After a couple years of less work and the consequent pressure on budget and sense of purpose, 2010 provided us a significant encouraging turn-about. Too often the tendency is to see even in positive moments the blemishes and shortcomings. You can imagine that in a farm community it seems there is always some difficulty—dry weather, wet weather, no helping hands, rising costs, pests…. Or of course there is the risk in a faith community with its ideals that nothing ever quite shapes up: individually, in the faith community itself, in the local or national secular world. It is the way things seem to go, but when things do go well, as they did in our work this year, let’s not hesitate to acknowledge it clearly and often.
An example of the positive was as usual our guests. They are an easy bunch to deal and live with. Friendships have grown over repeated stays. Most come understanding who we are with the simplicity of our standards, our spectacular rural setting, our Christian perspective, our commitment to environmental care and, in general, how we operate. There are few surprises and an appreciation for what we have to offer.
Another example would be our co-workers. The employees—Iris in the kitchen, Beppe with maintenance, and Elisa managing hospitality—form the faithful nucleus around which rotated a great bunch (again!) of volunteers. The second half of the year was strange because we have never had so many at one time and from such a variety of backgrounds. It was a joy to work with Dennis from Denmark, Friederike from Germany, Zsòfia from Hungary, Raymond from Norway and Ethan and Zachary from the US.
No major incidents or accidents is always a big help. Hopefully I am not jinxing the olive harvest soon to start! The programs we ran went well from the annual Waldensian celebration with bonfire in February through spring work camps and summer youth camp and the piano jazz benefit concert in September for the chapel renovations. The programs others organized also went smoothly: Italian church meetings; German and Swiss music, art, school and confirmation groups; USA university workshops; the Dutch who work with persons with special needs. We do not take for granted the success of such stays and here remind ourselves and our friends that they are to be counted among the blessings of 2010.
Now we shift gear from guests to olives, and even the harvest looks promising with a number of extra volunteer helping hands and lots to be taken for what is considered a prestige olive oil.
Once in awhile it’s great just to sit back, take a look around and enjoy!
An example of the positive was as usual our guests. They are an easy bunch to deal and live with. Friendships have grown over repeated stays. Most come understanding who we are with the simplicity of our standards, our spectacular rural setting, our Christian perspective, our commitment to environmental care and, in general, how we operate. There are few surprises and an appreciation for what we have to offer.
Another example would be our co-workers. The employees—Iris in the kitchen, Beppe with maintenance, and Elisa managing hospitality—form the faithful nucleus around which rotated a great bunch (again!) of volunteers. The second half of the year was strange because we have never had so many at one time and from such a variety of backgrounds. It was a joy to work with Dennis from Denmark, Friederike from Germany, Zsòfia from Hungary, Raymond from Norway and Ethan and Zachary from the US.
No major incidents or accidents is always a big help. Hopefully I am not jinxing the olive harvest soon to start! The programs we ran went well from the annual Waldensian celebration with bonfire in February through spring work camps and summer youth camp and the piano jazz benefit concert in September for the chapel renovations. The programs others organized also went smoothly: Italian church meetings; German and Swiss music, art, school and confirmation groups; USA university workshops; the Dutch who work with persons with special needs. We do not take for granted the success of such stays and here remind ourselves and our friends that they are to be counted among the blessings of 2010.
Now we shift gear from guests to olives, and even the harvest looks promising with a number of extra volunteer helping hands and lots to be taken for what is considered a prestige olive oil.
Once in awhile it’s great just to sit back, take a look around and enjoy!
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