In the Middle of the Blur!

I feel like I may have started last month’s Coffee with Connie talking about how busy life has been! LOL!

Well… I think I may have underestimated what “busy” really means! 😂

These last six weeks have been an absolute blur. A wonderful, exhausting, exciting, God-filled blur! There has been so much happening at Cavod, at home, and in life that sometimes I have to stop and think, “Did all of that really just happen?“

And as I’ve been reflecting on these past several weeks, I keep coming back to one word:

FAITHFULNESS

A Dream Became a Reality!

The biggest highlight of the past several weeks was celebrating the opening of our new 6,000-square-foot addition at our Manheim location!

On August 1st, we celebrated with a ribbon cutting and open house, and honestly, it was a dream come true!

This entire project has been a MIRACLE! From the very beginning, there have been so many moments when we didn’t know exactly how it was all going to come together. But time after time, God provided the right people, the right resources, the right timing, and the strength we needed for each step.

And we certainly couldn’t have done it without the incredible people who rolled up their sleeves and helped make it happen! Our volunteers were absolutely amazing. They gave their time, their energy, and their talent… often working for free, fueled by lots of pizza, lots of laughter, and a whole lot of Cavod camaraderie! 😂

Even Dr. Andrews, our valued friend and sponsor, added his touch by wallpapering the front desk!

There were long days, hard work, messy projects, and plenty of moments when we wondered if we would actually get to the finish line. But we did… together!

I am so incredibly grateful for every person who showed up and said, “How can I help?”

And then, on Saturday, August 1st, we finally got to open the doors!

We celebrated with a ribbon cutting and open house, complete with WLTL LIVE Kid’s Cookie Break, performances, free food, tours of the facility, and lots of wonderful people coming to see what God has done.

Thank you to so many of you who came out to celebrate with us! It truly was a special day!

And now when I walk through those doors, I still have moments where I think, Is this really ours? Did we really get to do this? I feel like putting on worship music and worship the God who is BIGGER THAN US! And I do!

The Black Box Theatre is absolutely beautiful, and the entire space gives us opportunities we could only dream about a few years ago.

But here’s what excites me most: this space isn’t just for Cavod. It’s for our community.

We want to make the space available for churches, organizations, businesses, families, and community groups to use for events, performances, meetings, celebrations, and so much more!

We believe God has given us this space not simply to build a bigger Cavod, but to create a place where people can gather, create, connect, and be impacted.

It truly feels like the beginning of a new chapter!

And I keep thinking about something we’ve said throughout this whole process:

We aren’t just building a building, we are building lives!

This structure is simply a tool God can use to impact many lives for years to come.

And what a privilege it is to be a part of it!

From Aladdin to Shrek… and Everything In Between

Another huge highlight was our summer camp production of Shrek Jr.

Our students were absolutely amazing! Watching them grow in confidence, character, creativity, and teamwork throughout those two weeks is one of the reasons I love what we do so much!

But there was something especially meaningful about this year’s camp.

Four of our Cavod alumni were together again…Gavin Haas, Audrey Pavlica, Ric Weaver, and Derrick Lambert.

And, of course, I had to get a picture! 😊

These four were all part of our 2015 production of Aladdin Jr. They were kids then…and now they are grown, pursuing careers, getting married, serving others, and using the gifts God has given them.

Their stories are such a beautiful picture of what can happen when a young person is given a place to grow.

Gavin came to Cavod as a timid nine-year-old and started with drums with Mr. George, who is STILL here with us! He eventually became involved in theatre with Stan Deen, gained confidence, added dance, and absolutely soared! He went on to a conservatory in his high school years, danced professionally, and now he is back at Cavod teaching and investing in the next generation!

Audrey is finishing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University in music education and is pursuing her dream of teaching music. And there’s a sweet little Cavod love story in there, too! She met Derrick during Aladdin Jr. when they were only in fifth grade. They recently got engaged and will be married in May 2027!

Derrick has grown from a young Cavod actor into a college graduate with a degree in music. He has recently accepted a position at Hershey Christian Academy, where he will have the opportunity to invest in students of his own!

And Ric, who started at Cavod around age 11, was involved in so many shows and acting classes, and was mentored by Stan Deen. He went on to work professionally as an actor and came back to direct our summer camps. He is currently performing at Sight & Sound in Joshua. He is married to Catherine, who is also a familiar face on the Cavod stage.

As I looked at these four young adults together, I couldn’t help but think about legacy. Stan Deen invested in so many young people, and I love seeing that legacy continue!

I love that these young adults have come back… not because they have to, but because they want to give back!

I love seeing their character.

I love seeing their love for Jesus.

And I love watching them use the gifts God gave them to influence another generation.

That’s the kind of influence that doesn’t always show up on a spreadsheet or in an enrollment number!

But it’s eternal.

I am so blessed to call these young people influencers and to have had a small part in their journeys.

A Work Day That Didn’t Feel Like Work

One of my other favorite days this month was a day spent with one of my favorite people, Chris Freeman, who handles our accounting and bookkeeping at Cavod.

Every year, Chris and I take a “work day” together… and somehow, we manage to turn it into quite an adventure! LOL!

We started in my hot tub, headed to a coffee shop and worked for a couple of hours, went to lunch, and ended the day with manicures and pedicures.

I don’t know where Cavod would be without Chris and her expertise. But even more than that, I am incredibly grateful for her friendship!

Some of the greatest blessings in life aren’t found in big events. Sometimes they’re found sitting across the table from a friend, drinking coffee, working together, laughing, and realizing how incredibly blessed you are.

A Little Time for Family

Somehow, in the middle of all the craziness, we even managed to squeeze in a little time away, and we made some wonderful memories with our youngest son, Aaron, and his girlfriend!

We headed to a Phillies game, and it was so much fun!

It brought back so many memories for Dave and me because Aaron loved watching the Phillies growing up with his dad. There was something really special about sitting together at the ballpark, watching the game, laughing, and realizing how quickly the years have gone by.

Life can be so full and busy, but I’m learning to treasure those little pockets of time with family. They don’t have to be elaborate or perfectly planned. Sometimes it’s just a baseball game, a shared memory, and being together that makes it special.

And somehow, in this crazy six-week blur, God gave us a few of those moments too. ❤️

In the Middle of the Blur…

And so, as I look back over these past six weeks, I realize that while it has been a blur, it has also been filled with so many reminders of God’s goodness.

The new building.

The volunteers who showed up and gave their time and energy.

The students who gave their all on stage.

The alumni who have grown into incredible young adults and are now giving back.

The friendships.

The family memories.

The opportunities.

The answered prayers.

The things we couldn’t have made happen on our own.

Only God!

And maybe that’s what I have been holding onto in the middle of all of this. Life can feel incredibly full. Sometimes it feels like there are more things to do than hours in the day, more decisions than answers, and more needs than resources. But God has been reminding me that He is not overwhelmed by any of it.

Even when I am tired, He is not tired.

Even when I don’t know what’s next, He already does.

Even when I can’t see how everything is going to come together, He is already working behind the scenes.

He is steady.

He is faithful.

And He is always at work… even when we can’t see the whole picture yet.

Maybe that’s what I’ve needed to remember in this season.

I don’t have to have everything figured out.

I just need to keep showing up, keep trusting, keep doing what God has called me to do, and keep my eyes on Him.

Because when I look back, I can see His fingerprints everywhere.

And if these past six weeks have taught me anything, it is this:

God is faithful in the big miracles and He is faithful in the little moments, too!

In the new building.

In a child’s confidence growing.

In an alumni coming back to give.

In a baseball game with our son.

In coffee with a friend.

In volunteers eating pizza and laughing while they work.

In all of it.

He is there.

And that is enough!

And where do we go from here? We’ve only just begun….

Classes are open, and we are experiencing record enrollments! The Cavod community is growing and strong! Check out cavod.org for more information! We would love for you to join us for classes starting August 24th!

Thank you for reading this long email, I hope with a cup of coffee, LOL! I am so grateful for your support!

Much Love,

Connie Dienner

Executive Director