Witness for Peace

I recently joined the board for an organization called Witness for Peace Northwest, and I had the honor of being with this body for their annual face-to-face meeting this weekend in Seattle. WFP works to change US policies that impact Latina America so they are just and sustainable. They take people on educational delegations to teach about the economic and political realities for people living in Latin America and empowers participants to work for change in their local communities and at a national/international level. I traveled last May to Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico, and to the US/Mexico border with WFP to learn about the roots of migration and the migrant journey. Why are so many people leaving their homes and what is the experience of going north like? It was a stunning, life-altering experience and I am passionate about changing our current immigration system and trade policies so that they take into account the realities of our sisters and brothers to the south.

I encourage you to watch this video made by people who traveled on a similar delegation to Oaxaca and the border this year. It is powerful.

It was really wonderful to spend time these past days with such powerful and inspiring folks from all over the Pacific Northwest. One board member is currently living on an organic farm in Canada. One lives and works in an intentional community in Washington that worships in English, Spanish, Triqui and Mixteco (indigenous languages in Oaxaca). One is head of an interfaith coalition to end homelessness. One has spent two stints in prison for civil disobedience (crossing the line at protests at the School of the Americas and at another miliatary base). One has heard Fidel Castro speak in Cuba. There is a nursing student, a young dad, a person who does guerilla street theater, and a cook in an organic/local kitchen. Most speak Spanihs. All have traveled all over Latin America, work for justice, and live out their commitment to sustainability in different ways. What a gift to spend time with these folks and to begin this journey of working together with them toward something we all believe in.

Here is my delegation with some men from Central America at a migrant center in Oaxaca. They were on their way north and shared their stories with us.

Brody's big day.

We flew up to Spokane last Sunday afternoon to surprise Brody on his 70th birthday. And Brody would have been complete surprise if Eric hadn't called him from the airport to wish him happy birthday (so he wouldn't get suspicious). While they talked, an extremely loud voice came over the intercom announcing something about luggage--and who could better recognize our location than a pilot! Oh, well. It was still fun to casually walk up to him at his party that evening and give him a big hug.

Ann's sisters and their hubbies had come from Iowa the day before to surprise Brody and we had a nice couple of days visiting with everyone. We took a long drive on one gorgeous day and wandered off the main road to find Lake Ellen:

We enjoyed a picnic lunch and played a game of password in the woods--in spite of posted warnings about a "problem bear" in the area. Yikes! Thankfully, we only saw problem bugs.

The next day, we ventured to the 6-lane Chewelah bowling alley for some friendly competition.

I thoroughly enjoyed the responses to bad balls.


We spent our last night up north with Mike, Tanya and Emerson, where we packed up some of Grandma Conklins furniture to bring back to Oregon. Em is talking more and more, which is so fun! And Mike and Tanya just celebrated their 13th anniversary!

It was so great to see everyone!

Visitors!

Chicago friends Carrie and Kristin were here for a few short days and stayed at the lovely Conklin B & B. Here are Carrie and I enjoying the sunflowers that had just blossomed for the first time!


Kristin was in town to lead a really great training I attended about organizing faith communities around immigration issues. Kristin, who works for Interfaith Worker Justice, had flown out from DC where she had been in an immigration-related meeting with the President and others at the White House--hot stuff. Unfortunately, she had to leave very very early on Sunday morning--early enough for me to get a significant nap in before church that morning! While we were off training Friday and Saturday, Carrie met up with other friends and got to explore the Portland area.

We've got a comfy bed in our guest room now and have really enjoyed offering a hospitable place for friends who are visiting or passing through.

Chicago...

Ok, we were in Evanston, actually. A week with heaps of other United Methodists for the School of Congregational Development. The gorgeous summer days were filled with incredible preaching, challenging conversations, and lots of learning about starting new churches and giving new life to existing congregations. They were also filled with (borrowed) bike-riding down tree-lined streets, walking along Lake Michigan (sigh) and eating with old and new friends. It was so great to be back in the city where Goose and I met, fell in love, lived, worked and got married. And it was the little things that made me feel back at home: the distinct smell in the entranceway of every apartment building, the 6-sided tiles in every apartment bathroom in the city, the ding-dong before the "doors closing" announcement on the El. It is good to have these places that welcome us back, no matter how far we've gone or how long we've been away.

We stayed at Reba Place Fellowship, an intentional Mennonite community, in their guest apartment:

Our good friend Joseph has lived there since seminary and we got to hang out with him quite a lot during the week. Somehow, I ended up with zero pictures of him!

Goose on the porch--perfect for breakfast and coffee and for late-night visiting.


Good ol' Garrett-Evangelical:

Coffee with Maiko and Joey, good friends from seminary:

And my mom came to visit for a night!

At the lake with Teran, another dear seminary friend:

The view from the "Class of 1986" bench where Goose and I got engaged:

Monica and Brittany, Holy Covenant friends:

Kristin, another good friend from Holy Cov. She's coming to Oregon later this month--yay!

And now we are back. Back home, back to work, back to the goodness of daily routine and challenge. Back to make some changes--in us, in our churches, in the world.