Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Garden of Hope dedication! Praise God!

The Garden of Hope board of directors and project coordinator rejoice during the dedication on June 14, 2009.  They include, from left, Darla Anastasi, Dawn Beitzel, Michele Beyer, Ken Nafziger, Dawn and Brian Waltman.
  During the service, family members shared quiet moments together as the names of babies were read by Carol Anne Hauk, Chaplin for Lancaster Women and Babies.  

Throughout the day, guests read the names of babies on the memorial wall plaques.  Plaques can be ordered at any time by downloading a form from www.LancasterGardenOfHope.com.
Over 350 guest visited the garden during the dedication drop in.  It was an incredibly beautiful day and we feel blessed in so many ways.  
Garden musicians provided music while guests visited the garden.  Guitar, flute, violin and acapella songs joined the singing birds in rejoicing over the day.
Board member, Michele Beyer, created a lovely pictorial time line showing the garden's journey that started 7 years ago.
Board member, Dawn Beitzel and her family, served refreshments in the Community Building.

Let the planting begin!


A faithful group of volunteers put on their grubbies and got down and dirty as the planted shrubs, flowering bushes, perennials and annuals in the garden.

Thanks to Chris Lacock, Wilmer Martin, Kurt and Char Thomas and kids Roman, Winston and Regan, Dawn Beitzel with kids Isaac and Teagan and the Waltman kids Matt, Megan, Micah & Malia.
Even kids helped out with this important task!

Monday, June 8, 2009

A garden gazebo!

Our garden gazebo arrived this morning!  It is so beautiful!  Many thanks to Meadowview Woodcrafts for giving us a huge discount and making it affordable for us to purchase.  Now, visitors to the garden can spend time in the garden and still escape a rain shower or the hot summer sun.   A wonderful place to sit and reflect, pray and seek God's presence. 

It's time to plant!

It's time for landscaping!!!  We picked up our first order of shrubs from Longview Nursery. Tom and Kathy Wiedman grow their own plants and ordered others from a wholesaler.  They gave us a great price!!  Thanks also to Ken's Gardens for donating various perennials and annuals for the garden!

WJAL News 8 visits the garden!


We are very thankful that Lori Burkholder of WGAL News 8 saw a recent article about the garden and wanted to cover the story.  She was so open to everything we had to share and we were blessed by the opportunity we had to share the message of the garden with so many people.  God has blessed us with articles in each of the papers, WJTL radio and now WGAL.

The Hope Sculpture is finally home!

For the past 5 years since the arrival of the Hope sculpture, team members have moved the sculpture around to different businesses, churches and ministries to create awareness about the garden.  For the past several years, the sculpture has been in a temporary garden at a local church.  Last Monday, with the help of some muscle power, the Hope sculpture arrived at it final home - 30 Springhouse Lane in the Watson Run development located off of route 772 just east of the town of Intercourse.  (Behind Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant)  Welcome home!
Leaving its temporary home at The Church at Timberline.  

Final Grading

Last week, once again, a group of volunteers gave up a five hour block of time to help do the final grading on the garden.  Hard stoney soil was hauled away and new topsoil was brought in.
Many thanks to Rodger Beitzel, Ryan Leik, Wilmer Martin, Brian Diller and project coordinator Brian Waltman.  Also, thanks to Siegrist Plumbing for the use of their dump truck and skid loader and to C.B. Hoober for the use of their tractor.