The Thanksgiving "Welcoming Committee"

What better way to greet the Thanksgiving weekend guests than an attack of the Norwegian high schoolers? These teenagers (plus teacher) dressed up and greeted the two busloads of visitors with much banging, roaring, and crashing on the outside of their vehicles.

Staff photos are posted at one end of the dining hall. Sometimes liberties are taken with the accuracy of photos and names. For example, Turk E. Gebachen was added on Thanksgiving weekend as a new member of the staff. Or perhaps, a temporary member of the kitchen staff....

Time

"For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Philippians 4:11

One thing that a life at Holden Village has given our family is time. There is no time spent driving to classes, grocery stores, or gas stations. Virtually no time is spent preparing meals (thank you, kitchen staff!) and very little time cleaning up after meals. As a result, Maya and several other teenagers and adults can be seen knitting hats, scarves, socks, and mittens, delighting in learning from one another, comparing notes on their projects, and visiting as they work. It's wonderful!

Maya has draped fabric all around her room in the chalet, creating a cozy "tent" of sorts in which to simply knit, study, and listen to stories on tape (photo). This brings to mind the title of a book by Henri Nouwen -- The Selfless Way of Christ: Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life.

My hope is that we will learn this year to take time slowy, to serve others, and to be content in the humblest of circumstances.

With the uncertainty of economic conditions of late, it seems that it would be a blessing for us to learn to relish the joys of simplicity, service, and contentment -- knowing that life can be deeply rich without living extravagantly.

Sledding in Swimsuits

Two teenaged "mavericks" were seen running, half-naked, up Chalet hill with tiny sleds on Saturday afternoon. They could be seen speeding down moments later, apparently oblivious to the air temperature and the fact that there were several inches of snow on the ground. Apparently, after a morning of maverick work, these two hit the hot tub, and then couldn't resist the sledding hill. Parka-clad onlookers stared in amazement and could be seen shaking their heads and muttering, "Only at Holden...."

Nate's part-time job

This Saturday morning, Nate and Andrew, another high school student, were assigned the task of shoveling snow (we have seen about five inches fall since yesterday) and attaching plastic to screen doors for extra insulation. They are fulfilling the obligation of students aged 14 and older to work 5 hours per week in addition to their dishteam and garbo duties and, of course, their schoolwork. Seeing these teenagers work to contribute meaningfully to the village is a real joy to us as parents, knowing that they are learning new skills, working as a team, and having the privilege to be mentored by a fantastic young man who is the "Head Maverick" this year. These strong folks were assigned this name long before it became so popular during this presidential election season! Mavericks at Holden Village do all the heavy lifting, including unloading luggage and supplies, moving furniture, shoveling snow, and participating in game shows (more on that later)!

It's not all hard work, though; they do take a little time to enjoy the snow and have a little fun from time to time. Both Nate and Andrew also plan to help out with a game show we're putting on tonight in Koinonia.

Our arrival, August 1

16 weeks down, 36 to go

It didn't seem true that we were actually, finally, heading to Holden Village for our year of service, our year of living in a tiny community, our uncertain 52 weeks in the wilderness. We had a vague idea of what it might be like, and it was a bit scary as well as exciting. Thankfully this decision was completely led by prayer, so Bob and I knew that this was a calling, and not just a preference. Otherwise, we probably would have found it difficult to follow through on this huge change in lifestyle.

As the school bus from the lake arrived in the village 16 weeks ago now, tears came to my eyes, seeing the signs of warm welcome from the community members who will be our family during our 52 weeks at Holden.

Holden School

The one-room schoolhouse idea lives on in Holden School, a public school in the Lake Chelan School District, and the only "remote and necessary" K-12 school in the state. There are actually three rooms, one for K-6, one for 7-12th grades, and a library. The five elementary students interact with their older counterparts throughout the day, particulary evenings and weekends.

In the summer, this building is called Narnia, and serves as the fun center for children of guests and staff.

Throwing Logs

Since all buildings in the village rely to some extent on wood heating over the winter, everyone helps to stack wood. This was a morning in the fall when the students' studies included preparation for winter and a lesson in teamwork!

Dishteam Duty

Once a week each member of the staff participates in dishteam. Here, Bob is on the "dirty" side, scrubbing pans and working with a few others on their 2-hour shift. All villagers aged 12 and older participate in washing or putting away the dishes. It is certainly easier than our thrice daily dishwashing duties back at home, and here, you are always working with a nice group of people as a team.