Rachel Lapp

Living… on a farm in Amish Country with her young son Samuel. Her husband Jacob also used to live with them, but he was taken away from life so suddenly. It's not easy, but she consoles herself that Jacob is with God now.  

Visiting… Philadelphia to see her sister. Instead of getting them away from their troubles, though, they got into more. When they were at the train station, her son Samuel witnessed a homicide. And now her son is a potential target of the murderers. A police officer they met, John Book, says that the killers are cops who tried to murder him as well. John drives them back to Amish country for their own protection while getting rid of their file, but before he can head back to Philly he passes out from an earlier gunshot wound. They'll have to treat him in the Amish community, because if John checks in at a hospital, the cops might be able to track him down – and track down Samuel as well.

Profession… farmer. With Jacob gone, it's much harder to run the farm, especially in their busy spring season. Soon, they need to break ground for spring ploughing. But right now, farming has taken a backseat to caring for the injured John and then helping him blend into the Amish community as he figures out a plan.

Relationship Status… confusing. Daniel is courting her; he's handsome and is well-regarded in their community. But as she has been nursing John back to health, she is also developing feelings for him. Sometimes she wonders what it would be like if he stayed there.

Challenge… trying to shield Samuel from everything. Not only does she need to protect him from the murderers, but she also needs to make sure he doesn't get too close to John. She says, “I just don't like the idea of my son spending all this time with a man who carries a gun and goes around whacking people!” The violence of the big city has directly affected Samuel in a way that Rachel could never have imagined. But now that it has, John is likely Rachel and Samuel's best hope of ending the threat.

Personality… generous, reserved, and spiritual. The Amish life is very important to her. But John’s presence is making her aware of parts of herself that aren’t simply pious or plain.