The Home Stretch

David explained that he does not remove himself from modern life as a way to condemn it, but rather because he prefers the more simple, nonmaterialistic Amish lifestyle. "I honestly can't say that there are a lot of things that I think, 'Oh, I just wish I would have that,'" Emily added. "Because I just love what we're doing."

Emily's father, David Kline, a writer and farmer, explained that the intention of the Amish lifestyle is not denial for its own sake. Rather, the purpose of the simple life is to preserve those things they value most. "We are not against technology," he said. "We just hope to not allow the technology to be masters of us. That's liberty—to slow down and to enjoy life, visit with friends and have the family at home."

David Kline suggested that many people in modern society are searching for fulfillment in all the wrong places. "It seems as though people almost have a void they want to fill and they go to the store and are consumed by that urge to buy more and more," he said. "This material stuff just doesn't satisfy in the long run."

"To live in such simplicity, without modern conveniences, shows you don't need a lot," Oprah says.