From April 25-May 18, 2012, we stayed in this lovely farmhouse in the Hungarian countryside near a village of about 70 homes. The beauty of the setting and the old buildings inspired me, and I thought it might inspire you as well.
Why were we living at the farmhouse for a month? We were filling in for our missionary friends while they were on furlough in Canada. We helped with English clubs, Bible studies and summer camp ministry; and we got to stay in this lovely piece of history where they live.
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♥ As the morning dawns...
a good time to remember 8 Statements Christians Should make Every Morning
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They were doing repairs and improvements on the farmhouse while we were there, and they had to get rid of the wooden door you see in the photo below (which I took last year when we visited).
I'm always taking pictures of doors, windows and shutters. Not sure why I enjoy them so much. But I enjoyed this photo because of the contrast between the door and the child's ball which just happened to be in the yard that day: old, useful, aged to perfection vs. new, colorful, just for fun. You might like my devotion 16 Doors and my Facebook page: Doors of Joy in Jesus.
A shepherd lives directly across the road from the farmhouse. Sheep and shepherds have so many analogies in Scripture...I enjoyed watching them. I encourage you to read my devotion The Shepherd of Shepherds.
This stork was not actually on the farm but in a nearby village on a telephone pole. In the spring, storks in the Hungarian countryside make their large nests on top of chimneys and telephone poles. They are such an unusual site for Americans, so I thought you'd like to see this one...no baby in tow though. It's interesting how many baby shower items these stately birds inspire.
What blessings we enjoyed today on the farm...fresh smells and fresh air, scenes that looked similar to how they looked 100 years ago (minus the telephone poles), wild flowers dancing across the yard, stone buildings that have stood despite the storms of history... showing us we also can stand in our storms, especially when we stand on the Rock of Christ.
I'm in the middle back of this picture and my Hungarian friend Magdi is on the left side of the picture. We were walking the downtown area of Tapolca with a group of young English students.
Well, it was fun having you visit us on the farm. I hope it inspired you to look for the beauty of God's creation wherever you live, even if it's just a Bug on the Sidewalk.
Gail
That is GORGEOUS!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteOh, so beautiful, Gail! My hubby and I are rock collectors, and that's not just the little stones, but big rocks, too! I would love to have a stone cottage or structure, too! And the fence is very unique! I was touched by the fact that you found such beauty in even the small things ~ watering can, roll press, headboard, etc. There are so many gifts to be thankful for!! Thanks for sharing these!!
ReplyDeleteIn His Lo♥e, Ann
Amen!
DeleteWow, absolutely beautiful! I'm a tad envious. :)
ReplyDeleteWould it help if I told you that we had dogs serenade us all night long and lots of bugs? : ) We did.
DeleteGail...Just beautiful!!! Great shots! Thank you for sharing at WJIM this week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful old building! One of my high school mentors used to collect little stones and pebbles from meaningful place she visited and keep them in a little pile near her Bible, like the altars or markers set up in the Old Testament to mark the places where God showed up and did something awesome. That might be something as beautiful and inspiring you could recreate at home. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea. I hadn't thought of it, but it sounds like a post I wrote called Stones of Remembrance (http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.hu/2011/08/what-are-your-stones-of-remembrance.html).
DeleteSuch incredible photos, Gail. Thanks for sharing them. What an adventure for you and Mike. Luved your contrasts too. I'd luv a stone home. There's one on Trenholm Road I admire every time I pass by it.
ReplyDeleteLOVELY! I could spend a month... or year there! Thank you for sharing about your experience!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are beautiful! Hungary is one of my favorite countries.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful scene in the first photo! I love those old stone buildings and the twisted branch fence. Thanks for sharing your stay there.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from Potpourri Friday.
Hi Gail, I came over from One Minute Bible Love Notes, so i'ts a year after your original post. Did you make or buy a grapevine wreath for your home? I loved that fence and the wonderful stone buildings! I just wondered what you "brought home" from your trip? I would have wanted that old, cool door. Hmm. Carry on?? :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, I would love to have that old door too, Marilyn. But I must be honest and admit that I didn't make or buy a grapevine wreath....it's still on my list.
DeleteI did bring back some Hungarian items from that trip, but nothing that really represented this wonderful old farm. To read the post about them, Click "Creative Home" on my topbar. When that window opens click "Home Decor" then "Vintate Hungarian Decor."
OMYGOSH, this is something like out of a beautiful dream....or a really great movie. How wonderful to be able to experience living there.
ReplyDeleteOver from Creative Home
Yes, BJ, it was really like taking a walk back in time. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteWhat a beautiful place to stay! How fortunate you were to enjoy such a lovely and peaceful setting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing,
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes
PS-Would love to have you link this up to Saturday Sparks. Links open till Friday.
Beautiful photos, all! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures - what a beautiful place to live.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard the children's story called 'Wheel on the Chimney' by Margaret Wise Brown? It's a fun story you can probably find at the library & I think it's set in Europe, maybe Hungary. Your stork picture brought back memories of reading it aloud to my son.
Such lovely photos, looks like a very restful place!
ReplyDeleteLovely post Gail, thank you so much for sharing your heart and photography with us at the Pretty Things party!
ReplyDeletexo, Tanya
twelveOeight
Hi Gail,
ReplyDeleteVisiting via Stephanie's today. This beautiful stone farmhouse nestled in such a pastoral setting, is indeed, quite inspiring! The landscape of Crete is dotted with similar stone structures, each one withstanding the elements of time and climate, and in doing so, collecting many stories that are shared among family, friends and those who pass its path. Thanks for these most enchanting images.
Poppy
Slightly envious. :) My husband and I would love to be missionaries to a foreign people, but unfortunately our church at this time isn't sending anyone personally. The land you stayed on is amazing and so etched in time!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place! I love building made of stone and walls too. I've often thought about how I could incorporate that look into my yard but haven't come up with any doable ideas yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to the Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop. We hope to see you again this Sunday!
Gorgeous! All of the pictures are wonderful and peacefule, but I love all of the old stone.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! I would spend hours/days wandering all over and taking photos. I would love it if you would share with us at Photog Show and Tell Link Party.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful the stone is, Gail. I love stone on houses {and stone walls, stone walkways, etc.!}. I had to laugh at the stork on top of the pole. The nest looks bigger than the diameter of the pole!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to The Creative HomeAcre blog hop! : )
Hope you found peace there...just looking at the photos lowered my bp!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely place! Looks so serene and peaceful.....I would love to be able to explore a place like that. Love the stone house and enjoy all the pictures too! :) Thanks for sharing all this beauty!
ReplyDeleteDebi
Oh, this looks so similar to my country home (Romania) and so close, too... I love doors, too!! :) I realized it only after my husband and I along with some friends walked around Philadelphia and at the end of the day I had my phone exploding with photos of doors... :))
ReplyDeleteHi Gail!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful place! I love the places where you have contact with nature. The stone house, the mountain, the sheeps! Good place to retire and meditate on the greatness of God! Thanks for sharing! Blessings :)
Wow so pretty I love the country its so peaceful and you can breathe fresher air and you can see the beauty of God everywhere you look, thanks for sharing such beautiful memories and pictures with us.
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