Letter from Jason – April 2023

Dear Honey Run Friends,

Spring is a time of new beginnings. And new beginnings have been plentiful at The Inn in recent months. New friendships have flourished, new residents have arrived in the county (from the Ukraine), new life is being born on every farm and forest, new growth as the vegetation is climbing out of its winter slumber, new hope as we are finally finding the right new team members to help us get fully staffed and back to full operations (not quite there yet, but close), and the greatest hope of all is being remembered this Holy week as we walk through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

I am so grateful for friends and family. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Israel with my parents and church family from Columbus. It was a fantastic trip and I treasure being able to experience it with my parents who through their love and faithfulness loved me into the arms of my Savior. I also was blessed with forming new friendships on this trip that are new lifelong friends to enjoy, learn from, and share life’s blessings.

My local church in Millersburg sponsored a family from the Ukraine and received this family in Holmes County a week ago. We are fast becoming new friends. It has been an honor to work with the church to help this family escape the war and find peace in our little slice of heaven here in Amish country.

The flowers are pushing through the dirt and the animals are nurturing their new arrivals. What was dead and not alive has been reborn and now flourishing with the beauty that only a Creator could orchestrate.

New team members are showing up each week and we are rebuilding our team. The past few years we have been in survival mode with operations. While things could have been worse, we lost our freedom to dream and develop new experiences for you. The life of our culture at Honey Run is to create. We are constantly creating new interior design, new exterior floral and plant displays, new dishes in Tarragon, new drinks at Juniper lounge, new ways to integrate nature into our lives, new art at the museum, and new ways to experience the serenity of our 56-acre boutique resort. Without the team all things new came to a screeching halt and were placed on a 2 year hiatus. We need the new experiences as much as you enjoy them. The team is enthused to use their God given gifts to bless each of you with first-class, loving, and memorable experience. When we cannot be what we were created for we struggle. But those chains are being lifted and we see light at the end of this covid tunnel. And we are ready to live into our purpose and share this with all of you.

And last but not least, Holy week. This is the most powerful week of the year for me. All life’s important questions, who we are, why do we exist, what is the meaning of life, are answered in three short days. We remember that God came to us on earth, not to condemn us but to save us. He showed us through His love and actions we are loved no matter how good or bad we think we are, He chose me, and He chose you to be reunited in His perfect plan. Many of us wait until we die to reach out to Him, but He brings heaven to earth and shows us today we can begin to live in pure joy for eternity.

I pray that you are experiencing new beginnings and rebirth in your life. I pray you can see all the beauty and joy that surrounds you in this life and know you are loved. I pray your family and your friendships are living examples of this love to you. I pray you know, no matter how alone you feel you are loved by the One who made you. I pray each of you have some time this spring to stop, smell the flowers, listen to the birds, and watch the peaceful created order around you, giving your tired soul some much needed rejuvenation. If you are looking for somewhere to retreat and experience this, may I suggest The Inn at Honey Run.

Happy Good Friday, Happy Easter, Happy new beginnings!

Your hopeful Innkeeper.

Jason