Amish Friendship Bread

Have you this before?  It is beyond me.  

My friend Nicole gave it to me after the Honeymooner Guy/Girl Night.  She made it for the guys.  Except they renamed it to be called "Bro Bread."  After talking with her about the recipe, she said she had a starter bag.  I have heard of starter bags for bread, but I never really understood them.  So here's what I understand....

Some one gave Nicole a bag of this "stuff" called a starter bag.  She "fed" it and mushed it up for 10 days until it was ready to cook.  Before she started to bake it, she scoop out a little of the "stuff" to make 4 new starter bags.  I got one of the starter bags.  So now I'm going to "feed" it.  You put milk, flour and sugar in it twice and mush it every other day.  And you don't put it in the refrigerator, so it begins to ferment.  It's kind of gross if you think about it.  And on the 10th day after you add the milk flour and sugar, that is when I will scoop our some and put in 4 new bags.  Then I will give it away to some friends.  If I give it to 4 people, I won't be able to make the bread until someone give me a bag.  Or I can keep one and bake bread every 10 days.  I don't get it.  

So who started it?  And why can't you make your own starter bag?   Why does it take 10 days to make it?  How is it okay to not refrigerate it?  What if everyone in the world that had a starter bag decided not to make their bread, would Amish Friendship Bread just die?

The 10th day, which is baking day is tomorrow.  So I'm excited to see how my Friendship Bread, or "Bro Bread" to Matt, turns out tomorrow.  I'll let you  know.  And maybe if you are lucky you'll get a starter bag.