The steady stream of visitors continued this month, including Eileen, Les, Simon and Emily Klaassen-Hamm from Saskatoon, my sister and her family, Dave Kleschold and Larry Dunn from Fresno, and Charlie King and Karen Brandow, who gave a benefit house concert for the Abundant Table Farm Project.  In the garden we are transitioning from the winter garden to spring planting, harvesting peas, onions, cilantro, lettuce and artichoke.  Elaine and I enjoyed hosting a “locavore recipe swap” for the Ojai Valley Green Coalition.   We are pleased to announce that Yale Divinity School student Russell Powell from Charlotte, NC will be with us this July for a short BCM internship.

Our BCM board gathered in Oak View for our annual retreat.  We welcomed Cassie Lewis (left) as our newest board member.  Cassie works in low-income health services in San Diego and shares our passion for gardening.  We also said farewell to our intrepid donor relations staff person Rick Zemlin (right).  As most of you will see from our Spring Appeal letter, BCM has to cut costs to address a significant budget deficit.  We regrettably had to cut Rick’s position, and this was his last month with us. 

(Note: those of you who have corresponded with Rick should address future communications to inquiries@bcm-net.org).  Rick has cheerily volunteered to help BCM construct a Facebook presence over the next six months.  We are grateful for his work over the last four years, and his grace in this transition. 

Diana Mendoza (left), an alumnus of this year’s February Institute, writes that she’s “been thinking about the training; the Tree of Life has stayed with me.”  She organized an African-American & Hispanic Unity Worship service on April 29^th, the anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles uprising.   Longtime friend Melanie Morrison (right) has created a ground-breaking program entitled Spirit & Pride: Re-Imagining Disability in Jewish and Christian Communities.  For information go to: www.alliesforchange.org.

Bob Aldridge is one of my early mentors in the disarmament movement, the author of many books (most recently America in Peril, Hope Publishing, 2008), and editor of Pacific Life Community Research Center (www.plrc.org).  He recently dropped us the following note: “Each morning after breakfast Janet and I spend time reading some spiritually-oriented material together.  We have just finished reading your two-volume project, Ambassadors of Reconciliation.  It is tremendously important for both education and resource.  You are to be congratulated on this fine work.” 

 Another Catholic colleague, Jesuit priest activist John Dear, writes that he has been banned from protesting at Los Alamos—not by the military, but by his bishop!  Pray that John (left) will not be discouraged from carrying on his well-known peace work by the opposition of his own church!  For his blog go to: http://ncronline.org/users/john-dear-sj.  His website is: www.fatherjohndear.org.

Our friends at the Abundant Table Farm Project are receiving applications for the coming year’s internship (deadline early May).  The ATFP is a young adult Christian community seeking a contemporary rhythm of life with a land based ministry in Ventura County.  (Below: Intern Casey Hopkins working in the field.)  The ATFP describes its work thus:  “The goal of this internship is to connect with young adults who are attuned to the destructive disconnect between land and table in our culture.  The Project seeks to provide an alternative model of living for young adults interested in vocational discernment around spirituality, community, and stewardship of Creation.  We hope to create a space where young adults can negotiate what it means to live out the gospel message within the local community and the broader church, in our current context of human beings alienated from each other and the earth.  This project will equip young adults with practical and spiritual skills for creating sustainable community and agriculture. ATFP participants will leave our program with first-hand knowledge of issues related to the above mentioned disconnect--including environmental sustainability; organic, small scale agriculture vs. industrial agribusiness; community health and access to unprocessed foods, especially as it relates to disadvantaged communities; immigration and labor issues--and a passion to work for justice around these issues.”  We highly recommend this internship!!  For more info go to: http://abundanttableorganicfarming.blogspot.com.

Finally, some wonderful news.  We are delighted that long time friend, supporter and Bread for the World educator Carter Echols (right) announced her engagement to Bill Johnson on Easter.  Congratulations dear sister!   And Word and World Board member Kate Foran and husband Steve Borla had a baby girl on April 19th.  Welcome Sylvia Deren Angelie (left)!!!