His eagle project was the construction of a prayer garden placed outside the Church of the Redeemer. The garden includes an area of rocks, two benches, and three wooden plaques - one as a record of the creation of the garden, and two with Bible verses. The plan for the project initially included a terrace and flowers. These parts of the plan were ultimately removed to make the project more manageable. The boy scouts began the construction project by digging a hole. They then layered plastic into that hole, with bricks weighting the perimeter of it. After this, concrete was poured into the hole, and while it was partly hardened, chains connected to the benches were placed into the cement. Through this method, we could be sure the benches were secure and would not be stolen. The surface of the (now hardened) cement was covered in white rocks. All of these elements are permanent and this prayer garden has the durability to last for many years. It is a restful place for visitors and neighborhood people, as well as for regular churchgoers who like to sit, pray, and meditate on the scriptures burned onto the wooden plaques. Visitors are also sometimes visited from time to time by a friendly local cat, that frequents the garden.
During Alex Luna's Eagle ceremony, Alex was nearly brought to tears when presenting the mentor pin to my father, Scott Hornbostel. It is Scott who most helped Alex to complete this project, and who deserves much of the credit for the development of the prayer garden. Alex Luna's ceremony was attended by a group of former Troop 4 Eagle Scouts, and ended with the premiere of "Troop 4: Uncensored, pt. 3". Unfortunately, the video froze repeatedly during the showing.
Minhthien's 2007 Eagle project partially involves an extension and enhancement of this prayer garden with flowers and other additional elements. The garden has become a symbol of the connection between our Troop and the church which provides us with a place to meet.