*Koinonia Briefly*

February 2006
a monthly e-news publication

To keep you up-to-date with news from the farm, we’ll be sending *Koinonia Briefly* to you each and every month. Enjoy!

*Did You Know?*

• Congratulations to Koinonia chaplain Norris Harris! Many members of the community attended church at Allen Chapel on Sunday, November 27, 2005 to celebrate his 18th anniversary in the ministry. Norris is currently on a visit to Palestine and Israel with the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.
• We are finally done sorting pecans! As reported earlier, Koinonia’s pecan crop this year was a bonanza. We are thankful for the many visitors who have chosen to spend part of their time with us working to help make this past products season a good one. The bountiful harvest kept them busy in the pecan plant, the bakery and in the orchard.
• We have made some changes to our product line discontinuing some items and adding some very tasty new creations. Try our new all-natural peanut butter and the Double Nut Twin Tin. The peanut brittle now comes in a 12 oz. size. There is also a gift pack just right for this time of year: Spring Gift Pail. Check them out at Koinonia’s Online Store.
  

Kathleen Monts chats with fellow Tree of Life Conference participant.

• Koinonia’s work for peace continues. Recently, several community members traveled to Connecticut to attend the Tree of Life Conference on Israel and Palestine. The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme sponsored the gathering and Koinonia was pleased to be one of the co-sponsors.

• The keynote address was delivered by Father Elias Chacour, an internationally known Palestinian Christian working for peace in that troubled part of the world. The Koinonians in attendance were deeply moved by his words. Father Chacour emphasized that there are two roads in dealing with conflict in the Middle East. One is the road of bitterness, anger, and revenge. The other is the road of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. His message was one of hope. We highly recommend his books: *Blood Brothers* and *We Belong to the Land.*

*Reaching Out*

• In last month’s Koinonia Briefly, we wrote about helping our neighbors who were having trouble with overcrowded school buses. We thought you might enjoy this picture snapped recently. See! School is fun!

Young people from Koinonia Village and Forest Park Village climb aboard the Koinonia van for a ride to school.

• Another cause of peace that kept Koinonia busy recently was the annual vigil held at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. Every year, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, tens of thousands of peacemakers gather at the gates of WHINSEC (Western Hemispheric Institute of Security Cooperation, formerly known as the U.S. Army School of the Americas). They hold a vigil to protest that many SOA graduates from other parts of the world, especially Central and South America, go on to commit many human rights abuses. Participants on the vigil remember and call by name the many victims killed by alumni from the School of the Americas.

• Koinonia actually began this non-violent protest in June, 1983, when several community members returned from service in El Salvador and Guatemala. Koinonians would travel weekly to stand outside the gates, light candles and pray silently. The cause was later picked up by Father Roy Bourgeouis and has grown into a major movement encouraging change through education and non-violent civil disobedience.
• Koinonia also sent a group to the vigil: community members Nashua Chantal, Ann Karp, and Button Garner; returning visitors Israel, Fletcher Manly, and former coordinator of operations John Hall; community interns Maureen Kane and Matt Kubly; and friend of Koinonia Richard Pollette.

• The after-school program at Koinonia Community Outreach Center is going well. Here you see two of the community’s youth hard at work.

Youth studying at KCOC

*At the Farm*

• This year, Koinonia welcomed nearly 200 people into our home that planned to attend the prayer vigil at the School of the Americas. Folks slept in the museum, library, outreach center, various houses, even in tents out in the orchards. We hosted groups from Berea College (KY), Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada, Fellowship of Reconciliation Youth Task Force, American University (DC), University of Michigan, Oberlin College (OH), Campus Ministries of Creighton University (NE), Concerned Patriots of Tallahassee FL, the John Paul Newman Center of the University of Chicago, St Aquinas College, and more. The morning of the event, Koinonians Ellie Castle and Jo Knox served a warm breakfast for those headed to Fort Benning.

Visitors enjoying their weekly community meeting.

• Every Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. visitors come together for a time of sharing and fellowship with Koinonia director Bren Dubay and hospitality director Ellie Castle. Visitors have remarked that they really appreciate this time together to get to know one another better, to ask questions, to reflect on their experience of Koinonia, to learn and to laugh.
• This Thanksgiving Koinonia was blessed with many visitors. Over 50 people shared the traditional Thanksgiving meal. The dining hall was packed! After the delicious food, we played whiffle ball. The day was bright, sunny and the temperature was just right. We all hope your Thanksgiving was a beautiful one. Holiday blessings all around.
• A bell is rung at 10:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. each day at Koinonia. When it rings, we all stop what we are doing for a moment to re-center ourselves, to pray, to meditate, to give thanks, to discern what Koinonia is being called to do. We invite you to join us.

*Coming Soon*

• The Easter holidays will soon be here. Don’t forget to place your orders with Koinonia by April 3rd for guaranteed delivery by Easter. To place orders, call us toll-free at 1-877-738-1741 or order online at www.koinoniapartners.org.

*We hope you enjoy Koinonia Briefly and share it with your friends. You receive these monthly updates by request, because you placed an order from Koinonia, or because one of our community members added your name. If you have suggestions for improvements, please let us know at . If you would like to be removed from the list, simply reply to this e-mail with the word “remove” in the subject line.*