St Thomas Online Coffee Hour: Skagit Pilgrimage Update

Another great day for the Skagit Valley Pilgrims! We went back to Viva Farms this morning to continue working Salvador’s vegetable plot – doing a lot of weeding that he and his partner have little time to do. Even though we didn’t feel like we were accomplishing much by pulling weeds around lettuce, bell peppers, and tomatillos, Salvador is very grateful for our help in keeping his plot clear and fruitful. We were also able to spend some time with one of the owners of Viva Farms, learning more about why they do what they do. They hope to restore dignity to farmers who have worked in poor conditions at other farms for little pay, and to help them become self-sufficient farmers. The kingdom of God must look a lot like Viva Farms – people being liberated from injustice, experiencing their worth as human beings, and using their God-given talents to help others. While we are at Viva Farms, we purchased the produce for our meals from the Viva produce stand which allows the Viva farmers to receive a larger percentage of the money for their products – 60% rather than 24%.

Bible Camp today drew a smaller crowd of kids, but it was great nonetheless. The theme for today was “Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord.” Our craft for today was making musical instruments and then making music together – which was certainly joyful! We talked with the kids about how we can give thanks to God through music and hopefully whenever they make music in the future, they will remember that God loves them.

The youth group from la Iglesia de la Resurreccion came over to our campsite this evening to share a meal together. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to discover our commonalities, to spend time in fellowship, and to share our lives over a meal. Again, this was a taste of God’s kingdom – people brought together with shared faith and shared food. We ended our evening with Compline and a reflection time and the Pilgrims certainly have a lot to think about. We are beginning to process our experience and think about how our lives will change when we return home. Our time in the Skagit Valley is the beginning of a journey and we hope to return as changed people who will fight for justice, who will see the kingdom of God around us, and will be willing to share our lives with people who are different than us.

We ask for your continued prayers for our group of Pilgrims– for rest, for energy, for our open to the ways God wants us to grow and change, and for continued bonding and fellowship among our group.