The Whinburg Township Amish Series by Adina Senft

"Forgiveness is the longest road, yet it is the shortest distance between two hearts." --Whinburg Amish proverb  Thirteen years ago, two little Amish girls disappeared from an orchard in Whinburg Township, Pennsylvania. It was just a blip on the TV news ... until it became very, very personal for Megan and Ashley Pearson.Ashley doesn't believe the story has anything to do with her... more"Forgiveness is the longest road, yet it is the shortest distance between two hearts." --Whinburg Amish proverb  Thirteen years ago, two little Amish girls disappeared from an orchard in Whinburg Township, Pennsylvania. It was just a blip on the TV news ... until it became very, very personal for Megan and Ashley Pearson.Ashley doesn't believe the story has anything to do with her. A straight-A student, she's leaving for college with her boyfriend, and nothing is going to interfere with her plans for her life. But Megan isn't so sure. She's had dreams and nightmares that could be explained by long-buried memories. A road trip to Whinburg Township might give her some answers--and give her empty life a purpose besides playing video games in her parents' basement.Samuel Riehl left the Amish church when his shame over his part in his sisters' disappearance grew too heavy to carry, and is trying to live Englisch, never quite able to look into a passing buggy in case he sees his mother's face. And Rebecca Riehl, the Amish woman who lost not two, but three children all those years ago, has never stopped loving them, never stopped praying for them, and never stopped hoping that God will grant her a miracle.Two sisters want the truth. Two mothers want their daughters back. But will betrayal and loss prove stronger than love on the longest road home? less

“In the lowly place of prayer, God can lift you up to the highest mountain.” —Whinburg Township Amish proverb A Colorado dude ranch is the last place that homebody Amanda Yoder would believe God wants her. But the owners have once again hired a group of Amish young people for the summer, and despite her shyness and fear of change, Amanda feels led to go with them... more“In the lowly place of prayer, God can lift you up to the highest mountain.” —Whinburg Township Amish proverb A Colorado dude ranch is the last place that homebody Amanda Yoder would believe God wants her. But the owners have once again hired a group of Amish young people for the summer, and despite her shyness and fear of change, Amanda feels led to go with them. Hannah Riehl has been living with her Amish family, recovering from the trauma of finding out she was kidnapped away from them as a child. But when a girl still has purple hair and a bit of an attitude, it’s hard to decide which world to live in. In Colorado, maybe she’ll be able to make up her mind—and heart—to learn the Amish ways for herself, or to leave them for an Englisch life. Once Amanda and her friends reach Colorado, it soon becomes clear that their hard work and honesty aren’t the only things the ranch owners want. Along with making beds and wrangling horses, the Amish staff are being used as part of the owners’ advertising to attract more tourists. Worse, it seems the Amish are being actively targeted by someone in the community—and suspected of poaching wild game. Amanda and Hannah need to hold their faith closer than ever—and the way to regain their own reputations as well as that of their new Amish friends might just be found on the highest mountain. “In this first book of a new series, Senft, a prolific author of 36 books, has crafted an appealing tale of searching for one’s true identity. There is also an interesting study of the two mothers and how they have coped—one with her loss, the other with her guilt, and the role of faith in that process.” —BookLife on The Longest Road less

This is the second edition. The first edition was published by Hachette FaithWords in 2013.Three Amish best friends. Three hurting hearts. One quilt that binds them together.If only she could have a child! The cry of Carrie Miller’s heart seems to be unheard by anyone except her husband Melvin and her two closest friends, Amelia and Emma. Even her prayers seem to go unanswered The people in the Amish church just shake their heads and remind her it’s God’s will... moreThis is the second edition. The first edition was published by Hachette FaithWords in 2013.Three Amish best friends. Three hurting hearts. One quilt that binds them together.If only she could have a child! The cry of Carrie Miller’s heart seems to be unheard by anyone except her husband Melvin and her two closest friends, Amelia and Emma. Even her prayers seem to go unanswered The people in the Amish church just shake their heads and remind her it’s God’s will. But what if it isn’t? Because Carrie overhears two women talking in the fabric store about IVF, a medical option available to other women. Englisch women. Can this be a sign from God at last? Melvin and the bishop don’t think so, but Carrie can’t leave it alone. She believes it’s God's will that she pursue this treatment, even though they can’t afford it—and despite Melvin’s doubts. In the end it all comes down to faith. Will her faith in God’s leading keep her safe? Or is her longing to be a mother tempting her away from the Amish beliefs that are all she’s ever known?“There is much to celebrate and much to learn from the Amish community, and these characters are so real to me now that I wish they lived next door!” —Christian Fiction Addiction less

“Herb of Grace is filled with spiritual insights and multilayered storylines. At times readers will be chuckling and other times, misty eyed as the book unfolds.” —Amish ReaderWhile a young Dokterfraa learns to heal the body, the Great Physician heals the heart …Sarah Yoder, an Amish widow in Pennsylvania’s Whinburg Township, is doing her best to provide a home where her family and members of her Old Order Amish church can find fellowship and friendship... more“Herb of Grace is filled with spiritual insights and multilayered storylines. At times readers will be chuckling and other times, misty eyed as the book unfolds.” —Amish ReaderWhile a young Dokterfraa learns to heal the body, the Great Physician heals the heart …Sarah Yoder, an Amish widow in Pennsylvania’s Whinburg Township, is doing her best to provide a home where her family and members of her Old Order Amish church can find fellowship and friendship. But it’s getting more and more difficult to pay the bills—until the local Dokterfraa, or herbal healer, makes a startling suggestion: Could she begin training as a healer? Now Sarah stands where two ways meet. Caring for others could take her away from home. At the same time, she must be willing for the place where God wants her.But when she does choose, her family seems to splinter. Her stepson Simon wants to move out west to find work. Her youngest, Caleb, is spending too much time over at the tumbledown home of Henry Byler, who left the church long ago. Henry inherited the family farm and has returned—under protest—never suspecting that God has been waiting there for him all this time.As Sarah compiles her cures, she waits for God to do his healing work. In a man who rues a harsh decision. In a lonely prodigal who has lost everything. And maybe even in a herbalist-in-training who firmly believes she will never love again …This is the second edition. First published by Hachette FaithWords in 2014. less

“A heartwarming tale that celebrates the best things about being Amish.” —Christian Fiction AddictionWhile a young Dokterfraa learns to heal the body, the Great Physician heals the heart …Sarah Yoder is learning to serve her Old Order Amish community as a Dokterfraa, creating teas and tinctures from the herbs in her garden and fields. But her latest patient isn’t responding to anything she concocts—a woman who, in Sarah’s mind, would be better off in any place but the one she has... more“A heartwarming tale that celebrates the best things about being Amish.” —Christian Fiction AddictionWhile a young Dokterfraa learns to heal the body, the Great Physician heals the heart …Sarah Yoder is learning to serve her Old Order Amish community as a Dokterfraa, creating teas and tinctures from the herbs in her garden and fields. But her latest patient isn’t responding to anything she concocts—a woman who, in Sarah’s mind, would be better off in any place but the one she has. Meanwhile, Sarah’s relatives can’t resist doing some matchmaking between her and a prosperous visitor to their community. She should be willing for God to show her His choice of partner … and not allow her friendship with her neighbor, Henry Byler, to grow into anything more. Henry has seen some success as a potter since a major store chain commissioned his work. The trouble is that they want to market him as Amish. Though he was raised in the faith and now lives in Amish country, he never joined church—and doesn’t plan to. Which also means that, despite the attraction between them, he must keep his distance from Sarah. The plant Sarah calls keys of heaven may grow in impossible places, but it’s not that easy for people to find the place where they really belong. So it’s quite a temptation to take matters into her own hands …This is the second edition. First published by Hachette FaithWords in 2015. less

“Senft’s characters are richly drawn and are so endearing I guarantee you won’t be able to get enough of them!” —Christian Fiction AddictionWhile a young Dokterfraa learns to heal the body, the Great Physician heals the heart …With Henry Byler now engaged to an Englisch woman, Sarah Yoder is doing her best to find peace, treating the members of her Old Order Amish community with all the skill an herbalist-in-training can muster... more“Senft’s characters are richly drawn and are so endearing I guarantee you won’t be able to get enough of them!” —Christian Fiction AddictionWhile a young Dokterfraa learns to heal the body, the Great Physician heals the heart …With Henry Byler now engaged to an Englisch woman, Sarah Yoder is doing her best to find peace, treating the members of her Old Order Amish community with all the skill an herbalist-in-training can muster. Since Henry never joined church, they could never have been anything but cordial neighbors, anyway. The solution is to keep busy. Her son Simon is back from the ranch in Colorado. Her sister-in-law Amanda needs a little help in the matchmaking department. And more and more members of the church are seeking her help. When Henry comes to her for a cure to heal his sensitive hands before his success as a potter is jeopardized, Sarah must do all she can to stifle the longing in her heart. As his friend, she must also be painfully honest about this new plan of his—to be filmed for a reality show called Shunning Amish. Will the cost to the community be too high?The Great Physician is able to heal any hurt—only He has the power to change an impossible situation and bring people back to Himself. But Sarah has to wonder whether it might already be too late, with Henry's wedding only weeks away…This is the second edition. First published by Hachette FaithWords in 2015. less

The sweetest song comes from a forgiving heart. —Whinburg Township Amish proverbThe summer Simon Yoder broke her heart was the summer Cora Swarey lost her ability to hear the music in Colorado’s high country. She thought God had brought them together, but when Simon dropped her to pursue an Englisch woman, she wondered how she’d ever trust again. Yes, he came back asking forgiveness, and she gave it because that was what she’d been taught. But she never forgot... moreThe sweetest song comes from a forgiving heart. —Whinburg Township Amish proverbThe summer Simon Yoder broke her heart was the summer Cora Swarey lost her ability to hear the music in Colorado’s high country. She thought God had brought them together, but when Simon dropped her to pursue an Englisch woman, she wondered how she’d ever trust again. Yes, he came back asking forgiveness, and she gave it because that was what she’d been taught. But she never forgot. It was almost a relief to know she’d never see him again.Until she is invited to a wedding in Whinburg Township, Pennsylvania.Cora is the only woman Simon Yoder has ever wanted, but because of his own pride and conceit, she is out of his reach forever. So at his aunt’s wedding, it’s a more than a shock to see his biggest regret walk in with the other young women. God may be giving him another chance, but he’s pretty certain Cora won’t. Words don’t hold much value, so he lays out a plan of action.He knows that music is the key. Can he help her find the music again? And if he succeeds, how can he show her that she’s the one who makes his heart sing? less