My heart is so full, thinking back to the two weeks I spent this August at Camp Walden (Diamond Point, NY) for the 2018 Woodstock Fruit Festival!
The food was amazing and made me feel so energized and next-level healthy... so much so that I've committed to going fully raw vegan for the next year. I am in withdrawal of the mouthwatering durian, mamay sapote, papaya, and mango. But one thing I hope to make a part of my daily diet is Sriracha-smothered bananas - try it, I dare you! It's tastes exactly like scrambled eggs with hot sauce.
The various activities were so fun and enlivening that I want to do them with all of my friends here in Kentucky (bring on the ecstatic dance, acro-yoga, and connecting sessions)! I've been practicing my inversions too... I've got a ways to go before I stop looking like a buffoon, but I'm determined.
But what truly made it the most incredible experience, above everything else, was the people. I was blessed to be part of the volunteer squad, which allowed me to get to know the other volunteers on a more intimate level because we had more time together. God was surely on the move among us because the best word to describe the environment was LOVE, and God is Love (1 John 4:8).
I think I got more hugs those two weeks than my whole life combined... okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but still. Many hugs! Much love! :)
Being on the cleanup / dishes crew was such an uplifting environment. Everyone stepped up and worked great together as a team. And we had life-giving kitchen conversations, which made the hours fly by... the singing and dancing helped too.
My worldview was greatly expanded by all of the conversations... especially learning more about New Age beliefs. I still don't fully understand praying with crystals, significance of the year 2012, howling at the moon (or was that just a WFF thing?), or karma, but I feel 2000% more enlightened about it than I was before, and I definitely value the focus on Christ-consciousness and the concept of allowing God to manifest within us.
And people were generally great listeners and very open to hearing my perspective also, and I was blessed to connect with people about the Gospel, God's intentions for sexual expression, and stewarding the Earth and our bodies.
I hope to keep in touch with many people from the festival, and Lord-willing I will see many of them again next year.
One such special woman I hope to see again is Alyse from Raw Alignment. She is such a bright light and a powerful influencer in our world. God's hand is definitely upon her life, and it was an honor to get to know her better in person and pray a blessing over her after one of her presentations.
Another new friend I hope to stay in contact with is "Barefoot Josh," my new brotherly friend! He truly made the experience a joy for me. He is an authentic, truth-seeking, peace-flowing, love-abiding man of light. And now he's my mentor in this raw vegan lifestyle, and I'm living vicariously through his recent discovery of wild persimmon trees in Virginia.
There are many more beautiful souls I connected with at the WFF that made the experience one to cherish forever. Special shoutout to the Banana Bus crew that I carpooled with to and from NYC - and the beloved Kitchen Team! And huge thanks to Jaclyn for hosting me in the big apple.
I'm excited about what God will do with all of us as we continue to seek, listen, and love.
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." - Matthew 7:7
