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Photos from the Martins in Poland

Cows_in_poland

It’s the ‘long weekend’ in Poland (a combination of the traditional May 1st communist worker’s holiday and Poland’s May 3 constitution day), and I’ve just paid another visit to my friends Jacob and Anita Martin, whom I’ve written about a few times on the blog.

The Martins, who’ve lived in Poland since 1993, struggled a bit at first, but have been able to build themselves a very basic but cozy home in a birch forest outside of Warsaw.

Birch_home_poland

Anita says that at first the home was not much more than a kitchen, with she and Jacob sleeping on one end and the kids on the other.  The Martins have gradually added on and now have quite a bit of square footage.
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It was not until about five years ago that they got an indoor bathroom, but now enjoy a few small luxuries, including a nice-sized fridge and a washing machine.  Anita showed me her new stove, which she uses to bake bread.

The Martins live simply but happily.  They say they get along well with most of the neighbors, who are a mixture of Warsaw ‘city people’ and long-time locals.  Jacob has a reputation as a dependable worker with ‘farm-smarts’.  He gets called out to deliver calves from time to time.
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Little Krzysiek (Chris) spent most of our walk yesterday trying to feed my brother and I what he called ‘chocolate’–dried-up chunks of mud found by the side of the lane.  This got the other kids worked up into a near riot.  ‘We want you to try it first,’ we told the four-year-old, who adamantly refused.

Beachy_amish_poland

The Martins originally came to Poland with the intention of starting a Beachy Amish congregation, but soon realized that it would be more difficult than they had hoped.

Two of the original three families soon returned to the US.  Left alone, the Martins now attend a Pentecostal church in Warsaw.Birch_trees_sunrise_poland

Photos here are from late April and early March.

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    7 Comments

    1. I really like those photos of lanes and paths. I feel I start to know a place when I see what the edges of the roads are like. Keep them coming!

    2. Boys will be boys! LOL! That is sure some beautiful countryside!

    3. OldKat'77

      This is interesting looking country. Thanks for posting these pictures. In the picture where the family is walking down a lane, with brush to their left, it almost appears that the small trees or brush is some sort of acaia, possibly huisache … though hard to tell from that angle.

      Also, in an earlier post about the Martins someone mentioned the Amish community in Beeville, Texas. I have had quite a bit dealings with them since late last year. I can bring you up to speed on them, at least what I know of them, if anyone is interested. Thanks again for the interesting pictures from Poland.

    4. Glad to hear you like them!

      And oldkat that would be nice, actually perhaps there might even be a post in it…? maybe you could shoot me an email about it(see the link in the upper left corner)? Would be interesting to hear what you’ve learned.

    5. Pingback: Highlights from Lancaster County | Amish America
    6. Living in Poland

      We live also in Poland and our way of life is close to Amish life:
      http://www.backtotheearth.org/english/about-us

    7. Nina Majerova

      Experience

      Good evening everyone,

      I was wondering for while now, if there is something like Amish experience
      holiday?

      I know there is in America but because I am from Europe i would like to know if there would be any opportunity to try living as Amish for let’s say one week?

      I always find inspiring and adore the fact, nowadays there is community of people who are capable to live without technology or with social media in general. Make and grown they own food, look after animals and live in peace.

      I would love to experience actually this feeling and i guess that would give me more understanding and will value/ appreciate a life.

      Many thanks in advance.

      Nina