0:00:09 > 0:00:12'You're supposed to have it'
0:00:12 > 0:00:15long here. You're not supposed to...
0:00:15 > 0:00:20You're not really supposed to shave it much, and you're not supposed to wear a moustache.
0:00:20 > 0:00:27Two years ago, I filmed an extraordinary family going through a life-changing experience.
0:00:29 > 0:00:35When I first met Ephraim and Amanda, they lived in a culture that shunned the modern world.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41They were Amish, an ultra-conservative American church
0:00:41 > 0:00:45where cars, electricity and modern clothing are totally forbidden.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50The Amish look like they're from another century.
0:00:50 > 0:00:57But when Ephraim and Amanda challenged the beliefs of the Amish, they were thrown out of the church.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03They were shunned by their friends and family, cut off from the world they'd been born into.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08It hurts to see my family struggling, and my family...
0:01:09 > 0:01:11..going upside down about it.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18When I last filmed with them, they were on the brink of leaving the Amish way of life for good.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21But they had yet to join the modern world.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24I'd often wondered if they could ever really get away
0:01:24 > 0:01:27from the culture that had made them who they were.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I wanted to know if they could ever really leave the Amish.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42OK, let's go to the water.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49It's been a few years since I last saw Ephraim and his family,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and I caught up with them on a tour of the British Isles.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58They'd been invited over by people who'd seen the first film, and had wanted to meet them.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03This is the first time they've been to a beach, and it's the first time they've ever been abroad.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Leaving the Amish has transformed their lives.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12CAMERA CLICKS
0:02:15 > 0:02:21I hated my Amish clothes, I hated wearing suspenders, I hated everything.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'I guess I can be myself now, whereas continuing'
0:02:24 > 0:02:28to go back to the Amish church was... I was trying to be someone that I'm not.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30My heart wasn't there any more.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Being away from home for the first time
0:02:42 > 0:02:45has made them think hard about what they want to do with their lives.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48'It has been a time of sitting back and reflecting and saying,'
0:02:48 > 0:02:52"What is our life supposed to be? What are we supposed to be doing?
0:02:55 > 0:02:57"Where do we go from here?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00"Where does the Lord want us to be?"
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Don't you know that we're all going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ...?
0:03:04 > 0:03:08There's one thing Ephraim IS sure of. He wants to save souls.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14..everything that we've done. If you hear my voice, please consider, every day 150,000 people will die.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19It's this kind of thing that got him thrown out of the Amish church in the first place.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24There's coming a day that God is going to judge the world in sin, righteousness and judgment...
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Here you go, buddy, a fake trillion for you.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Above all, the Amish believe in humility.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33They consider Ephraim's preaching to be nothing but pride.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Take it and read it, there's a little test on the back.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37You've got to turn it around,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41and when you get some time, just do the test there and you'll see if you'll get to heaven.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47- It's the gospel... - Ephraim's spent his time here in Britain spreading the gospel.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50He hasn't had to work at all, and it's been a revelation.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51..the gospel message for you.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54It's amazing.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59The Amish are famous for their fierce work ethic,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and Ephraim's always worked hard to support his family.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08But no more.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Shall we pray?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Our Father, thank you for this food.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16We ask that you would bless it to our bodies, Father.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18He's now decided to only do God's work,
0:04:18 > 0:04:23and to trust completely in God to provide for all his family's needs.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27I've always had a secure job where money has never been an issue.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And I expect the next couple of years will be different.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33You got your jackets? Put your jackets on, children.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36'I don't want to have a seven to five job.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38'But if the Lord just provides for us, that's all we need.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43'He says, "Follow me, seek my kingdom and my righteousness, everything else will be added,"
0:04:43 > 0:04:45'and that's my confidence.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:48And so now we're ready to head back home and really...
0:04:50 > 0:04:55..think about our life, and, yeah, walk the plan we have now.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Relying only on faith to sustain them,
0:04:59 > 0:05:07Ephraim's bringing his family back to Pennsylvania, home of the same Amish community that rejected them.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Ephraim was born and raised in Lancaster County,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22home of the first and oldest Amish community in America.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Over the centuries, America has changed dramatically.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But the Amish have not,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and their old-fashioned ways are nostalgically envied by their modern cousins.
0:05:35 > 0:05:42The unofficial capital of Amish country here in Lancaster is a small town called Intercourse.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47It's an ironic name for a town that attracts millions of tourists
0:05:47 > 0:05:51who come to see the wholesome lifestyle of the Amish.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57'Yeah, we went on a tour through Amish land'
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and saw how the people lived, the Amish people, very interesting.
0:06:01 > 0:06:08They just fascinate me, the way they operate, everything is done the old-fashioned way.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Maybe we should go back to that way of life.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Maybe we'd have more peace in this world if we did.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21The tourists who come here see a chocolate-box version of the Amish.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25'They don't fight amongst each other, they don't have a whole bunch of politics,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'they all eat the same way, they all dress the same way,'
0:06:28 > 0:06:32they all work the same way, they all travel the same way.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35There's no competition, which makes life happy.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40But the Amish are anything but simple.
0:06:40 > 0:06:47Just like any other group of people, they have complex problems and deep divisions.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But this is kept hidden from outsiders,
0:06:50 > 0:06:56because the strict rules the Amish live by forbid them from being filmed.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I filmed these shots from quite a distance.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03This is about as close as you can get without causing offence.
0:07:03 > 0:07:09The only way to see the true nature of Amish life is to film with those who are on their way out.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20Elsie Miller has been Amish all her life, and so has her husband Jesse.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22But that's about to change.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Just before I came to film with them, they'd had a visit.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37Their Amish ministers had come to warn them they were about to be thrown out of the church.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40How did it go last night, Jesse?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42They said that the church has agreed...
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- ..together on a group... - ..as a group...
0:07:49 > 0:07:52..that we're ordered to come to church.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59And I feel that's where the excommunication is going to come in.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Excommunication is the punishment for attending a non-Amish church.
0:08:09 > 0:08:15They face being shunned by their friends and families, cut off from the only world they've ever known.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19What they're going to do probably then is like,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23they're actually, er...
0:08:23 > 0:08:29They're actually going to say that they're now handing us over to the devil.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I don't know if you've ever heard that, but that's how they do.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I mean, um...
0:08:35 > 0:08:40So according to the Amish church, the old order Amish, you are sinners.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Yes, because we're...
0:08:44 > 0:08:48..leaving the church and going out into the world is how they look at it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55We have chosen to take a deeper faith,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57take a deeper Christian faith...
0:08:59 > 0:09:04..so we can walk with God and Jesus...
0:09:05 > 0:09:08..which the Amish, they don't do that.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13They came to this new faith with the help of Ephraim.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21When I first met Ephraim,
0:09:21 > 0:09:26he'd become involved in a growing evangelical movement with a clear target.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30I filmed him, along with other born-again Christians,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34setting up a huge tent right in the heart of Amish country.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40They call them tent meetings, a bunch of churches being together, singing and preaching the word of God.
0:09:42 > 0:09:48They were here on a mission to convert the Amish, and at the centre of their campaign was the Bible.
0:09:48 > 0:09:54Amish Bibles are written in an old form of German that few understand.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57But reading the Bible in English is prohibited.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01It breaks the Amish reliance on the authority of their elders.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04THEY SING
0:10:04 > 0:10:08It is a sin to do it today,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11keep the people in darkness,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13by giving them a Bible
0:10:13 > 0:10:16in a language that they do not understand,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and telling them and warning them not to read it in English.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24God have mercy!
0:10:24 > 0:10:28These tent meetings were just part of a larger conflict
0:10:28 > 0:10:34between the Amish elders and the new faith of Ephraim and others like him.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37There's a lot of Amish people that have been warned not to come to them,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40for fear that they would then desire to leave the Amish culture.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43They could be excommunicated for attending.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Elsie was amongst those who were won over to this new faith.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Jesse followed.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51He got on his knees and started praying.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54After he stopped praying, I said, "So, would you go to heaven?"
0:10:54 > 0:10:57He said, "Yes, I would," and I said, "Why would you go to heaven?"
0:10:57 > 0:11:00He said, "Because of what Jesus has done for me."
0:11:00 > 0:11:04And that's not what he said an hour before. So I knew he was a new man.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07So I asked him, if the community is going to reject him,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11will he still follow Christ, and he goes, "Yeah." He said, "I have no choice."
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It was just like,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15the fear of rejection was gone.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Jesse and Elsie started coming with Ephraim here,
0:11:21 > 0:11:28to Charity Christian Fellowship, one of the main evangelical churches campaigning to convert the Amish.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Father, help us during this time of need,
0:11:36 > 0:11:41need for fellowship and wisdom and guidance.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Thank you for this.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Their Amish family are unhappy with their decision and don't want them to go.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Amen.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Thank you, Lord.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58Elsie, Jesse mentioned earlier that you've received a phone call from your father.
0:12:00 > 0:12:07Well, I guess it was one last attempt to see what he can do
0:12:07 > 0:12:11to get us to change our minds before we get excommunicated.
0:12:11 > 0:12:18If he doesn't agree with anything I believe and I can't agree with his view, you know?
0:12:21 > 0:12:26Elsie and Jesse are part of a growing exodus,
0:12:26 > 0:12:31leaving their traditions and their families for modern evangelical Christianity.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48Ephraim and his family are arriving back after months of travelling.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55They don't have a house of their own, so they'll be staying with friends from his new church.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- Hi, Esther!- Hi, Ephraim. - God bless you.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So in the bedroom inside the office, right?
0:13:01 > 0:13:06- That's a huge camera.- The first thing to do is find a place to live.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Ephraim is praying he can find a house for free.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12We're looking at a house tomorrow.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Let's see if it's what we want.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19I don't know, yeah, we just trust in the Lord.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We'll take a peek at it tomorrow.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27They say they have a produce stand that we can help work,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32and feed some heifers, maybe to exchange the rent, but we'll see.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39It's not mine to figure out. I just need to pray, that's all.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03A few days later, I caught up with Ephraim.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08He'd already found a house, and wanted to get some help moving in.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13We're trying to figure out who's going to help us to move in tomorrow.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18Some of my brothers are going to come, and their wives, hopefully.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21This will be your family who are still Amish?
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Yes, my family is still all Amish.
0:14:25 > 0:14:31His Amish family won't help if it means consorting with people from Charity, Ephraim's new church.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35They wanted to know if there's other people there who are excommunicated.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40OK. I got to figure out a way... who's going to drive and my brothers can ride along.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Even though he's no longer part of their church,
0:14:42 > 0:14:48Ephraim still finds himself having to work around the Amish rules.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55In the end, he finds a workable compromise.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58His Amish family have packed everything up,
0:14:58 > 0:15:03and people from Charity church are doing the unpacking.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08Unlike the Amish, they don't mind being filmed, if it helps do God's work.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12If somebody doesn't want to be on camera, just tell him.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27# If heaven's not my home
0:15:27 > 0:15:31# Then, Lord, what will I do?
0:15:31 > 0:15:40# The angels beckon me from heaven's open door... #
0:15:40 > 0:15:45The house is on a farm, and Ephraim's struck a deal with the owner.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49In the summer months, he'll do some work around the farm
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and run the owner's roadside fruit and veg stand.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55In exchange, they'll live rent free.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59It seems Ephraim's prayers have been answered.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Exactly what we wanted.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06Well, we didn't, we just wanted to work somewhere so we can work for the farmer in exchange for rent.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07So we found it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13But there's more than rent to consider.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Ephraim is counting on God to provide for all their financial needs.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19CHILDREN SHOUT
0:16:19 > 0:16:22It is, it's still, it's a bit...
0:16:22 > 0:16:26You know, even though the Lord has given us this place
0:16:26 > 0:16:32for what we prayed for, it's still that thought, "What if he doesn't supply money?"
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- Is it still a little bit scary? - It is a little scary, yeah.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Ephraim's new home is deep in Amish country.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53But that's not to say it's completely separate from the outside world.
0:16:53 > 0:17:00Seeing the Amish like this in rural isolation, it might appear that they live apart from everyone else.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04But the reality is quite different.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09For the most part, they live right alongside the modern world.
0:17:13 > 0:17:22Driving around, I found the freeways of Pennsylvania regularly jammed up by slow-moving Amish.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27You'd think this day-to-day contact would be the death of their culture, but it isn't.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38Even when rebellion and teenage hormones kick in, the Amish have a way of dealing with it.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Oh, my God!
0:17:47 > 0:17:54- These young guys hanging out are, believe it or not, Amish. - 300 horsepower.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59In their late teens, Amish kids are allowed to run wild
0:17:59 > 0:18:04before they join the church, and get a taste of living in the outside world.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11With the Amish work ethic drilled into them from early childhood,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14many of these guys are earning good money,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18which is why one particular form their freedom takes is hot rods.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22I'm told some will also be using their buying power
0:18:22 > 0:18:30to try the effects of eye-watering amounts of drink and drugs, but that's not something I got to film.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Surprisingly enough, the vast majority of these wild teenagers
0:18:34 > 0:18:39will return to the fold, get baptised into the Amish church
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and trade in their fast cars for slow-moving buggies.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47They go back because they've been taught from birth
0:18:47 > 0:18:50they'll go to hell if they don't live by the Amish rules.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54And they believe it wholeheartedly.
0:18:57 > 0:19:03But this fear of hell which holds them together is now tearing the Amish apart.
0:19:04 > 0:19:11Born-again Christians promise them a guaranteed escape from hell, and an end to their fear.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21It's a powerful message and the Amish are ripe for it.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32It's Sunday morning.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38I've set up my camera down the road from Elsie and Jess's house
0:19:38 > 0:19:42to get some shots of their Amish brethren on their way to church.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13Elsie and Jesse have been summoned to appear before the whole congregation
0:20:13 > 0:20:17so their excommunication is made public.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32How are you feeling about today?
0:20:32 > 0:20:36I feel pretty positive. I mean
0:20:36 > 0:20:41since we started, you know, going this direction, we haven't...
0:20:43 > 0:20:48..once really regretted it, and I don't think we would ever.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55Despite her conviction, the prospect of standing before the Amish elders
0:20:55 > 0:21:00is daunting, and they haven't decided whether they'll attend or not.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Jesse used to look to the Amish rules to make every decision.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Now, he's turning to the Bible.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11"And God said to Solomon because this was in thine heart
0:21:11 > 0:21:14"and thou have not asked for riches, wealth or honour,
0:21:14 > 0:21:20"nor the life of thine enemies, as wisdom and knowledge for thyself..."
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Something in the passage he's chosen seems to have settled the matter for Jesse.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28What have you decided to do this morning?
0:21:30 > 0:21:40It really feels the Lord has laid it on our hearts that if...he...
0:21:40 > 0:21:46if we're not going to Amish Church any more, why do we need to go when we get excommunicated?
0:21:46 > 0:21:48They don't want us anyway.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03Having decided not to face the Amish, they'll be going to their new church instead.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06The preacher is giving them a lift in his car.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17The Amish will carry on without them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Elsie and Jesse will still be expelled in their absence.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29They've now irrevocably severed their links with the Amish.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40CONGREGATION SINGS
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Elsie and Jesse are now full members of Charity Christian Fellowship,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48despite the best efforts of their families to convince them otherwise.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52THEY SING
0:22:52 > 0:22:57The Charity Church just does not have a good name among the Amish.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03My sister said they heard from someone else that
0:23:03 > 0:23:09the church at Charity is a cult, you know, like a cult thing, it's not about Jesus Christ.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14THEY SING
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Father in heaven, we thank you this morning. Thank you, God,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24for meeting with us, Lord.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29We pray for the Muslims, across the world, during this time of Ramadan.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33We pray, Lord, that somehow you would point to them Jesus...
0:23:33 > 0:23:37All around the packed church, I see Amish in transition to the modern world.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43Most of the women have replaced the Amish head covering with simple scarves.
0:23:43 > 0:23:50Some of the men still dress and shave in the Amish way,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53while others are in the process of shedding the look.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59It's full of people just like Elsie and Jesse.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05Father, we pray for our brother Steve as he continues to minister and work with the Amish
0:24:05 > 0:24:11in the southern end of the county. Thank you, Lord. Pray the soul of Jesus.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Ephraim was instrumental in convincing Jesse to leave the Amish.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21And so, when Jesse approached him after the service,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25I expected the huge step he'd taken to be acknowledged somehow.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29But there was nothing.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35When Ephraim was excommunicated, he'd gone to the Amish Church to proclaim his new faith.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37He'd hoped Jesse would do the same.
0:24:37 > 0:24:44Jesse's decision to come here instead has not gone down as well as he'd hoped with his friend.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Everyone behind the trees!
0:25:00 > 0:25:05Today, Ephraim's got a bunch of his Christian brethren together to pull down a house.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13The house, which belongs to a good friend of his,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18will be torn down piece by piece and then rebuilt from scratch.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They had mould in their house so they've closed up everything tightly,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26and they came back and the walls were all mouldy.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29And the Bible says
0:25:29 > 0:25:34that if there's mould there and it increases after you close the windows
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and doors for ten days, it increases, then you have to tear it down and burn it.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Don't let one stone upon the other stone.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51And so, just as the Old Testament says, they're taking all the stones,
0:25:51 > 0:25:57plaster and timber to an unclean place and burning the lot.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01They're following the Bible to the very letter.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08It seems this new faith Ephraim follows is in many ways
0:26:08 > 0:26:12just as uncompromising as the Amish Church he's left.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36CHILDREN CHATTER
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Ephraim has given up working so that he can spread the Gospel.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45This morning, he's taken delivery of some car stickers and signs.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Maybe this one here. I like this one.
0:26:49 > 0:26:56"The fool has said there is no God."
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Psalms 14, verse 1.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03If you're going to a big city,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05you'll have 10,000 people will see your van,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and 10,000 people are going to have to think about something they hadn't thought about before.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13I'm hoping that a couple of my friends will put these on their buggies.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19I think it will look really nice to have something like that on their buggies.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22If someone put one of those on a buggy, what kind of response would they get?
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Yes, it would be frowned upon very much.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35The Amish have this saying that they say, "You don't need to use
0:27:35 > 0:27:39"words to win, you just live your life and let people see...
0:27:41 > 0:27:43"..let people see the life of Christ in you."
0:27:43 > 0:27:50So they would not think it's wise to have Scripture on your car or your buggy.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53They'd think you'd be proud.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59But if you know there's a hurricane coming and it's going to touch down in a certain area,
0:27:59 > 0:28:04you've got to get out of the houses and move, because they'll die,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08so I think it's important that we
0:28:08 > 0:28:10talk about the message.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- Can I give you a gospel message? - Thank you.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18You're welcome.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- Can I give a gospel message to you? - No, thank you.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26- All right.- There's a funfair going on in the nearby town today.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29But Ephraim's set up his signs just outside.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32I don't want to be connected with the fair.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36It's a wicked place. The whole thing is about money, and they're all trying
0:28:36 > 0:28:41to get rich, trying to entertain, trying to satisfy their longings.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48There's the gazebo, some of the pictures are really
0:28:48 > 0:28:53demonic, you got the dragon trains, you've got
0:28:53 > 0:28:56the evil house on the other street,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00and it's just...
0:29:00 > 0:29:02It's a place where I don't want to be.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05A gospel message for you. Do you want to be in heaven?
0:29:05 > 0:29:10All right. Don't stay too long in there, it's a wicked place.
0:29:10 > 0:29:17- It's what you make of it, I guess. - OK, it's not what you make of it, it's what it is.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Here's a gospel message for you.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- Thank you.- You're welcome.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28People are more receptive here than in England.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31In England they've been taught Darwin
0:29:31 > 0:29:33quite...
0:29:33 > 0:29:35a few years more than we have here.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39The Bible says that in the beginning God created the world in six days,
0:29:39 > 0:29:44and that's what's true, that's the truth.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49That's what happened in six days.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51But Darwin doesn't believe that way.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Or he didn't. He does believe that way now.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02Darwin now is saying, "Yes, Jesus was the Christ, I didn't acknowledge it in the past,
0:30:02 > 0:30:09"but he is, and I wish I would have," you know. Darwin is in hell today, according to the Scriptures.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15OK. How many fives are in 16?
0:30:15 > 0:30:21This literal reading of the Bible is something he's determined to share with his children.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Ephraim and Amanda don't send their children to school.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Instead, they do all the teaching themselves at home.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35We do books. But then we also learn through life.
0:30:35 > 0:30:41We butcher chickens, we...plant a garden.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44All these things are learning experiences.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52When Amanda says that butchering chickens can be part of their schooling, she really means it.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54CHICKEN CLUCKS
0:30:56 > 0:31:00But the lesson today is not so much about biology as it is about theology.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04The Bible says that the life is in the blood.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05So what it means is...
0:31:07 > 0:31:10..that's what makes something live.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Step back, Samuel.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17..is the blood, so when the blood's all gone, children,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19the animal is dead.
0:31:19 > 0:31:29And when Jesus was on the cross, his life was dropped out on the ground for us and so when Jesus' blood
0:31:29 > 0:31:34becomes ours we do have life because his life, his blood has life in it.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50It's the day after the Elsie and Jesse's excommunication.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53The Amish believe they've been deceived into going to Charity Church,
0:31:53 > 0:31:58and have handed their flesh to the devil.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I've come to see how they're coping with that.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06- It sounds very harsh.- Yes, but often what people do is,
0:32:06 > 0:32:12like people who leave the Amish, if that happens
0:32:12 > 0:32:15they'll afterwards just
0:32:15 > 0:32:21like pray, pray to God and ask him to remove that curse.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25I feel if we pray about it, I think he would.
0:32:28 > 0:32:34The Amish think that Elsie and Jesse are now living in a place of temptation and deceit.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41They have a word for this place.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43They call it the "world".
0:32:49 > 0:32:56The Amish keep themselves separate by having countless rules for every aspect of their lives.
0:32:58 > 0:33:05Without those rules to guide them, Elsie and Jesse are now faced with bewildering choices.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09The first thing they must decide is what to wear.
0:33:18 > 0:33:19When we were Amish,
0:33:19 > 0:33:24the Amish Church decides a lot of things, you know, like how the clothes
0:33:24 > 0:33:31should be made, and the colours we should wear, and the things that we can have and not have.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Nothing is forbidden any more.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40They can have anything they want.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49But after a lifetime of rules, they have no experience of making choices independently.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58So now it's up to us to decide, you know,
0:33:58 > 0:34:06what does God's word say about this or that, you know, and we try to make our decisions based on...
0:34:08 > 0:34:10..what the Bible says.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Ephraim's putting up a fence for his chickens.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31I didn't need a set of rules any more to guide my life when I became a Christian.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Because I now have...
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Here you go.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38..I now have living inside of me
0:34:38 > 0:34:44God himself, who knows the difference between right and wrong,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and so therefore I don't need rules.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Don't point guns. We don't point guns at people.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55That is not sober.
0:34:56 > 0:35:01Christopher! How are you feeling when you're pointing the gun, sober or foolish?
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Sober.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Sober now but how were you feeling then?
0:35:08 > 0:35:09- Foolish.- Foolish.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Yeah, Papa doesn't want you to do that. We want to stay sober.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Thank you.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18I want something else to govern my children rather than a set of rules.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21I want them to know why,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23why don't we
0:35:23 > 0:35:25walk around immodestly?
0:35:25 > 0:35:29And I want them to know it's because the Bible says
0:35:29 > 0:35:31instead of having a set of rules.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35The Bible talks about the sin of nakedness,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37I didn't know that.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Isn't that a rule as well in a way?
0:35:40 > 0:35:44It would be something that the Bible would have as a rule,
0:35:44 > 0:35:49I guess, although it's not a rule, it's part of a life, part of a...
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Yes, it's part of a life.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56It's much bigger than a rule, isn't it?
0:36:05 > 0:36:10I've often asked why the Amish do things the way they do.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13The answer is always the same.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15You don't ask why, they say.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17It's just how we do.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24The Amish are taught to obey without question, and conform.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32CONGREGATION SINGS
0:36:32 > 0:36:37At first glance, the congregation of Charity Church doesn't appear to be
0:36:37 > 0:36:41all that different to the Amish Church that so many of them have come from.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47Although Charity claims not to have rules like the Amish,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51their lives are governed by what they read in the Bible.
0:36:51 > 0:36:56And they too keep their distance from the modern world.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00But although it might not seem much of a difference, coming to this church
0:37:00 > 0:37:04is probably the biggest change they'll ever make in their lives.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17Today, Ephraim's trying to drum up more customers for the produce stand.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Stand over there and tell me how this looks.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29They live rent free in the summer in exchange for running the stand.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33But once winter sets in, the family will have to start paying their way.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Wow, this is such a busy road.
0:37:38 > 0:37:39It is a busy road.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42The landlord recently offered them another deal.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46If sales are better than usual, they won't pay any rent at all.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52The stand's been far busier than they expected.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55This wasn't the plan when they first moved in here.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Right now, it looks like a full time job.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I really struggle with, OK, I've got to come out and sell stuff.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06The customers are here, flowers, I can sell things,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08I can make it happen.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13And I really just have to say, "God, please, you know, take that from me."
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Look, if we sell flowers we sell flowers, I told him last night
0:38:17 > 0:38:21I said, "OK, Lord, if this stand does better than normal
0:38:21 > 0:38:25"we can be rent free, so you're going to make it happen,
0:38:25 > 0:38:27"I'm not going to make it happen."
0:38:27 > 0:38:28OK, maybe I should make signs,
0:38:28 > 0:38:33put a sign in every telephone pole and just, you know, come out and really make stuff happen.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35I said, "No, I'm not going to do it."
0:38:35 > 0:38:42I told God this morning, if people need stuff then they're going to buy it somewhere, make them stop here.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Ephraim wants God to provide for all his family's needs.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48But even though the rent is covered,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51there are other financial pressures to deal with as well.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59During the course of my first film with the family,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Ephraim's daughter Marie contracted leukaemia.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09It was the beginning of years of expensive treatment.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12So what will you be sending us, and what will it cost?
0:39:12 > 0:39:15I will have to check, I thought we were sending everything.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Although she's recovered now, she still needs chemotherapy.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Ephraim wanted to stop buying the medicine
0:39:28 > 0:39:33and instead rely on God to keep the cancer at bay.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35But the state wouldn't let him.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37We were going to take Marie off the chemo for a month
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and we were going to stay off, and the law said
0:39:40 > 0:39:44we have to go back on, and so that was really a stressful time,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47saying, "Well, hang on, the Bible says that
0:39:47 > 0:39:51"we believe she's healed, we want to continue down the natural route,"
0:39:51 > 0:39:55but the law is saying you need to continue or we'll make her continue.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05In his old life, all his medical expenses
0:40:05 > 0:40:09would have been covered in full by the Amish.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21But now, he's relying on occasional donations from friends at Charity.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25and his savings, which are disappearing fast.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Well done, Marie.
0:40:34 > 0:40:362.5 milligrams, is that correct?
0:40:36 > 0:40:39OK, that's a very good price on that.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41On the way out of the hospital,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45he stops to try and get a better deal for the medicine Marie needs.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47So there's not much savings on that.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51So the only one that we save on is dexamethasone.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55OK, thank you. Bye.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01Ephraim's plan was to stop working and give all his time to God.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06The way it's looking now, he'll need a miracle to carry on.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17Amish children are taught only the basics.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21They have their own schools and leave at the age of 14.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Now that they've joined Charity,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Elsie has to come to grips with home schooling.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Is it quite a lot for you to learn as well?
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Yes, it is, like these books,
0:41:39 > 0:41:45these are different from what I had when I was going to school.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50The Amish schools they have other kinds that are more, more simple.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53So some things in here
0:41:53 > 0:41:56is a little bit challenging for me.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00This morning we'll do a page in letters and sounds.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05It's a Phonics Seatwork Text.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08With three children, it seems a lot for her to take on.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12And what's more, Elsie is expecting another child.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Hurt? How about in hurt?
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Jesse wants to buy a car,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22but he's having trouble selling his buggy.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29While only Amish would want it, no Amish would buy it off him.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Can you explain to me why it is
0:42:31 > 0:42:34that they wouldn't be able to buy?
0:42:38 > 0:42:39They don't want to help us
0:42:39 > 0:42:41to something different than what we were
0:42:41 > 0:42:43brought up from.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49The buggy is fundamental to the Amish way of life.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51It's their means of going about their lives
0:42:51 > 0:42:55as cars are totally forbidden.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00Buying a car is a big change and it'll transform the way they live.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05But a car is not always a blessing.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13The exhaust pipe on Ephraim's car is bust,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16and he's having a go at fixing it himself.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21It's a bit of a learning experience.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26This is not the kind of thing you had to do
0:43:26 > 0:43:28when you had a horse and buggy!
0:43:28 > 0:43:31No, horse and buggy was, rather you had to figure out
0:43:31 > 0:43:32what was wrong with the horse!
0:43:32 > 0:43:36If he got sick, then I'd know. I know how to take care of horses.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39But vans is a new thing.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43But if I'm going to be using the van, I need to
0:43:43 > 0:43:45learn how they work, otherwise
0:43:45 > 0:43:49I'll spend a lot of money on paying people to fix my van.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53That's not my vision.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59He's going to replace the exhaust on his car
0:43:59 > 0:44:01with one from this wreck.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06This was Ephraim's first car.
0:44:06 > 0:44:11But a few months ago while he was on his way to church, he rolled it.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14The whole family was inside at the time.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19We were singing, having a beautiful time
0:44:19 > 0:44:25and the van came around like this and rolled,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29it flipped in the air the first time and it came down right here,
0:44:29 > 0:44:30and Amanda got the jar of it,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33and then we rolled again and landed on the four wheels
0:44:33 > 0:44:37and Amanda, she went unconscious for just a little bit.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42But there was people there right away and they called the ambulance,
0:44:42 > 0:44:47but it was icy and it was just... I got out and I said,
0:44:47 > 0:44:51"Lord, what is this? We had an accident, we rolled twice,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55"but we're not hurt, and what are you trying to say?"
0:44:55 > 0:44:59And so I went on a fast on Monday,
0:44:59 > 0:45:03and Tuesday morning the Lord woke me early, my quiet time,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06and showed me that I was proud, I was actually proud of this van,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09I was proud of how the Lord had given me this, and that we had prayed
0:45:09 > 0:45:12and prayed and prayed, and then God gave us this van for 900,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15and I was proud about that fact, that I hadn't missed it.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17So I repented of my pride
0:45:17 > 0:45:20and wanting people to think that I'm spiritual.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27So it was a good lesson.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29And by God's grace no-one was hurt.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34And the Lord provided another van
0:45:34 > 0:45:38that has much less mileage on and for even less money.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Cheap Heaps in Lancaster City
0:45:52 > 0:45:58is just what its name suggests; a budget used car dealer.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02Jesse and Elsie are looking for something with plenty of room.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Elsie is now seven-and-a-half months pregnant.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10OK. What are you looking for?
0:46:10 > 0:46:13The red Mercury Villager.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Let's go out outside, guys, take a look.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22This one has 5,000 miles on it.
0:46:22 > 0:46:27OK? And a brand new inspection until next November.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29How does it run?
0:46:29 > 0:46:30- Runs very, very nice.- OK.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33- You can go on a test drive if you'd like to do that.- OK.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39How does it feel to drive this?
0:46:39 > 0:46:40Good.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43It's a bit of a shock to see Jesse behind the wheel.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47But like many Amish men, during his wild youth, he had a car.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It's fun driving.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55But I'm not sure about this one.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58There's something odd about the electrics.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10So how much is this?
0:47:10 > 0:47:12How much do they want for this van?
0:47:12 > 0:47:18- 3,300.- 3,300?- Yeah.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22And how many miles does it have?
0:47:22 > 0:47:24125,000.
0:47:24 > 0:47:25Is that pretty good?
0:47:29 > 0:47:30Yeah, they said it is.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Jesse may still be able to drive,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40but his navigation skills are a bit rusty.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42On the way back, we get lost.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51It's three quarters of an hour
0:47:51 > 0:47:54before we find our way back to Cheap Heaps.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Do you have any other questions for me?
0:47:57 > 0:48:00Is there a switch for the interior light in that car?
0:48:00 > 0:48:02I'm sure there is. I can check it for you.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07Typically, it's just a matter of... did you turn it both ways?
0:48:07 > 0:48:09I thought I did.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14- I didn't turn it past the symbols. - I'll check it for you.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17There's more to buying a car than knowing how to drive,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19and they seem overwhelmed by it.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Are you guys looking to make a purchase right away?
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Yeah, Saturday we're looking at making a purchase
0:48:25 > 0:48:29but we're going to look at a few other vehicles first.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33Just as they're about to test another cheap heap,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35Jesse gets a call from Ephraim.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40With God's help, he reckons he's found them a good car
0:48:40 > 0:48:42from a trustworthy man.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Amen.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47I suppose we'll take a look at that.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50We should go home and pray about it again.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53'Yeah, it's got good tyres on it.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56'It's just inspected, it's good till next September.'
0:49:01 > 0:49:05Early the next morning, I got a phone call from Jesse.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09He was on his way to the hospital with Elsie.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12Their baby wasn't due until Christmas,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16but six weeks earlier than expected, Elsie had gone into labour.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Father, we pray for Jesse and Elsie, Father,
0:49:19 > 0:49:23on their way to the hospital, or maybe there already, for their baby to be born.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Father, we pray in Jesus' name that the baby will be healthy.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29Father, we pray against any extra expenses
0:49:29 > 0:49:31that could be incurred in the hospital.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Father, we pray that they will not do lots of tests, but would only do
0:49:35 > 0:49:40what is necessary for a safe arrival of their new child.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42In Jesus' name, amen.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46You can go do your chores, children.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48PHONE RINGS
0:49:48 > 0:49:50Hi, Jesse, it's Eph.
0:49:50 > 0:49:51How is everything going?
0:49:51 > 0:49:54'It's going good.'
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Do they expect the baby to be born today?
0:49:57 > 0:49:59'Yeah.'
0:49:59 > 0:50:01OK.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04How close is the baby to being born?
0:50:04 > 0:50:08- Any idea?- 'Very soon.'- Very soon, OK.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Who is that for?
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Andrew, I have some letters for them.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Would you like to take them?
0:50:20 > 0:50:25Thank you very much, I will do that, that's really nice of you.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32When we arrived at the hospital,
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Elsie had already given birth to a baby girl.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39They named her Hannah Rose.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42But she lived for only an hour.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50If it was God's will, no matter what the doctors or nurses do,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53they will not revive that child.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59If that child were to go,
0:50:59 > 0:51:01he's going to take it.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10# Jesus has taken a beautiful bird
0:51:10 > 0:51:16# Out of our garden of love... #
0:51:16 > 0:51:20The funeral was held two days later at Charity church.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28Standing out amongst the parked cars,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30I saw one solitary Amish buggy.
0:51:30 > 0:51:35Elsie's parents and some of her sisters
0:51:35 > 0:51:39have violated their Amish rules
0:51:39 > 0:51:44and come this once to a non-Amish church.
0:51:44 > 0:51:49Most of Jesse's family stayed away.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01After the burial, there was a meal in the basement of the church.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04But none of their Amish family stayed.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07It was a step too far for them.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34It was a hard day but God is working things...
0:52:34 > 0:52:37things out, through this.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45It has really brought our families together.
0:52:48 > 0:52:53And we hadn't seen most of our families since spring.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59So it was, I think God used that
0:52:59 > 0:53:02to break down some...
0:53:02 > 0:53:05some barriers that had been there, some walls.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12During the funeral your parents were there with you.
0:53:12 > 0:53:18Yes, yes, they were. It was very special.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I got to sit beside my mum
0:53:21 > 0:53:26and my dad, they were sitting next to me,
0:53:26 > 0:53:31and that was very special, yeah.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40And we prayed that
0:53:41 > 0:53:44they would hear a good message..
0:53:46 > 0:53:49and we prayed that some seeds...
0:53:51 > 0:53:54I think some seeds have been sown.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58They heard the gospel.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25This move towards evangelical Christianity
0:54:25 > 0:54:28is splitting Amish families.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32And it's a conflict that's far from over.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36There's no chance Elsie and Jesse can ever go back to the way they were.
0:54:39 > 0:54:44The only hope they have of getting close to their families again
0:54:44 > 0:54:46is if they too leave the Amish.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03With winter approaching, Ephraim's closing down the produce stand.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09We're done with the produce for this year, and so we'll take it down
0:55:09 > 0:55:12and put it in the barn until next spring
0:55:12 > 0:55:14and we'll put it back up again.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18His plan to live rent free all year round, has not worked out.
0:55:18 > 0:55:24We need to come up with 800 a month yet for rent and utilities
0:55:24 > 0:55:28for November, December, January, February and maybe March.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31We might be doing flowers in March ready so.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Four months for sure, maybe five. That's nice.
0:55:34 > 0:55:40So far Ephraim's been relying on God to provide for his family's needs.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44He's been kept going with envelopes of cash,
0:55:44 > 0:55:46given anonymously,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49most probably by sympathetic members of his church.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54But with God no longer providing,
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Ephraim's got no other choice but to take a job
0:55:57 > 0:56:00doing building work.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02I expected him to provide.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07You know, OK, it's October 20th, 25th
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and there's nothing, nothing, not a dollar!
0:56:12 > 0:56:1621st was a Sunday, I thought, "Well, maybe someone's going to walk up
0:56:16 > 0:56:17"and give me an envelope."
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Monday morning I said, "OK, Lord, there's nothing here."
0:56:23 > 0:56:25We can live for a little bit...
0:56:26 > 0:56:29..we're going to have to see what we can do for a couple of weeks,
0:56:29 > 0:56:31but, you know, what's the plan?
0:56:31 > 0:56:34We go to pay rent; the rent is 800 a month too.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Giddy up, horsies!
0:56:37 > 0:56:39As well as the paid work,
0:56:39 > 0:56:41he's come up with another very Amish plan
0:56:41 > 0:56:43to bring in a bit of money.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45I haven't done this in a while.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47This is going to be fun.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53He's bought this horse cheap and plans to fatten it up
0:56:53 > 0:56:55and sell it on for a profit.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00As a bonus, the horse also gives him an alternative
0:57:00 > 0:57:03when his car's not working.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11Ephraim has always been at odds with the culture he grew up in.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15But at the same time, he's never completely escaped the Amish.
0:57:15 > 0:57:21Though he's left the church, his simple values are not so different to those he was raised with.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24But still, the Amish elders see him as a threat.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27And not without reason.
0:57:29 > 0:57:34If this move towards evangelical Christianity takes hold,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38it could be the end of the Amish as they are now.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42But it could also be the beginning of something new.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:53 > 0:57:56E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk