Gloria says ‘thank you,’ readers!

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Dear friends, you have blessed my days so richly! I am blown away by all the cards, get well wishes, and prayers on our behalf. Imagine how I felt today when Daniel walked in with a stack of 78 cards!

My heart has had some other ‘deep waters to wade through’, and I do believe God has used you to encourage me in Him. The words of encouragement and Bible verses you shared meant a lot. Besides the blessing it was to me, imagine all the fun the children have had to help me open them. I was hoping you could take a moment to picture me sitting on the couch, grateful for a chance to take a little break. In a moment, there are five children all gathered around me, asking, “Mom, may I open a card?” Delighted to have little hands helping me, they join in. Soon empty envelopes have found their way to the floor as the children proudly show me the cards they’ve opened.

And yes, God has bountifully answered your prayers. We are recovering amazingly well. My upset stomach and sore stomach muscles due to the seat belt-tightening as my body was thrown forward from the abrupt halt have diminished. The only thing I still feel is some soreness in my neck, which I credit to whiplash.

Etched permanently in my mind is that brown van pulling out in front of us, then the horror of witnessing the two-foot dent, the entire width of our van, rammed into the side of the other van. I shake my head in wonder; it is nothing short of a miracle that we are all alive and well. My friend, who suffered a broken hip joint, is doing okay, despite all the pain and discomfort she has suffered. Us church ladies and girls are taking turns staying with her day and night to help her with her medications, meals, etc.

While my adult mind still recoils at the thought of long-distance traveling, I know I can move beyond; for Hosanna, it simply takes more time. She doesn’t want to travel to Ohio for Thanksgiving, with the rest of us as a family, for fear of another accident. So today, we pretended to be going to Ohio. The children and I all sat on the couch (our van), then we all pretended to buckle in safely and asked God to protect us. Next, the ‘van’ roared to life as all the children vroomed like a van. As we ‘traveled’, we saw other vehicles as we sped down the ‘highway.’ When we finally arrived in ‘Ohio’, Hosanna exclaimed, “We didn’t even have a wreck!”

With the positive impact it had on the children (and maybe even on mom!), we’ll be doing it some more before our 360-mile trip to visit Daniel’s family in Danville Ohio!

A special note of thanks to a reader, Ruth Horn, who has now become a dear friend, for her thoughtful gift, specially brightening our days. Imagine my curiosity yesterday afternoon, when Julia excitedly informed me, “Mom, there is an English (as we call non-Amish people) lady coming with flowers!” I hurried to the door. There was a florist, smiling through her mask, stating that she is looking for Gloria Yoder.

“You have the right place,” I responded, taking it all in. The smiling lady handed me a gorgeous bouquet of red roses, pink and peach carnations, and unique greenery. After a heartfelt thank you, I turned back to the kitchen, children crowding around me from all sides, wanting to know where it comes from. “Are these artificial?” Hosanna wanted to know, reaching out and touching a rose petal. “No, they are real, they are just so very pretty, they don’t even look real,” I explained.

I set them on the kitchen table, where we can all enjoy them. Now, when I look at them, they somehow remind me of God’s gentle love for us!

In response to those of you who have been asking about my cousin, Jonathan, whose wife got murdered in October: though his overall health has improved, his throat has not fully healed, making eating extremely difficult. God alone knows whether or not he will ever be able to eat like normal. Though no one knows exactly how it happened, in the course of his gunshot a stainless steel wire, one and one-half inch long, got lodged into his bronchial tubes. Surgery will be needed to remove the wire; it will be no small undertaking since it lodged right next to the main artery going to his heart. His faith in God remains strong even in the midst of it all, yet he and his four children do need our prayers.

It is hard to believe Thanksgiving is almost upon us, try this carrot recipe as a side dish for your big meal!

DER DUTCHMAN’S MARINATED CARROTS

1 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced half inch thick

Sauce:

1/2 can tomato soup

1/2 cup sugar

1 /4 cup vegetable oil

1 /4 cup vinegar

1 /4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 onion, cut into rings

1/2 green pepper, sliced

Instructions:

Cook carrots until tender, do not overcook.

Drain.

Set aside.

For the sauce, mix everything together over low for five minutes.

Then pour over the carrots and mix thoroughly.

Add onions and peppers if desired. For best results chill for several hours before serving.

By Gloria Yoder

The Amish Cook

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