To start off the new year, we had many of our friends, both old and new, visit us at the farm. The table, set for meals, is a sacred space, as anyone who knows Krista and I, and our family can attest to. The conversations around the table were rich and full of meaning. Our belief is that there are few spaces as holy as the space surrounding a meal. Something spiritual happens when we allow time to slow down, decide to be fully present, with no agenda other than to open our souls and be seen. This week was no different. We laughed, we cried, we opened our hearts and listened to one another’s stories. Life can often be a challenge, and sometimes its just down-right difficult and can include tragedies. When we find ourselves at the end of our ropes, that’s when we need a healthy community around us. It can be far too easy to take the solo approach to life and do it alone. Life lived this way is far simpler most of the time. Relationships are messy, complicated at times and we hurt one another, without intention. The downside to this relationally simplistic and ‘safe’ approach to life is that the day will certainly come when we absolutely need a healthy community around us. We need one another, that’s the simple truth, and if we have dome the work when things are good, if we have planted the seeds of trust with our neighbor, if we know one another and have an understanding of what each other’s needs are and how to care for one another, then when that dark day comes, when the poop hits the fan, we won’t be alone. If we have learned one thing from the pandemic, it’s that being along can be a dangerous place emotionally. We were made to live in community with the understanding that we actually need one another.
As we welcome more friends into our little Estancia Natura village o the mountain, the overwhelming sentiment and compelling “why” is that community matters and people are drawn to this reality. Something magical happens when we are together at Spirit Mountain. Our family has felt this from the beginning, and after 20+ years of inviting our friends to share in this magic, the draw is as strong as ever. Like moths being drawn to a light, we are drawn to this table that God has set for us. He invites us to join Him and partake in what we believe is the greatest news of all time, the Gospel of Jesus. I do not believe anyone understands the power of hospitality as well as Jesus does. We will continue to invite people into community, to this sacred table, to break bread and share the cup for as long as we have breath in our lungs.
We are currently 9 families that have decided to go all in and become a part of the Estancia Natura community at Spirit Mountain. We are thankful for each one of you, for trusting Krista and myself with your resources and your lives. We anticipate a really fun journey in 2024 as this land transitions from a simple coffee farm to so much more. Thanks for being a part!!
Un Fuerte Abrazo,
Chad Wallace
Farmer, Architect
CEO and Founder – Estancia Natura at Spirit Mountain
