by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Day 1

Traveling on a bumpy dirt road on a donkey. Really? A donkey? At least my new husband was thoughtful enough that I don’t have to walk. My back already hurts from the baby inside. I’m not sure which is worse, riding or walking. If I ride – wait – let me back up a little, explain why I’m traveling and most importantly, why I’m pregnant.

It started when I was doing my chores and a strange man came up to me. He told me he was an angel from the Lord and God wanted me to carry his son. This really confused me at first. God wanted me pregnant? I wasn’t even married! I was engaged to my husband Joseph at the time. In my culture, it’s a shameful thing to be pregnant when you’re not married. But I was raised to say yes when the Lord asks. So I did.

Then our land’s ruler had this plan to make everybody return to their hometowns to be counted. Yes, the ruler is a man. He obviously didn’t think of pregnant women like me. I tell you, someday they need to think up a better way to travel. (more…)

the story of Libbey Eicher as told to Sarah Rupp

(If you missed the first part of this story, you can find it here.)

Libbey saw a total of 35 doctors, many different specialists, and had three more surgeries to try to correct her spine. “Many of [the doctors] would look at me and tell me that they’ve never seen anything like my case before and didn’t know how to help me.” Libbey says. “It was frustrating.”

Libbey doubted anyone could help her, until she went to New York to meet a new doctor. He felt he might be able to correct the spinal deformity with a two part surgery, one eight hours and one four.

“The pain was so horrible and [I had] seizures,” Libbey says about the surgery. “Some nights I would pray to Jesus to take me home because I didn’t think I could take the intense pain anymore. But it must not have been my time yet because I am still here today!”

A smile on her face almost constantly, one would never know Libbey is in pain. “Normally I don’t fall asleep until 2 or 3 in the morning because of the pain, and I am unable to get comfortable,” she explains. (more…)

the story of Libbey Eicher as told to Sarah Rupp

Libbey walked with confidence through the door of the hospital to get examined, a requirement to volunteer there. She’d always been in good health, positive she had nothing to worry about. But as she sat in the room at the hospital, it all began to change. The doctor found a slight curvature of Libbey’s spine, known as scoliosis.

“At first, my curve was 18 degrees, which is mild, I just had to do some exercises to help build up my strength.” Libbey explains.

But in the next six months, her curve nearly doubled to 34 degrees and she was fitted for a brace. When she got the brace a month later, it wouldn’t fit her right. The frustrated doctors then realized Libbey’s spine was now a severe curve, 49 degrees, which explained why the brace did not fit right.

“The brace was very bulky at first, and made me feel a little self-conscious,” Libbey admits. “But I did eventually get used to wearing it and found clothes that fit good over the brace.”

A few months later, after deep discussions with her parents and her doctor, Libbey and her family decided they would try to correct her spine with spinal fusion surgery. “I honestly wasn’t very nervous until the day of the surgery which was [three months later],” Libbey confesses. “I never knew exactly what was coming.” (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Go out on the streets and pray for people? That’s just not my thing. Walking up to a random person and saying, “Can I pray for you?” can prove to be, well, awkward.

So I made sure I teamed up with the most outgoing, people-loving girl I could find. That way I wouldn’t have to do any talking.

Holding a box of pop in one hand (or soda, as they call it here in Reading, Pennsylvania), and brochures that tell about Christ and how to accept Him in the other, I roamed the sidewalks of the busy city, following my partner around. I had full intentions to be the one who handed out the pop along with the brochure and smiled, managing to escape every opportunity that involved speaking.

So my partner prayed for a couple of people, and I did my job; and very well, I might add. Hey, it’s not easy handing out pop and brochures all day. I mean, you have to…to…okay, I’m lying, maybe it is easy. But I’d do anything not to talk to people. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

I slouched in my seat, looking at my hands folded in my lap. Glancing over my shoulder, I hoped to see one of my friends walking through the door of the room where my church youth group meets. No such luck. I gripped my chair as I scanned the room. It was full of unfamiliar faces. Being a freshman is the most awkward time, and I hated it.

My heart raced faster as I spotted Leah, an older girl, coming toward me. I looked away as I tried to calm myself. She wouldn’t talk to me anyway, I thought. She’s a senior. (more…)

The story of Eileen Rufenacht as told to RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Eileen limped down the hall of the hospital on her way to see her dying mother, maybe for the last time. All her siblings were already in the room, but Eileen struggled to get there. I really need get my leg worked on by the chiropractor.

A Problem
“I thought something was wrong with my leg, because it wouldn’t work right.” Eileen says. But when she went to the chiropractor, he sent her to the doctor for an MRI. “I thought it was for my leg…it turned out they wanted to see what was going on in my brain.”

After an MRI, the doctor found a non-cancerous growth in her brain, which needed to be surgically removed. Doctors educated her about the brain surgery, even stating she would be back to work in six weeks. “I thought if I could have a baby and come back within 3 weeks, I thought I could have this [surgery] and come back in 3 weeks.” Eileen says.

But things did not go as planned. (more…)

By RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

I was forced to write this poem for a writing program I was in called Christian Writer’s Guild. Understand, I hate writing poetry. I was nearing the deadline to write my poem and would soon have to send it to my writing mentor. So, on short notice, I decided to write a poem about hating poetry: (more…)

By RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Could the way society presents dating be messing with God’s ultimate plan for relationships? Is the media so in love with the idea of dating that we forget it’s supposed to be a special experience?

Since eighth grade, I’ve prayed God will help keep me pure and wait for the right guy to come along whom I would eventually marry. I even made up a list of characteristics this special man of my future would have.

Making a list is a great thing to do while you’re still single. We all think we know what we want in a dating relationship, but very few of us write it down and really think about it. I talk with many girls in the middle of “boy drama” who wish they’d made a list.

Guys, this isn’t just for girls. Let’s give it a try!

1. Pray. This is the most important step to creating the list. God knows exactly what this person is like and would love to assist you in your list-making.

1. Dream. I imagine you already have an idea of what you want in a relationship. Looking at my list, I worry I’ll never find him. At those times, God gently whispers, “Wait for him. I’ll bring him to you when you’re ready. Don’t settle for anything less.”

1. Raise the standard. Chat with couples who have remained abstinent until marriage. What did they do to keep their purity? Raise the bar higher than you think. Temptation likes to sneak in and grab you. Talk with God about it. Ask Him how he wants you to protect your body and heart.

1. Take a look at your closest friends. What is it you like most about them? Add those personality traits to your list. I noticed my closest friends are outgoing, which offsets my introverted personality. They’re talkers, and I’m a listener. Imagine what it would be like if we were both listeners or both talkers!

1. Don’t be afraid to change your list. As you mature, you’ll gain a better idea of what your future spouse may be like. You’ll change it and add to it numerous times. Be flexible. It’s not written in stone. It’s in pencil on paper. There are these awesome little things called erasers…

1. Remember humans aren’t perfect. Finding the perfect person doesn’t mean he or she is without mistakes. Look through the characteristics on your list, and find places that may be his or her weaknesses. For example, since my man is an outgoing talker, I imagine his big mouth would often get him in trouble.

So go ahead…start writing! Have fun with it. Isn’t it awesome to think of your future spouse?

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Sarah Rupp is a freelance writer who loves God, reading, and music, as well as writing of course! You can find her over at her blog: http://sarahswordsofwitsdom.blogspot.com. She enjoys connecting with readers and other writers though comments.