Shimshai & Susana Fire Relief Fund

Dear beloved community,

Shimshai and Susana and their family have been safely evacuated and are now facing the reality that they have lost their home due to lightening-sparked fires that swept through the Boulder Creek area where they live.

As so many of you know, La Ventana was not only their personal home and refuge, but also the land and sacred space for all their work. This loss is devastating. Their home, music studio, herbal workshop and treehouse cabin completely burned. The status of the yurts is still unknown. They evacuated with only a few belongings.

Susana and Shimshai have dedicated their lives to supporting their community and this is our opportunity to give back to them when it is most needed. Their home was insured but their retreat center and music and herbal business are gone and it is unclear what will or will not be covered by insurance at this time.
Shimshai is a sacred music singer/songwriter, producer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist and spiritual teacher who has touched so many of you with his music. His studio and instruments were lost in the fire and will all need to be rebuilt or replaced.  Susana is a Medicine Woman and a spiritual teacher and medicine maker and all of her herbals, ingredients and tools were lost in the fire.
It's unknown if the Temple Space or Yurt survived the fire and what the full extent of the damage is as they have not been able to return to the land yet.
It's possible they will need to rebuilt the temple, kitchen, store, yurts- in addition to cleaning up the land and rebuilding their home. The music studio will need to be entirely rebuilt, equipment and instruments purchased, and all materials for the entire La Ventana Herbals business repurchased. As they learn more this page will be updated with more specifics.

As healers and musicians, they have been directly impacted by Covid-19 for months and unable to work, and now they have lost their businesses entirely. Not only will they have to make the unimaginable decisions about how to rebuild their home or move forward, they have lost their life's work on this land. They will need all the financial support, prayers, and care we can offer them at this time so they can make the best decisions for their family.

I know so many of you love La Ventana deeply and will be grieving this loss in your own ways as well. May we stay strong in our hearts, remembering every prayer and gift and blessing Susana and Shimshai and that land offered us all these years. May we trust our prayers more deeply than every. May we come together with strength and generosity and love as a community to support the people and lands that have touched us so deeply and transformed our lives.

Thank you so much for your generosity and support, it is felt and truly matters! This community is a powerful one, and I know we can come together to support a new beginning for these people who we love so dearly. This page is the best way to support them for now, and we will keep you updated as we can while giving them the space and comfort and financial safety net to grieve and make decisions as a family.

Ometeotl!!