Book Launch: ‘Planted: A Story of Creation, Calling and Commitment’

Planted: A Story of Creation, Calling and Community is the personal account of how Leah and her husband, Markku, have embraced the call to care for creation as an extension of Christian discipleship. Their journey of starting the first Christian environmental centre in Canada, A Rocha, has been one full of twists and turns that have brought abundant humour, crushing stress, and stunning revelations of God’s faithfulness.

This is not a “how to” book, but a “how so” book in which the reader is invited to travel with Leah and Markku and their teammates on the wild ride of salmon saving, stranger welcoming and God worshiping. Along the way, one meets a cast of remarkable characters including Martyn, a 20 year-old English conservation intern whose zealous pursuit of scientific inquiry leads him into all sorts of mishaps, and Bob-the-Cow-Guy who smuggles a small herd of unwelcome bovines onto the Centre’s pastures, and Cathy, a young scientist with a penchant for ill-timed arias. These characters and others are woven into a story that considers an array of contemporary issues from poverty to environmental stewardship. 

Avoiding simplistic prescriptions or clichéd platitudes, Leah wrestles with issues of poverty, justice, and the environment through the narrative of her own life experience. The lived-theology and humility of voice conveyed in these pages draws readers to new and creative ways to honour the Creator as they are inspired to care for creation.