Car Breakdown - God's Faithfulness

Back in May we went on our anniversary trip celebrating 15 years! Our girls had been picked up the day before by Grandma & Grandpa and we had just gotten on the highway and had been driving for about a half hour when I started to notice that the temperature gauge was fluctuating up and down very quickly. My first thought was, "Does it normally do this?" No! So I stopped the car along the highway and looked under the hood. There was radiator fluid spewing all over the engine with steam everywhere!!
Well, we don't have a cell phone because running a B&B means when you go away you want a break from the phone :) So, for about half and hour we tried signalling to cars (had the hood up and white rag hanging out the window) and no one stopped. Some waved but I think they all thought we had a cell phone.
I got a chair out for Jenny and thought to write a sign saying "No Phone" with a picture of a phone on it. We prayed it would work.
Right away a truck pulled off in front of us. It was far away but as I got closer I noticed the word on the back: FAITH. Wow, it turns out that Glenn and Reed were both Baptist preachers and Reed runs a mission in Jamaica called Faith mission. They offered us their phone and said they would not leave us until AAA arrived. While we were waiting I shared about my music and the wanted to see my dulcimer.

My dulcimer was given to me by a guest a few years ago, Rick Meyers, who lives in North Carolina. (See earlier blog). It turns out that Glenn and Reed, who are from South Carolina, live near the border and know Rick. Amazing!
Our AAA tower was kind and also a Christian. He called a mechanic, Jim Reed, in Cambridge, who was able to get us in immediately. It turns out he is a fellow believer and he shared how he had been booked solid for the week and would not have been able to get us in but someone cancelled right before the AAA guy called. Coincidence? I think not.
Within two hours we were fixed up and on our way.
We had a great trip and were reminded of God's faithfulness and His care over every detail of our life.
A week after we got back Jim Reed called and booked a night for his anniversary and stayed with us. Below is there picture.

Another story of God's faithfulness during a breakdown happened a few years ago. We were on our way to a Dr's appointment and had just passed Lehman's Hardware in Kidron. All of a sudden the car had no power and we were just able to get it into Lehman's drive.
We had the girls with us, so we knew we would need someone to be able to take Jenny and them home as AAA only will allow two people in the tow truck.
We prayed again and went into Lehman's. I asked to use the phone as the cashier's station.
While on the phone with AAA a couple walked in the door that I recognized.
It turns out they were the only guests staying with us over the past few nights. He came up to me and asked what was going on. They were about to head to Sugar Creek so they could take Jenny and the girls and drop them off on the way. Again, amazing! What were the odds of that happening?
They could have been anywhere in Amish country or even in Lehman's and not run into us. But at the exact time that I am on the phone with AAA they walk in the door.

These experience serve as a reminder of the faithful God Who has revealed Himself in the Bible through His Son Jesus Christ. He truly is concerned about all the little details of our lives. Jesus said that not even a single sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing it (Matt 10:29). These are comforting thoughts :)

International Guests Staying at Hasseman House

People often ask us where most of our guests come from. The answer is that most do come from Ohio and neigboring states. Many looking for a vacation in a beautiful country setting such as Amish Coutnry, but who don't want to drive to far and spend a huge amount, end up staying with us.
But we do have guests from farther away. This past few weeks have been very international for us.
One night we had some walk-ins who were two Geologists. Giuseppe was from Rome, Italy and was an really good self taught pianist. After breakfast he played some Bach pieces very well for not being able to read music.
The other scientist was from Germany and his wife from Vietnam.
I enjoy using my limited German and speaking Deutsche with a real native.
This past week we had Cornelius and Dorothee stay with us (picture above). They were traveling in the States and are from Holland. I asked them if there really are a lot of tulips and they said there are and they are very impressive.
They had heard of Corrie Ten Boom, a true follower of Christ, who was from Amsterdam and who helped many Jews escape from the holocaust. Her autobiography, The Hiding Place, is a great book and was also made into a movie. The Boom house in which many Jews were hidden is not far from where Cornelius and Dorothee live.
Having international guests is one of the blessings of running a bed and breakfast. We meet so many people from so many walks of life and from so many places in the world!

Bluegrass at the Hasseman House!!

We were really blessed last week to have the Burkholder brothers stay with us here at the Hasseman House. I had met them and their wives this past summer while playing piano at the Amish Door Restaurant (I play every Saturday from 4-7 p.m.).

Because of our common interest in music they decided to stay a few days with us and bring their guitars. On the second night we had a bluegrass session in the parlor. We sing a lot of our favorite hymns and standards. Then, Wayne Miller, from the local music group, Holmes county Bluegrass, showed up with his wife. He was invited by the Burkholder's who are some of his biggest fans :) We had a great time and played a lot of fun music together. Having opportunities like this is just one of the many blessings of running the Hasseman House B&B.

It's hard to believe its nearing the end of November and that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. May this be a time for all of us to give thanks to the Lord for all He is and the great gift of His Son, Jesus Christ!

First Fish Caught at Hasseman House Pond!

Wow, do bluegill grow fast! We just had our new pond stocked a few months ago, so I had not planned on doing any fishing until next year. Well, last night a couple came, Judy & Charles. Judy had seen on our website that we have a new pond, so she came prepared. Fishing pole and gear, along with meal worms for bait :) So we went out and within minutes she caught the first fish to be caught in our pond. Above is a picture of her bluegill. So, it's official, we now have fishing available to our guests here at the Hasseman House. Of course we threw back the fish and we will have a catch and release policy so that we do not over-fish the pond.
I decided to get into the action and grabbed my pole. I was catching small large-mouth bass right away on my Rooster Tail spinner!
We had a great time and even Joy & Faith got their poles out and caught some. Judy plans on fishing again during her three night stay with us.

We are also so excited about all that has been going on at the Hasseman House Property. This year an active Amish Farm, Wholesome Valley Farms, started up. It has been great having fresh chemical free produce available right next door. They also sell a whole line of natural foods, like Maple Syrup, local honey, and fresh ground grains. Many of our guests stop in and have really been impressed!

Last week they had the first Family Fun day which was a big success. Local vendors were making goat soap, baskets, apple butter, and other fun items. The all natural fresh potato chips cooked on the spot in a fire heated kettle were awesome. The stew and chili, also cooked on an open fire were also extremely tasty. The children also enjoyed pony rides and a jump house. We are looking forward to next year's Family Fun Day.
October is in full swing here and we are keeping busy. The leaves are turning and the weather this past week has been beautiful.

We are so thankful to God, who gives such blessings!

New Guests and New Friends - Plus Goats:)

Moshe & Rivka with Joy & Faith

Wow! It's been a while since we blogged. So much has been happening here at the Hasseman House and the new Wholesome Valley Farms started here this Spring on the Amish farm. In the last blog I shared how we had 300 chickens arrive. Well, now there are also 10 goats to add to the mix. We've had a lot of fun feeding them and one of them, Sassy, you have to watch out for :)





Joy chasing the goats








Our pond has filled up the the brim and we are enjoying the new aspect it gives to the Hasseman House property. I really enjoy flying my RC Super Cub on floats and landing/taking off on it. Many of our Guests receive an RC show in the evening when I'm out flying.





A picture of "Mary" flying - taken by Moshe






Last month we were super blessed with a couple who came as walk-ins. Moshe & Rivka Katvan are Israeli Sabras who live in New York and work as professional photographers. We really hit if off with them and when they left they were now new friends. This past week our local Bargain Hunter News Paper came out with an article on them and the shots they took of Amish Country while staying with us. Here is a link to the article: http://www.holmesbargainhunter.com/article/20110630/FEATURES/706309977/-1/hbh







This was another reminder of how much we are blessed to do what we do as Innkeepers. We meet so many interesting people and have formed so many friendships through our work here at the Hasseman House B&B. We truly see what we do as a ministry of hospitality and are reminded of the Lord's admonition in Hebrews 13: 2, " Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." We really never know just who might walk in the door when we greet our guests.

The Chickens Have Arrived!!!!!

Exciting things are happening here on the Hasseman House Property! The new Amish Door Farms is being started up this year. Our local Amish neighbors, the Keims, are heading up the venture.

A few days ago a trailer load of 300 full grown chickens was delivered to the movable chicken coop. We helped with moving the chickens from the trailer to the coop and I've never before had the experience of holding in each hand two flapping and upset chickens, upside down :) It was quite an experience!

Joy, Faith & I just got in from the first round-up of catching chickens and putting them in their coop to protect them from predators. It was like a game! The chickens were hiding under the coop, but I had an idea to use the hose I hooked up to scare them into the open. It worked and there was no harm done to the chickens except for a little water ;)

Amazingly, a few months ago we had some guests stay with us who raised chickens and told us how much fun it is. Less than a month later, when visiting the Keims, I was asked if our girls would be interested in a job of herding chickens in each night. Chickens? Yes, and had not only a dozen chickens, but 300! In big and little ways the Lord shows how He knows the desires of our hearts even before we ask Him--Psalm 37:4. Also, Joy & Faith have expressed interest in goats and horse before, and guess what?...they are in the works too. What an opportunity for them to learn elements of the Amish farm lifestyle.

Well, it's about time I blogged. I am not going to make any more statements saying I will blog every few weeks as 3 months have passed instead. But, when I can, I will :-}

Happy New Year 2011 from the Hasseman House!!

Well, Happy New Year to you all in 2011!! I have been so behind in blogging. When I started it up I blogged about every two weeks. Now it's been about 3 months since I last blogged. Isn't that how life goes. I will say though, that I was having some issues with the blogger not letting me type in the content, but finally found our that clearing the cache is the answer. Maybe that will be helpful to you all. Things are going well with us at the Hasseman House Bed & Breakfast http://amishdoor.com/content/hassemanhouse.php.

We are pretty slow as usual in January, but this is a down time that allows us to have a winter renewing. In the coming weeks I plan to share some of the special places we visited in the Holmes County in 2010. Places like Peter Dunn's and Wendell August Forge.

Our family is doing well. The picture of us was taken in December. Faith just turned 8 and Joy will be 10 in May. Wow! Does time fly. My latest musical interest is the Irish Penny Whistle. I've experimented making a low D out of PVC pipe and it works great. Plans can be found here and are a lot of fun: http://www.ggwhistles.com/howto/

I have started playing piano most Saturdays at the Amish Door Restaurant from ~ 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. I really enjoy doing this. Say hi to me if you come out sometime.

Well, hopefully my next post will not be months away. Thanks for reading and God bless!!