Community Garden Party | Easter 2011

On Easter this year, we rejuvenated a lot of dreams. Our community has been around for two years now and we have already seen a few seasons come and pass. We had a lot of surprises when we started, most notably, how difficult it would be (a) to truly share life together in labor and love and (b) to truly get to know our neighbors and unite them. One other minor one...how hard it was to really get a good garden going! Thankfully, we have started to really hit our stride with working together.



The planting this year represented huge leaps of new adventure. We met new neighbors and connected with old friends around our table. As our neighborhood teeters on gentrification and is starkly divided racially and socio-economically, we are thankful to have engaged both sides, to come together to plant a garden, laugh, learn from each other, and later share a meal.

Our friends the Warners, share in a desire to simply live in West Salem with the agenda of an open door and a helpful hand. Ben and Katie have taught us a lot about hospitality.

We had a great time of prayer over the garden and for the meal, with kids running around, food passed, and most importantly, God glorified as the great peacemaker between different people. A great message was preached to the neighborhood, that it does not take contrived church programs or a selective neighborhood agenda, but simple food and friendship, can enrich a community.

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much thanks to friends like Daniel Umlauf, the Milner family, Ashley Porter, and Fay and Camille.