Father Berto Gándara has been a priest for 34 years, first a Roman Catholic priest and then an Episcopal priest. He has been at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Eastsound for 12 years. A native of Puerto Rico, the ever-joyful Father Berto speaks Spanish, English, and French, and has served in the Dominican Republic, Belgium, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Harlem. He has a BA in Philosophy, a Master's in Theology, and four other post-master's degrees in Belgium, Spain, and New York. Berto is passionate about parish ministry, contemplative spirituality, photography, drumming, Native American flute playing, interreligious dialogue, and outreach, especially to the LGBT and Latino community. He has shared his life for the past 20 years with his spouse, the Reverend Hugh McPhail Grant, from Atlanta, Georgia, who is also an Episcopal priest. Hugh served as an associate priest at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in New York City, and is a licensed clinical social worker, a wilderness spirituality guide, and a stewardship consultant.

A licensed psychotherapist for over 30 years, Michael Seehof is currently a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Washington and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and LMFT in Idaho. Beyond the clinical, Michael explores transpersonal, spiritual, and growth issues and has attended over 50 workshops at locations including Esalen and Harbin, as well as conferences including the Mythopoetic Mens Movement, Science and Non-Duality Conference (SAND), and Bioneers. He has explored plant medicine through the use of ayahuasca and psilocybin, and has presented at Imagine Festival, Blooming Heart, Indralaya, and SAND. Michael offers counseling, plant medicine integration, and workshops, and he currently sees clients on Zoom. To learn more, go to www.jamesmichaelseehof.com.

Diver, world traveler, and adventure seeker, Kit Nuzum, brings humor and curiosity wherever he goes. From stories about hanging off rigs in the North Sea to paint their exteriors to treasure diving with Mel Fisher, you will be amused! Take a look at Kit's personal list of the places he’s traveled:

Canada

United States

Mexico

Islands

Guatemala

Belize

Panama

San Salvador

Chile

Argentina

Peru

Uruguay

England

Scotland

Ireland

Norway

Iceland 10-day trip

France

Netherlands

Belgium

Spain

Italy

Austria

Germany

Hungary

Romania

Bulgaria

Tunisia

Morocco

Japan

Borneo

Brunei

Malaysia

Singapore

Hong Kong

South China Sea

Philippines

Thailand

Turkey

New Zealand

Australia

South Pacific Islands

Palau

Oceans on Boats

And the list continues to grow...

Walking encyclopedia Russel Barsh is a conservationist, human ecologist, and downright jolly human being. Take a look at his life experiences:

He has written or co-written over 150 papers and presentations, many with his partner Madrona Murphy. Here are some titles to give you an idea of his (and their) expertise:

If there's anyone who loves what he does, it's Russel.

Medium Sally Mathis O’Brien was raised Roman Catholic, is a former hospital chaplain, and meets frequently in her daily meditations with Jesus, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, King Midas, and more. She shares her experiences on her website, www.myinnerlighthouse.com. This is her second interview, and she plans to visit often for the Sunday Edition episodes of this show.

Cofounder of PopCap video games and Pluto virtual reality, John Vechey now works daily to redefine the constructs of daily life. He and his wife Maia are constantly doing good for our community here on Orcas Island, from the Peach Pit and the Funhouse to the Fall Festival at Family Tides Farm. And there’s so much more. John and Maia have various passions and projects ranging from social justice and affordable housing to ecological restoration and indigenous culture.

I asked John to begin the interview by repeating the honest, vulnerable speech he gave at Orcas Island High School senior graduation last month. May you resonate with what he communicates, and may his messages in this interview spread far beyond our community…

The Dalai Lama has advised and supported a number of the Leveys’ projects, encouraging them in their work by saying: "You are presently engaged in work that has great prospects for bringing the inner sciences and technologies of human development and transformation to a very wide section of people who may not under ordinary circumstances come into contact with these teachings."

Teaching Mindful Leadership, Collective Wisdom, Deep Resilience, Mind Fitness, and Compassion Science programs within mainstream medical, higher educational, organizational, and government/military arenas since the late 70’s, the Leveys have an extensive, jaw-dropping list of clients including MIT, NASA, JPL, Boeing, Special Forces, The Pentagon, NOAA, The World Bank, United Arab Emirates, British Parliament, Google, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Stanford, and even the public school I attended in Richardson, Texas!

Medium Sally Mathis O’Brien's life path has been guided by her communications with “ascended masters” like Jesus, Gandhi, King Midas, and others. "Sally is a rare combination of religious docent and spiritual navigator. She received her master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Seattle University in preparation for a second career in hospital chaplaincy, when a multiple sclerosis diagnosis took her in an uncharted direction as an advocate and teacher. As a natural meditator, she communes in the world of the ascended masters including Mary Magdalene, Gandhi, Leonardo DaVinci and the Dalai Lama. As a toolmaker, she takes the lessons from her conversations and experiments in mediumship and applies her talent to different forms of healing, including body-speak, self-compassion exercises, and ancestral work. Her personal experience from family trauma of alcoholism, codependency, and incest lend authenticity to the depths of her empathy. Her travels alone from the “sticky” labels of bipolar illness and MS – from disease to dis-ease to health to wellness – are worth the read." (From Sally’s website, https://www.myinnerlighthouse.com)

An octogenarian preparing to visit Bhutan, known for Gross National Happiness, Paramita gifted herself with a new name for her 80th birthday and is following her heart in visiting this Himalayan country with a development philosophy that aims to measure the well-being and happiness of the population rather than focusing only on economic growth. She plans to travel with a group of people connected with Joel and Michelle Levey, who "are respected for being among the very first professionals to introduce the principles and practices of mindfulness and mind-fitness training, interpersonal neurobiology, collective wisdom, deep systems thinking, inner-development-goals, and contemplative science into mainstream business, medicine, higher-education, sports, and government arenas – having begun this work in the 70s."

Youthful, lighthearted, gentle, unjudgmental Paramita enjoys learning the faith traditions of other cultures and incorporating the love and wisdom into her daily life. Don’t miss the beginning, as she starts the interview with a Hawaiian prayer…

A classical watercolorist who didn’t begin painting until the age of 44, Marcia later turned to working with acrylics, oils, and abstracts. Marcia is also a birder who has traveled all over the country to observe avian life, and a gardener whose property has been part of the Orcas Island Garden Tour. Marcia came to Orcas in the early ’70s as a back-to-the-lander, was one of the first women using the Lamaze method in natural childbirth, became a childbirth instructor and an organic gardener, helped start Children’s House, the recycling center, the food co-op, Orcas Center, the library, and has called the island home for over 50 years. “What I realized after I had been here a couple years is you choose a community, not a job. You choose a lifestyle, not a career.”