A Hope for Hannah (Hannah's Heart 2)
Page 26
“Dad, we really have to be going,” Eldon said.
“Jake, go get your rocker,” Mr. Brunson said.
In just a few minutes, Jake had the rocker in the back of Mr. Brunson’s pickup truck, and after words of thanks from Jake, father and son left.
“Do you really think he can sell your furniture?” Hannah asked.
“It does seem too good to be true. I guess we have to wait and see.”
“Jake, you deserve to succeed in this. You really do. I hope it happens.”
“God doesn’t decide things that way,” Jake said.
“Maybe He will this time,” Hannah said. Then she added, “Isn’t it wonderful about Eldon? Now he and his father are reunited. That’s the best part of the whole thing.”
“That it is,” Jake agreed.
“Jake, I’d love to tell Betty the news. Do you think it’s too late?”
“Not if we go now,” Jake said, sounding just as eager as Hannah to share their news. “Let’s go,” Jake said, grabbing his coat.
When they pulled into Betty’s driveway minutes later, they were warmly welcomed in. From the living room, Steve hollered, “The starving and the poor are welcome. We have food.”
“Steve,” Betty said, “that’s not nice.”
Jake just grinned as Hannah said, “Tell them our news, Jake.”
Betty and Steve both perked up as Jake said, “Well, it looks like the clouds could be breaking up for us…and sunny days could be just ahead.”
“Mr. Brunson may be able to sell Jake’s furniture,” Hannah said, too excited to wait for Jake to say it.
“How’s that?” Steve asked.
“His son came to visit from the East and thinks he can sell my work back there for a good profit. I think it might actually work out,” Jake said.
“That is good news!” Betty exclaimed. “I was so worried about you two.”
“Good news indeed,” Steve agreed.
“It’s God’s doing,” Jake said, “and we’re very thankful.”
Hannah just nodded.
Betty and Hannah then went to the kitchen to prepare a fruit plate. In the middle of slicing apples, Hannah told Betty about Eldon and Mr. Brunson’s happy reunion.
“That is so wonderful,” Betty said, her eyes edged with tears. “He could have ended up old and lonely and never reunited with his son.”
Hannah smiled her agreement.
Betty stopped in mid slice and said, “Oh, Hannah! I just thought of something. You really owe all this to that troublesome bear.”
Hannah thought for a second and said, “I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you see? If that bear hadn’t shown up, Mr. Brunson never would have shot it. If he hadn’t shot it, he wouldn’t have been fined. And if he hadn’t been fined, his son wouldn’t have found him. Why, if Mr. Brunson’s interest in Jake’s furniture proves out, then that too is a result of all this trouble with the bear, at least as far as having Mr. Brunson’s son sell it for him back East.”
“I never thought of it that way,” Hannah said, “but I suppose you’re right.”
Hannah finished the apples and added the grapes and oranges Betty handed to her. She carried the plate back to the men while Betty followed with water glasses. They ate and chatted till after nine when Jake said they had to get home. He had work to do tomorrow.
When they went to bed that night, Hannah told Jake what Betty had said about the bear.
Jake thought for a moment and said, “I think she’s right. God does work in mysterious ways sometimes. That bear did bring about some good for us…and even more for Mr. Brunson.”
On the following Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Brunson stopped by with the news that Eldon wanted more pieces of Jake’s handiwork. He also left a check, representing Jake’s share of the rocking chair sale. He said Eldon wanted the pieces—large or small—shipped as soon as Jake could have them ready.
Two weeks later Mr. Brunson found a place to rent in Libby and set Jake up as the owner of his own furniture shop. Mr. Brunson told Jake he was investing in the shop and knew that both he and Jake would profit from the enterprise.
Within a week, Jake had things up and rolling; building baby rockers, log desks, and the specialty items Eldon ordered for his upscale clients. Jake also made a trip to Dr. Lisa’s office with a baby rocker in hand as payment for her services after Hannah’s miscarriage.
Spring broke early that year—according to Betty—and arrived with a warm breeze from the south. Hannah stood on the porch, watching Jake drive the buggy out of the driveway and onto the main road to go to his shop in Libby. The dawn had just broken, and the peaks of the Cabinet Mountains were splashed with reds, yellows, and bright oranges. The sight filled Hannah’s soul to overflowing. She suddenly remembered her old desire to move to Indiana and then realized the thought had not crossed her mind in weeks.
“This is our home.” She said the words softly, surprised that they were true.
“Yours too,” she added a moment later. The awareness had come last night while Jake slept. Life had awakened inside her once again.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you believe Hannah had valid reasons to want to leave Montana? If so, what were the reasons and why do you think they were reasonable?
2. What responses does Mr. Brunson give to make Hannah believe he is hiding from past problems?
3. Do you think the game warden and other officials responded properly to Jake and Hannah’s grizzly problem?
4. Have you or a family member ever experienced a pressure cooker malfunction? If so, describe the experience and the damage.
5. Regarding Jake’s appointment to the Amish ministry, how does his experience differ from what is typically experienced in Protestant churches?
6. Why do you think Mr. Brunson so enjoyed the dinner and time spent with Hannah’s parents?
7. Were Bishop John Nisley’s fears for his new minister’s future well-being groundless?
8. How well does Hannah handle her miscarriage?
9. As Jake’s wife, describe Hannah’s ability to fully accept her new responsibilities and handle the strains of marriage and ministry.
10. How has Hannah’s faith in God’s goodness grown? Do you believe it will continue to grow and become stronger? Why or why not?
About Jerry Eicher…
As a boy, Jerry Eicher spent eight years in Honduras, where his grandfather helped found an Amish community outreach. As an adult, Jerry taught for two terms in parochial Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. He has been involved in church renewal for 14 years and has preached in churches and conducted weekend meetings of in-depth Bible teaching. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina, and their four children in Virginia.
Other fine Harvest House
Amish fiction from Jerry Eicher…
The Adams County Triology
by Jerry Eicher
Rebecca’s Promise
Rebecca Keim has just declared her love to John Miller and agreed to become his wife. But she’s haunted by her schoolgirl memories of a long ago love—and a promise made and a ring given. Is that memory just a fantasy come back to destroy the beautiful present…or was it real?
When Rebecca’s mother sends her back to the old home community in Milroy to be with her aunt during and after her childbirth, Rebecca determines to find answers that will resolve her conflicted feelings. Faith, love, and tradition all play a part in Rebecca’s divine destiny.
Rebecca’s Return
Rebecca Keim returns to Wheat Ridge full of resolve to make her relationship with John Miller work. But in her absence, John has become suspicious of the woman he loves. Before their conflict can be resolved, John is badly injured and Rebecca is sent back to Milroy to aid her seriously ill Aunt Leona.
In Milroy, Rebecca once again visits the old covered bridge over the Flat-rock River, the source of her past memories and of her promise made so long ago.
Where will Rebecca find happiness? In Wheat Ri
dge with John, the man she has agreed to marry, or should she stake her future on the memory that persists…and the ring she has never forgotten? Does God have a perfect will for Rebecca—and if so how can she know that will?
Rebecca’s Choice
Popular Amish fiction author Jerry Eicher finishes the Adam’s County Trilogy with an intriguing story of a young couple’s love, a community of faith, and devotion to truth. Rebecca Keim is now engaged to John Miller, and they are looking forward to life together. When Rebecca goes to Milroy to attend her beloved teacher’s funeral, John receives a mysterious letter accusing Rebecca of scheming to marry him for money.
Determined to forsake his past jealousies and suspicions, John tries hard to push the accusations from his mind. Upon Rebecca’s return, disturbing news quickly follows. She is named as the sole heir to her teacher’s three farms. But there’s a condition—she must marry an Amish man. When John confronts Rebecca, she claims to know nothing. Soon Rachel Byler, the vengeful but rightful heir to the property, arrives and reveals secrets from the past. Now the whole community is reeling!
More fine Amish fiction
from Harvest House Publishers…
Rachel’s Secret
BJ Hoff
Bestselling author BJ Hoff promises to delight you with her compelling new series, The Riverhaven Years. With the first book, Rachel’s Secret, Hoff introduces a new community of unforgettable characters and adds the elements you have come to expect from her novels: a tender love story, the faith journeys of people we grow to know and love, and enough suspense to keep the pages turning quickly.
When the wounded Irish-American riverboat captain, Jeremiah Gant, bursts into the rural Amish setting of Riverhaven, he brings chaos and conflict to the community—especially for young widow Rachel Brenneman. The unwelcome “outsider” needs a safe place to recuperate before continuing his secret role as an Underground Railroad conductor. Neither he nor Rachel is prepared for the forbidden love that threatens to endanger a man’s mission, a woman’s heart, and a way of life for an entire people.
Where Grace Abides
BJ Hoff
In the compelling second book in the series, Hoff offers you an even closer look at the Amish community of Riverhaven and the people who live and love and work there. Secrets, treachery, and persecution are only a few of the challenges that test Rachel’s faith and her love for the forbidden “outsider,” while Gant’s own hopes and dreams are dealt a life-changing blow, rendering the vow he made to Rachel seemingly impossible to honor.
Many of the other characters first introduced in Rachel’s Secret now find their gentle, unassuming lives of faith jeopardized by a malicious outside influence. At the same time, those striving to help runaway slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad face deception and the danger of discovery.
All the elements you have come to expect from author BJ Hoff (romance, drama, great characters) join together in Where Grace Abides to fill the pages with a tender, endearing love story and a bold, inspiring journey of faith.
Shadows of Lancaster County
Mindy Starns Clark
Following up on her extremely popular Gothic thriller, Whispers of the Bayou, Mindy Starns Clark offers another suspenseful stand-alone mystery full of Amish simplicity, dark shadows, and the light of God’s amazing grace.
Anna thought she left the tragedies of the past behind when she moved from Pennsylvania to California, but when her brother vanishes from the genetics lab where he works, Anna has no choice but to head back home. Using skills well-honed in Silicon Valley, she follows the high-tech trail her brother left behind, a trail that leads from the simple world of Amish farming to the cutting edge of DNA research and gene mapping.
Anna knows she must depend on her instincts, her faith in God, and the help of the Amish community to find her brother. She also must finally face her own shadows—and pray that she’s stronger than the grief that threatens to overwhelm them all.
Amish-fiction lovers may also enjoy
cooking the Amish way….
The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook: Plainly Delicious Recipes from the Simple Life
by Georgia Varozza
Straight from the heart of Amish country, this celebration of hearth and home will delight you with the pleasures of the family table as you take a peek at the Amish way of life—a life filled with the self-reliance and peace of mind that many long for.
You will appreciate the tasty, easy-to-prepare recipes such as Scrapple, Graham “Nuts” Cereal, Potato Rivvel Soup, Amish Dressing, and Snitz Pie. At the same time you’ll learn a bit about the Amish, savor interesting tidbits from the “Amish Kitchen Wisdom” sections, find out just how much food it takes to feed the large number of folks attending preaching services, barn raisings, weddings, work frolics, and much more.
Shoo-Fly Pie
2 8-inch unbaked pie crusts
SYRUP: CRUMB TOPPING:
1 cup molasses 2 cups flour
½ cup brown sugar ¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten ⅓ cup butter
1 cup hot water ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda,
dissolved in hot water
Mix syrup ingredients thoroughly together. Divide mixture in half and pour into the two unbaked pie shells. Thoroughly mix together the ingredients for the crumb topping. Divide and sprinkle crumb topping onto the two pies.
Bake at 450° for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350° and continue baking until done, about another 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-one
Twenty-two
Twenty-three
Twenty-four
Twenty-five
Twenty-six
Twenty-seven
Twenty-eight
Twenty-nine
Thirty
Thirty-one
Thirty-two
Thirty-three
Thirty-four
Thirty-five
Thirty-six
Thirty-seven
Thirty-eight
Thirty-nine
Forty
Discussion Questions
About Jerry Eicher…
Other fine Harvest House Amish fiction from Jerry Eicher…
More fine Amish fiction from Harvest House Publishers…
Amish-fiction lovers may also enjoy cooking the Amish way….
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