plain" in me as possible for never having been plain and not having any plain relatives. For some reason (and this may sound wierd) I have secretly (to myself) called them "my people" for years. I think what I would really love is having a place that plain people could come who were contemplating leaving the lifestyle. I would not judge and I would not encourage any direction but I would love to give a place of exploration to make an informed and good decision.

This picture demonstartes what we dressed like growing up as OOM.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jblough/195550156/


This one is interesting...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artcphoto/440035734/