Missy Collier is a rarity at Sunburst. Among all of the present Sunburst residents, only she and Heiko Wirtz grew up in the community. As the parent, with Jake Collier, of two grown children who were also raised at Sunburst, she has brought a beautiful cycle to completion.
Arriving in 1973 at age 11 for two weeks of summer camp at Sunburst’s Cuyama Valley apple orchard, Missy immediately felt at home in the community and remembers thinking to herself, “This is the family I was supposed to have.” Upon deciding to stay indefinitely and then gradually becoming a full-fledged member of Sunburst, she was taught about the Eight-Fold Path, the Twelve Virtues, and Kriya meditation. Looking back now, she recalls, “The teachings and lifestyle felt so right and so natural, I was never interested in anything else. I grew up with that simple, straightforward framework. The teachings were my guidepost.”
Growing Up in Community
Missy attended the Sunburst School for sixth through twelfth grades along with many other kids. She describes the little school as having a classroom environment with desks, a chalkboard, a structured curriculum, and accredited teachers, but also having an atmosphere in which individual instruction was common. “We got a lot of classes in real-life skills,” Missy remembers, “and had a ton of fun learning carpentry, animal husbandry, gardening, and other cool stuff.” Not many 11-year-old girls learn how to operate a tractor, for instance. Her grandfather also didn’t believe that Missy knew how to work a drill press until she showed him, impressing him mightily.
Proudly bearing a fresh bottle of Sunburst apple juice
“I thought I was the luckiest person in the world growing up,” she told me during our talk. At 13, she sailed aboard Sunburst’s wooden square-rigger The Gallilee, and during summers worked in the community’s restaurant The Farmer & the Fisherman as a bus girl. She also became very fast at putting “noodles”—the wet plastic seals that shrink when they dry—on the Sunburst apple juice bottles as they were processed during the harvest season.
One of Missy’s favorite responsibilities as a Sunburst kid was caring for and milking the community’s dairy cows. She calls the cows “a huge part” of her childhood, and learned how to milk them at age 12. She fondly remembers Sunburst’s first dairy cow, named Betsy.
Along with the hard work and responsibility, there was always time to relax. “We had so much fun it was ridiculous,” she says, recounting playing hide-and-seek with her friends, exploring river and creek beds, making forts, and doing crafts, reading, and chatting in the evening.
Missy and Betsy
The Teachings Bring Peace and Order
After some time in the community, a strong sense of dread and fear that had occasionally plagued Missy since early childhood had largely disappeared. Although she mentions that, as an 11 year old, she “wasn’t consciously searching” for a spiritual path when she came to Sunburst, the teachings calmed her mind and banished the fear and worry.
She and the other Sunburst children also learned “how to behave, how to treat others. The Eightfold Path and Twelve Virtues gave us a reference point so that we were able to step back and see with a new, larger perspective.” Years later, Missy is profoundly grateful for “stumbling upon a spiritual path that is mine completely, that I live and breathe everyday.”
Now and into the Future
These days Missy works professionally at New Frontiers Natural Marketplace as its assistant marketing manager and graphics coordinator. Meanwhile, her work at Sunburst centers on directing the community’s graphics and marketing. In other words, she gets to use her wide-ranging artistic talent to support both Sunburst and New Frontiers, and deals with anything that’s presented visually, including advertisements, posters, flyers, websites, banners, and forms. With her trademark sharp wit and driven nature, she always keeps things moving forward.
When asked about her vision for the future of Sunburst, Missy says she wants to see the community grow, thrive, and prosper—both physically and spiritually. “I’d love for it to be a place where people can live if they want to join our mission,” which she defines as “gaining Self Realization and meeting God face-to-face” through the use of Kriya meditation and the teachings of Sunburst founder Norm Paulsen and his teacher, Paramahansa Yogananda.
Missy expresses profound gratitude for her life in the community and the lifestyle it offers, calling these elements “a side-dish to the main course, the Kriya,” making clear her belief that living in community is “not a requirement for enlightenment.” She also looks forward to Sunburst returning to being more family-oriented so more kids can have the wonderful experience she did growing up.
A Legendary Entertainer
“God created us so he could enjoy life through us,” Missy wholeheartedly believes. Indeed, over the years she’s earned a reputation as an entertainer par excellence. Whether whipping up a gorgeous, bakery-perfect confection at the last minute for Sunday brunch or setting out homemade dip and snacks at her famous annual Superbowl Bash, her talents are in evidence all over Sunburst.
Knitting, baking, sewing, cooking, photography, and crafts are among Missy’s chief skills, although this is by no means a complete list. My son and I each have beautiful shawls she made to keep us cozy, and many residents and guests wear Missy-made knitted caps, scarves, and shawls to meditation on chilly days.
As hard as she works, Missy also finds time to indulge in some of her favorite pastimes, which include drinking coffee with friends, hosting hilarious game nights, running at the ranch, and lifting weights.
Her son Ryan, 27, and daughter Alex, 22, are “the loves of my life,” according to their proud mom, who has been married to their father Jake for 30 years. She and Jake met at Sunburst as friends, and she now counts herself “grateful for every day with him.” She loves how Jake makes her laugh with his understated sense of humor, saying they’re a “good balance for each other.”
Missy Collier’s endearing humor, loving nature, and willingness to look at herself first comprise an inspiring endorsement of the power of the Sunburst teachings to bring about a life well-lived.
Photography Credits for adult Missy: Kara Block at Om Imagery; young Missy: Mehosh Photography
