Hello Hello.

Today was my first official day. This week is just orientation so the structure will be a bit different than the remainder of my time here. Koinonia is a pretty spiritual place so there are constantly opportunities to explore in the direction. Almost every morning chapel starts at 7:30am and is open for anyone who would like to join. i woke up pretty early this morning and not only had time for a few cups of coffee and a quick read but had plenty of time to check out what Chapel was all about. The first 20-30 minutes is reserved for silent meditation and around 8:00am an elderly man, who has lived at Koinonia for quite awhile, shared a few words from his well worn bible and sang an incredible song that had a really authentic folk feel. I'm looking forward to talking to the people who live here on the farm and hearing their story and what they experience spiritually.

Then we went on a tour of the farm which was led by a woman named Sarah. She is really awesome and has just recently made a life-time commitment to the farm with her husband and two daughters. I saw so much; the pecan sorting and packing areas, the various barns, all the different animals (cows, a turkey, chickens, giant hogs - one of which just had 11 baby piglets!), the permaculture garden (which i will hopefully be learning a lot more about), the Peace Trail, one of the many pecan orchards, and so much more. It was all really exciting. I can't wait to get more experience with all of it!

From there we met with Amanda, who is the intern leader. We learned a more about the farm and each intern had a chance to share a bit about ourselves and why we are here. It was nice to hear from everyone.

Next was lunch which was AWESOME. The best part was the fresh salad that came from the garden. The leaves were so rich with flavor. Also, with every meal unpasteurized, fresh milk is served which is super tasty. I really can't wait to be more involved with both growing and eating fresh foods!

After this we joined Craig, the head maintenance guy here on the farm, in town on a job site for a house they are building. We all had different jobs. I got to work beside Craig installing windows. I really had a great time and feel like i learned so much. I let him know ahead of time that i was probably going to ask a lot of questions and from that he took on an awesome teaching role. Here are a few pictures before we all headed back to the farm.

Above from left to right: me, Nathan, Emily, and Tabitha

(one intern is missing due to a doctors appointment)

Once we left the building site we went to Amanda's for a sharing time. We got to hear the stories of two Koinonians; Kathleen who has been involved with the farm for many years and Sarah, the woman i mentioned earlier who gave us the tour.

Now we're all back at the house relaxing and deciding what to eat.

It was a full day, and has left me looking forward to the upcoming months.

Hope that wasn't to long, or confusing. If you ever have any questions or need clarification on something that is unclear, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks for listening.

peace.