summer volunteers at TN

One of the things that has kept me busy this summer, is planning and organizing some volunteer trips. This summer we've had two adult home groups, the youth group from Seattle's Bethany Pres Church, as well as just last week a youth group from Fairbanks, Alaska come up to volunteer! Unfortunately for the first two, the rain persisted, but everyone dug in...whether literally into the muddy farm and garden, as well as metaphorically into the various other projects taken on. The AK group had the best weather, definitely soaked up the sun!

Some highlights:
BPC adult home group trip: in May, the same adult home group from the summer before and my parent's home group journeyed to Tierra Nueva to again jump in wherever needed. In one work day, they re-hauled our deteriorating TN Garden, weeded & planted like mad at the farm, and took a long lunch break listening to some TN program updates. At the end of the weekend , I drove the Sanchez kids home after our worship service. From the backseat questions we're flying instigated by the Godly Play time that one BPC member had led:
"How did Jesus die? Did he suffer? Why did he die? How did he get out of the tomb?"
Questions that had never come up before with these kids, had been provoked by the simple creativity of the Godly Play model. It was fun to answer their eager questions, prompt new ones for them, and reiterate God's love for them.

Not only that, but our farm, garden, children's room, library, kitchen (stocked with soup and bread mixes!) are all much enhanced as a result of your presence with us...as well as staff who got to hang out with you. Thank you.

In June, the BPC youth group stepped in where the adult home group had left off! In the TN garden, they attacked the persistent weeds, tried our weed-wacking, & planted flower seeds. They also painted chalkboard paint in a kids area at TN, re-hauled our clothing closet, and amazed our farm coordinators with their energy and willingness to dig in on the farm.

They so loved the farm, that they've continued to come up and help on harvest days, and have even recruited BPC families to buy shares and set up a deliver system to Seattle! This Sunday Holly, Salvio, & Victoria will share about the farm at BPC's services. For more info on the farm, go to: http://newearthfarm.wordpress.com/farm-blog/

Last week, 12 youth and 3 adults came from the First Pres Church of Fairbanks AK. Their youth group had a great time, running full-on VBS activities at the migrant camps, working on the farm, getting to know TNers, and coming to the Call+Response movie. We did a reflection activity on Friday, and many were motivated to 'be change-makers', start 'anti-trafficking' groups at their school, volunteer in the jail someday, be more involved in social justice issues...as well as had poignant descriptions of where and how they had seen God, ways they had heard him afresh, and renewed motivation to love people and love God more fully. It was really beautiful to see the intermingling of faith and justice that arose from their experiences with us at Tierra Nueva.

Thank you all!!!