Zion Then (Blog #2)

The pavilion was done and a dedication ceremony was scheduled.
On October 8, 2005 several community members gathered at the newly constructed pavilion for the grand opening/ribbon cutting.  Looking through these photos, I can just see the happiness on Jim, Warren, & Eleanor's face.
Their first vision had come to fruition! 

As I was going through piles of past Zion material, I found a newsletter written by Warren in November 2006.  I will be quoting this newsletter over the next several blogs. 
In Warren's words: "Zion is like a child.  All the months leading up to the grand opening was like a pregnancy.  There was lots of preparation to be done; from planning where everything would go to even choosing a name. The grand opening was the BIG announcement with balloons and lots of pictures."

Now the big question remained. How to get people to come to Zion? 
Warren & Jim believed that everyone should learn about God's handiwork.  "We can show how people can become self reliant & learn about how nature can help us, without harming the environment.  We believe it is never too early to teach our children about the Lord; and it is never too early to teach them an appreciation for nature, the environment, & good stewardship"

They had an idea for mini-retreats, a youth & young adult Nature camp, as well as hunting & fishing.  The pavilion was in place but if they wanted to do overnight retreats they would have to build cabins.   So the cabin building began!

The picture on the left is the before photo with only the fishing shack.  The middle & right picture are from today.  You can see the completed road, the fishing shack & the rustic cabins directly behind the fishing shack.

​Their second vision had come to fruition!

The next phase of Zion is a huge leap of faith.  Check back next Thursday to find out what's next.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!