My People, the Amish by Joe Keim

Author:Joe Keim
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aneko Press
Published: 2017-10-10T14:42:15+00:00

Chapter 13

Getting Started

Our friend Paul Coblentz, who led me to the Lord, went to church with the Gess family. He made connections with them for us, and Esther and I moved in with this family, though we had never met them before. Jerry and Carol Gess immediately accepted us as their children, and opened their attic for us to live in until we found a place of our own. We pulled up with our belongings and carried all the stuff up to the attic. For the Gesses, the attic was a storage area. Stuff littered the steps all the way up. At the top, boxes and other items filled the unfinished space, with a little path cutting through the boxes and leading to a bed – our bed. It was awesome for us – a haven. And for meals, we ate with them.

Jerry and Carol said, “From this day on, you are family,” and they meant it. They put forth every effort to make us feel like family, and their children – Randy, Debbie, and Rene’ – did too. When Randy passed away from a heart condition, I felt like I’d lost a brother – a real, true, blood brother. As for Debbie and Rene’ they were and are very much a part of our family gatherings. They’ve always included us as if we are family; our kids know them as grandparents and aunts, and we spend every Thanksgiving and Christmas with them. We have even taken vacations together.

This family connection is so real that when Debbie got cancer, I was one of the first ones she called. We were there for her hospital visits, and over the years, we’ve all supported one another as we’ve been in the hospital, always sitting through the waiting times together. As for Debbie’s cancer, it is gone. We prayed that God would deliver her from cancer, and He did. Today, she continues to be cancer free. Her sister Rene’ serves as my full-time secretary at MAP Ministry. So many times, God’s eternal family is closer than blood family.

The Gess family taught us the importance of going to church, Sunday school, and Wednesday and Sunday night services. One thing that impacted us more than anything else – they showed us what unconditional love looks like. Growing up, I thought love and acceptance were based on my ability to measure up. The Gesses kicked that right out from under us. We’ve seen them reach out and love people unconditionally again and again. Jerry and Carol filled a void in these thirty years and played an important role in our lives. Today, I know them better than I know my own parents.

Our first Christmas with them was overwhelming. We were accustomed to maybe getting a pair of gloves or some other needed item as a gift. That first Christmas with the Gess family was unbelievable! They poured the gifts on us. I’d never had anyone do that.

They helped us get jobs, buy clothes, and get our driver’s licenses back.

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