For those of you who had the amazing opportunity to be at the last EcoFaith Recovery leadership retreat this Spring, you know that I have been working in the role of intern coordinator, where I have been actively engaging with potential young adult interns to help develop ideas on new internships that will combine each intern’s calling with supporting the work of EcoFaith Recovery.
For those of you who weren’t able to be there, I encourage you to join the next gathering, where you might again be able to hear about the great work that the young adult interns are doing (in the meantime, you can also read about it or watch videos here: http://www.ecofaithrecovery.org/internships/.
As my time in Portland and subsequently as intern coordinator comes to a close, I have been reflecting on what my role has meant for me personally, and thinking about the exciting things ahead for the internship program for young adults. This truly is an amazing program to support the leadership of young adults, and I am so thankful that I first got to participate as an intern (you can read about it here) and then as the intern coordinator, where I continued to develop my own understanding of my call to support youth and young adults in developing their own sense of calling and connection to the larger community. I love to wonder what this program might become in 10 years at 5 interns a year, that’s 50 leaders who will be mentored by this incredible community, all ready to respond to the Great Work of learning to live in mutually beneficial relationship with the Earth. And that’s the story that you, as members of the EcoFaith Recovery community, get to participate in at this moment in time. What a rich opportunity.
In this time of transition, as I prepare to get married and move back to Minnesota after 5 years in Portland, I give thanks for all the rich experiences and relationships I have had in my time here. I have started to dream with Robyn about an EcoFaith Recovery chapter in Duluth, Minnesota, and look forward to staying connected and exploring the possibilities. My next adventures in the coming months will bring me to California for a month internship with Ched Myers to study Watershed Discipleship, and then out to Rochester, New York for some time with a Catholic Community, where we hope to share with them what we learn in California. And who knows? Maybe we’ll have a curriculum by then that we can send back to Portland for those who are interested. There seem to be no lack of open possibilities.
So let me say again in closing my many thanks for all the ways EcoFaith Recovery moves possibilities into realities. May we all find the courage to dream and live together into the possibilities before us in this challenging time. Blessed be.
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Read more about Nate and the EcoFaith Recovery Internship program here.
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