It was four acres with a playa lake in a relatively new subdivision in the community of Wolfforth, in the Texas panhandle just southwest of Lubbock.

Several mothers in the Frenship Mesa neighborhood figured it would be a great place for a park and received approval from the City Council.

"We thought it would be easy," Julie Merrill, a member of the Lubbock 3rd Ward, said of the park. She and the other residents figured getting the Eagle Scouts involved and some other simple projects would take care of it.

The neighbors organized a committee to spearhead the project, and Merrill was picked as one of the executive directors, as was Andy Bridges, a retired Marine who is a Mormon, a Scout leader and had architectural experience. Randy Gross, who owned R&J Dirt, was the third director.

About three years, eight Eagle projects, about $350,000 in donated cash and materials and then thousands of man-hours during Saturday work days later, the community of Wolfforth has its park. Frenship Mesa Park was dedicated last October.

"For me, it was a testimony of faith, miracles and knowledge that God would provide all that was needed in his own time and in his own way through the wonderful people and business of the Wolfforth and Lubbock communities," Merrill said.

The park has a walking path, playground, half basketball court, fitness stations and a garden among other features around the lake, which is a collection point for water run off.

"You don't need all LDS people to do great things," Merrill said, who described her neighbors as "good Christian people who could be Mormon." There are seven Mormon families who live in the development of about 180, added Merrill, who has five children, including one of the Eagle Scouts who worked on the park.

The city of Wolfforth didn't have money in its budget to develop a park, which left the community members to fundraising and approaching business for donations.

"The hardest thing was to have faith that it would work out," Merrill said. "The Lord put the right people at the right time (to help). ... People were so giving and so kind."

There were times they prayed to know whom to approach for money for a specific project. Other times ward members and neighbors would just volunteer.

From the ward bishop, Thayne Montague, who lived in the neighborhood, who helped secured more than 30 trees for the park to the neighbor who watered the trees until the irrigation system was installed. Another ward member, April Whiting, applied for a matching grant that helped pay for the last projects at the park.

"We all learned all kinds of things," Bridges said. "When you involved a lot more people, you get a lot more done."

Merrill, who graduated in family science from Brigham Young University, said she learned about installing pavers, cutting bricks and other small-scale construction during the park's development. Her husband and children came out and helped and were very supportive of her.

Bridges, who didn't live in the neighborhood, was recruited to help because of his involvement in the Boy Scout programs as community members figured the Eagle Projects into the work.

"When there is a positive goal, people will stand up and do it," said Bridges, whose youngest son's Eagle project was installing the fitness centers around the jogging path. Bridges and his family moved to Arizona before the park was finished and came back for the October dedication.

The park helped to solidify the neighborhood, and the community members got to develop friendships though the workdays, Merrill said.

Now, the neighborhood still works together to take care of the park from planting flowers to picking up trash.

"They love it," Merrill said of the neighborhood and the park. "People are just very excited."

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