Hi! All Sponsors and Friends.
Its is Spring-time, so let us sing Songs of Praise to our Maker and Creator of all beautiful things.
"Rise up my love and come away, foe lo the winter is past , the rain is gone, the flowers appear on the earth - the time of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." declared Solomon, and many poets have been stirred by the wonder of resurrected life in all nature at this time of the year.
One poet (Christopher Smart 1722-1771) wrote....
"All the scenes of Nature quicken, by the genial spirit forward
And the painted beauties thicken, coloured by the Master's hand
Earth her vigour repossessing, as the blasts are held in ward
Blessing heaped and pressed on blessing, yield the measure of the Lord."
How we rejoice too, to see in the gardens now, the plants shooting up in the earth, the buds bursting forth on the trees, and the flowers opening up their bright colours, and to hear the birds twittering in the trees. What a joy to roam in the garden, and praise God for the wonders of His Creation, the Miracle of New Life, and His Great Love for us such humble undeserving creatures.
I always loved to come home from India and be here for the lovely Spring time, as we do not have such a season in Andhra Pradesh. But we have always had a garden at Hebron Hostel, with various shrubs, flowering plants and trees. This has been developed recently, and in the photos you will see many different bushes with variegated leaves, white cerise bougainvilleas, rambling roses, and tall palm trees with coconuts ready to be collected. The garden is carefully tended by Ravindra, who enjoys this work and does it as a loving service for his Master. You can see him attending to plants and using a sprinkler.
The STAFF and GIRLS alike, enjoy the garden and help with watering the plants and removing withered leaves and flowers, whenever possible. You can see some of the Hermon school girls peering through the bushes in their break time.
JENNIE GRACE herself is a keen gardener, and loves a variety of coloured flowers especially roses, always liking to have some in a vase on her desk. She has planted many shrubs around the school - crotans, coleus, cannas, hibiscus etc, and recently a fountain has been added in the centre at the front, which is a delight to all.
GRACE (teacher in Hermon) loves flowers too, and makes beautiful garlands to welcome visitors, and always makes sure that there are some flowers to decorate the dining room table. She also superintends the decorating of palm branches for Palm Sunday etc.
LAKSHMI (accountant) also likes to look after the rose bushes, and picks flowers to decorate the rooms. She always wheres a pretty bloom on her sari, or in her hair. She loves painting them too.
ALL THE` GIRLS want to put flowers in their hair before going to church or on an outing. They especially like the jasmine with its sweet scent. They make garlands for themselves and their friends. Then at Easter time, they make models of the Easter story, with a beautiful garden for the Resurrection Scene decorated with bougainvillea flower petals. So - the Hebron garden gives great pleasure to all at Hebron and Hermon, and to the many visitors who come.
In the Bible we read of special gardens. Firstly the Garden of Eden, manifesting the Glory of Creation. In the New Testament we see the Garden of Gethsemane, showing the suffering of our Saviour, and then the Garden of the Tomb revealing the Triumph of the Resurrection.
Now for Some News of Hostel Activities.
