As the dog-days of summer draw to a close, we are entirely grateful for the countless blessings we have had during the growing season at La Finca (the farm). Once again people have been able to share in life and ministry together, sharing both the burdens and the proverbial fruit of their labors. I’m continually amazed at how generous people are with not only their produce, but their gifts and skills as well. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen parcel owners (renters) jump to help another with the hard work of pruning overgrown crops and maintaining their gardens. And of course, I’m always blown away by the immense generosity parcel owners have in sharing their harvest with everyone they encounter!

So as the autumn days quickly approach, some of the parcel owners have already begun the process of getting their parcels ready for the slowing pace of the fall season and the inevitable stand-still of the winter months. So far to this point of the year we’ve celebrated the bounty of another year of wonderful fresh produce including peppers, chilies, corn, tomatoes, cabbage, herbs, and even non-produce, chicken! And though we’ve welcomed this rich bounty, it has not been without challenges. This year it seems as though we’ve seen an increase in critters who also would like to share in the harvest. We’ve seen an increase in mice and snakes (garden and rat) in and around la finca. As you can imagine, they often make quite the appearance when our community members are busy working! We also know that foxes are never far away when it comes to the chicken coups!

Soon, as the weather begins to cool, we’ll be putting on our end of season bonfire, which is always a fun time and a great way to celebrate the community! And as we look forward to the growing season winding down, we are once again grateful to Thriving Congregations and Baltimore Presbytery, as well as all of our wonderful church friends and partners who have supported us in this ministry! iMuchísimas gracias a todos!

• 10 parcels (approximately 20×30 ft) all rented out to persons and/or families from Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, and México)
• 1 bonfire gathering (to occur in the Fall) to celebrate the ending of the growing season, including a piñata and a bouncy house
• multiple gatherings/meetings with communal meals at la finca
• 1 dump truck full of topsoil – dispersed amongst 10 parcels

On behalf of all of the participants of CPT, thank you again for all of your support for this past
year. We are excited and hopeful for what this new growing season will bring. Thanks be to
God, Amen!

Respectfully submitted,
Rev. José H. López-Chapa