In May of 2007 our AirSchool adventure took us deep into the mountains and valleys of a “born again” Old Order Amish community. Upon arriving, students were dispersed to Amish family homes all throughout the community. Most of us were confronted with oil lamps, lack of running water, and outhouses. In the mornings we immersed ourselves in their culture by milking goats, making butter, picking strawberries, and even spelunking. Ice cream was a treat many students enjoyed, as we turned wooden handles and melted creek ice for the dessert. At the end of the exhausting day, we were treated to delicious Amish food that made our mouths water.

Sunday morning came around and each family skidded off in their buggies and wagons to church. As we arrived, the men separated from the women, who went inside. Outside the men lined up as each person greeted each man down the line, just as the women did inside. Soon we were seated on opposite sides of the room facing the opposite gender on long, wood benches. The service started out with a cappella hymn singing and a prayer where each person knelt on the floor with their heads bowed on the benches. This was a special service in which German was not spoken for our benefit, but each elder came up and spoke about why they are Amish. We learned more on why they chose to eliminate electricity. One elder explained the reason was because electricity could lead to television, and television could lead to less family time.

As the day came to an end, some of us had our final meal with the Amish. We said our good-byes and left with memories engraved in our minds. It was the ultimate experience of a lifetime.

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