leigh germy

This is a developing body of work that has been a dream of mine, a heart vision that I often bring before God in prayer. I believe it is something that will develop in partnership with others and may look differently than I initially imagine. In 2024, I took an intentional step away from a life shaped by isolation and self-protection and began a deeper journey of healing with Jesus. During that season, I became curious about the meaning behind my name, Leigh: “a woodland clearing, meadow, or pasture.” My middle name, Forrest, carries its own unexpected meaning: a forest, or a community of trees. This simple discovery felt like a gift, and it resonated deeply within my heart. It awakened something in me, and I began to dream. Over time, that dream began to take shape into what is described in the following paragraphs.

In Habakkuk 2, we are reminded: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end, it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” So this is me, writing it down. A simple act of faithfulness, offering this vision to God and welcoming those who may encounter these words along the way.

This dream is centered around spiritual formation and restoration. It is for those who need space to think, to rest, and to live more deeply without isolation. The work began through conversations: creating room for people to slow down enough to recognize what is most true about themselves beneath the expectations, distractions, and noise of this world. Those moments have felt sacred, and I remain curious and expectant about where this journey may lead. There are other spaces like this in existence (retreat centers or dude ranches), but for me this space that I am drawn to is a place of "home" for those who long for a glimpse of it on earth as it is in heaven.

Where the work lives now

Currently, this vision is being expressed and practiced through the continual intentional community with those already in my circle, new connections made and those within Anam Cara accompaniment sessions. It is an ongoing formation in attention, presence, and clarity. A kind of work that moves slowly and personally, creating space for people to listen, reflect, and discern with God honestly as our Helper and guide.

The BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

The long-term vision is to create intentional, land-based environments centered around rest, hospitality, community and creativity. Bringing homesteading, animal husbandry and agriculture together with the simple gift of returning to the land together living quietly, working with your hands, and reconnecting with creation and Creator.

For guests, these would be places specifically designed for solitude and restoration. Not as separate offerings, but as different expressions of the same intention: creating environments where people can return to themselves, to God, and to one another with greater honesty and wholeness. Potentially, create spaces that are intentionally structured and facilitated for things like executive retreats, education workshops and small group gatherings. Agri-tourism, events and local community dinners. Others would be quiet, self-paced, and unstructured, allowing people the freedom to simply be present, be involved in areas offered. All of it would be rooted in the same foundation: creating space to slow down enough to see and hear God more clearly.

I believe this vision will begin small and grow through God’s stewardship and direction. A place where people can experience peace, healing, restoration, and solitude.

What this is not

This is not a vision built around scale, efficiency, or consumption. It is a vision built around intention, trust, and faithful stewardship over time. The work will grow at the pace of right relationships, not the pace of capital. The land that becomes part of this vision will be cared for, partnered with, and stewarded, not simply acquired or extracted from. The hope is to create a place where both people and land are allowed to flourish.

An invitation

In order for something like this to be possible and done with excellence and integrity, there needs to be a healthy support and development behind it. There are many ways this work may invite partnership over time, with God’s guidance. I know this vision cannot be carried alone. Each contribution matters in its own way, and each is shaped by the same conviction: spaces created for restoration cannot be built in haste. The goal is not to build an empire, but to cultivate a garden. The people who help bring this vision to life matter as much as the vision itself.

• For those who carry resources and feel drawn to come alongside: there is room for thoughtful financial partnership and generosity in a way that honors the pace at which this is being built: slowly, relationally, and through faithful stewardship. This is not about transactional capital, but aligned partnership that serves purpose over profit. Creating a foundation to support the rest of the work, through intentional development efforts is essential but needs to be met with discernment.
• For builders, architects, designers, and craftspeople: when the time comes to shape land into spaces of welcome and restoration, the way the work is done will matter as much as what is created. Creativity and craftsmanship are gifts to be honored, and I would love for this to become a shared expression of beauty and purpose. There is a long horizon ahead for the right partners.
• For those who know land: agriculture, ecology, animal husbandry, faith-based herbalism, horsemanship and regenerative practices: the long arc of this vision is rooted in the land, and it will require people who understand what land asks of those entrusted to care for it.
• For those with adjacent gifts: hospitality, culinary arts, event and retreat design, programming, education, music, contemplative traditions, and wise counsel: the table is larger than any one person’s hands. This is not simply about completing a project, but about shaping something that carries meaning over time for those who come, as well as those who help bring it into being.

If any part of this vision resonates with you, I would welcome a conversation and prayer. This vision is held in God’s hands, and I trust Him to lead and guide and provide each step at His appointed time. The work is being built one faithful relationship, one honest conversation, and one act of stewardship at a time.