[Amish Singing in German] ♪ Es Sinn Zween Weg ♪ ♪ In dieser zeit, ♪ ♪ der ein ist schmall der ander weit ♪ >>Narrator: We call them the Amish. Shunning modern advancements they drive horses and buggies. and live without electricity. Where do they come from? Are they a culture? A Religion? What made them who they are? This film series explores the inner workings of the Amish Church As told by some of their own, who no longer wear black hats and bonnets. For 300 years the Amish have been known as the 'silent in the land' but now a growing number of them are breaking the silence. [music] [music] [music] >> Joseph: Hi, my name is Joseph Graber, I grew up Old Order Amish and I'm your host for this film series. In this episode we will look at the lives of 3 different people. Joe, from Ohio: >> Joe Keim: Never dreamed that I would leave the Amish. Thought anyone who did would miss heaven. >> Joseph: Sam from Indiana: >> Sam Girod: Church members in my Dad's church, which was my uncles said, It's alright to be single "You don't have to be married, you know, just enjoy life.' But, I want to be married! I want to have a family! What's wrong with me wanting that? Is it against the Word? 'Well, you know everybody is shunned, there is a reason that God did this to us.' >> Joseph: And Polly from Missouri. My Mom is your aunt, Did Mom and Dad's story have any impact on you and your life? Knowing that you had an Aunt that had left the Amish? >> Polly: I thought that you were bad people. I don't know, that's just what I was taught! You were very bad. Yeah. I never dreamed that I would do the same thing. And now they're some of the nicest people I know, and I wonder why, why, all these years I had to miss out on you. >> Joseph: Each of them joined the church of their fathers and each of their stories are unique. While their stories are authentically Amish, they may not be true of Amish everywhere. These are their stories, from their communities. Each of their stories starts in different places but eventually the Master Storyteller wove them all together. We will start by going to Ohio. [road noise] We are on our way now to interview Joe Keim with Mission to Amish People. It's been I think, 10 or 12 years since I first got your card that you were a missionary to the Amish people. Today you're helping a lot of families who are leaving the Amish. What was it like for you, growing up Amish? >> Joe Keim: I was the oldest of 14 children. Grew up like an average Amish child. Went to school for 8 years. I was a very staunch Amish boy growing up. I did not get in trouble. But at the age of 15 my life cracked when my cousin left. And in my mind Eli was, if he died in the world he would go to hell. And I remember crawling up in the top of a barn one day, after I had seen him in his 'English' clothes, and I just laid down in the dust. And I began to pray and cry out to God. That he would save Eli's life and bring him back. Eli came back. And he decided to come work for my Dad. And so, Eli was about 2 years older than I was, but we became best friends. The 2 of us began to get into some trouble. He decided he was going to leave the Amish again. And I said, 'I can't make it without you, I'm leaving with you.' Leaving a note in my parent's mailbox, telling them that 'I skipped town, don't come looking for me.' It was on a Sunday night about midnight my cousin Eli and I, we started walking toward town. But we walked for probably 5 hours that night. And eventually got into the city limits of Ashland. Walked by this garage the garage doors were wide open, there were two vehicles parked in the garage And because we were tired, he crawled in one vehicle I crawled into the other. And we both went to sleep. And we weren't asleep more than two hours, the owner came out and saw these two Amish boys in his cars sleeping! And he kicked us out so quick, we didn't even know what was going on! We had $50 in our pocket. And we walked all the way up to the other end of town where there was a Big Wheels, similar to a Walmart, We wanted to get rid of our Amish clothes and so we went in to the Big Wheel and headed for the clothing section And at that time the Dukes of Hazard were pretty popular, and they had these t-shirts with cars that were flying up over the hill. And he and I both bought a Dukes of Hazard t-shirt, a pair of jeans, white tennis shoes- went up and paid for them. Went out back behind the Big Wheel, threw our Amish clothes down. Never saw them again. >> Joseph: How did your family respond? >> Joe Keim: My own Dad was devastated that I left. It made a bad name for him, the family, and in the community and he went on a fast, and for 30 days he didn't eat, he fasted. It actually got so bad that Eli tricked me into going home. I only lasted a few weeks and left again. Over the next couple years, I left 7 times. I'd be out for a few months, and I'd go back because I wanted to be with my family. My Dad was very strict. If you were 'English' you don't come around, you don't come on the property. So that always would lead me back home. But then I couldn't stand it and I would leave again. Looking back I realize now that I wanted out of the pen, I wanted to be free wanted to do whatever I wanted to do. I was very rebellious. Didn't treat my parents very nice at all. I went back eventually and joined the Amish Church. Then my girlfriend and I left and lived a very ungodly life for almost a year. and then we were of course excommunicated from the Church. >> Joseph: Yeah. >> Joe Keim: During that year, that my girlfriend and I were out, another former Amish man shared the Gospel with me. I actually got to the point where I got tired of hearing it. Didn't want to hear it. Felt guilty knowiing that I wasn't living right. But on July 28th 1985, I was 18 years old, and it was a Sunday afternoon Paul came home from the church and he was so burdened for me, he said I gotta talk with you. And he began to share with me....the Gospel. If anybody would make it to heaven- I said, Paul, my Uncle Albert who was a deacon in the Amish Church he would be on the front line. He is the most giving person. He would give the shirt off of his back He was honest, and surely Uncle Albert would make it to heaven if anybody did. And that's when he brought up the Scripture, Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of God's glory. Even Uncle Albert. It was like somebody had clobbered me over the head. There was no such thing as a good sinner and a bad sinner. Sin was sin and it was holding me from getting to God. There was nothing I could do on my own. But to realize what Jesus Christ did on that Cross 2000 years ago. He paid that price for my sin. And as I reached out, tears flowing down my face it was like the heavens opened up. A moment I will never forget. It was so real. The love, the forgiveness. I got up that day, I was changed. I knew something powerful had happened. But in my mind I still thought- somehow I connected having to be Amish with my salvation. The day came, I sold my car I went back to the Amish. I was willing and I understood that they would not just take me back into fellowship the day I walked back. They put me through the test. They were like picking on everything. They were watching us. We couldn't see each other. That was so hard that I would sometimes jump on a horse and ride all the way out to her place. And then I'd get caught, and then they'd put me out another 2 weeks. And eventually it got so bad that we up and left the Amish just for a couple weeks and then came back and tried it again and they took us in finally. >> Joseph: So you had an Amish wedding? >> Joe Keim: Had an Amish wedding, yep. I mean we both really wanted an Amish wedding. We started to dig into the Scriptures and I remember during that time we devoured the Scriptures. But I was confused, you know, I wanted to on one hand raise my family in the culture because there were a lot of values in raising your children that believed in work ethics and honesty, and community, and family, and that kind of thing. But the more we searched the Scriptures- and my wife was ahead of me- she actually wanted to leave again, I didn't want to leave, but God changed my heart and then we left in 1987 You know after we left, then the ministers came into to town and they said they want us to put ourselves in the Bann. Which is pretty common, they don't actually turn you over to Satan they get you to ask them to turn you over to Satan. And I just remember telling them that there's no way I could because this time I left for reasons of wanting to serve God. I wanted to be part of Bible study, go to prayer meetings and things like that that we were not allowed to do back home. And I said if you feel that that is wrong and you want to excommunicate us, the blood is on your hands and that is how we left it. And they did excommunicate us. >> Joseph: So it took you 7 times to get it right? >> Joe Keim: It took me seven times to get it right. [laughter] >> Joseph: Now we will pick up Sam's story. Sam grew up Among the Swiss Amish in Switzerland County Indiana. >> Sam Girod: I was the oldest grandchild on my Dad's side on my Mom's side I was 7th in line. And there was over 200 of us grandchildren on my Mom's side. And 100 on my Dad's side. When I think back was the times that I spent with Dad going to work. I can remember Dad and Mom giving me a birthday gift tool set, with hammer and stuff when I was 9 years old. So I know I was swinging Dad's hammers and wasting his nails before that. >> Joseph: Because of the size of many Amish families they're oftend spread out over several communities and even different states. >> Sam Girod: It was the highlight of our life to go on trips. And then in 95 we had a split in the Church so we was cut off from going to see them cousins out in Seymour Missouri. And that was very heartbreaking. And that's the first experience I had in division. And of course, all my cousins in Seymour Missouri- all my cousins in Branch County Michigan were cut off from us. I wrote a letter to my cousin in Seymour and I told him, 'Hi, how I miss you, we are so sad. I wish we could do something back and forth.' Well, Dad got a hold of that letter. He said, 'Don't you write like that to him.' 'Don't write like that, because that makes them think that we're wrong and that we're sad in what we're doing. And we're not.' Well I was! I was a thirteen year old child- how did I know that? We didn't have a Bishop here because our Bishop shunned us and excommunicated us. >> Joseph: In the smaller Amish communities, one Bishop often has oversight over several churches. In Sam's case, his father and his uncles had a disagreement with the Bishop, and he excommunicated them. >> Sam Girod: On the average of about every two years we split with somebody or something. >> Joseph: Each of these splits created an every smaller group of people with whom thy could fellowship. >> Sam Girod: So we just got stronger and stronger into our belief what we had. We boasted how right we are, you know, how good we feel about what we did. You know we didn't say we're better, but we felt lucky that we're separated from everybody. We felt lucky. >> Joseph: But now let me introduce you to Polly's story. >> Polly: I always enjoyed being outside. Helping my brothers. My childhood was fairly good, yes. But, after I became a church member ...no... >> Joseph: So, explain that. >> Polly: I never was able to please the ministers. They were always picking on my hair It was impossible to make it flat enough. Like, every two weeks they would come and say something. Mom, would put it up for me and then she would put grease on it so it stays flat. Still wasn't good enough. They still came and said something. It was...it was...impossible. >> Joseph: Polly was getting older and she was still not married. Not only that, but the ministers seemed to be picking on her and using her as an example of their complete control over the church. Like many other single Amish girls, Polly needed something she could do from home to earn money and to stay busy. She began sewing for others. >> Polly: I was making the little girls caps, and Sunday caps. And a lot of the minister's women's caps. And they always wanted their white caps ironed and everything finished. And those caps were always alright, but my cap never was. They even as much as went and put me in the bann. But they kept on asking me to make their caps for them. And finally it came to the point, I told them 'no'. If my cap is not alright, I'm not going to make your cap. >> Joseph: Over in Indiana the reality of the church splits were beginning to affect Sam in a personal way. >> Sam Girod: I had dated a girl and I thought I was going to get married with her an everything. And then broke up with her because of differences in our parents. And so we had to split from that. I almost went with her and her parents but Dad talked to me for hours one night. Finally he told me enough where he said the other Bishop is wrong where my girlfriend comes from So we broke up. >> Joseph: Heartbreak began to follow heartbreak. Every time Sam found a girl, there churches would split, and they would be forced to separate. Then in 2006, his own Grandpa and several of his Uncles left to go be part of a more open Amish community so they could find marriage partners for their children. After that split their church was all alone. They had separated themselves from every other Amish church in America. >> Sam Girod: I was related to everyone in our church except for 3 families. But only 1 out of 3 families had a girl that could have been available, but she was 10 years younger than me. Every one was first cousin or there was no girls old enough for me to get married. As time went on I got older and I got lonelier And then my sisters were getting married I had a cousin get married. And I wanted a family too. I had an uncle tell me that you know you have to be happy and content. In German it would be frohlich un getrost. I tried so hard to be happy. I tried so hard to be happy. >> Polly: I was good friends with a neighbor boy I thought we were just friends. He was in Bann for 10 weeks. They kept picking and picking on him, and they wouldn't take him up Finally he left for two weeks then he came back. Well he had shingled his hair as short as he could. Now the Ministers came and told him that he is not allowed to come into church till he gets a hairline, and that takes like 6 months if its that short. And to me, I thought that is so bad- how do they figure that he's going to stay Amish if he doesn't go to church and hear the Word of God, you know. And they were always picking on him so we had something in common, we sympathized One night we slipped out. Both of us. And I just thought we were friends. I knew nothing about sex or anything. Nothing. Period. And he took advantage of me. And then after he did that I...he didn't want to talk to me, nothing. My mom was a midwife, but I couldn't talk to her. I couldn't talk to anybody. I couldn't talk to him, because he ignored me. And..... ...I just.... ...it was hard....and then...slowly it got out. They put me in Bann for like 4 weeks. After the 4 weeks were up they didn't take me up. They just kept picking on my cap and everything else. >> Sam Girod: Two sisters married two boys and it was a double wedding. You know I was happy for them but I still had hurt I was empty inside. I wanted that life too. But I thought it was wrong for me to even think that I wanted a wife. My sister had a penpal with this girl in Davies County Indiana. And she told me about this girl's sister that I could be interested in. But her family, they had Bible study every morning before, right after breakfast before they went to work Which we didn't. We only read every in between Sunday if that. Or at Church services, which is never. So we kind of looked down on people that study the Bible, because if you study the Bible too much then they might do what I just did. You know, leave the Amish. That's what my people were so afraid of. So anyways, I talked to her and I just went out and met her a couple times. Asked her if she would be interested in dating. So I said well I have to first go back and talk to the ministers. And my Dad. Because, you know, I want to do everything 'right', you know. So I went back and I talked to the ministers. And they said, well we couldn't say no, we'd have to pray about it. So the ministers all come to me and Dad to talk and they said, 'you know why we're here?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm sure I know why you're here'. They said, 'We probably can't allow that to happen.' And I said I just don't understand. I'll break up with her just for you guys. But I don't understand. And Dad told me, come to me and said, What do you want to do? Do you want to go on? Or do you want to break up with her? Because I will support you either way. I was like, whoa! What? Dad's going to break the rule and support me? By allowing this? I said no Dad, I can't let that happen. I said I'd rather break up with the girl than be a fault of a division in the church. >> Joseph: And over in Missouri things were getting difficult for Polly She had no one to confide in and the ministers were watching her every move. And now they had put her under the short Bann. Ordnung's Gma was approaching. That fearsome, twice a year church service where the Standard and all of its ordinances are read and the ministers make sure that every member is conforming to all of the rules in preparation for Communion Services two weeks later. Ordnung's Gma came. And once again, Polly's cap was not good enough. >> Polly: They made me promise that before the next Sunday I would make me a new black cap. And take it over to the Deacon so he can approve it. Then if he approves it, then I can help with Communion in 2 weeks. So I promised to do that. That week I made a black cap and we went over to the Deacon's house for supper and he barely looked at the cap and said, 'No, it's not...' 'It's not alright.' [music] But I went home and made another one the next day. I took it back. And I asked him if this is alright and he looked at it and he said, 'yeah'. 'Looks alright yeah'. So that was okay, now I could help with Communion. >> Joseph: Helping with Communion just means participating in the service. For the Amish that means the traditional bread and wine as well as a foot washing service. >> Polly: Communion day comes around and as I was helping with lunch that same Deacon comes in and tells me, 'Your cap is not alright' 'You can't help with Communion.' I mean...I was just...I was boiling on the inside. I- I didn't care what he did anymore. It was just like there is no use of even trying. In the fall I would go to visit my sister. But being I didn't help with Communion I wasn't allowed to go away. My Mom helped me find a ride and I was just going to go anyways to visit my sister. The Ministers came and talked with Mom They thought I was trying to slip away. But Mom told them no, she knew about it. [music] But they said no, there is no way that I'm allowed to go. I was so.....that night I lay in bed and I cried and cried. Because it was so hopeless. >> Sam Girod: I started building my own house because I had thoughts of leaving the Amish then. I figured if I have responsibilities and I tie myself down with all this weight you know like, yeah, I will build a house that way I can't leave. Because I did not want to leave, because I just knew it had to be wrong. >> Polly: After all that had happened, I never was able to be myself at church. I was watched. I was never able to relax. I just- I just couldn't. It just kept building up and building up And then I would think about, well I'll just leave But I thought, no I couldn't. >> Sam Girod: I started getting ideas more and more so of leaving. I finally broke down and got me a cell phone. These English people asked me to watch this show called Amish Out of Order. The host was Mose Gingerich So I went. And he said some things that opened my eyes that made sense. And so I contacted him, and I told him that I'm scared and I wanna leave the Amish and I need help. I'm not telling you where I'm from. And all this. Then he contacted me back and said there was this man in Ohio that has a ministry and his name is Joe Keim and he gave me his number. >> Joe Keim: I had this burden for my family. That continued to grow. You know it was for all the Amish. I went to a funeral one time and saw an Amish father and husband laying in a casket had shot himself up through the head. And they buried him outside the cemetery fence, no headstone thinking that he probably went to hell. I remember going home that night and just weeping and saying, Lord who is going to go? And tell our people about Jesus? They have no hope. I met with my pastor in 1999 right at the end of '99. And I asked him What it was supposed to feel like when God called you into the ministry? He said I have watched you all these years I was waiting for this moment. He said I know the Lord has had his hand on you. And he said, I already have a name for your ministry. Mission to Amish People. And now 14 years into it, we have about 5 on staff. And we have about 100 volunteers that help us throughout the year. To reach out mostly Amish that were leaving and needed help getting on their feet. >> Sam Girod: Couple days later I called Joe Keim. I was really scared and I was shaking everytime I would talk to him on the phone and stuff. And I explained things to him and it is forbidden under the Amish to even talk to any ExAmish, to even have their number. So it was a sense of calmness in him that showed me something. And so I kept talking to him over the months as we went on >> Polly: I couldn't take it anymore. I had this number with me. From a neighbor who had left three years prior. So I stopped at the phone and called him. And he was right now ready to help me. He made the arrangements. He said, 'Now you be sure and you be ready Be sure and have your birth certificate and Social Security number.' So I did. I had that all out in the greenhouse with me. I had taken it out and stuck it in my pocket. So I was out in the greenhouse watering. And then Mom sits out in the yard. Where she could see the road. She was writing a letter. But thankfully she went back in again. 9 o'clock rolls around. And Ida Yoder, she drives up as we had planned. She drove a little past the driveway. I slipped out the back door of the greenhouse, went out and climbed into the vehicle. And left. [music] [truck engine] >> Sam Girod: September the 22nd of 2012, is when a young man came down, that Joe Keim arranged for me to pick me up that night. I left here at 9:30 at night. Scared to death like a 5 year old kid. I just kept thinking, what can they do to me? They can't do nothing to me. We got up there 3 o'clock Sunday morning. And then I went to church with Joe and his wife. >> Polly: It was Glen and Ida Yoder. They were from Kahoka Missouri They were strangers to me, I didn't know them. Then she was saying how her husband Glen, how he was a pastor in a Baptist Church. Here I was leaving because of the Ministers and I end up in a pastor's home! But, that was the best thing that could have happened. I mean they were the nicest people. The kindest. He was like a Dad to me. That I had always dreamed of you know. Every morning they would read a chapter in the Bible. He would explain it so much. I mean he just had a way of explaining it, it made sense. That was May 6th when I left. And then 4 weeks later, June 6th I asked him what it takes to be saved. Then he led me in a prayer. And that is how I got saved. And the Sundays before that when I was in church it always seemed that he was preaching right at me. [laughter] And after that it was just so different. It was like- I was at peace. >> Sam Girod: Two days after I left the Amish. We were sitting in Joe Keim's office. And I had all kinds of questions. Told him, you know, its, We got to have Ordinances. We gotta have Ordinances I said. He said, Why? He would go to Scripture every time and say a point. He kept always repeating that. Do you want to do as you was taught? In the traditions? And all that, or you want to go with the Word of God? And I said, well, the Word of God is the truth. He said, It is the Truth, and always is the Truth. He held a pen in his hand and said, Here take this. And I took it. He said, Now did you buy that from me or did you take as a gift? That's what Jesus Christ did for you. He gave His life for you. All you have to do is accept it. That Jesus Christ died for you. And I still didn't quite get it. I said, yeah but we still have to have Ordinances. When he finally read Colossians Colossians 2:14 that's when the eyes- my eyes opened up. Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances and nail it to the Cross. Wow! Everything that we were holding on to, that we have to do what our grandpas did, our great grandpa's did, our great-great-grandfathers did, all our ancestors. All they did, we were doing what they did. And we thought we had to. That's all washed away by the blood of Jesus. There was literally a rush that come right through me when I saw that we have to do nothing to earn that gift. But then my old ways still kind of tried to tell me, Hey you still have to do this, do that, do this, It was about a week later or so I went with Joe Keim to a Baptist church. up in Ohio somewhere's I think it was, to present his ministry. And I wanted to see what he does, and then the pastor there said, So are you saved? I said, well I hope so, I think I am, I don't know. He said, Well you can know that you're saved. Because 1st John 5:13 it says you can know. When I left, I didn't tell them for 4 weeks where I was. I wanted to so bad. My- I hurt in here so bad. I literally hurt here because of my love for them . You know, and I could feel for them. Because back before '95 I had 2 uncles that left and then come back. And it was literally like a funeral. They cried and they bawled. And said it's like a funeral, it's like death! There is no chance of ever getting to Heaven if you do that. >> Polly: It was like 2 weeks before my parent's found out where I was at. The police came out to Glen's house and the Police knew Glen. They said they have this problem. These Amish people are at the police station and they will not leave till they see me. When he found out that I'm already 27 He said, well they can't control you. There is nothing they can do about it. But he said it would be nice if I could come and just, so they can see that I'm alright. They took me in to the police station. But they told my Mom and Uncle Sammy that the first engl- German word you speak If the police can't understand it the conversation is over. I felt so bad. I mean, Mom was crying and stuff like that. And they tried to talk to me and stuff. I don't think I said one word really. The Police were so good. Mom said one German word, and the Police was like, Whoa! Conversation is over. They said anytime I want to I can leave. But I just- it was hard to walk away from there. But finally, yes, I did. Turned around and walked away. It was hard. Because I loved my parents. I loved my Mom, I was close to my Mom. >> Sam Girod: Finally, one day I was working and I looked up. And here comes Dad. Oh how glad I was to see him. But how sad, it was for them. They didn't know that I'm not going to go back with them and they come to pick me up. That's when I really, really, really, loved my Dad. Because when I was Amish, I loved tried to love my Dad because I knew he is my father and I knew I have to respect him. But after I was born again in Christ, that's when I knew what love and unconditional love really is. I love my Dad more now than I did when I ever was Amish. >> Polly: After my parents found out where I was the church was like That's one of the worst places I could be at. They would rather have seen me with the wild group than where I was at because then they would have had hope that I would come back. >>Joseph: When a young Amish person rebels and leaves the church to go out into the world they are often very guilt ridden. And are eventually driven back to the Amish Church just to try to find some semblance of peace. If they find peace with God while they're out they are much less likely to return because the perfect love of God casts out the fear that Amish Church has put in them. But the story doesn't end there. Check this out! >>Sam: When I left the Amish, of course, the reason I left was I wanted to have a wife. And have a family. And after I got saved I really started praying specifically for a wife that's godly and that will love me unconditionally and I can do that in return. And so one night I get a phone call. And it was Glen Yoder. >> Polly: Glen had it on speaker we were sitting in the living room and he had it on speaker. and that's the first time I heard Samuel talk. >> Sam Girod: So I just asked him, so how old is this girl. 27 years old. I said, Oh, okay, hmm. >> Polly: Glen was behind me, he gave me his number and he thought I should call him because we both just recently left the Amish and we're going through the same thing kinda and we're about the same age. But I was thinking, No, he's a boy. [laughter] I can't call him But he kept asking me, Did you already talk to him? So finally this one day I got up the nerve to call him but- >> Sam Girod: When she called I said, Hey can I call you back? I'm busy right now. Now when I look back I think, man that was rude! That was so rude to her. I was in the office, Joe's office in his home and we were in deep conversation, and Polly calls for the first time and she says, Hello. And she wanted to speak Dutch. And I said, I am sorry but I can't understand what you're saying you're going to have to speak English. And I come from the Swiss kind of Amish so the dialects are so different. But I tell everybody, Hey I didn't go after her, she called me first! >> Polly: I called first but after that he did! >> Sam Girod: After that I always called, I didn't let her alone then. >> Polly: No, he wouldn't let me alone. >> Joseph: Calls and text messsages began flowing back and forth. Sam began suspecting that he was falling for Polly. So he called a good friend of his who has a mother's heart. She had been helping him make the difficult transition out from the Amish world. >> Sam Girod: I call her up one night and said Hey I think I'm getting feelings for this girl, what should I do? She said, Marry her! I was like, What? Marry her?! I can't marry her. She says, Why not? I said, well I have to date for at least for 6 months to a year. She says, Why? I said well that's the way I was taught. She says, Where does it say that at? I was like, that is so true, where does it say that at? She said, All that is matters is that it is between you her, and God. That's all that matters. >> Polly: You told me you know what you're going to get me for Christmas So the next morning I'm thinking, well what would a boy want for Christmas? What could I get him? So I texted him and asked him, What would a boy want for Christmas? And he messaged back, A wife for the rest of his life! [laughter] And I was like, Whoa! [music] >> Sam Girod: So I never saw her personally, so we sent pictures back and forth. And the pictures didn't do the justice. Then by December the 5th they drove all the way out there, 10 hours from Kahoka to Ashland Ohio. I can just still see that and feel that moment when she arrived. And to really know that I am getting married to her And I still was fearful that something was going to happen because I went through so many breakups. Until the day I literally tied the knot with her. I was like, Thank God! I am tied to her now! That's how I felt! You know, I loved her the minute I saw her. When her and Glen Yoders pulled in. She sat in the van for a little and I talked to Glen Yoder and I couldn't keep my minid on Glen Yoder. I was waiting, you know, get out of the van I want to see you! It's like, what was you thinking when you were in there? >> Polly: I...I....almost couldn't get out! To actually meet him! [music] [music] >> Sam Girod: And when she stepped out, she was the best thing that ever happened to me other than salvation. To see her and it was dark, and the porch light shining on her face it just shined- and she was the most beautiful thing there. Literally. Proverbs 18:22 it says, Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing. and obtaineth favor of the Lord. There you go! It's not wrong to want a wife. Thank God it isn't, because look what I found! And it's the best thing that ever happened. >> Minister: At this time, Samuel, you may kiss the bride. What God has joined together let no man put asunder. >> Sam Girod: We've had the most blessed marriage that I can think of. Course it's the only one anyways. So, it is going to be our only one till we die. That's for sure. >>Minister: Mr. and Mrs. Girod. [applause] >> Sam Girod: By October 7th 2013 we had Rebecca Rose. She was born. And she has been such a blessing! And part of our lives. And God has just answered all my prayers and my hearts desires of what I wanted. And I thank him every day for that. I thank him every day. >> Joseph: In 2016, Sam was ordained into the ministry and today he works with Joe Keim and Mission to Amish People. Sam and Polly and their beautiful family live in Indiana near the place where he grew up. If you knew that what you were to say here to me could be communicated directly to all those who are still Amish, What would you say? >> Joe Keim: Because of all the rules and regulations and traditions that have been passed on through the forefathers many of our people do not see the Gospel. >> Polly: You don't have to be in bondage It's by grace. Those clothes that you wear are, are not better than mine. >> Sam Girod: The Bible doesn't say to have to wear Amish clothes It doesn't say to have, to wear English clothes. God doesn't care! What He wants is our heart! That's what I would try to tell them. If I could go back to the Amish. And I would go back to the Amish without a hesitation, but one thing I would have to profess. On my knees, in front of the congregation I would have to admit that I was wrong that I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart. And that is something I will not do! And one of the messages that I would love to get out to these close knit churches that are not in fellowship with any other churches and they're holding their children back. from doing things. It's a, 1 Timothy I Timothy chapter 4 and the 3rd verse is the key verse that really opened my eyes: Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. Know the Truth! This is the truth, the Word of God. Not Amish rules, not Amish regulations, not controlling you. That's not the Truth. Not the way your parents brought you up. The Truth is the Gospel that Jesus Christ did for us. >> Joe Keim: Jesus came and died. Rose...and rose the 3rd day for our sins. And those who believe that will be saved. [music] [hoofbeats] >> Joseph: What is the history of the Amish that could lead them to be this beautiful culture with this oppresive twist. Join us next time where we discover what made the Amish who they are today. [music] [music]
