Winter 2015 - Holden Village

Transcription

Holden Village Voice Winter 2015
www.holdenvillage.org
Page 1
Holden
Village Voice
Winter 2015
The Joy of Winter
Conversations with the Directors
Winter Inspiration
Holiday Recap
Page 2
Holden
Village Voice
Winter 2015
Holden Village is a Lutheran
retreat center in the North Cascade
mountains of Washington state,
welcoming all people.
Page 3
UniqueNow
The
The vision of Holden Village is the love
of God making new the church and world
through the cross of Jesus Christ.
The mission of Holden Village, a
Lutheran ministry, is to welcome all people
into the wilderness to be called, equipped
and sent by God as we share rhythms of
Word and Sacrament; work, recreation and
study; intercession and healing.
Inside This Issue
Page 2: Q&A with the Directors:
Chuck & Steph and Peg + Chuck
Page 4: Holiday highlights
Our core values are worship,
theology, hospitality, vocation, diversity,
grace, shalom, ecology, gifts, study, rest,
place, community and hilarity.
Executive Directors
Chuck & Stephanie Carpenter
Chuck Hoffman & Peg Carlson-Hoffman
Communications Team
Karen Thygerson,
Laura Brown, and Leah Martin
Your comments and questions are invited.
[email protected]
Holden Village Voice
HC 0 Box 2, Chelan WA 98816
Cover photos:
Page 7: Savoring winter
photo by Karen Thygerson
Front: With four feet of snow on the ground,
Chalet Hill offers ideal sledding conditions
for children of all ages.
Photo by Karen Thygerson.
This page: Holden hats, made lovingly by
Village knitters, are sold in the bookstore
to raise funds for the Capital Campaign.
Inside back: On bus arrival days, everyone
lines up to chain packages, food deliveries,
and luggage onto the loading dock.
Back: The Holden bell shines brightly on a
sparkly, winter day, awaiting the chance to
call Villagers to a meal or worship.
Holden Village operates on the
Okanogan-Wenatchee National
Forest under a special use permit.
USDA Forest Service is an equal
opportunity provider.
Printed on paper
with recycled content.
Page 8: An essay from our friend,
Kaethe Schwehn
Chuck Hoffman, Peg Carlson-Hoffman, Stephanie and Chuck Carpenter are working together
for the next several months to make the transition from one Executive Director team to the other.
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in
ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
T
2 Corinthians 3:4–5
here’s always something unique going on in Holden—right now that “something” is having four
Directors. Chuck and Peg began their five-year call as Executive Directors in January. Chuck and Steph are
finishing their five-year call as Executive Directors at the end of June, when one Chuck will be chucked out for
the other Chuck. (Oh yes, the Chuck jokes have begun!) During this unique time, the two calls have merged into
a third thing all its own—different than either of the individual calls, but overlapping in mission and vision.
Like the waters that flow through Railroad Creek Valley, coming together to form Hart Lake, they split again,
transformed by the experience.
Page 10: Construction FAQ
Page 11: Looking ahead to spring
Holden is in transition once again. The mine remediation project will fully occupy the Village this coming summer.
Chuck and Peg, however, are beginning to plan for guests in the winter and summer of 2016. This work requires
much preparation as they will transform a construction Village into one focused on a full guest program.
Currently, Holden is in the midst of a very full winter guest season. The rhythm of winter guest programs
during the mine remediation years has kept the Village grounded and connected. The energy that steps off the
bus is contagious and it shapes the Village. Through rain, snow, and wintry weather, Holden Village staff have
lavishly welcomed all who arrive.
By God’s grace, the ministry of Holden Village is well and will continue to do well. Whatever competence we
have, has come from God! Amen. We thank you all so much for your prayers and support. v
Page 12: A message from Pastor Kent Narum
P+C
Conversations with the Directors
C&S
Executive Directors Chuck & Stephanie Carpenter
talked with Communications Associate Laura
Brown about being called, equipped, and sent
through their experience at Holden Village.
C: We’re working as a team of four during this
transition period. It’s a pretty complicated time
for the Village, and it’s really great to have four
of us focusing on all aspects of this ministry
right now.
S: We both feel so privileged to have been
Directors of Holden Village during this time.
C: We also feel like the end of mine remediation,
at least phase one, is within view. Many unknowns of surviving a mine remediation project
are now known. It has been a challenging but
rewarding experience, and we’re excited for
what’s next for the Village and for us personally.
Holden Moments
C: It’s continually surprising how everyone
who comes up here owns it. People that come
for the first time, even for a week, really own it,
and they care about it, and they “get it” in their
own way. And that crossed over to the mine
remediation people. They really felt ownership
and respect and a desire to do what they could.
The Village brings out the best in people.
S: When we sign donation thank-you letters,
I see notes from so many people—some who
haven’t been to Holden in years. They are still
sending money and saying, “I’ve been thinking
about you all,” and, “I was there in 19 so-andso.” I get very emotional about how many
people care about this place, and the weight
that I feel to keep it healthy and available. We
feel that buoyancy of a huge body that isn’t
even in the valley. Everything from very large
donations to the five-dollar bill taped to the
envelope with a little scribbled note, and they
all make me kind of tear up.
Joys as Directors
C: One thing I’ve learned at Holden is the idea
of “call”—not just for pastors, but for all of
us. People might not know that they’re called
here or that they have something to offer until
they get to the Village. Holden has adapted
by not being too linearly oriented. We’re very
comfortable meandering all over the place with
people’s different gifts. It’s amazing that this
place works and that people show up here to
volunteer to make it happen. You don’t know
how, but it does somehow happen—Holden
moments of the right people being here at the
right time. It’s amazing and joyful being part of
the process of somebody discovering a call and
engaging in this place. It happens over and over.
It’s central to the mission of calling, equipping
and sending—that’s where we’re at personally
right now. We felt called, but we also feel now
that the call is shifting to a different need.
S: I like giving gifts. Especially figuring out
what people like and then giving a special gift
specifically for them. It’s been an absolute joy
to keep giving away this gift to everyone who
gets off the bus. It’s, “Here’s your Village. Let’s
get it to where you feel safe and comfortable
and can be your best self.” That has been a joy.
Being Called
C: When we first came in 2005 we had no goals
of being directors. We came here as volunteers.
We felt our gifts were needed at the time to
help with whatever needed to be done. The
call that grew was not a controllable thing. You
have to be faithful to the process and not have
any preconceptions. People are going to grow
into things. It’s not in our own timing. Chuck
and Peg haven’t had 20 years background here
or whatever, but we hadn’t either. And people
Transition
S: We’re not actually departing until the end of
June. We’re working together with Chuck and
Peg until then. Chuck and I are focusing on
bundling up our call of “getting through mine
remediation” as we hand off to Chuck and Peg
who will be focusing on “emerging” from the
mine remediation.
On their recent visit to the Village, Laura sat down
with Holden’s Next Executive Directors Chuck
Hoffman + Peg Carlson-Hoffman to explore the
perspective they bring to Holden.
Being Welcomed
P: When it was announced that Chuck and I
would be the next Executive Directors, Chuck
and Steph wrote a Dr. Seuss-type poem to us
about coming. Then we wrote a response back
to the Village in the same “Seussian rhyme,” so
the Whoville/Holdenville frivolity got off to an
early start.
C: In January, the bus that picked us up for
our first trip into the Village as Directors was
decked out with Holdenville baubles, trinkets,
and flugal horns.
S: Hosting the 50th anniversary celebration, we
were able to engage in the process of looking
back and appreciating every era. It was a great
way to transition into mine remediation, and
an opportunity for us to meet people and hear
stories of the last 50 years, because our Holden
history only goes back to 2005.
C: We’re grateful that both of our kids have
grown up at Holden Village. Cailan, our
daughter who was 10 when we arrived, is a
sophomore in college now; and August, our
son who was 8 when we arrived, will graduate
from Holden Village School in June, a few
weeks before we leave the Village.
S: We are grateful parents for all of the
wonderful people who have been positive
influences in their lives. For now, we’re
enjoying these last four months working with
Chuck and Peg and all of the wonderful staff
at Holden Village. v
P: When we got off the bus, we were
surrounded by all of Holden dressed in
Whoville craziness. Everyone circled around
us, hand in hand, and started to sing “Wahoo
doray, wahoo doray, welcome, welcome,
Chuck and Peg,”—it was overwhelming. Chuck
1 and Chuck 2 were so funny and we did that
Holden thing where you laugh and cry at the
same time.
C: We cannot say enough good things about
the staff. Even in our short time here we
have experienced wonderful hospitality from
everyone. We’ve enjoyed conversations with
the staff about what they do here and what has
brought each of them to the Village.
Page 5
Holden Moments
C: The winter here is just beautiful. The
snow, the blue fog—our visual awareness is
really heightened here and we see differently,
especially on the sled flying down Chalet Hill.
and compassionate. We worked to create a
space of trust so participants could listen
and find their own creative voices. Then we
worked with how those voices connect to
build community.
P: We still have a sense of wonder about
Holden. Doesn’t everyone? We don’t take any
of this for granted.
P: For us, it’s about imagination. We believe
that if you can imagine something, then it
has possibility. So we want to make room
for people to imagine a new way to be in the
world. We want to push on the boundaries of
the church a little bit. What are the problems
within the church, what are the problems in
the world—global, political—what are those
boundaries, and how do we push through
and imagine a new way to be in this fastchanging world? That kind of thinking requires
intentional space. Holden is the perfect place
for that.
C: We’re seeing Holden new. We’re sharing it
with our friends and family like it’s the first
time anybody has discovered it. The hikes
have been amazing. Being able to really find
solitude and hear the crunch of the snow is
a big contrast to being in the midst of a busy
city. Holden has the solitude and a vibrant
community. It’s all good, and it’s all part of the
richness of Holden.
Face to Face
C: Peg and I have been on the road visiting
with Holden folks in Seattle, Tacoma,
Wenatchee, Minneapolis, Northfield, and
St. Paul so people could get to know us.
We’ve gathered over meals, in homes, and in
churches listening to stories and hearing the
hopes and dreams that Holdenites around the
country have for the Village.
gave us an open mind and grace around that.
By not having that long history, we were free
because we weren’t attached. People can get
locked into, “Well, my era was the best era,”
but celebrating 50 years of Holden without
attachment, we were free to look back and
appreciate every era equally as the whole
mosaic of Holden’s history.
photo by Jeanette Byrnes
Page 4
P: Of course, like all new Villagers, we’ll bring
our own gifts and talents to this position. But
we want to make sure we understand all the
goodness and the things that are important
to people. We feel it’s important to listen to
people from all the different eras.
Women’s Retreat
P: We just finished teaching our first Holden
retreat with 60 women called Creating a Space
for Sacred Imagination. Chuck reminded me
several times that it was his first Women’s
Retreat ever. It was an honor to work
with singer/songwriter Linda Breitag and
Elizabeth Austen, the current Poet Laureate of
Washington state.
C: It was an amazing group. Some participants
came with deep tradition, and for others it was
their first time to the Village. First-timer or
long-timer, it was a powerful weekend. These
women were brave, kind, smart, funny, lovely,
C: And it’s building on tradition, too, so there
are building blocks to change and adapt to
meet the day where it is. That’s what I love
about Holden. Holden has always been a
place of imagination. People came in here and
saw this old mining town and they imagined
something different. They had courage to let it
grow into its own, not control or strangle it.
P: It’s a place to hold the questions. And we
have to be able to hold the questions.
C: In our former corporate lives, and as artists
working in reconciliation and community
around the world, we have found a rhythm
that includes compassion, listening, and
creative imagination in hopes of drawing
people closer together. That, in turn, can help
build communities of trust that celebrate our
differences. Here at Holden, we will build
on that philosophy using image and word to
construct deep and meaningful conversations
that offer a space to honor the questions, learn,
create, and grow.
Coming and Going
P: Holden is a complex place right now. A lot
has changed in the recent past, and we’ll of
course be transitioning back into summer guest
seasons soon. Because of all this, the overlap
of Director teams is longer than usual. The
four of us are focusing on different aspects.
We’re learning about the rhythms of the
Village, the details of the remediation, and
also concentrating on future.
C: The bus at Holden is always coming
and going. It’s a fact of life here, but also a
metaphor for how fleeting our time is. We
particularly treasure this time with Chuck
and Steph. We know that we will be changed
and transformed during our time here—just
as other directors have—but for now, we look
forward to greeting each of you in that familiar
Holden way. v
photos by Laura Brown & Karen Thygerson
Page 6
Holden Moments
Villagers return from a successful hunt
for the perfect Christmas tree.
Each Friday, Villagers gather for quiet time around the
cross, lighting candles as we raise our prayers to God.
celebration and in times of need. Neighbors checked on each
other regularly and brought meals to those sick at home. “For
me, it was after the Christmas Eve dinner had been served,
when the kitchen staff sat down and ate together,” recalled Stuffi
Stephens, Kitchen Coordinator. Andrew Lund, Capital Projects
volunteer, also loved the kitchen on Christmas Eve. “I walked past the
kitchen after dinner and there was David Nakic with a huge bakery
spatula rockin’ out to Queen.”
In early December, Villagers of all ages ventured
out to the woods with Forest Service permits in
hand, to find the perfect Christmas tree. With
such a bountiful selection, every group went
home happy, and many evergreens were
left to flourish in the wild. IT Coordinator
Keith Thygerson remembers the adventure
fondly. “We were surprised at how fun and
satisfying it was to hike out into the snow
and hunt for our perfect tree. Dragging it
home on the sled and setting it up in our
Chalet really brought the Advent spirit
alive.” Utilities Assistant Kirsten Olsen
savored the Polar Bear Plunge in Lake Chelan
on New Year’s Day. “I knew if I didn’t do it
then, I would probably never do it, and I’m so
glad I did! It was so much fun!”
For many, it was the experience of Holden community that was unique. “So often
over the holidays we are just with family, but to be here and experience serving and
eating as a community of 150-plus was such a gift,” offered Hospitality Manager
John Griebe. Several Villagers—who caught a nasty cold that spread during
the holidays—witnessed the sense of a community coming together both in
The Thanksgiving day Copper Bowl pitted the Saints vs. the
Sinners for a spirited game of touch football. The match was
live-streamed into Fireside for spectators, complete with
running commentary and half-time commercials.
The Holden Winter Olympics torch was relayed through the Village, and the opening
ceremony culminated with the lighting of the flame at the top of Chalet Hill.
Page 7
offered us his stuffed raccoon, Rascal. True, all the other
competitors were under 12, but we won and we were
so excited! Rascal is still wearing the medal we won.”
You know “Holden moments” when you see them. They’re
difficult to explain, but they abound in the Village: those
moments you don’t experience anywhere else. Whether
you’ve lived here for years or are visiting as a guest
for the first time, you’re sure to encounter at least
one Holden moment during your stay in this valley.
The folks in the Village for the 2014/2015-winter
season are no exception. From the first snowfall
in October to the darkest day in December; the
anticipation of Advent to the festivity of Christmas;
the Thanksgiving feast to the New Year’s Day
brunch; a Holden winter is full of surprises and new
traditions that can transform your understanding of
this formidable and majestic season.
Lead Cook Max Jennings found his moment at the annual Copper Bowl football
game on Thanksgiving day. “The weather conditions were bad, but everyone
dressed up, we had a reasonably real game, the commercials were fun, and the
whole day just came together. It was definitely my top day in the Village so far.” Other
sporting events also yielded some great Holden moments. “I loved the Winter Olympics
Opening Ceremony,” explained Lead Cook Hannah Fisher. “We were all standing around
with candles as the torch came through, and I was soaking it in, knowing that I would
probably never go
to a real opening
ceremony.” Laundry
Head Meredith Ishida
also cherished her
Winter Olympics
experience. “Shane
and I wanted to
run in the Toboggan
Team Sled Race, but
were told we needed
four people. Then we
realized with me being
pregnant we had three, and
Marc [Operations Manager]
Luther student and J-term participant Isaac Jensen had a hard time
identifying just one moment. “There are so many that it’s hard
to pick one, but when our class hiked to the trail junction, we
had this great moment. The peaks were in silhouette behind the
clouds, and then the sun came through and the whole valley
opened up, and we all were running in snowshoes, the whole
class and the professor.” Lead Cook Pat Clark sees “the balance
of support and fun” as quintessentially Holden. “On New
Year’s Eve we were all dancing outside on the street for a couple
hours, and then you balance that with someone at the bowl
during Prayer Around the Cross—fun and contemplation.”
continued on page 6
The Holden Winter Olympics included a knitting
competition, Coffee Carry, Dogsled Races (below),
Maverick Triathlon, Boot Toss, Drag & Hoist,
Sledding, and many other silly events.
Following an evening feast,
Christmas Eve Eucharist was a beautiful
celebration of the beginning of the Christmas season.
New Year’s Eve dance party outside Koinonia
photo by Josh Welbaum
Page 8
continued from page 5
St. Olaf J-term student Erica Hall loved her first Prayer Around the Cross. “The
laying on of hands was so beautiful. There was an unspoken understanding of
being both an individual and part of a community.” Communications Associate
Laura Brown identified the Epiphany bonfire as her Holden moment. “I had always
celebrated Christmas, but never the 12 Days of Christmas. It was really wonderful
having everyone there, and the view of the mountains, and being surrounded by
the whole community. I wasn’t sad that the season was over. We were marking the
end of one season and the beginning
of another.” The Winter Solstice
bonfire held on Tailings Pile
Two gave Josh Welbaum
his moment. “Looking
at the quiet smiles,
the red fire glowing
on people’s faces,
and taking a step
back, seeing
all my friends
silhouetted
against the sky,
was magical.”
photo by Jeanette Byrnes
J-term students from St. Olaf gather for an outdoor session.
All J-termers attended class in the mornings, then helped with
dish team, garbo, and other Village functions in the afternoons.
Several J-termers (as well as some unsuspecting Villagers)
were caught in a surprise snowball fight after bus departure one day.
Christmas trees were transformed into kindling for a special Epiphany service on Chalet Hill.
Villagers sang simple and beautiful chants and took communion under the towering view of
Buckskin and Copper mountains.
For Erin McIntosh, a St. Olaf student, a walk past the bridge at night summed up
her Holden experience. “I looked up at the stars and they were the most brilliant
thing I have ever seen. So many experiences here are so hard to put into words.
I could just be still and observe the magnificence.” A night walk also provided
Ellen Guisfredi her Holden moment. “Two days after the New Year’s Eve candlelit
labyrinth, I went out there and the clouds were rolling in and out and light and
dark were alternating, along with silence and the company of friends, and there
was still a candle burning in the center.” Medic Linda Evans also loved the
contrasting atmospheres of the Village. “On New Year’s Eve I experienced
a mix of the familiar (pickled herring, lefse, and homemade eggnog)
and new traditions. We had an early (Midwest time zone) toast
and the experience was rich with food and people and
quiet and noise.”
Arrivals and departures
are so much of the
Holden experience that
it’s no surprise they offered
Holden moments. “Welcoming
the next directors, we all—
children and adults—went
to the costume shop and
dressed for the occasion,”
shared St. Olaf J-term
student Christa Kuck.
Lead Cook Honna Brown
returned to the Village from
a trip that day. “Getting off
the bus with Chuck and Peg,
I felt like I was arriving for
the first time too!”
Some Holden moments are fleeting and spontaneous, impossible to recreate. Others
inspire years of new tradition and ceremony in the lives of unsuspecting individuals or
the community as a whole. Either way, the spark of these moments, particularly in the
lethargy and apparent lifelessness of winter, ignites a renewed faith in all that lies dormant
beneath the snow. It reminds us why we treasure this valley, and the community that is both
nurtured here and sent out into the world by every person a Holden moment has touched. v
photo by Kevin Steffa
The candlelit labyrinth on New Year’s Eve was beautiful
to behold, especially given the majestic backdrop.
By Karen Thygerson
Photos by Kevin Steffa
Page 9
winter
wonderland
In the winter safety training that all Villagers are required to attend, we
learn about the tools essential for backcountry hiking in snow, the fabrics
that wick moisture most effectively, and the amount of extra food to pack
for emergencies. We are reminded to sign in and out on the winter safety
board, where we can also check for up-to-date information about trail
conditions and avalanche danger. There is even a specialist on avalanche
safety who visits the Village each year to teach about the riskiest
conditions and how to assess a snow-covered slope for stability.
“Mr. Em” (Roland Emetaz) has been with the Northwest Avalanche
Center since its founding, and has generously come to Holden every
winter for the past 11 years.
Marc and Nancy Rerucha Borges, our resident backcountry experts, start
the training sessions with a slideshow (analog slides, projector, and all)
documenting their hiking and cross-country skiing adventures in the
North Cascades over the last 30 years. The breadth of their knowledge
and firsthand experience is awe-inspiring, as they discuss the surprising
danger of roof-alanches in the Village and how to keep your extra clothes
dry should you fall into the creek.
But what they also share—what barely even needs to be said, as we view
the majestic images of towering mountainsides and snow-covered stones
aside wintry rivers—is that winter in and around Holden Village is an
amazing and beautiful time of year; formidable, true, but also rich with
opportunity and wonderment. The bright sun peaking out from behind
Buckskin Mountain reminds us each day to look up. The light shining on
the peak of Dumbbell beckons us: “Come out here and see what winter
has to offer!”
In the spring, when the flowers bloom and the days get longer, we jump
at the chance to hit the trail. A little mud won’t stop us from enjoying the
reemergence of the sun. In the summer warmth, it is easy to remember to
get out of the Village (whatever “village” you may live in) and explore.
In the fall, conditions are still inviting to any level of hiker and any
length of hike. We even appreciate the crisp coolness in the air after the
heat of summer.
But in the winter, we might be tempted to let the cold pin us inside.
There’s nothing wrong with wrapping up in a quilt on the couch with
a good book or a good friend by your side, but if we allow ourselves
to take a chance—to venture out onto the frosty white trails (with the
appropriate safety equipment and training, of course!)—what we might
find can astound us: frost sparkling like diamonds, low-hanging clouds
in shades of pink and purple and orange that not even Monet could
imagine; rough valleys made smooth under a blanket of endless snow;
grandeur.
Don’t let the jaw dropping beauty of winter go unnoticed. Instead, get
outside and be alert to the offerings of every season, winter included.
Whether by ski, snowshoe, or traction device-strapped hiking boot;
whether in the North Cascade mountains surrounding Holden Village
or the neighborhood park down the block from your house; let’s get out
there and see what winter has yet to offer. v
Page 10
The first time you spend January at Holden you
are a college student taking a class called The
Short Story and Its Writer. That first January
is filled with big, thick flakes of snow, with
the click of knitting needles, with the shush of
crepe-thin pages of your textbook flipped to
the worlds of Cisneros and Hemingway and
Carver. You sleep in a bunk in Koinonia where
the green shag carpet always holds fragments
of detritus no matter how many times you
vacuum. You spend the mornings talking about
literature and the afternoons skiing (or failing
to ski) and the Village is a snow globe filled
with all the things you love best and you think
maybe it is heaven.
photo provided by Kaethe Schwehn
1999 St. Olaf J-term group with Kaethe at bottom right.
The second January you spend at Holden you
are a long term Villager. You are the teaching
assistant at the school and you grade calculus
homework and teach the kindergarteners to say
rojo and azul. Many days you feel lonely and
sad and the sunless days have a way of graying
you into a state of nothingness. This time, when
the bus filled with January term students pulls
up to the loading dock, you are not among
them; you are part of the “we” that watches:
“We watch the frosted doors slide open and
the students clomp down the stairs, their
chatter quieting as they get their first glimpse
Page 11
Fifth
January
The
By Kaethe Schwehn
of the mountains. A young woman with her
hair wrapped into a crown of delicate braids
follows a male student with two cameras
around his neck, his dark hair stiff with gel. We
watch their faces but also their clothes: scarves
in bright colors with sparks of silver filigree,
puffy down coats, and Guatemalan mittens. We
observe their clothes but also their hair: light
and clean, curled and soft. The fake fruity notes
of their shampoo (lemon and pomegranate,
grapefruit and cherry-almond) waft over to us
where we wait, smiling and clapping, nodding
our heads, saying “welcome, welcome.”
Ostensibly we are there to unload the food
shipment, but more honestly we come out
of a different kind of hunger: for the wider
world and the sense of anonymity found there.
We can’t leave regularly so we find our own
foreignness in the appearance of strangers who
don’t know us inside and out.”1
You bring your husband along for your third
January at Holden. Or rather he brings you
and twenty-eight students from St. Olaf. Now
he is the professor (and you are a professor
too, though not for this particular class), and
he sits in a circle with the students as they
discuss Bonhoeffer and the way bad theology
leads to climate change and whether God is
our reality. You sit on the edge of your bed
vomiting into a plastic round because you have
a baby growing inside you. Ice slicks the road
and new snow refuses to fall. You take pictures
of the students on an avalanche pile, their
coats bright and lively on the hulking piles
of grey and brown. When the father of one of
the students dies she burns a Viking ship in
his honor. The students huddle close, arms
2009 St. Olaf J-term group meeting for class in the Fireside room.
photo by Kaethe Schwehn
in the Creekside room this year, quilts wrapped around
their shoulders, books and half-finished scarves tucked
into crevices of warmth.
Now you are here at Holden again. You are thirty-six
years old. It has been sixteen years since the first January
you spent at Holden. Your husband sits in a circle with
another group of students while you simultaneously try
to keep the one-year-old from eating Scrabble squares
while listening to the five-year-old’s story about Petal
and Elena, her six-inch dolls who survived the train trip
with all of their tiny shoes intact. You are tired and worn
out. By lunchtime, you are often on the verge of tears. On
those days, you make a list in your head of all the places
you’d rather be.
But then Holden begins to work on you. The familiar
songs at Vespers. The catch of stars in the throat. The
mountains kicking awe into your gut. There is the swish
of your daughter’s snowpants on the trail ahead of you,
2009 St. Olaf J-term group exploring avalanche ruins.
wrapped around one another’s waists, and
watch the smoke reach toward the darkness.
The fourth January at Holden is mostly a blur
because you are sick with a different baby
inside you and thoroughly exhausted by the
baby of the third January who is now three
years old. She wears Elmo slippers as she races
up and down the length of the dining hall
wearing the two-foot-long fleece hat
that she made with her father in
the craft cave while you were
vomiting in your room in
the Hotel. The students
write a song about living
in a tiny mountain village
and the one with red hair sings it
while the one with dark eyebrows plucks
the tune out on a mandolin. They sit in a circle
the village is a snow globe
filled with all the things
you love best and you
think maybe it is heaven.
Kaethe’s daughter, Thisbe, discovers the joy of outdoor adventure at Holden, 2013.
the sweat of warm toast on your palm, the student who offers you the shining story
of his life. The boy you taught to say azul and rojo during your second January is now
a bright-eyed seventeen-year-old and he takes your daughter sledding and gives her
shoulder rides, letting the skirt of her costume-shop dress fall around his face like a veil.
The electrician buys a teething toy for your son and the medic points to the cardinal
on her bag, saying “bird” fifty times a day so you don’t have to. Glowing with delight,
your daughter circles the fireside ring with six other Village children, dancing to music a
dear friend wrote in the darkness of the second January. As you listen to the guitar and
mandolin test the waters of the bluegrass tunes, as you sing about “the truth beyond
our minds,” you think about the importance of returning to the same place at different
moments in a single life, the way the returning marks both the person you have been
and the person you’ve become. v
1 Excerpted from Tailings: A Memoir by Kaethe Schwehn, published 2014 by Cascade Books,
Eugene, OR. Used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers, www.wipfandstock.com.
Kaethe Schwehn is the author of Tailings: a Memoir
(Cascade Books), an account of her life at Holden during
the “second January.” She spends the other months of
the year teaching creative writing at St. Olaf College and
enjoying the company of her husband and two children.
More information at www.kaetheschwehn.com.
illustrations by Ben Schieber
5
Page 12
So Many Ways to Give
Short answers to the
Top Five Questions
The mission and ministry of Holden Village continues thanks to YOU!
With so many ways to give, you can find the way that works for you.
aDonate securely online or by mail.
aMake a tribute or memorial gift and include Holden in your will.
aYou can also donate stock, appreciated securities, real estate,
or life insurance.
aRequest a matching gift form from your employer to double
or triple your gift.
Gifts to Holden are tax deductible! You can also designate your gift
to the area of greatest need or our capital campaign, Refresh, Renew,
Rejoice!, to help the Village upgrade its 75-year old infrastructure and
facilities. Visit www.holdenvillage.org/donate or send mail to
Contributions, Holden Village, HC 0 Box 2, Chelan, WA 99816-9769.
Questions? Contact Development Coordinator Anne Gintz at
[email protected] for more information.
About Construction
At Holden Village
Q: What is mine remediation?
A: The Holden mine remediation project is a multi-million dollar effort to clean up
contaminants that were left from the Howe Sound Holden Mine era (1937–1957). Rio
Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining groups, is managing and paying for the cleanup
under the supervision of the U.S. Forest Service. More than 120 acres, largely across
Railroad Creek from Holden Village, are included in the affected area.
Q: Is the Village closed?
A: No! Holden Village is still operating year round, but guest opportunities are currently
only available from roughly December–April. Heavy construction began in 2013, but
staff and volunteers have been working and living in the Village throughout this unique
time. In fact, we’ve been taking advantage of this opportunity to make much-needed
improvements to the Village infrastructure that would have been impossible with a
Village full of guests.
Help Us Keep In Touch
By joining Holden NetWorks, you can ensure we have your most
accurate and up-to-date contact information. We never share your
information with other entities. Visit www.holdenvillage.org and
click on the “Holden NetWorks” link to create/manage your account.
Email [email protected] for further assistance.
If you’re receiving multiple copies of our mailings, please let us know.
Your ID# (in the corner of your mailing label) will help us locate the
right data. Thank you for keeping in touch!
Q: What has been accomplished so far?
Q: What is still left to do?
A: In 2015, a new footbridge will be built across Railroad Creek, the hydroelectric building
will be expanded and improved, and new underground communications and electrical
cables will be put into service. On the south bank, water and electrical systems will be
improved, the barrier wall will be completed, and a water treatment plant will be built
to collect and treat contaminated water. Tailings piles will be revegetated and disturbed
trails will be reestablished. New facilities will be built, including a Holden museum.
Q: When can guests return?
A: Guests are here now! During these years of construction, guest opportunities are
available roughly December–April. You can visit Holden right now, up through April 6.
Make your reservations at www.holdenvillage.org/visit. Summer guest opportunities
are expected to return in 2016. You are also welcome to participate in Village life any
time of year by volunteering. Contact [email protected]. v
:Visit www.holdenvillage.org to download past issues of the
Holden Village Voice for much more information.
-Watch for even more info in the Spring issue of the Holden Village Voice.
To complete planned Village renovations,
we need skilled volunteers
with experience in the building trades.
Carpenters and framers (building renovations and additions, building
a new footbridge) • Electricians and experienced electrical workers
(connecting buildings to underground electrical system, modifying
building wiring, upgrading controls and wiring of hydroelectric) • Heavy
Equipment Operators (backhoe/front loader, telehandler forklift, dump
trucks, and a crane truck) • Plumbers (completing new water systems,
installing hydronic heating systems, and plumbing upgrades) • Concrete
workers (foundations and other projects) • Dry stack rock wall builders
(repairing historic rock walls) • Peeled Pole Carpenters (repairing and
replacing log poles and railings on buildings) • Sawyer (operating Timber
King band sawmill) • Project Managers and Project Leads (leading work
teams and/or managing above projects)
A: Several Village buildings
have been improved and
repaired, including a
complete renovation of
Lodge 3. Heating, electrical,
water, and fire suppression
systems were upgraded,
and a 6000-gallon grease
trap was installed outside
the kitchen. Roads were
upgraded, and several
older buildings on the
south side of the creek were
demolished. About 900
feet of Railroad Creek was
rerouted, and tailings piles
were regraded. A new barge ramp was constructed at Lucerne and digging of the
Barrier Wall commenced. Phew!
If you have any of these skills and
can consider working at Holden
between May and November
please contact the staffing office:
[email protected].
We are happy to answer any
questions and explore how you
can use your skills in the Village.
Page 13
Spring Things
The third season of heavy construction in the Village will
begin in April. But between now and then, there are still
many guest opportunities awaiting you! We’ve crafted
the events below to enrich the community experience of
Holden in the coming months. Consider planning a visit
around these events, with a few days before and after for
relaxation. Every season at Holden is special in its own
way. Come see what spring has to offer in the Village.
Artists in Residence
February 23–April 6
This spring, our Artists in Residence will fill the Village
with creative energy and opportunity. Observe and
interact with the artists at work, and experience the unique
works they create while staying in this inspiring place.
Elizabeth Person is an Everett, Washington-based artist
and graphic designer. She
studied illustration and
English at Indiana Wesleyan
University. Currently, she
is an in-house designer at
a children’s educational
company, while expanding
her freelance illustration
work. Using pen and
watercolor, she creates
“illustrative infographics,”
often featuring Northwest
themes. Her illustrations
can be spotted at cafés, on
concert posters, and most recently, at her favorite store,
Metsker’s Maps of Seattle. She has served as a Cultural
Arts Commissioner for the City of Everett since 2011.
Visit elizabethperson.com to view her work. She is
thrilled to participate in the Holden community as an
Artist in Residence this year.
Elyse-Krista Mische is a Minnesota native. She
graduated in 2011 from
Lawrence University in
Appleton, WI with a B.A.
in Studio Art. She currently
works at an art studio and a
gluten-free bakery, designs
screen prints, and sells and
donates her line of Worry
Birds. She is primarily an
illustrator but also works
with mixed media such as
ceramics, textiles, metal,
wood, and printmaking.
Elyse-Krista’s artwork is
motivated by exchanging life experiences and stories
with others, spending time in slow-paced environments,
and by the preservation of history and memories. As a
Holden Artist in Residence,
she will begin a series of
illustrated picture books
that narrate how people in
different communities view
and value their temporal
existence. Elyse-Krista looks
forward to illustrating and
getting to know the people
of Holden.
Compassionate Voices
March 6–9
This meaningful retreat
focuses on healing the heart
and lifting the spirit. It is
a time of rest, conversation, and prayer for participants. Sessions on grief, caregiving,
death and dying, singing at the bedside, and art and movement activities to refresh
caregivers will be led by hospice professionals, therapeutic artists and musicians,
and chaplains. Participants have described it as a “powerful and hopeful” retreat.
All are welcome!
Naturalization Ceremony
March 12
Holden will host a Naturalization ceremony welcoming 10 new citizens. USCIS (United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services) will offer informational sessions and we’ll
celebrate cultures that make up the melting pot that is the United States.
Folk Festival
March 20–23
The 2014 Folk Festival was so fun that we’re doing it again! This year’s emphasis is on
old-time music, with workshops, jam sessions, art, dance, and yoga. We’ll welcome
guest instructors for ukulele, folk art, songwriting, and have other opportunities for
education and hilarity. Enjoy song circles, yoga for musicians, Saturday night dance,
Sunday gospel worship, and an appearance from Scatter Creek String Band. Bring your
instruments and voices. All skill levels are welcome!
Holy Week
March 29–April 6
Holy week promises to be magical as the Holden community celebrates the days leading
to Easter. Whether you’ve been a part of this moving time in Holden before, or have not
yet had the pleasure, we hope you can join us for this experience. v
To attend any of these events, simply visit www.holdenvillage.org/visit/reservations and
make reservations for your chosen dates. No additional cost or registration is required.
Page 14
photo by Kevin Steffa
Grace Shattering Perfection
By Pastor Kent Narum
Sometimes you see it in the sparkle of her eye
as the unsuspecting guest steps off the bus
for the first time. Sometimes you hear it in his
tone as the short-term staff asks about life at
Holden. Sometimes you catch it in yourself at
Vespers when the candlelight and harmony fill
the room and everything seems so perfect.
It is the myth
that Holden
is a utopia.
promise of perfection: “you will not die, for
God knows that when you eat of it your eyes
will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil.”
Of course, the only part of the snake’s promise
that comes true is that “the eyes of both were
opened.” Death,
it turns out, is not
so easily avoided.
Being perfect
“like-God,” it
turns out, is less
desirable than first
imagined. Even
teasing out the
good in the world
from the evil in the world turns out to be more
difficult, if not more dangerous, than those who
live in paradise (or next to it) might think.
“By sheer grace, God will not
permit us to live even for a brief
There are other
myths with which
a community
might wrestle,
but few are as
intoxicating as the idea that a perfect paradise
can be found in the wilderness. It is a paradise
(so goes the myth) where every need is
met, every hunger satisfied, every question
answered and everyone gets along.
period in a dream world.”
In Life Together Dietrich Bonhoeffer has this to
say about the dream of a perfect community:
“The serious Christian, set down for the first
time in a Christian community, is likely to
bring... a very definite idea of what Christian
life together should be and to try to realize
it. But God’s grace speedily shatters such
dreams.”
Besides giving us a second look at life together
in community, Bonhoeffer’s words also invite
us to take a second look at that ancient story
about a so-called “perfect” garden and what
happens next.
It turns out that people have wrestled with the
temptation to live perfectly from the beginning.
The serpent slithers around the unsuspecting
heart and squeezes with the subtle, mythical
Holden is not a perfect community. Holden
is an authentic community. And Holden is
a real community, where dreams of
perfection often break down, but
then provide a bed of fertile soil
for God’s grace to take root.
Like those who sought
mythical perfection in the
first garden, many come to
Holden playing hide-and-seek.
But here in the wilderness they come face to
face with the question: “From what are you
trying to hide?” It is a question that elicits
stories of broken relationships, lost
faith, burned-out lives, but also
stories of God’s grace being
found in that which
was shattered.
“So surely must we be overwhelmed by a great
disillusionment with others,” Bonhoeffer goes
on to say, “with Christians in general, and,
if we are fortunate, with ourselves. By sheer
grace, God will not permit us to live even for a
brief period in a dream world.”
Meanwhile, back in the no-longer-perfect
garden, there is an often-overlooked epilogue
to the hide-and-seek game. “And God made
garments of skins…and clothed them.” That’s
the kind of God that many experience at
Holden—the God who calls us out of places
where we hide in dreams of perfection. The
God who calls us out of places where we seek
perfection. The God who sends us out to the
world where there is holy and hard work to be
done. But also the God who
clothes and equips after
the calling and before the
sending.
May you experience
this God who stitches up
communities with garments
of grace. May you know
God who clothes all
creation with God’s
only Son, broken
on the cross. May
you trust that
God wraps you
in the quilt of the Holy Spirit and
sends you out to be God’s stitches
to a torn world. And may God
shatter your hope for
perfection so that
grace may
abound. v
illustration by Karen Thygerson
Page 15
Page 16
Coming Events
February 23–April 6:
Artists in Residence
in the Village
March 6–9:
Compassionate Voices
Retreat
March 12:
Naturalization Ceremony
March 20–23:
Folk Festival
March 29–April 6:
Holy Week
April 6:
Easter
May 1:
2015 Construction
Season begins

Winter 2015 - Holden Village

Transcription

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