Amish culture and breaking free, Part 2

PARKE COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Levi and Elam Fisher are the head of their family's household.

They are excommunicated Amish, living in Parke County, Indiana.

Both of them drive, but neither of them have a driver's license.

They use a car because they believe God made it available for them.

"We don't need a drivers license. We don't need a registration. It's not meant to be that way," Levi Fisher said.

Despite their religious views, state laws see it differently.

Elam is spending six months in jail, for getting pulled over twice without a license.

"It's not about justice. It's about money and control," Elam Fisher said.

He leaves Mary, their children and Levi to keep up the household and farm.

"The hardest part for me is being away from the family, but my wife is doing a great job. She's trying to stay strong and brave," Elam Fisher said.

After prayer, it's time for breakfast.

What the Amish consider a pretty standard breakfast, would be a pretty special one for lots of people.

For starters, it's all home grown.

On today's menu - fresh cantaloupe, mint tea, corn meal mush and pork pudding.

Then, more prayer.

The family calls this time devotion.

After that, the kids go to school.

However, they don't go far.

11-year-old Isaac, 9-year-old Lavina and 5-year-old Christian learn from home.

They learn the basics: reading, writing and arithmetic.

"I'm so thankful that the Lord brought us out, to where we're able to see, he had so much grace for us, you know because I just wouldn't have seen that," Mary Fisher said.

Mary believes in learning by doing.

"If they have their own chores and they know that is their work, that is their duty," Mary Fisher said.

After school, the kids head for the field.

Today, they dig up potatoes.

Then, it's time for lunch; before lunch, more prayer.

Again, a second meal some would consider special: fresh vegetables, deer meat, homemade bread, honey and peanut butter.

After lunch, the kids are back to work, washing dishes, feeding pigs and gathering eggs.

However, all the work pays off.

Now, it's play time.

Their favorite game is Single Base.

Now for supper, the third meal of the day, all homemade and homegrown: pasta with char, goose meat, mashed potatoes, eggplant patties and kale salad, homemade yogurt and molasses for dessert.

The kids milk the cow once more and Mary does laundry.

It's time for us to leave before bedtime.

"There's something about being so free, you just feel so free, so pure, and you don't know how to experience that but it's a rejoicing," Mary Fisher said.

"We also want to give it as a testimony to the people to where this message is going," Levi Fisher said.

It was a rare peak into the lives of people who we rub shoulders with everyday, but know nothing about.