As I drank in the beauty of our village creation and felt the love of God, I thought I had accomplished my dream. I was looking at it. It was real, just as real as God who planted the seeds of what would become Capernaum in my heart and then sent the wonderful people who worked tirelessly to help make it grow it into the wondrous place that it is.

But little did I know that God had bigger plans for Capernaum than I could even fathom or dream about: It wasn’t long before another enormous blessing came to me in the form of an utterly unexpected and awe-inspiring gift of faith from a friend of mine: thirteen hand-sculpted, life-sized and larger statues!

Glenn and the House on Glenn Street

It all began to unfold when a friend of the family, Glenn Lynch, took me to a small modest house off of Blue Mound Road. Ironically, the name of the street is “Glenn Street.”

There before me, gracing both the tiny front and back yards were 13 beautiful statues that deceased Korean sculptor Yon Sim Pak crafted through his “vision from God.” Yon Sim Pak had a vision for these statues to someday be peacefully situated in a beautiful garden where people could look upon them and meditate on Christ. The awesome sight of his statues deprived me of words.

Then, Glenn proceeded to tell me that these statues were given to him by Mr. Pak’s son and he thought I should “do something with them.” I was too overwhelmed to realize it at the time, but these works of art were truly a gift of faith from Glenn’s heart, as I later learned he was helping Yon (monetarily) complete the statues when he was still alive. He simply said, “Tammy, if you want these statues you can have them; I can’t do anything with them.”

My words finally returned as my heart swelled with being blessed once again with such an abundance of beauty and worship. “Wow!” was all I could manage at first, but then I told him I would pray for an answer.

Glenn already knew the extraordinary statues were destined to live at Capernaum. He gave me a few suggestions, such as: “Sell them and use the money for your ministry,” and, “Put them out at the ranch (Capernaum that is; the village wasn’t named yet).

Be Still and Know That I Am God (Psalm 46:10)

At the time I couldn’t imagine how or why I would “put” the statues at the village so I just prayed. I kept getting silence. Silence. More silence. Majestic silence, yet at the same time—a comforting peace.

But the silence was awakened in me one bright day when God spoke and I listened.

He said, “Build a garden for them out by the village.” Hallelujah!

And that was the first time I conceived of having Capernaum open to the public.

I thought, since there is going to be a gorgeous garden, there must be people that will benefit from the majestic magnitude of its tranquil beauty, and that they may feel compelled to kneel and pray or meditate in the hushed exquisiteness of the shadows of these wonderful figures, carved by the hands of a man whose sole purpose was to express his own vision of Truth and the Lord.

I was carried along by the Holy Spirit. And so would be born—the garden.

God will surprise you and delight you in so many ways, if you let Him, and if you are still and listening.

So, first things first: I checked with my parents; after all it is their property. I took them to Glenn Street and told them the story of Glenn and sculptor Yon Sim Pak, and of course they fell in love with the statues, just as I had. The love and devotion to God and Goodness was palpable in the presence of Yon Sim Pak’s devout creations.

These monuments of God’s love were so beautifully sculpted that our hearts were moved to build a stunning 30,000 square foot garden, highlighting the statues.

So, next, God sent to me Nathan Myers to help me design and build the garden. Nathan can build or design anything; he is very talented and artistic, so he was indeed another perfect person for the project. Another “Godsend” - I have no doubt.

We opened the Majestic Statue Garden to the public Christmas 2009, during the first annual Star of Bethlehem Experience.

Today, the Majestic Statue Garden is an unrivaled design of peace and beauty that combines breathtaking sculptures with meticulously constructed pathways, taking visitors through the Old and New Testament one step at a time. Yon Sim Pak’s beautiful life size (and larger) sculpted statues provide an exciting and interactive visual that takes you on a meditative walk with God, reenergizing your love, faithfulness and belief in Him.

Take a stroll and you will see what I mean. You will soon feel you are not strolling alone. Not in the garden, and not on the path of life. God is always with you. Acknowledge Him at the Majestic Statue Garden, as Yon Sim Pak intended.

The Bible will truly come to life as you experience this 30,000 square foot garden with paths that lead to dramatic scenes such as: the Garden of Eden, Noah’s obedience building the ark, King David and the Psalms, the replica of the Roman Coliseum, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the breath of the Bible sweeps across you, you will become winded with exhilaration, knowing God is in your heart.

Come and see for yourself. Stay a while. Retreat into the garden and commune with God. Walk on its stone paths and be one of the many guests who say the garden instills the truth of the eternal existence of God in our lives and in our hearts.

The Garden is open for group tours, retreats, field trips, church groups, company picnics, wedding ceremonies etc.

The garden has a stunning outdoor stage area near the Roman coliseum for events such as concerts, wedding ceremonies, speakers, company and church gatherings.

We also have over 150 white garden chairs that are available for use anywhere at Capernaum.

Majestic Statue Garden from Theresa Davidson on Vimeo.