November, 2010
Ariel was blessed with a new group of visitors this month. Tom Doyle and Jason Elam brought a busload of Christian friends from across the USA for a day.
As Tom explained before the visit, the group wanted to be personally involved in Ariel. They asked if they could continue the important work that Faith Bible Chapel began at the Brenda Wygant Memorial Vineyard. They were excited to discover that they could. The group spent a couple of hours in the vineyard, where they drove stakes into the ground and tied wiring across them. They lifted the vines from the ground, attached them to the wiring and pruned the extra leaves. Their personal experience was enhanced and intertwined with their study and appreciation of biblical scripture. Thanks to their work, the vineyard is looking better than ever.
Of course, volunteering was only part of their visit to Ariel. The group enjoyed another special experience which can never be replaced, and which Friends of Ariel invites all of our guests to take advantage of. They had a personal and meaningful encounter with Irena and Kuba Vadislavsky – Holocaust survivors who have turned their home in Ariel into the Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Museum. Irena and Kuba left a lasting impression on the group, whose emotional responses and genuine interest attested to the power of their special meeting. Indeed, it was an emotional visit to Ariel, filled with tears of sorrow, joy and hope.