Sarah's Orphans (46 page)

“Do you love me?”

She nodded and tried to remember what she needed to tell him. He was holding both of her hands in his, and she thought of how she'd prayed for this—that God would see fit to give her a husband in addition to her family. She'd prayed for it, but she hadn't dared to believe.

“I love you. We'll make this work.”

“How? We'd live here and the children there? I can't.”

“Of course you can't, and I wouldn't ask you to.”

“I don't understand.”

Paul rubbed the backs of her hands with his thumbs. She didn't realize she was shivering until that moment. On a warm night in July, she was shaking like a leaf in winter.

“You can choose, Sarah. We can live here and bring the children with us. Or we can live there.”

“What of your house?”

“Andy will need a place.”

She very nearly gasped. She didn't realize until that moment how much she'd worried about Andy, about his wife and his family. About how they'd make it work.

“You would do that? Allow him to live here?”

“We'd be a family, Sarah. Our two places—they would be one. You and I can stay in your house, with
Mammi
and Mia and the boys. Or we can—”

But she didn't allow him to finish what else they could do. She threw her arms around him, laughing and allowing the tears to flow. Putting both hands on his cheeks, as she'd seen Mia do a hundred times, she said, “I love you, Paul Byler.”

“Do you now?”

“And my answer is
yes
.”

“Is it?” He helped her to stand, slipped into her rocking chair, and pulled her onto his lap. “Well, that's the best answer I've ever heard.”

She felt safe there in his arms. She knew now that she could navigate the ups and downs of life alone, but she also knew that she could dare to live her crazy life with Paul at her side.

She'd finally come home. She didn't not know if her mother would ever return, but that no longer angered her. It was a miracle that her anger had melted away over the last year, through the writing of dozens of letters, learning to put herself in her mother's shoes.

Finally, she understood that she wasn't an orphan anymore and neither were her brothers or Mateo or Mia. God wouldn't abandon them. He never had. He'd sent
Mammi
and Paul, their friends and neighbors, a compassionate judge, and a dedicated social worker.

God had given them one another.

That was the grandest miracle of all.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

There have been instances of Amish families adopting children outside of their ethnic and religious group.

According to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, nearly 400,000 children are living in the U.S. without permanent families. Of those, more than 100,000 are eligible for adoption. Around the world, nearly 18 million orphans have lost both parents and are living on the streets or in an orphanage.

Amber Alerts began in 1996 in the Dallas–Fort Worth area after the abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman. As of 2009, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have Amber Alert plans.

The town of Cody's Creek does not exist in Oklahoma. The place I visited and researched was Chouteau, which was originally called Cody's Creek when it became a stop on the Katy Railroad in 1871. The Amish community in Chouteau does allow the use of tractors, both in the fields and in town. They still use the horse and buggy when traveling to church, a wedding, or a funeral.

I would like to offer a special thanks to all the people who wrote me regarding their experience with adoption. While I thoroughly researched the adoption process, I changed some details to fit the story line.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Several characters are grieving at the beginning of this story—Sarah, Sarah's brothers, and even their mother. Each one deals with grief in his or her own way. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, we're told there is a season/time for everything, even a season to mourn. What can we do to help someone who is grieving?

2. Paul is excited about rejuvenating a run-down farm, but when he realizes it might include befriending a family of “orphans,” he hesitates. Why is that? What is it about helping others and drawing close to them that intimidates us?

3. Mateo and Mia are living in an abandoned trailer behind an abandoned barn. Do you think that's possible in our day and age? Could there be homeless children living in abandoned buildings? Why or why not?

4. At the end of chapter 20, Sarah realizes that her family has a lot in common with Mia and Mateo—that they are all abandoned. Have you ever felt abandoned? What does Scripture say about our heavenly Father and His faithfulness to us? (You can begin by looking at 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Galatians 4:6.)

5. We meet Elisa for the first time in chapter 47. She's not an admirable character. She seems selfish, desperate, and even callous toward her children. She seems a lot like Sarah's mother. But in chapter 55,
Mammi
tells Sarah, “I won't be judging either of them. In my heart, I believe they are doing the absolute best they can. It's only that, to us, it seems as if their best isn't very good.” How did you react to this statement? What does the Bible tell us about offering grace and forgiveness to others? Some passages you might read over in your Bible include Matthew 18:21-22; Mark 11:25; and Ephesians 4:32.

6. When Brian is hurt, Mateo and Isaac struggle with the question of
why bad things happen to good people
. It's a question many of us have. What would you tell someone who asks you this question? What Bible verses could you point them to for answers?

7. Becca tells Sarah that she could be experiencing a crisis of faith. What things can we do for a friend who is struggling in this way? What can we do when we experience this sort of crisis ourselves?

8. When Sarah finally receives a letter from her mother, she is both relieved and a little upset. She's still dealing with feelings of abandonment. How would you have counseled her at this point?

9. Sarah and Paul have strong feelings for one another nearly from the beginning of the story, but Sarah's fears hold her back. Whether it's a friendship, a family relationship, or a romantic relationship, what kinds of fears hold us back? Find three Bible verses that discuss the topic of fear.

10. This book is filled with imperfect people. In fact, nearly every character has a flaw of some sort—Sarah's mother, Mateo's mother, even Sarah and Paul. Philippians 1:6 says we can be confident in this, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” In what specific ways does this give you hope?

RECIPES

Ham and Macaroni Salad

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups chopped ham

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 small bell pepper (any color), seeded and chopped

2 T. dill pickle relish

2 cups creamy salad dressing (you may also use Miracle Whip)

3 T. prepared yellow mustard

¾ cup sugar

2¼ tsp. white vinegar

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. celery seed

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the ham, eggs, onion, celery, bell pepper, and relish.

In a small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed. Pour over the vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

 

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup peanut butter

⅔
cup butter, softened

1½ cups brown sugar, packed

1½ cups sugar

4 eggs

4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 12-ounce package dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 9 × 13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and sugar until well blended and smooth. Make sure any lumps of brown sugar are dissolved. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy and thoroughly blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly until the batter is once again smooth and creamy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the batter and put into the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a butter knife, swirl the chocolate chips through the dough. Bake for 40 more minutes. Remove from the oven. The bars are done when a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean (some chocolate may stick to the knife). Let cool for an hour before cutting into bars.

 

Chicken Casserole

8 oz. broad egg noodles

½ cup butter

8 oz. sliced mushrooms (optional)

⅓
cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

pinch of sage

⅓
cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles as directed on package. Melt butter and cook mushrooms in a large skillet until lightly browned. Stir in flour and blend in with a fork or slotted spoon. Stir in broth and milk seasonings. Whisk sauce constantly until thickened.

Combine sauce, noodles, and chicken. Adjust seasonings to taste. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

 

Applesauce Coffee Cake

⅔
cup flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

1½ cups peeled, cored, and finely chopped apples

¼ cup fat-free liquid egg product or 2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

½ cup chopped walnuts or ½ cup pecans

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup brown sugar

1 T. flour

1 T. whole wheat flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 T. butter

¼ cup walnuts or ¼ cup pecans

Lightly coat a 9 × 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the
⅔
cup flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl toss together the chopped apple and egg product. Stir in the sugar, ¼ cup of the nuts, and applesauce. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Topping:

Stir together the brown sugar, the remaining flour, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly, stir in the remaining nuts, and sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.

 

Maple Cream Pie

1 can condensed milk

⅔
cup maple syrup

pinch of salt

Cook on low heat, very slow, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles. Pour into a baked pie shell. Chill for one hour.

Topping:

2 cups whipping cream

½ cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

Whip ingredients except pecans until thick. Pour on top of pie filling and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

 

Amish Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ cups flour

3 cups quick-cooking oats

½ tsp. salt

Powdered sugar for rolling dough

Cream brown sugar and butter together. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, flour, oats, and salt. Fold into wet ingredients. Chill for at least one hour.

Form into balls and roll them in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and press the balls down a bit. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or so. Don't overbake them.

 

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1½ cups sugar