photo taken by Jessie Nilo
This past weekend myself and some of my fellow VineArts Art Ministers were able to get away to the Sawtooth Mountains for a short retreat in Atlanta, Idaho.
The drive up the mountain mostly on winding dirt roads.
Rick and Evy's place.
Atlanta, Idaho is a tiny town originally founded in 1800's as a mining town. The residents of Atlanta today are preserving the houses and structures to continue that 1800's look and feel. But it's not just the buildings that have that village feel...it's the hearts of the residents too. They are all about community and sharing life together. Many are creatives and artists dedicated to a simpler way of life. Our groups' personal connection there is Rick & Evy Jenkins (Rick is a potter and retired art instructor) they have a house up there and are on the board for the church in the town (they still have a house in Boise and are a part of Vineyard Boise). There are about 35 residents in the town and then some who come up only during the summer months. The look and feel of the town is something out of a Kinfolk magazine (rustic hillbilly culture brought forward to today). And it's beautiful!
Enjoying a rustic meal together.
When we arrived Friday night (at 9pm!) they had finger foods and drinks waiting for us at one house....then dinner and dessert at another house. And many from the town came out to join in for the food, the drink, and the conversation (inside, and on the front and back porches). We ate by candlelight and enjoyed sharing stories and laughs. It was such a picture of community! It's like this rustic artsy village of love nestled away in the Sawtooth Mountains. What a gem!
Connecting into the Culture.
photo taken by Jessie Nilo
Rick showing us around the town.
photo taken by Jessie Nilo
Kerry on his front porch
Saturday we were given a walking tour of the town. There's a guy there who restores and rebuilds houses and buildings and also stages them with antiques to preserve the 1800's mining look (he's been featured on our local PBS station). Rick helps him a lot in the restorations. But also...the actual residents live in these same kind of restored-rebuilt houses (just with a bit more modern conveniences). It was SO COOL! My love for old barns and that whole late 1800's early 1900's feel...I was eating it all up! I was so fascinated with the history and getting the chance to walk inside the various homes and get a feel for what it might've been like back then. That's something about me...I really do love history and I love learning. And it was so fun! I don't know if I could live in a place like that (I'm such a city girl...but I sure love the idea of artist life in a place like that).
The authentic time period rustiness of the inside of one of the restored houses.
Then our afternoon was complete free time. Some went exploring a cemetery and then to the hot springs. I on the other hand...had some much needed hammock time. I set my hammock up on the porch so I could see the mountains and hear the rushing stream that was nearby and just enjoy the cool breezes moving through the trees. I did some reading and journaling and rocked myself to sleep looking at Mount Greylock.
We were also able to spend some time around a campfire connecting in conversation together.
photo taken by Jessie Nilo
Jessie approached some of us, inviting us to collaborate and take part in the Sunday morning service. See...we were actually staying in the old church building. The town doesn't actually have a pastor for the church, so they get pastors from all over (all various denominations) to come whenever and lead the services. So Jessie had been asked to give the sermon and she asked us if we would lead various parts of the service. HOW COOL IS THAT?!!!!!! RIGHT?!!!!! SO COOL!!!!
Jessie asked if I would be willing to paint during the service. I wasn't prepared with my normal traveling paint-live art supplies that I bring with me for my ministry trips. But God had a plan!!! I did have my tiny travel watercolor set with me. And I made due with what I could find around the church building. I taped together 2 lasagna boxes from our dinner to create a blank cardboard canvas!-and even the tape was found in a drawer! So with my travel watercolor set, and some brushes and a palette and a few tubes of watercolor paint that one of the VineArts leaders had with them and loaned to me...it felt like a "loaves and fishes" moment of God making a way. It worked beautifully! So I taped the lasagna box make-shift canvas onto a sign easel that the church already had...and I found a tv tray to use to put the supplies on. and a sharpee from my bag to draw the image on the cardboard before adding the watercolors. And BAM!!!! Good to go!
It was a true creative collaboration as each of us served. It felt like we were on a mission trip together. It was all about connecting into the culture. Be ready in and out of season, right?
The Scripture was Luke 6:1-11,17-38 (Jesus speaking about what true community and unity looks like). It was Jessie's first time giving a sermon and she did amazing!!!!
Oh and the image I did was a collaboration between another VineArts minister and I. Dottie was praying for me and we came up with the image together...to speak of God's love flowing like a kitchen faucet and the town's natural inclusive community expressing that Love (via the front porch and the home and the kitchen). And the painting ended up speaking specifically to the townsfolk who attended the service (there were 6 people who attended). One lady let me know that I inspired her to get her paints back out cuz she hasn't painted in years. :)
I'm very thankful for the opportunity we had all weekend to hang out and just be up there in nature and in the slow pace of that town. The people were great and the time with the VineArts leaders was a wonderful bonding experience. Even on the drive up and back we were all engaged in deep conversations, laughs, stories, and prayers. It really was like a small art ministry-missions trip...right in our "backyard".
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