Coming down the mountain

I was at Holden Village last month when I heard the news. A mosque in my hometown of Bloomington, Minnesota had been bombed. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. I saw photos of the bomb’s damage in the national media, and those photos were taken by a friend. In the footage of the crowd that gathered, I saw people I knew, and they were friends. A few … Continue reading Coming down the mountain

Holden Village

For two weeks this month we had one of our exhibits at Holden Village, a remote, intentional community tucked into a beautiful wilderness valley of Washington’s Cascade Mountains. It’s the third time I’ve been to Holden, and each time I take away new lessons. Each time I decide to stay longer the next time. I don’t think of it as a retreat. Yes, you get … Continue reading Holden Village

Peg Carlson-Hoffman

Peg Carlson-Hoffman is co-director of Holden Village with her husband, Chuck Hoffman. Holden is a faith-based intentional community nestled in a remote valley of Washington’s North Cascades, accessible by a 30-mile boat ride and a 10-mile gravel road. Peg and Chuck create art around conflict and healing. They lead creativity workshops with people who have historically experienced conflict as a way to build relationships. “The beauty … Continue reading Peg Carlson-Hoffman

Heather Ehle

Heather Ehle is executive director of Project Sanctuary, a program designed to help military families heal. With no military background herself, Heather saw families struggling to readjust to civilian life after deployments. She now coordinates retreats, centered in Colorado, to reconnect families and give them support to thrive. Heather describes herself as politically agnostic, which she defines as “having been to Washington one too many times.” … Continue reading Heather Ehle