A group of Spirit of Life folks, plus Pastor’s mom, recently made a delightful and restful pilgrimage to Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat in the mountains above Lake Chelan. Holden Village is a special place, and it’s certainly hard to capture the magic and beauty of it in words. But here are some (and photos below, too):

From the website: Holden Village is a remote wilderness community, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, that welcomes all people into the North Cascade Mountains, above Lake Chelan, Washington. Over the course of 60 years, Holden Village has been transformed from a copper mining town to a vibrant place of education, programming, and worship. Holden Village welcomes and embraces people of all races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. Holden Village has been a Reconciling in Christ congregation since 1985. For the sake of Justice, Holden is called to foster Diversity through deliberate invitation and welcome; deploy an ethic of Equity to confront and dismantle systemic oppression; and practice Inclusion by listening to, learning from, and being transformed by marginalized voices, in order to become, together, the community for which God longs.

From Walt Sippel:
Holden Village provides a wonderful respite from the adventures and challenges we call life. You have the opportunity to do as much or as little as you wish. You can learn, play, rest, meet new people, or simply soak in the mountain air, watch the river rush down the mountain, or watch the world go by unencumbered by modern, electronic conveniences. There is also ice cream in case you need it!

From Charlene Nelson (Pastor's Mom):
The Holden Village experience for me was uplifting and encouraging. In a world where respect, kindness, and "going the extra mile" is in short supply, the staff "Villagers" and the participants renewed my faith in the goodness of professing Christians.
The word "retreat" used in conjunction with Holden Village is very appropriate.  To "retreat" from work responsibilities, schedules, daily news, wi-fi, and cell phones was a chance to rediscover myself and what is important in my life.

From Lois Wilson:
I had two personal goals for this special week, and feel gifted that I was able to achieve both…ahh, plus so many other high points!  The hiking/strolling, mindfulness, conversations, healthy food (yes!) ok, let’s add yummy ice cream.  A very productive yet restful time with amazing people.

From Pastor Marietta:
For me, the rhythm of life at Holden Village is the gift. Meals are communal and time sort of floats by. There are opportunities to “do” (crafting, classes) and opportunities to simply sit. No TV, no phones, computers or Internet. The ice cream shop is open twice a day and worship is every night. Hiking is always an option, as is dipping your toes in a mountain stream.