From Recital to Ribbon Cutting 🎉

June was one of the fullest months I’ve had in a while. I definitely needed my morning coffee most days! LOL!

When I look back, I don’t think of a schedule or a list of events, I think of moments. Beautiful, meaningful, sometimes overwhelming moments that remind me again of God’s faithfulness!

And as I write this over the Fourth of July weekend, I’m also mindful of the gift of living in a country with 250 years of history. I’m grateful for the freedom we enjoy and for the many blessings we often take for granted. It feels fitting to pause and give thanks for that, too! We are so blessed!

We kicked off the month with our dance concert at LMH, with three incredible nights filled with energy, excellence, and so much fun! Watching our students take the stage with confidence and passion never gets old! Each performance felt like a celebration of growth, hard work, and the beautiful gifts God has placed in each one of them! (Professional photos coming soon.)

I also had one of those proud grandma moments. My oldest granddaughter, Aaliyah, danced in her last recital, her senior year. She’s been at Cavod since she was three and dances with such grace and purpose. She was recently featured on our social media, along with each of our seniors one at a time, and I have loved celebrating every single one of them. Their testimonies of their time at CAVOD, their growth, their perseverance, their joy… it has been such a blessing to highlight who they are and who God is shaping them to be. If you haven’t seen those posts yet, go take a look. They are so special! We also had four other sweet grands in the recitals. Time moves quickly and these milestones are precious!

Two days after the dance recitals, some of our leadership team headed to the beach for a few days together. It was a gift… time to rest, laugh, reconnect, and celebrate! What a powerful team! Those kinds of moments are easy to overlook in a busy season, but they often become the ones that sustain you.

Then came Gram Camp… one of my favorite traditions of the entire year! So many memories, so much laughter, and time with my 11 grandchildren that I truly treasure, from ages 4 to 21. The five days they were at our house were packed with fun!

Some of the highlights included visiting our son Aaron in Philadelphia, a day at the zoo, Hershey Park, watching Toy Story 5 at the theatre and a visit to Craig & Linda (my sister) on their beautiful farm in Morgantown. We also squeezed in a spontaneous ice cream trip and enjoyed a huge waterslide we rented right in our backyard! And I can’t forget Jeremiah, who is a chef in our family, planned and made a most delicious dinner for us!

But beyond all the activity, the best parts were the sweet conversations, journaling, devotions, and prayer time together. Those are the memories I will savor forever!

We ended the month with a family beach trip… simple, restful, and exactly what we needed after such a full stretch!

And now, we step into something very exciting!

We would love to invite you to two special celebrations coming up!

New Holland Open House – This Saturday, July 11^th 10am-2pm

Come see what God is doing, tour the space, connect with our community, and celebrate with us!

Manheim Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting – August 1^st 10am-2pm (ribbon cutting is at 10:00am)

This will be a major celebration as we open our expanded space!

 Both locations will be alive with activity—WJTL broadcasting live, performances, tours, free food, prizes, a bounce house, and more. It’s going to be a day of joy and celebration for our entire community.

We are continuing to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the Mannheim expansion and we are actively inviting partners to come alongside us in this final stretch.

This is a pivotal moment. Every gift helps us finish well and open these doors fully equipped for the students and families who will walk through them. If you would like to be part of what God is building here, we would be deeply grateful for your partnership at this time. Click here for more information!

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”

Ephesians 3:20

That verse feels like this season.

More than we could have planned.

More than we could have expected.

Overflow!

And as I reflect on this season, both personally and as a nation, I’m filled with gratitude for the freedom to live, worship, create, and build community in the way we do. It’s something I don’t want to take lightly.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us! I am looking forward to seeing you at our open houses!

With much Love,

Connie Dienner

Founder/Executive Director