The W.I.L.D. Women of Hopeland

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, my youngest daughter and I took a little drive across Lancaster County to Hopeland. A tiny little hamlet nestled between Ephrata and Brickerville, that only has a few buildings with Clay Road running right through it.

We drove past the post office situated barely off the main road and headed toward the unincorporated little town of Clay. Clay is the home of the original Fox Meadows (which serves some of the best ice creams in the county), a pizza place, Foundry Tire Company, a great mechanic shop, and a few other shops. Their slogan is “Shop downtown Clay.”

But before you reach these businesses you will find a quaint, red brick church tucked into the side of a steep hill. The church itself dates back to 1847 but was rebuilt twice, so this existing structure was erected in 1910 with beautiful stained glass windows, a steeple that houses a large bell, and a cemetery with gravestones scattered across the hillside. That's

our destination, Hopeland United Methodist Church.

Inside we were greeted by friends and a cheerfully lit fellowship hall with round tables draped in purple tablecloths and dotted with vases full of spring flowers. We were there to spend a few hours with the W.I.L.D. Women of Hopeland talking about one of my favorite things - BOOKS!

W.I.L.D. is an acronym for Women In Loving Discipleship - which is a women's group at HUMC. What a fabulous way to describe these ladies and what a fun group to be associated with! In the past, they’ve had luncheons, game nights, and retreats.

The W.I.L.D. Women took a little break due to COVID but are starting back up again. For their kick-off event, they decided to take a chance on a local author and invited me to come out and do a little meet and greet.

It was a wonderful group of ladies that braved the dreary weather. It was great to see some old friends and make new ones. The ladies listened to me speak briefly and then asked insightful questions. There was plenty of great conversation, fellowship, and delicious snacks to go around. It was a great afternoon spent among friends! I left there feeling completely surrounded by their enthusiasm, encouragement, and affection.

Thank you for having me WILD Women!