ELMER TELLS OF JOHN'S FARM AND MORE

A while back, I told you that our son, John, had made an agreement with an Englisher lady to work her fields on her farm.  She is a widow and wanted to move with her children to be closer to family and where she could get a better job.  John was interested in the farm and before she listed, he bought it.  We checked around and found that her price was much lower than she should ask for it, so John paid her more than she wanted for it.  It is our Amish way, as with the Old Order Mennonites that you make a fair deal when buying or selling property or anything else.  We don't want to cheat anyone.

Anna still can't figure out why he wanted to buy that farm.  It needs so much work on the house and barn.  I keep telling Anna, we did it when we first married.  Her reply is back them we had to, John doesn't have to.  But if that's what he wants.  It must be what he wants - he bought it.

The lady and her children are living in the house until the school year ends sometime this month.  Then she will be moving and John can start work remodeling the house.  Already John and some of his friends are working on the barn.

We had a family meeting where we announced, that we will be selling our farm.  Anna and I want a smaller farm and we are thinking of building a new house and barn.  One of our daughter's and her husband are going to buy our farm.  Anna and I are selling it to them for what we paid for it.  Our daughter and her husband have eight children and she is with child (expecting).  The house they have just isn't big enough.  So now Anna and I are looking at farms and property.  The one thing Anna says is - she wants the new house all on one floor.  That was what Jean said when her and David were getting their new farm and they ended with a two story.  But, Anna says, all on one floor.

Back when Anna and I were courting, it was common to keep it quiet - so people didn't know.  Now, most young folks don't keep it so quiet about who they are going with.  John was trying to keep it quiet.  Anna and I had no idea who he was courting.  We knew he had taken the lady he was courting to the farm before he bought it to make sure she agreed with him in purchasing it.

Well one day after dinner, John told Anna and I he was going to his farm to work on the barn.  It was a hot evening so a few hours later Anna and I decided to go get an ice cream cone.  I hooked up the horse and buggy.  Right after we entered the ice cream shop, I felt Anna pulling on my sleeve telling me to leave. I wanted my ice cream cone and couldn't figure out why we had to leave.  Anna kept pulling until I turned and saw John with his lady sitting there with ice cream looking at us.  We left.

When we got home, our neighbor was sitting on their porch and asked us how our ice cream was.  We explained we didn't get it.  So they got out their car and all four of us went to another ice cream place and I finally got my cone along with the rest.  They wouldn't let me pay for gas, but they did let me pay for the ice cream.

John was upset the next morning.  He jumps to judgement before he gets the facts like his Father (me) does sometimes.  He wondered if we wanted to know who he was courting so bad that we followed him.  I explained that we thought he was at his barn working.  We just went for an ice cream cone.  Once Anna got us both calmed down and seated at the kitchen table, we got the facts.  John left the house and did go to the barn.  The lady he was courting thought he would be there and went to tell him it was too hot to work on the barn.  Then they decided to go get ice cream.  Anna and I, at home, decided to go get ice cream.  So we all just happened to be there at the same time.  John and I looked at each other so serious, then we broke out laughing.  Yes, John gave me permission to put this in here.

Anna said seeing we know who he was courting, why didn't he invite her for dinner on Sunday before they went to singing.  So he did.  At dinner, John's lady thought the whole thing was funny.  She said you should have seen the looks on our face when we saw them and the look on John's face when he saw us.

We were curious about her thoughts on the farm that John had purchased.  She really liked the house and now it could be done the way they wanted it.  Also, it would be a small enough farm for them to start out with.  They could make it grow as they did.  I think that makes Anna feel better.

Anna and I are very happy with John's choice as his wife.  John had known her from his days in school.  She and her family are born-again as we are.  We asked if we could pray for them and they both agreed, which ment a lot to us.  All of us prayed.  Having known her, she is hard working.  She is different than Anna, in that she would rather be working in the house than out in the fields, cleaning barns or milking cows.  Anna kiddingly told her, she would still love her.  She does know how to do all the farm duties, but would rather do housework.  After we found out who he was courting, they told her parents.  Her parents are also happy about who is courting their daughter.  Sarah is her name.  Sarah and John seem like a great couple together.  Their wedding will be in October or November.  They haven't decided yet.  I think it depends on how fast they get the work done on the house and barn.

Anna and I had a chance to buy the farm next door to them.  We told them we could keep our eyes on them.  They told us it was okay.  Anna and I really didn't like that farm as it is as big as the one we got now.  I think John was happy when we told John we were kidding them.  He needs his own place without us looking over it.  We want to be close to them, but again not their neighbors.

Jean will be here next week.  We have two extra Monday's this month.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

JEAN WILL BE TELLING ABOUT FATHER'S DAY NEXT MONDAY.