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Model Train Room
“Our goal is to entertain the community,” Harry Black says. “We like to see people visit, interact with the trains and leave happy.” When Harry and Mary Alice Black were preparing to move to Garden Spot Village in 2003, Harry realized that the train layout he had started in his retirement needed a new home as well. He connected with Colleen Musselman, director of life enrichment, to see if Garden Spot Village would want a train layout... Read More
Pajamas for Patients
“Serving at the CURE Hospital in Kijabe, Kenya, was one of the most awesome experiences of my life. It was life-changing. I learned so much from the Kenyan people.They fully live as a community. They don’t think about the sacrifice, they just do what needs to be done,” says Janie Martin, clinical care coordinator at Garden Spot Village. Janie participated in the Travel with Purpose Trip to Kenya in September 2018. One of the many ways... Read More
Lifecycles
As part of a leadership course with their church in 2017, Al and Stacy Vega were challenged to research a ministry they wanted to start. Al discovered LIFECYCLES, a local organization that wraps mentoring, spiritual development, and life skills development in the adventure of a Christ-centered bicycle touring experience for urban teens.The mission of the organization appealed to him and he invited his son, AJ, to join him as he went along on a ride in Marietta to learn more.... Read More
Exploring the Holy Land
“It was exhaustingly life-giving,” says John Hart, Garden Spot Village resident since December 2016, describing the trip he and his wife, Sherry, took to Israel in June 2018. The tour, which they booked through Chosen People Ministries, was an 11-day learning journey that included 10 hours of sightseeing each day coupled with several hours of teaching and worship each evening. Six hundred people from 17 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Costa Rica, participated in the tour. ... Read More
Crafting Cross-Generational Memories
New Holland Elementary School Principal Jeff Starr: “We have a need—kids thirsty for learning—and Garden Spot Village residents have a desire to transfer their hands-on wisdom.” In November 2018 Meghan Clisham, a 5th grade teacher at New Holland Elementary, contacted Garden Spot Village, asking if it was possible to work together to create an afterschool club for her students. Larry Knepper, Garden Spot Village resident since August 2009 and Wood Shop member, approached the Wood Shop... Read More