My Dearest Naomi , livre ebook

Jerry Eicher is one of America s most popular authors of Amish fiction, with more than 400,000 copies of his books sold!
Little Valley series
Ella Yoder, a young, independent Amish woman, suffered a terrible loss. But now she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and move forward. Will her faith in God and in her community survive?

Ella and Aden s wedding and their move to their dream house is set for June. The beautiful wedding quilt is almost finished when tragedy strikes and the life they d planned together is demolished. Why would God take my true love home? Ella wonders.
With Aden gone, Ella s future is uncertain. Daniel, Aden s brother, decides to finish Aden and Ella s dream house. Should Ella sell the home and land? Or will she go against tradition and move in to the home alone?

Living alone for the first time, Ella ponders her options. How is she to make a living? How will she live without Aden? What is to become of her?
Two would-be suitors soon make their intentions known. Ella agrees to take care of Preacher Stutzman s three motherless girls. Her heart is touched by their love for her. Could their affection be the answer for Ella s shattered heart? Does God want her to marry Ivan so she can be the mother his three children need? But there s the bishop s offer of marriage to consider and the unusual option of staying single and living in the home Aden designed.

Ella loves the widower Ivan Stutzman s children. She is genuinely devoted to Ivan and keenly aware of his desire to propose, but her feelings stop just short of romance. Is her love for Ivan s children enough to make a marriage work?
When a handsome Englisha man seeks Ella out to ask about the Amish faith, Ella is wary but intrigued. She agrees to meet with him-but only with the bishop s approval. Soon Ella is torn between her devotion to Ivan and his children and her growing feelings for the Englisha . With dire consequences at stake, Ella must determine what her heart really wants, what God s will is for her, and whether she will stay true to her Amish heritage.

Hannah s Heart series
Jerry Eicher s Hannah s Heart series follows Hannah Byler s quest for true love within the traditions of the Amish faith. Although life in rural Montana is unfamiliar and at times dangerous, Hannah learns to thrive as she shoulders new responsibilities, deals with sudden hardships, and embraces her place in this small community of believers.

Hannah Miller s Amish faith is solid and her devotion to family and the Amish community unquestionable. Yet her young spirit longs for adventure and romance. Troubling circumstances arise that provide a good excuse to spend the summer in Montana at a relative s ranch.
Her heart awhirl with emotion, Hannah dreams about her future. Sam, the boy Hannah has known all her life, is comfortable and predictable. Peter is a wild card. And Jake is unpredictable and mysterious. Hoping for a dream come true, Hannah leaves the life she s known and sets out for the wilds of Montana.

Hannah and her husband live near a small Amish community in a rough log cabin that is far from everything Hannah holds dear. Anxious about her new role as wife and soon-to-be mother, Hannah understands she must learn to control her anxious heart if her marriage is to survive.
When her husband loses his job and answers the call to ministry, they discover hardships will either drive them apart or draw them closer together. With winter pressing in and money scarce, Hannah is determined to find hope despite the fearful conditions.

Hannah is adjusting to married life. While her husband works long days as a furniture maker and minister, she stays busy keeping their home in order. Both anticipate their baby s birth with joy.
When word of a Mennonite tent revival spreads and worry about losing church members mounts, Hannah s sister arrives and quickly catches the eye of a bachelor whose brother left the church during the last revival. And when a neighbor-an Englisha -announces his interest in one of the Amish widows, Hannah s husband is caught in the middle of the controversy.
Will Hannah and her husband s determination to stay faithful to God and the traditions of their church survive the turmoil?
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
All poetry in this book, except the one by Frances R. Havergal, was written by Jerry Eicher, 2012.
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota
MY DEAREST NAOMI
Copyright 2012 by Jerry S. Eicher and Tina Eicher
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eicher, Jerry S.
My dearest Naomi / Jerry S. Eicher.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7369-3942-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4246-1 (eBook)
1. Amish-Fiction. I. Title. II. Eicher, Tina.
PS3605.I34M9 2012
813 .6-dc23
2011044606
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
CONTENTS

Little Valley series
Hannah s Heart series
Prologue
August
September
October
November
December
A Home Visit...
January
February
March
April
Epilogue
About Jerry and Tina Eicher
A Checklist of Jerry Eicher s Books with Harvest House Publishers
The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook
Amishreader.com
PROLOGUE

N aomi Miller stood beside the buggy, the corner of the front wheel inches from her side. Eugene Mast s fingers were wrapped around hers. She looked up at him, the shadows from the moonlight hiding his blue eyes, leaving only the sides of his face visible.
Do you really have to go? Naomi whispered.
Yah , Eugene said. It s something I need to do. But I ll be back before you know it, and things will be like they always were.
Nine months is an awfully long time.
Yah , but Da Hah will be with us. He will help us bear the pain of absence. And we are promised, you know.
But what will Bishop Enos say about this? We are both members of the church. Naomi s hands shifted in his. What if there is trouble?
Eugene laughed. I don t think there will be trouble. Bishop Enos knows I have no plans to forsake the church.
Even though you are running off to Iowa to teach at a Mennonite church school? It s a terribly long way from Indiana.
Eugene leaned forward, kissing her cheek. I will write often, and that will help with the loneliness.
Naomi pulled away. Will you miss me? Perhaps a little?
Eugene laughed again, causing his horse to turn his head to look at him. I will miss you terribly, Naomi. I just believe this has to be done. If I don t take the chance now, I ll always look back and wonder.
She sighed. But it s so dangerous out there. And the Mennonites can put all kinds of ideas in your head. Then you ll never come back.
He shook his head. Please, Naomi, don t make this harder than it is. I ll come back. I promise. He glanced at the envelope she had given him earlier. Thank you for the card. I m going to save it to open when I get to Iowa.
Okay. I think you d better go, she said. I can t stand this much longer.
I m not much at goodbyes anyway, he said. I will always love you, Naomi. Goodbye for now.
Goodbye, she said, stepping back as Eugene climbed into the buggy. He slapped the reins against his horse s back, waving once on the turn-around in the lane, his hand a brief movement from the dark interior. Watching the buggy lights move down the road and fade out of sight, Naomi stared long into the darkness. She then turned to walk back toward the house, pausing to look over her shoulder once more.
AUGUST


Monday evening, August 30
My dearest Naomi ,
Greetings from Iowa. This finds me installed in the upstairs bedroom of my new home. The time was a little past eleven o clock the last I looked. We pulled into the driveway of this little farm around nine, but I couldn t see much in the darkness. We were met at the front porch by Lonnie and Luella Hershberger, the older Mennonite couple I m staying with. The school board members who brought me out said their goodbyes and drove off in their van. I was shown around the house by Lonnie and Luella. After the tour, we ended up in the living room talking.
They seem like very nice people even though I ve only just met them. Their house is a white bungalow with everything inside neatly arranged and in order. The kitchen is by the front door, with the living room in the back. I m in the front bedroom, upstairs, overlooking the lawn. They said I could see the schoolhouse from my bedroom window, but it s dark right now.
I feel strange and a little frightened to be out here alone. I m missing you, of course, and the community. This awful sensation is wrapped around me, as if all the familiar props are knocked out from under me. In the meantime, I have to act as if everything is okay and be full of smiles. I can imagine right now you re saying I told you so, but then maybe not, being the nice person you are.
I can t thank you enough for the card you gave me before I left. It means so much to me. If I didn t have your love to fall back on, I don t think I could stand it right now. I know part of my problem is that I m just so dead tired I could fall off the chair. The trip was long and more tiresome than I expected.
I suppose I d better be off to bed. I won t even start unpacking tonight. The suitcase is still open on the floor with only the things taken out that I need