Record Anniversary at the Hasseman House! 66 Years!!!

Glenn and Ruth from the Dayton area honored us by choosing to spend their 66 year anniversary with us on March 20th, the first day of Spring. Yes, that's right!  66 Years! In the ten years we have been Innkeepers this is certainly a record.

Congratulations to the wonderful couple and blessings for years to come! They are blessed with two daughters and many grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Glenn, 91 years old, is also a WWII veteran. God has blessed them in so many ways throughout their marriage. Ruth shared how she feels  their marriage has been nearly perfect in so many ways.

What an example they set to the younger generations! Our growing daughters, Joy and Faith, are flanking them in the picture. Jenny and I will be celebrating 17 years this May and if God gives us the health, we hope someday we will also hit the milestone that Glenn and Ruth have. :)

Living Hasseman House History

We were blessed this year to have a stop in from Mark Hasseman. Mark is from Colorado and is the son of Doyle Hasseman, one of the three children of William and Olgerita "Olgie" Hasseman. The other son's name was Thereon and their sister was Rhea. All three Hasseman children have passed on.

In the above picture Mark Hasseman stands in front of a picture of his grandparents

Mark was thrilled to take a slow reminiscing tour of the house and we could tell it sparked a lot of fond memories. He talked about the great times he had visiting his grandparents when he was young. He was so exited to see how the house has been restored and is serving guests from around the world with a wonderful stay in Amish Country.

The Hasseman House was built in 1900 by the French Serquet (Sirkay) brothers from France and was at that time the largest house in Holmes County. Both the Serquet's and the Hassemans, who bought the house in 1919, were dairy farmers on the 300 acres of lush land.

There is so much history in this house and it was great to meet a living part of it in Mark Hasseman.
If walls could talk..................................................

Sprechen Sie Deutsche?

This past day I had the opportunity to practice and remember some of the German that I studied in high school. The Schilde family from Hamburg, Germany were a delight to have as guests. 

Last night we had the opportunity to play a German game with them called Kaker-Laken Salat, meaning, "Cockroach Salad". A simple game, it was a lot of fun. And they even gave it to us which was a real blessing.

The Schilde family has been living in the States for about 6 years in the Chicago area for work. Their son Jacob wanted to visit Amish Country so here they came :) Next on the itinerary is to visit other parts of the country including Washington D.C.

We always enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world, one of the highlights of Innkeeping. We hope to see the Schilde family and others like them again.

Until then: "Auf Wiedersehen!!!"

Wonderful Guests Come to Pray at Hasseman House

We were super blessed last week to have a group of 4 couples stay with us for a few nights. They rented all four rooms and really blessed us.

They are a group of friends who about 3 years ago started meeting together weekly to pray for their church, which was at that time having problems. God intervened and moved in mighty ways to work in the situation, and through it they became close friends and decided to continue meeting regularly for prayer, praise and fellowship.

We are so glad to picked us to stay with for a prayer retreat. On the first night we heard a beautiful sound as they were in the parlor with a guitar singing hymns. We felt led to join them and were welcomed into the time of singing and prayer. It was very touching.

As you can see from the picture below, Joy & Faith really enjoyed the visit too. They spent some time playing games with the group and also Pam, one of the ladies, taught the girls how to sew a special project for them to keep :)

This was our first group of 2013 and we really felt that it was a great way to start the year! Looking forward to seeing them all again in the future!!

WWII Veteran With an Amazing Testimony!

We were super blessed this past weekend to have Don & Terry Locke with their friend Merri stay with us for a few days here at the Hasseman House B&B!

Don, who is 92, is a WWII veteran with an amazing story. He was a fighter pilot
and flew the famous Mustang P-51.

My (Jason) Grandfathers were in WWII: on my Father's side a tank commander and on my Mother
side 5th Army anti aircraft. Jenny's Grandfather was also a paratrooper. So, meeting Don was a real treat!

When Don was 10 years old he overheard his father and "uncle Charlie" talking about Bible prophecy concerning the future nation of Israel. This, before the Holocaust and world war, was at present only a dream, but Don's father looking at what the Bible has to say about Israel becoming a nation again, said to his brother:   "The day that we see Israel become a nation again you can be sure the Lord's return is near"

Although growing up in a Christian home, Don never did choose to place his personal faith in Jesus Christ as His Savior.

During the war he saw much death and the effects of evil. He landed in Iwo Jima, Japan on March 6 1945, only months before the atomic bomb would be dropped on Hiroshima.

After the war he led a wayward life and admits that he didn't have much purpose.

When he was 29, on May 15 1948, he heard over the radio the amazing news the day after Israel was voted to be a nation.

He said that when he heard this "chills went up my spine" and from this point on he began to believe that God's Word is true. About a year later he received Christ and had a radical transformation take place in his life.

Don, has an amazing joy and exuberance that really touched our hearts. He sang a song with Joy & Faith and you can see the joy in his face :)

We are truly blessed as Innkeepers to come across wonderful people like this!!

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!!

Super Guests/Friends Staying At Hasseman House

One of the biggest blessings of being Innkeepers is the wonderful people we meet coming into our home on a daily basis. Many come as guests but leave as friends! I wanted to highlight some of the super guests/friends we've had in the past weeks.

We were really glad to have Tina Miley and here family stay with us for four days about 3 weeks ago. They were all the way from Louisiana and biked the whole way. It was a wonderful time of Christian fellowship and left us with a lot of joy about innkeeping :)

Then we had Sam & Jill stay with us. They are international missionaries who have been back in the States for the past year. We spent hours of encouraging and challenging conversation that left us uplifted in the Lord.

Daniel & Sara Adkins had stayed with us earlier this year and then returned with a whole house of family. Daniel and his two brothers, and parents stayed with us a night. It was a great time for Joy and Faith as they had a lot of fun playing with two of the Adkin girls who are about the same age.

Kevin & Alison Lee along with their daughter Lydia stayed with us earlier this year. Lydia had seen our porch kittie, Sweetie, in the window and urged her Mom & Dad to stay:) The girls became fast friends and they returned for two days this past week. We really have enjoyed building a friendship with them. They are also a fellow homeschooling family so we have a lot in common.

New Friends and a New Dulcimer

Wow! This week was such a blessing. We had Rick and Rita stay with us, a couple celebrating their 50th year anniversary!! God bless them for keeping the course that so many aren't in today's society!! They were our only guests before 5 nights fully booked starting today when they left. So we know God wanted us to get to know them. Of course they know the Lord Jesus as Savior and He is their Hope. The girls really enjoyed playing games with Rita a few of the nights. I really enjoyed playing Rick's handmade dulcimer that he brought with him. I was blown away when one morning he told me that he and Rita felt that God wanted them to give me the dulcimer. What a gift! It is beautifully made of solid black walnut and maple for a sound board and has hummingbirds built into the sound-hole. If you look at a previous blog I had mentioned that humming birds our one of our favorite birds. The sound is amazing on this dulcimer and I am really enjoying playing it, especially some hymns like I'll Fly Away, and Behold What Manner of Love. Be Thou My Vision also sounds especially nice with the D droning while I strum. Anyway, one more unexpected blessing that God bestows--But, the Christian fellowship was the best blessing of all :)

Visiting Schoenbrunn

A few weeks ago we started up our homeschooling year for Joy & Faith. One of the assignments is to visit an historic settlement in Ohio. We decided to visit Schoenbrunn Village. In a previous blog entry I shared about our seeing the outdoor play Trumpet in The Land which told the story of David Zeisburger at Gnadenhutten. Schoenbrunn was the other settlement he worked and lived at.

"First settled in 1772 by Moravian Missionary, David Zeisberger, Schoenbrunn (or "Beautiful Spring" in the native Delaware language) has become the window into our states past. Schoenbrunn Village grew to include over sixty dwellings and 300 Delaware Native Americans and Moravian missionaries. These residents drew up Ohio's first civil code and built its first Christian church and schoolhouse."

It was a really neat trip. The village has been reconstructed in detail based on historic findings. The buildings and layout of the village was very peaceful and conveyed a sense of what it would have been like to live there. The above picture is of the girls at the schoolhouse. They had fun with a scavenger hunt of places and things found throughout the village tour. Definitely worth visiting when you are in the area or staying with us at the Hasseman House. http://amishdoor.com/content/hassemanhouse.php.

I had shared in our first blog about the garden that Joy & Faith planted. We've had an abundant harvest of tomatoes from the four plants we put in - hundreds of them :) We bought a water bath canner and were able to can 12 quarts of tomatoes for the winter which was a new experience for us. Truly God provides us with what we need in all things.

Summer is fast fading away and Fall is almost here. We are thankful for the many blessings that the Lord bestows upon us and look forward to what He has in store for us as we serve Him together as a family here at the B&B.

Camping in Mohican

We were blessed this past week to have a getaway to Mohican (which is about a 45 minute drive for us and is in West Holmes County) for a 4 night camping trip. This was a great opportunity to spend some time together as a family and enjoy God's creation. We went to Camp Toodik, which is one of our favorite Camp Grounds. It has very clean bathrooms and, best of all, an outdoor heated pool that I guess they must keep about 85 degrees. We spent most of our time at the pool just enjoying the great weather and splashing around :). Camping is one of our favorite things to do together as a family.

Mennonite Relief Sale in Kidron

We just went to the Mennonite Relief Sale in Kidron that is a yearly event in the area. All the funds go to relief efforts throughout the world. Our first stop was at the used book sale. It is a great place to find books for the girls and is by a donation basis. The highlight for me was the Laotian egg rolls. They are wonderful. Last year I liked them so much that I've been really looking forward to them. I even brought my own soy sauce :) The fresh lemonade is also a real treat. Also the Gerbers chicken is very popular and the homemade ice cream. Joy & Faith really enjoy the train ride. Pulled by a tractor train, about 15 little trolleys made from oil barrels go zooming in and around all the people at the sale. It was hard to pull them away after their ride. The Mennonite Relief Sale is definitely something worth going to if you are in the area the first Friday and Saturday of August.

Thankful For My Country Bike

For the past week and a half our car has been in the shop as we mentioned our breakdown and God's provision in our last post. I am so thankful for my bike, as it has been my way of transportation and hauling cargo. The Amish in our area ride bikes alot. There are many Amish owned bike shops and there is one right over the hill from the Hasseman House. You'll notice on the picture my bright orange milk cart attached on the back. I bought this from my Amish neighbor's bike shop. This is what they do to carry groceries. etc. It works really well. Just the other day I carried 4 gallons of milk plus books and produce home from Winesburg.

I also worked out a pannier set from some luggage duffel bags that works really well and I can carry alot of laundry and supplies for the Bed and Breakfast. Still, I will be glad to get the car back. But it's good to know I can get by with my bike if I need to. Plus it's good exercise :)

Piano Music at Amish Door Restaurant

I like to let our guests know that I play piano twice a month at the Amish Door Restaurant http://www.amishdoor.com/. I play the 2nd and 4th Saturday every month from about 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Amish Door has an 8 0z. sirloin special on the 2nd Saturday and a 10 oz. prime rib special on the 4th Saturday. So you are sure to get good food while I trust you listen to good music :) I really enjoy doing this and play a lot of my own arrangements. I have arranged many of the older Christian hymns into my own style. I also play classical, some jazz (Charlie Brown!), waltzes, show tunes, and many other well known songs. The piano is positioned in the front of the restaurant so ask for a seat that is close enough to hear.

I am always getting requests for a CD, so this is a project that I plan to undertake in the near future. Also requested, I like to play for our guests here at the Hasseman House Bed and Breakfast http://amishdoor.com/content/hassemanhouse.php.

I wanted to share a testimony of God's faithfulness this past week. On Tuesday all four of us were heading to a Dr. appointment, when in Kidron the car broke down. We were just able to get into the Lehman's Hardware parking lot. Since AAA only takes one person, we prayed that God would provide a way to get the girls home. Amazingly, when I was on the phone at Lehman's calling AAA, our only guests staying with us walk up to us and ask us what is going on. We told them about the car situation and it turns out they were on there way to Sugarcreek which means that our home at the B&B is on the way. What are the odds? They could have been anywhere in Amish Country. They could even have been at Lehman's - but it is such a big store they could have missed us. But they come right to where we are. God is good!!! Our guests were also encouraged to see God moving them in answer to our prayer and need. Be encouraged that when bad things happen, God is still working.

Trumpet in the Land

A few weeks ago we were blessed to be able to go to the Schoenbrunn Outdoor Amphitheatre in New Philadelphia, Ohio and see the famous play Trumpet in the Land.

One of the neat things about being Innkeepers is that you occasionally get to go to something for free if you are willing to tell others about your experience. Going to this play was one of those times. We are very glad we went and it would have been worth it to pay even if we didn't get a free viewing.

It is based on the true story that happened concerning the massacre at Gnadenhutten. At Gnadenhutten there was a Christian mission. David Ziesberger, the leader of the group, is faced with the great tensions between the Indians, Americans & Britains during the Revolutionary War. Being outside is really a unique experience while watching the play. It was very well done and there was a lot of realistic effects with fire and the shooting of guns.

It really helped us to grasp the situation and drew us in to the plot. The call to live out the commands of Jesus to love and pray for enemies is shown to be very challenging in times of war, but it really comes through authentically. We would definitely recommend it to our guests staying with us and we hope to go back for future plays - possibly the Fiddler on the Roof- sometime.