The Ladies of Lancaster County: The Blessings of True Friendship: Book 5

By Patty Stansell

Isaacs parents, friends, and especially Abby, his betrothed, are worried sick he will have brain damage from all the time he spent under the ice. Granted he could also get pneumonia. They all knew the outcome is in Gods hands.

Darcy is asked to take a leave of absence from Dr. Ken Caseys office to come help her friend, Laura, with Joshua.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Authors Press
• Release date: Jul 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643141244

Patty Stansell

Patty Stansell grew up in southern Oregon. Her passion for the written word was fueled by the Christian mentoring of Pastor Bob Ortega. This combined with her lifelong love of the Amish and Mennonite cultures brought her to write this series, The Ladies of Lancaster County.

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Copyright © 2019 by Patty Stansell

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Family Members

Amish Glossary

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Prologue

Abby found Isaac to be the love of her life. She didn’t know what she would do without him. God, please help us with this situation. she pleaded with her Heaven ly Father.

Laura and Jacob are having their first set of twins after Joshua Abraham Yoder. They are just arriving at the lake and Jacob is fearful the stress of her brooder going into the lake will be too much for her to handle being this far along with the twins.

Dr. Melvin Getz is in the ambulance in hopes he can be of assistance in saving Isaac from the cold waters of the lake. Isaac is Estelle’s nephew, his new wife, and now he is Isaac’s uncle. He prayed harder than he had in years. He also has Laura and her twins to worry about with the stress this is causing.

Darcy has been out to help at the Rohrer place after being asked to take a leave of absence from her job with Dr. Ken Casey. She has blended into the fold as though she has always been there. She is with Joshua at this very moment.

Adam Zook has moved to Lancaster County to be closer to his sister, Ruthie Lapp. Ruthie is married to Robert Lapp, the town’s only vet. Robert has made his business fit around his family, so he can be of assistance to Ruthie with the new additions to their family. The two older kinner Robbie and Ginnie are also a big help with the triplets God bestowed upon them. Not to mention Adam’s two kinner he needs help with until he finds a woman to marry to be the mamm for the two kinner. He lost his wife in childbirth when she was delivering Anna Rachael, now just a few months shy of a year old.

Darcy has been taken with Adam’s kinner since she first laid eyes on them. They cling to her as though she is their mamm already, she loves them back and even as young as they are they can feel it clear to the bone.

When Darcy looked at them with love in her eyes the two kinner would kiss her and Darcy knew just how wunderbaar gut God was to them.

∞

Chapter 1

When Isaac disappeared into the lake and from sight, all Abby could do was scream. She saw buggies coming, would they get there in time to help Isaac. She didn’t have her skates all the way laced up, so she was of no help to the man she adored. There was a buggy coming, ‘Please God, let him be all right,’ if he just got wet would be all right with her. She started yelling at the buggy and motioning with her hand to hurry. Abby stood pointing out on the lake.

The first couple coming was Daniel and Lisa. Daniel would know what to do. As the buggy pulled up Daniel jumped down to see what was wrong with his sister. He didn’t see anything out there.

Abby, what is it? Get a hold of yourself so you can tell me, Daniel stated firmly. He needed her to think.

It’s Isaac. I can’t see him; one minute he was there and then he just disappeared. Please hurry and go see if you can help him. He was close to the other side straight across from here, Abby pointed.

Lisa had reached the two of them with their skates in her hand. However, Daniel didn’t waste time; he started running as fast as he could. He knew that it could mean the difference between life and death if he didn’t hurry. The closer he got, he still didn’t see anything of Isaac. Did he get to close to the edge where it might not be safe, Daniel wondered?

Abby couldn’t stop her sobbing. Lisa tried to comfort her; however, she couldn’t stop watching Daniel. There was still no sign of Isaac’s head. Lisa remembered an accident a few years back where someone got to close to the edge and went into the ice-cold water. They pulled that person out and got him home for warm dry clothing. Besides catching a cold, nothing else had happened. ‘Please Lord, let Daniel help Isaac and please Father keep them safely in Your arms.’

Both Lisa and Abby felt so helpless standing there. Two other buggies had just pulled up; another part of their group from church. The two guys went to help Daniel when they heard what had happened. The one had taken time to grab a rope that he carried in the back of his buggy.

The girls were watching, holding hands and praying. They were each saying their own prayer to God. It had now been several minutes, and they still didn’t see any sign of Isaac’s head.

Daniel reached the spot where Isaac had gone in. He didn’t understand why Isaac wasn’t coming up. It looked like he was just standing there in the water. His head must have been two feet under the top of the water and his arms were stretched out. Daniel was on his belly trying to see what the problem was. He was about to reach down in the water to see if he could get a hold of the top of Isaac’s head, when the other two from church came up.

Daniel, what seems to be the problem? I have a rope here. The hole seems large enough for him to come up. What is he doing? Michael asked.

Look down at his foot; it seems to be caught on something, Elias said.

Daniel ripped off his jacket, and just before jumping into the icy water he tied the rope around his waist. Daniel said, Michael, take a gut hold of the other end of the rope. I am going down to free his foot from the branch.

Daniel didn’t waste any time as he jumped into the lake. After all, this was his lifelong friend and soon to be brooder-in-law.

Michael and Elias both gripped the rope, giving Daniel just enough to get to the bottom of Isaac’s feet.

Daniel freed Isaac’s skate from the branch. Now if he could just get him to the top before it was too late. He had his eyes open when he dove in the water and he could see Isaac was not breathing. Daniel began rising to the top bringing Isaac up with him.

Both Michael and Elias had started pulling on the rope once they saw Isaac’s foot was free. When Daniel reached the surface, he gasped air into his lungs. Isaac still had not taken in a breath, not yet anyway.

Give me a hand with Isaac, he is not breathing, let’s get him up on the ice and try getting some air into his lungs, Daniel barked orders, not to be bossy but trying to save Isaac’s life.

Here now, I’ve got a hold of him, Elias said as he pulled Isaac from the water onto the ice.

Abby and the girls had been watching everything from afar. Abby could not bring herself to go to him. ‘Please God, help them.’ She saw them first take Isaac from the water, and then they helped Daniel out of that ice-cold lake.

Lisa was saying a silent prayer for her husband. ‘Father I wish Daniel hadn’t risked his life.’ She realized without being able to let him know they were going to have a bobbeli, she was being selfish. Please Father forgive me. Let them revive Isaac and the right time would present itself for me to tell him after we know Isaac is all right. Today out on the lake is the time I chose to let him know he would be a daed. But right now, she needed to be praying for Isaac, not worry about the time she chose to tell Daniel about the bobbeli she carried. Please Father save my beloved husband also.’

Daniel gave Isaac mouth to mouth resuscitation. Abby watched him working diligently on Isaac out there on the lake. Daniel was soaking wet, but it didn’t stop him. He was the oldest out there and felt he needed to be in charge. He had come as one of the chaperones, so it was his duty to do everything in his power to get Isaac breathing.

Daniel kept pumping Isaac’s chest and then back to giving him air. Daniel knew if he didn’t get his friend to take a breath soon, it would be over for him. Daniel looked up to the others standing there. He didn’t know how long he could do this, but someone needed to go for Dr. Getz.

Michael, could you go get Dr. Getz. He will be at home with his wife, Estelle. Ask him to call the ambulance, and then come back to the lake, Daniel asked.

Jah, sure I will. I will be back as quickly as possible. God, please help us here, Michael said as he started running for his buggy.

Elias had followed him and grabbed blankets out of his own buggy and went back out to where Daniel was giving Isaac mouth to mouth. Elias draped a blanket over Daniel’s shoulders and the other he put over Isaac. He felt so helpless standing there.

Could I give you a break Daniel? I took CPR classes last year, so I know what to do, Elias said.

Jah, a break would be great. Take over on the count of three, Daniel turned the CPR over to Elias for a few minutes. He hadn’t caught his own breath from being beneath the water for so long.

Daniel looked over to where Lisa stood holding Abby in her arms, letting her sob on her shoulder. The other two girls that came with Michael and Elias were also consoling Abby to the best of their ability. Daniel didn’t want to think of how broken hearted his beloved sister would be if they could not revive Isaac.

She had waited all this time to finally find a beau; she had stayed mostly to home if she was not involved with a church outing or a church service. She had been working with their mamm in the house and gardens learning all she could to be the wife she would one day become.

Daniel still had hope that Isaac would pull through, he was not going to give up on him, not yet anyway.

Daniel and Elias were with Isaac taking turns now with the CPR. They would each take their turn at praying while the other worked on Isaac.

Daniel heard someone coming in an automobile, it must be Dr. Getz, praise God he had arrived. Being an older gentleman, he was still in gut shape and trotted over the ice with his black bag in hand. Mel’s trot made Daniel smile.

Daniel, the ambulance is on its way. Let me in there to spell you, I may need you to spell me if they don’t hurry. Before I take over, tell me how long Isaac was under the water? Dr. Getz asked.

Elias, take my place while I explain to Dr. Getz what I know? Daniel asked. Without further ado Elias took over.

I am not exactly sure. He was already under when I arrived; Abby was just about to start out here to try to help him when I arrived. When she told me the details of what happened I ran out here. The other two fellas here showed up and brought a rope. I tied it on and jumped in to help Isaac, when he had gone into the water, he got his skate caught in a branch off that tree that fell into the lake last fall. Once I freed his skate we got him right out and started the CPR. How long will it take for the ambulance to arrive? Daniel asked. Just then he heard the ambulance and the fire truck sirens announcing their arrival. Praise God Daniel thought. ‘Please God help us to help Isaac.’

The ambulance arrived, and the men unloaded the stretcher, and then put more blankets on it. They ran across the ice to where their patient lay. They looked at Dr. Getz for instruction.

Just as Dr. Getz was giving instruction, Elias had given Isaac several gut pumps with his hand and was just about to give the mouth to mouth when Isaac spewed water all over him. Elias looked up to the Lord soaking wet and gave his praises to God.

By now Isaac was coughing still trying to rid the water from his lungs.

Take it easy son, Dr. Getz said calmly.

Let’s get him on the stretcher and get those blankets on him. We need to get him to the hospital and get him warmed up slowly, Dr. Getz was telling the EMT’s.

Daniel wanted to be there and go with his sister to the hospital, as he knew no one could stop her from going and he didn’t want her to be alone.

Abby, wait I’ll go with you in the ambulance. Michael, can you make sure my wife, Lisa, gets home safely? Also, please see to Isaac’s buggy and horse.

Lisa, tell the parents what happened and send someone over to Isaac’s parents’ house to let them know we are at the hospital. Will you do that for us mei liewi? Daniel kissed her cheek and jumped into the back of the ambulance with Abby and the others. Make sure you tell them he is conscious.

Dr. Getz, Daniel isn’t telling me everything, is he? Lisa wanted to know from their family doctor.

I didn’t hear what he told you mei liewi. They are doing the very best they can for Isaac. Now it is in God’s hands. The best thing we could all do for Isaac right now is to pray. Pray without ceasing all of you, Dr. Getz looked at the others still standing there. Everywhere you go, ask people to pray. Tell them God needs to hear as many prayers as possible. Isaac is our brooder in Christ, we all love him and Abby sure doesn’t need to lose him now. That girl has been a true follower of Jesus for as long as Mel could remember. ‘Please Father God don’t let Abby down or any of the rest of us. Father we pray this in Your Son’s precious name. Amen.’ Dr. Getz said and left in his car as he was needed at the hospital.

They arrived at the hospital; Daniel and Abby dove out the back end of the ambulance to get out of the way of the EMT’s. A team came through the ER door, some holding the door open and some helping to get the patient into a stall.

Dr. Mel Getz arrived and parked in the space with his name on it. He had run by the house since