It’s been a busy month since I last wrote.
Wearing one of my other hats (member of Outreach and Visitation of North Pacific Yearly Meeting), I took the bus to Yakima, Washington to visit with Yakima Valley Worship Group where I was graciously hosted by Leni and Bob Skarin. I was able to worship, visit, and share a potluck with about 8 adults and 3 children. This worship group has been in existence for a long time (40 years at least) and while Friends are peripherally involved beyond the worship group, I did see it as a strong and vibrant group.
I firmly believe that one should extend one’s boundaries and I will say that riding Greyhound bus can be an experience that does that. One has the potential to be with people that one might not ordinarily associate with. And then there are the adventures, such as the bus breaking down in the Columbia Gorge and the arrival time in Yakima being about 5 hours late.
Margaret Fraser, Executive Secretary of FWCC, Section of the Americas, was in Oregon for a long weekend in late September. She stayed at my apartment with me and my cats and gave me the opportunity to become acquainted with a few Quakers from beyond the Northwest as we took Friends to their overnight hospitality before the Quaker Superintendents and Secretaries Meeting that took place at Twin Rocks on the Oregon Coast.
I mentioned earlier that I visited with Friends in Arizona and New Mexico. I had so many wonderful hosts. While at the Quaker Youth Pilgrimage Meeting I stayed at Friends Southwest Center with Ruthe and Bill Schoder-Ehri. Once I started traveling on my own, I stayed with Carl and LaDonna Wallen in Tempe, Jason Odhner and Tenacity (and Basil the dog) in Phoenix, Patricia Palmer in Tucson, and Bez Booth McCauley in Albuquerque. Ian Ford and family took me to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
It is such a pleasure to be with Friends.

In Friendship,

Nancy

October - Personal Note

It’s been a busy month since I last wrote.
Wearing one of my other hats (member of Outreach and Visitation of North Pacific Yearly Meeting), I took the bus to Yakima, Washington to visit with Yakima Valley Worship Group where I was graciously hosted by Leni and Bob Skarin. I was able to worship, visit, and share a potluck with about 8 adults and 3 children. This worship group has been in existence for a long time (40 years at least) and while Friends are peripherally involved beyond the worship group, I did see it as a strong and vibrant group.
I firmly believe that one should extend one’s boundaries and I will say that riding Greyhound bus can be an experience that does that. One has the potential to be with people that one might not ordinarily associate with. And then there are the adventures, such as the bus breaking down in the Columbia Gorge and the arrival time in Yakima being about 5 hours late.
Margaret Fraser, Executive Secretary of FWCC, Section of the Americas, was in Oregon for a long weekend in late September. She stayed at my apartment with me and my cats and gave me the opportunity to become acquainted with a few Quakers from beyond the Northwest as we took Friends to their overnight hospitality before the Quaker Superintendents and Secretaries Meeting that took place at Twin Rocks on the Oregon Coast.
I mentioned earlier that I visited with Friends in Arizona and New Mexico. I had so many wonderful hosts. While at the Quaker Youth Pilgrimage Meeting I stayed at Friends Southwest Center with Ruthe and Bill Schoder-Ehri. Once I started traveling on my own, I stayed with Carl and LaDonna Wallen in Tempe, Jason Odhner and Tenacity (and Basil the dog) in Phoenix, Patricia Palmer in Tucson, and Bez Booth McCauley in Albuquerque. Ian Ford and family took me to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
It is such a pleasure to be with Friends.

In Friendship,

Nancy

October - Beyond the Monthly Meetings and Churches

As FWCC Staff, I receive Newsletters from many Churches and Meetings in the western United States. These are items I have found of interest; I hope you do too. Nancy

Beyond the Monthly Meeting/Churches

Alaska Friends Conference Fall Quarterly Meeting will beNov, 28-30. Hosted by Chena Ridge Meeting, Fairbanks, Friends will consider Witness and Worship: Sacred Interconnections with All Beings. Inspired by the work of Joanna Macy and John Seed, the gathering is envisioned as a time to explore together what Friends can do as Friends to be faithful to Earth.
Arizona Half Yearly Meeting met in late September with the theme, Growing Vibrant Meetings, with Lynn Fitz-Hugh who talked about Quaker outreach to the world and Quaker in-reach – how we handle conflicts in our Meetings and families.
Casa de los Amigos (Mexico City) reports that the Migration Program and the Economic Justice Program are now firmly built into the fabric of the Casa. The Casa’s Volunteer Program has matured into an expression of the shared vision for the Casa. Volunteers now divide their work hours into three areas: the Hospitality Program, the other Casa Peace Programs, and Casa community life (which include cooking breakfast for guests, planning events and activities, furthering efforts to "green" the Casa, and more).
College Park Quarterly Meeting met at Sierra Friends Center near Nevada City. How have Friends in College Park Quarterly Meeting been guided to stand against war in the past, and what guidance is given now and in the future? Plenaries and interest groups featured war tax resistance, conscientious objection, sustainable living, and formation of new committees to aid CPQM.
Colorado Regional Gathering met at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO, with the theme Global Climate Change: Deepening our Heart Connection with all Creation. Keynote speaker Patricia McBee spoke on “Joyful, Quakerly and Carbon Neutral.”
Evangelical Friends Church Southwest will hold its Annual Conference and Serve Day in three locations. In Southern California the Representative Session and Equipping Community Dinner will be January 23, and the Serve Day, January 24, 2009. In Arizona/Nevada the Equipping Community Dinner will be February 6 and the Serve Day, February 7, 2009. In Northern California the Equipping Community Dinner will be February 20 and the Serve Day, February 21, 2009.
The Greenleaf Academy (Idaho) auction has been rescheduled for November 7-8, 2008 to help celebrate the 100 year centennial. The school opened on November 10, 1908.
“Teach the Way Jesus Taught,” a Christian Educators Seminar will be offered in two more locations within Northwest Yearly Meeting: Olympic View Friends Church, November 1; Spokane Friends Church, November 15.
Northwest Yearly Meeting Friends are holding Area Meetings. The Portland Area will gather Saturday, November 1 at West Hills Friends Church. Boards of Congregational Care and Global Outreach will offer workshops. The Southern Idaho Area met Sunday, October 26 at Greenleaf Friends Church
Dorothy Henderson has been named Head of School for Sierra Friends Center and the Woolman Semester. She has been a community member for 8 years and was involved in the setting up of the Woolman Semester.
Southern California Quarterly Meeting with hold its Fall Gathering, November 8-9, 2008 at Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades, CA with the theme, The Search for our testimony on our relationship with nature: What is our Truth?
Utah Friends Fellowship will meet in Logan, UT, January 17-18, 2009.
The WalkwithEarth Pilgrimage, for the beauty of the earth down the watersheds of the Americas, started March 2nd at San Francisco Meeting. Led by Rolene Walker, this pilgrimage ends in Chile in 2.5 years.

October letter

Dear Friends,

When I went to Guatemala in 2006 for the Annual Meeting of Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas, I bought a little stuffed elephant covered with a brightly colored Guatemalan fabric.
I sometimes take my little elephant with me when I visit among Friends because he reminds me of the story of the blind man and the elephant, but in this case the question is, “Who are the Quakers?” Are the Quakers Unprogrammed, Evangelical, Friends United Meeting, Conservative? Do they worship out of the silence or do they have pastors? Do they worship out of the silence with a pastor? My little elephant tells me that the answer to all of these questions is “yes, yes, and yes.”
Those of us who have had the opportunity to worship and work with other kinds of Friends have come away from that experience with the knowledge that our own lives have been enriched and our faith in whom we are more firmly grounded.
I recently traveled among Friends in Arizona and New Mexico. I flew to Arizona to attend the Quaker Youth Pilgrimage Committee Meeting and then spoke to Phoenix, Pima, and Albuquerque Meetings about FWCC and the diversity of Friends. I also was able to visit with many Friends individually which is always such a pleasure. Unfortunately, I did not manage to visit Phoenix Friends Church or Northwest Community Church in Tucson. I regret that.
The Quaker Youth Pilgrimage Committee had three tasks to work on. The Committee looked at evaluations from last summer’s Pilgrimage in Scotland, England, and Ireland. It considered the future direction of the Pilgrimage: should it remain the same (high school youth 16-18, form a community to travel among Quaker sites for a month), or if it were to change, in what direction would it go?
The Committee also started planning for the 2010 Pilgrimage in the Northwest. Do be thinking about whom in your Quaker community will be 16-18, summer of 2010, and would be appropriate for this experience.
Last, but not least, don’t forget that the Annual Meeting of FWCC, Section of the Americas, will be in Canby, Oregon (near Portland), March 19-22, 2009. YOU are welcome.

In Friendship,
Nancy