Forever Amish (27 page)

EPILOGUE

Lizzie's mind spun like the blades of Dat's windmill on this breezy late-November day. She couldn't believe she was attending her cousin Sally's wedding to Armin King.

The fact Sally joined the Amish church eight months after arriving was akin to a miracle, according to Mamm, who'd said it was Sally's destiny to spend the rest of her life here among her people, her real family. With the man she adored.

Scarcely hearing the sermon, Lizzie sighed as she scanned her parents' home. The partitions had been removed and three hundred relatives and neighbors settled on backless wooden benches brought in yesterday—men on one side and women on the other. Among them Lizzie saw Anna, Esther and Nathaniel, and Zach and Holly Fleming, who cradled their baby girl.

The minister completed his sermon. Lizzie stood and pivoted to the wooden benches along with the rest of the congregation. She knelt during the silent prayer, then stood, still facing the bench. The deacon read a passage from Matthew 19, verses 1 to 12. She was only half listening until the deacon said, “What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.” When he finished, she and all others rotated, and sat again. Lizzie tried to find a comfortable position without success.

Bishop Troyer rose and moved before them as if this were a most solemn occasion. Yet Lizzie noticed the corners of his mouth tipping up as he delivered the main sermon, listing biblical references to marriage. Mamm, Esther, Anna, and several other women dabbed the corners of their eyes. If Lizzie weren't mistaken, Dat and Uncle Ed had their handkerchiefs out too. Even Lizzie felt moisture creeping onto her cheeks when she contemplated the beautiful story of love and God's mercy.

“You may now come forth in the name of the Lord,” the bishop said to Sally and Armin. They strolled together holding hands and stood before him. He first questioned Armin. “And you will not leave her until death separates you?”

“Yah.” Armin looked especially handsome in his new black suit.

“And, Sally—” Bishop Troyer repeated the questions to Sally and she answered in an elated voice.

“Yes.” Her cheeks flushed and her eyes glistened, as if she'd wandered in the desert for forty years and had stumbled upon an oasis.

“Do you promise to be loyal to her and care for her if she should have adversity, affliction, sickness, weakness, or faintheartedness?” the bishop asked Armin.

“Yah, I do.” Armin's voice was saturated with confidence and determination.

Bishop Troyer asked Sally the same question.

“Yes.” Sally glanced down at the sky-blue dress and white organza apron and cape Mamm had made for her. Mamm was giving her sewing lessons, but Sally said she wanted each article of clothing to be perfect—as perfect as everything else about this day.

Bishop Troyer placed Sally's right hand in Armin's and put his hands above and beneath theirs. Moments later, he pronounced, “Go forth in the name of the Lord. You are now man and wife.”

Armin grinned and Sally's full lips parted. Lizzie bet she longed to kiss her new husband—and Armin looked equally eager—but they must wait until tonight when they were alone. They seemed to float on air as they returned to their seats.

Another minister addressed the congregation, followed by two others, giving Armin and Sally their blessing.

Ach, why didn't they hurry up? Lizzie couldn't tame her skittering thoughts. She mulled over the last few months. She and her mamm, with Esther's help, had had their hands full planning for Sally's wedding and cultivating celery, a Lancaster County tradition, to be eaten at the feast soon to follow this service. Lizzie captured a whiff of roasting chicken emanating from the kitchen.

Lizzie envisioned herself sitting with Sally and Armin at the corner table—the
Eck
—for the festive and bounteous meal soon to come. Sally had requested everyone sing “Amazing Grace” later, because there had been so much healing in her life. And in her father's.

To add to Sally's joy, her dog Ginger had given birth to four puppies, just as Zach predicted. Dat insisted he wanted a sassy female pup, shocking Lizzie and Mamm. A dog in the house eating scraps from the table? What next?

Bishop Troyer stood again and made a few closing comments. Lizzie fiddled with her Kapp strings as the assembly received the benediction, then sang the final hymn.

The moment the hymn ended Armin and Sally slipped out the door. In one fluid motion, Armin swept Sally up, twirled her around, then lowered her to the ground for a brief embrace. Lizzie and her friends were close on their heels. A crowd of well-wishers surrounded the couple.

Lizzie had never seen Sally look so radiant. Sally's and Lizzie's gazes met. The two extended their hands and clasped each other in a hug.

“I never thought I could be so happy,” Sally said in her ear. “And all because of your emails.”

Lizzie felt a bit prideful for setting this roller-coaster romance in motion, but she knew deep down she'd played but a small part in Sally and Ed's coming home.

If you enjoyed
Forever Amish
, I would be honored if you would tell others by writing a review. Go
here
to write a review on Goodreads.

Thank you!
—Kate Lloyd

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

and grace my fears relieved;

how precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

his word my hope secures;

he will my shield and portion be,

as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

and mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

a life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

bright shining as the sun,

we've no less days to sing God's praise

than when we first begun.

By John Newton (1725–1807)

Acknowledgments

It is with deep gratitude that I thank my readers, each and every one of you. Thanks, Facebook friends, who have encouraged me, including Karla Hanns, who helped me often, and many, many more. I appreciate all of you!

I am greatly indebted to the folks at my publishing house, David C Cook, in no special order: Ingrid Beck, Amy Konyndyk, Michelle Webb, Karen Stoller, the hardworking sales team, and others. Don Pape, thank you for your faith in me.

Thanks, Traci Dupree, for your editing expertise. Kudos to librarians who have requested and recommended my books!

Thank you to the many Amish who helped me tremendously but prefer not to be mentioned by name. Thank you, Sam and Susie Lapp, and Old Order Amish quilter
Emma Stoltzfus of E S Quilts in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Thank you, Lisa Ravenholt, for answering my equestrian questions, Connie Sidles, author and noted bird authority, Earlene Luke, dog breeder/handler/judge extraordinaire, and Donald Kraybill, author and expert of the Amish. Three cheers for Robert and Lisa-Ann at Web Designs by LAO, always ready to come to my aid.

A thunderous applause to my weekly writers group comprised of published authors: Judy Bodmer, Roberta Kehle, Kathleen Kohler, Gigi Murfitt, Thornton Ford, Paul Malm, and Marty Nystrom. Bravo to my steadfast literary agent, Sandra Bishop!

… a little more …

When a delightful concert comes to an end,

the orchestra might offer an encore.

When a fine meal comes to an end,

it's always nice to savor a bit of dessert.

When a great story comes to an end,

we think you may want to linger.

And so, we offer …

AfterWords—
just a little something more after you

have finished a David C Cook novel.

We invite you to stay awhile in the story.

Thanks for reading!

Turn the page for …

• Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for
Forever Amish

1. Why is Sally so attracted to Armin, other than his good looks? Are they opposites, or do they have a lot in common? Do you think their marriage will last?

2. To marry Armin, Sally must give up her English/modern life and join the Amish church. Why do you think she is willing to do this? What will she lose and what will she gain?

3. In what ways has Sally lived a shallow life in the past, even with her many activities and sporadic church attendance?

4. Was Lizzie Zook justified in tracking down Sally and Ed, knowing her father and the bishop did not approve?

5. Why do you think Ed lied to Sally her whole life? Do you think he was trying to protect her or did he harbor other motives? Do you have empathy for him? What did he lose by leaving his Amish family and community? What will he gain by returning?

6. If you were in Sally's position, would you run a DNA test to certify that Pops was your biological dad or would you be satisfied that—in every way—he has been a father to you?

7. How was Sally's life affected knowing her mother has spurned her? Would you search for your mother although you may experience rejection?

8. How did Sally's father's illness alter the trajectory of her life? How does any ailing parent affect their child's life?

9. What are Reuben's good traits? Does he deserve acceptance and forgiveness as much as any other person?

10. How would you feel if you found out you were Old Order Amish? Would you seek your roots, wish to meet your relatives, and possibly adopt some of their traditions? Does anything attract you to their lifestyle?

11. What did Sally learn about forgiveness from the Amish? How about you?

About the Author

Author Kate Lloyd is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the inspiration for her bestselling novels
Leaving Lancaster
and
Pennsylvania Patchwork
. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. Kate and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, the setting for Kate's first novel,
A Portrait of Marguerite
. Kate studied art and art history in college. She has worked a variety of jobs, including car salesperson and restaurateur. For many years she owned prize-winning show dogs.

Find out more about Kate Lloyd at


Website:
www.katelloyd.net



Blog:
http://katelloyd.net/blog



Facebook:
www.facebook.com/katelloydbooks



Twitter:
@KateLloydAuthor



Pinterest:
@KateLloydAuthor

Or contact her by mail at


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FOREVER AMISH
 

Published by David C Cook

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Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook Distribution Canada

55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights.

This story is a work of fiction. Characters and events are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain.) Scripture quotations marked
niv
are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

LCCN 2014933824

ISBN 978-0-7814-0874-5

eISBN 978-1-4347-0791-8

© 2014 Kate Lloyd

The author is represented by MacGregor Literary, Inc. of Hillsboro, OR.

The Team: Don Pape, Traci DePree, Nick Lee, Ingrid Beck, Tonya Osterhouse, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Amy Konyndyk

Cover Photo: Steve Gardner, Pixelworks Studios

First Edition 2014