This summer, Matt and I went back to the East Coast to visit my family. While I hate flying, we had limited time, so we flew into Philadelphia and then got out of there as fast as we could on our way to visit my aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania. 

We had only one day in PA, but we made the best of it! For dinner, I told Matt we had to go to Friendly’s (if you live near one, go eat there for me), and he said he understands why I love that restaurant! Whenever we’d visit my grandma in PA, we’d always go to Friendly’s, where I’d get the kids chicken strips and the Candy Shoppe Sundae. This time, we got warm brownies with vanilla ice cream, caramel, chocolate, whipped cream, and of course a cherry. 

My aunt and uncle came and picked us up and took us on a tour of the area. We ended up at a cute little village where they took us on an Amish buggy ride. It was such an amazing experience. 

The older gentleman driving the buggy told us all about his horses and explained that he grew up right there. He and his wife moved to Arizona, after leaving the Amish, and then they eventually came back. 

As he was taking us on the tour of the Amish countryside, he was telling us about the family that lived in the farm up ahead, and the other family who lived a field over, and how he knew everyone there. But now that they’d left the Amish, they wouldn’t even speak to him anymore. He said they were the nicest people around, but they were so steeped in religion that they wouldn’t associate with someone who had abandoned the Amish religion, and he concluded that that’s not what God wants. 

As he continued the tour and kept giving us facts on the Amish and the life that they lived around there, he would continue to hint at being stuck and blinded by religion, and ignoring the message of Truth and Salvation. He introduced us to Leroy, a cute little Jerusalem donkey that saw him coming from a mile away and started braying for some treats. As it came to a close, it was such a great experience. It was nice getting to know about the place where we were, but I really enjoyed hearing his testimony and how his relationship with his neighbors changed the instant he realized he was trapped in religion.

We ended the visit with my aunt and uncle with a trip to a huge flea market and lunch at a large buffet. Much in line with the article I wrote on Queen Esther, I’ll eventually share what else we did before we left PA!

It was so great getting to spend so much time with my aunt and uncle, but what really stood out to me, out of everything we did, was hearing the buggy driver’s first hand experience with how religion can trap you, until you realize that there is freedom in Christ. 

If you are not 100% sure that you’ll go to Heaven when you die, now is the time to repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or doubts about your salvation, click here to learn how you can be saved!

Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions below or you can contact me here! I love hearing from you!