|
Friends United
Meeting |
 |
March/April 2010
Sacred Moments by Sylvia Graves, FUM General Secretary
Kaimosi Hospital Medical Shipment Scheduled
Friends Theological College Receives Affiliate Status
Bio-Sand Water Filters in Turkana
Travel to Kenya with FUM this Summer!
Peace in a Community —Peace Curriculum Prepared for Kenyan Schools
Greetings from the Ramallah Friends Schools!
Updates from Sam and Becky Barber in Belize
Upcoming Events
Sacred
Moments
By Sylvia Graves, General Secretary
During the Christmas holidays, Dale and I escaped for a few hours to go to a movie, The Blind Side. It is a true story of a wealthy, white family who took in to their home a big, learning challenged, homeless African American high school boy and enrolled him in an elite Christian school. Big Mike, though he preferred to be called Michael, learned to play football well enough to be recruited by several notable college coaches (who played themselves in the movie). The mom (played by Sandra Bullock) led the efforts to create a home and family for this young man. She was gorgeous with her make-up perfect, every hair in place and an attractive trim figure. She wore several different necklaces during the course of the movie, but they were all the shape of a cross.
At first it wasn’t obvious that she was a Christian. Yet she was bold and courageous in seeking the good in and for this young man, at the same time being gentle and trusting toward him. The element that served as the glue to hold things together until the happy ending was TRUST. The mom trusted Michael, the dad and the kids trusted Mom until they could trust Michael, a couple of teachers trusted Michael, the football team learned to trust Michael and eventually he trusted himself.
In my experience though, it seems that trust is short lived at times, and especially in Quaker business. When we have put our trust in someone, including God, and then felt betrayed or let down, we hesitate to trust again. If we think we have been faithful to our unique Friends’ business process and have gone along with a decision that didn’t turn out to be a wise one, we probably hesitate to trust the process again. Yet we know God calls us to forgive over and over (at least 77 times as in Matthew 18:22) and that he wants us to trust him again and again. Yes, even until the will of God is known and we can proceed in faith that we are on the righteous path.
Trust is the basic premise in a Quaker business meeting, isn’t it? We know that the difference in conducting business by Roberts Rules of Order and in the manner of Friends is that we gather in worship to discern God’s will rather than to find out what the majority of people want. In a Friends meeting for worship with a concern for business we trust that God’s will becomes known through patient waiting and prayerful listening, as well as by considering the thoughts and concerns of others in whom we know God dwells. When the time comes that all present agree on what to do, and feel God’s presence and guidance in the process, then surely all will be in unity with the decision and there will be no division between winners and losers.
It certainly means we have to trust God to have greater wisdom than any one of us. But we also must trust each other to be sincerely truth-seeking and not be motivated by self-serving goals, lust for power or desire for control. It’s a sacred moment indeed when, in a Quaker business meeting at the end of a difficult deliberation, God brings us a better outcome than any one person could plan or imagine and in which we feel loved and trusted by each other. There is sure to be a happy ending for all of the faithful.
Kaimosi
Hospital Medical Shipment Scheduled
Nearly a year-and-a-half ago John Muhanji and Sylvia Graves began researching how to get medical supplies and equipment to Kenya in an inexpensive manner. Sylvia came across an organization called World Medical Relief, based out of Michigan (www.worldmedicalrelief.org). This non-profit organization is a clearing house for used medical equipment and overstock of new medical supplies. Medical supplies are donated by hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical suppliers to be used in overseas hospitals and medical offices. The items are free for any organization who wants to ship these kinds of supplies to other countries. The only cost is for shipping.
In our case, it costs about $18,000 to ship the materials from Michigan to Mombasa, then overland to Kaimosi. That’s a mere $18,000 for a 40-foot container — roughly the size of a semi-trailer — full of medical supplies (x-ray machines, hospital beds, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment). The container is packed with equipment and supplies and they make every effort to fill all the little spaces with supplies (bandages, blankets, etc.) that can be used by the hospital. Kaimosi hospital board members and staff created a wish list of medical equipment and supplies. This was sent to World Medical Relief, who assured us they would do their best to fill all those wishes.
Thanks to your donations, this shipment was scheduled to leave Michigan in mid to late February and should arrive in Kaimosi in the spring. We’ll let you know when the shipment arrives in Kenya. There will be much to celebrate!
Friends
Theological College Receives Affiliate Status
There has been much work toward getting Friends Theological College accredited by ACTEA (Accrediting Council of Theological Education in Africa.) We are pleased to announce that affiliate status has been achieved, which means FTC is now recognized as a stand-alone college, no longer under the wings of St. Paul’s University. That doesn’t mean we are fully accredited, just that we are now free to begin our self study for the development of an improvement plan. Because our FTC faculty has had to improve their credentials, they now deserve to be compensated more. Also, there are still capital improvements that will have to be made to the college to maintain the progress toward full accreditation. Those include the addition of more classrooms and the expansion of the library and the technology that allows global connections. With the help of our donors, we would like to increase our monthly donations to FTC from $2,000 to $3,000. Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can partner with Friends Theological College as the college continues to grow and equip ministers for the cause of Christ.
Bio-Sand
Water Filters in Turkana
Because of the generous donations of a monthly meeting in North Carolina Yearly Meeting, several bio-sand water filters were installed in the desert land of Turkana, Kenya.
Bio-sand water filters are not wells, but they are a magnificent way to provide clean drinking water out of contaminated water. Water is poured into a bio-sand water filter. The water trickles through layers of sand and rock which filters out the impurities. The clear, clean water then comes out a spigot at the bottom of the filter. No electricity is involved. It is based on gravity, and once the filter is in place, it lasts for many years with no maintenance. The cost of one of these filters is about $60, plus the time to build it and train people in its use.
Drought has caused the death of many children and adults as well as numerous animals in Turkana, and recent flooding lends its own problems to clean water supply. Lack of clean water means illness that often leads to death. While we cannot make it rain in Turkana, we can offer a system that provides the water of life.
Other bio-sand water filters are needed in Kenya as are wells where water is non-existent. Please give generously to the African Water Project fund.
Travel
to Kenya with FUM this Summer!
United Society of Friends Women International (USFWI) in conjunction with Quaker Men International (QMI) will be gathered in Mombasa, Kenya, for their Triennial sessions July 1-4, 2010. Friends United Meeting invites you to extend your stay in Kenya with some side excursions!
July 5-8
Tours of Lugulu, Kaimosi, FUM Africa Ministries Office (AMO) and
Friends Theological College
Three of FUM’s project partners are very close to one another.
- Lugulu Hospital recently completed an ASHA (American Schools and Hospitals Abroad) grant which allowed them to purchase new medical equipment. Lugulu has an excellent AIDS program that treats the whole person and not just the disease.
- Kaimosi Hospital is on the Kaimosi compound with Friends Theological College and several other schools. Kaimosi has been under the governance of FUM for the past four-and-a-half years. Kaimosi has the potential to be a significant hospital in the community as it services a very large area of the country.
- Friends Theological College is the college that is training pastors to serve throughout Kenya, Uganda and other East Africa nations. The new administration block was built in 2008. The next building to be built will be the library. We look forward to seeing this new structure in the coming years.
July 9-11
General Board Sessions
The FUM General Board will meet near Bungoma, Kenya. This will be the second time the full General Board will meet in joint sessions in Kenya.
If you are a spouse of a General Board member, or not even related to a General Board member, please come too. We will have things for you to do and see as well.
This is a great opportunity to plan together and worship alongside our brothers and sisters in Kenya.
July 12-15
Tours of Samburu, Turkana or a Safari
The mission sites that are the furthest from the AMO are Samburu and Turkana. As each of these is a long drive from Bungoma, you will need to make a choice at this point on the trip.
- Turkana is in the desert region of northern Kenya and serves a nomadic group of people.
- Samburu is in the Mt. Elgon region and makes considerable efforts toward peace and reconciliation.
- Dick Mills will be arranging a safari. Dick grew up in Kenya as the son of a missionary. He knows the people and the culture. You may want to make extra time for this cultural and highly educational experience.
July 5-15
Work Projects Available
If you want to get your hands and feet dirty . . . or you simply love to build and restore things . . . or maybe you want to feel like you are contributing in a very real way . . . come along on a work project for all or part of the time.
The Kaimosi Hospital of western Kenya is in need of staff housing. You could be tearing out the old, or bringing in the new, or building from the ground up. Whatever the needs are by the time we arrive, there will be a job for you. If you have a special skill, please be sure to let us know. If not, please don’t let that stop you from signing up. We’ll find something for you to do, too.
Visit the FUM Web site at www.fum.org for a link to the registration site for tours, general board sessions and the work project. To attend the USFWI/QMI Triennial in Mombasa, register here.
Registration deadline to extend your stay in Kenya is April 1.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see and experience Kenya in a meaningful
way this summer. This is a trip guaranteed to change your life.
Peace
in a Community — Peace Curriculum Prepared for Kenyan Schools
By Mary Glenn Hadley
Friends have the reputation for being one of several peace churches. Following the December 2007 presidential elections in Kenya, unexpected violence broke out. Kenyan Friends were required to put into practice all their peacemaking skills. After trying to meet immediate physical and material needs, peace teams there prepared people to work with the conflicted situations and strive for reconciliation. It was a very difficult and uneasy time for those living through the turmoil.
When John Muhanji visited the United States in the summer of 2008, he came with a tremendous burden on his heart — Kenyans should never go through another such experience. As he and others reflected on what they had been through, they realized that it was primarily the youth who had been behind so much of the violence. How could such a thing be avoided in the future? Was there a way that teenagers and children could be taught to live out life as peacemakers that could impact their whole country?
As John shared his vision for the need to prepare curriculum for developing peacemaking skills beginning as early as primary schools and including high school, he asked for writers to come forward. He envisioned that this biblically-based peace curriculum would be taught in the nearly 1,500 Friends-sponsored primary schools and the 210 Friends-sponsored high schools.
George Fox University responded and is in the throes of writing peace curriculum for the high schools. Their concern is to write curriculum in collaboration with the Teacher’s Service Commission making it acceptable for all Kenyan high schools.
Charlotte Stangeland, education professor at William Penn University, responded to this challenge and involved Marlene Pedigo, co-superintendent of Western Yearly Meeting, and Mary Glenn Hadley, former missionary to Kenya, to join her in preparing curriculum for the primary schools. Jackson Alwena accepted the responsibility of Kenyan coordinator for this project. In August 2009, Charlotte Stangeland and Sandy Davis, former missionary to Kenya, met with Kenyan educators to listen and learn together how this curriculum could be put together effectively for use in primary schools there. Kenyan input is essential and highly valued. One of the questions raised was, “How does this curriculum differ from the Christian Religious Education (CRE) course already included in the Kenyan curriculum?” John Muhanji’s answer was, “Students can memorize Scriptures and take tests. What we need is transformed hearts.” The title for this curriculum, given by the Kenyans, is Peace in a Community.
Key concepts for the primary curriculum include:
- God, the foundation. God is one with a three-fold expression — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Experienced through prayer and worship, reading Scripture and acknowledging sin.
- Core Values. Friends have traditionally felt led to express their service to God and love for others through Friends testimonies which include being made new in Jesus Christ; being holy; all are equal and valued; the living Christ enlightens us and gives discernment; reconciliation and peacemaking; spiritual gifts with emphasis on evangelism and service; integrity, honesty and justice.
- Skills for Peacemaking. These include appreciating differences, developing communication skills, learning the problem solving process, conflict management, leadership and power, peace in the home, school, church and community, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and making good choices.
The educators have set a tentative goal for the primary school curriculum to be ready for use by January 2011. This would allow students nearly two years of peacemaking training before the next presidential election in late 2012. Plans are being made for a Kenyan steering committee to review and edit the curriculum in the summer of 2010, to be followed by teacher training workshops.
As this curriculum has evolved, it has become evident that this material could be used by Friends around the world for Sunday/First-Day schools as well as in the classroom. A Web site link from the FUM home page is now available where the Peace in a Community curriculum can be downloaded for use, or go directly to [link]. The writers welcome comments and suggestions for ways to adapt the materials in America more effectively.
This curriculum has the potential to touch and transform thousands of lives over the years. Not all countries, including Kenya, have easy and reliable Web site access. Therefore the cost for printing the material is expected to be $50,000 or more. In addition, money is needed for travel, training and consultations to bring this project to fruition. Your contribution to make this project successful is needed and appreciated. Donations can be mailed to FUM or made online through the secure FUM Web site (www.fum.org/contributions). Your prayers for the preparation of this material and for its successful implementation are requested.
Greetings
from Ramallah Friends Schools!
By Joyce Ajlouny, RFS director and FUM field staff
A hearing impaired student who had nowhere else to go but the Ramallah Friends School, ends up with two degrees from Guilford College.
A student from a financially struggling family brings home an acceptance letter with a full scholarship from an Ivy League University.
A soccer enthusiast teenager, who is tired from getting banged up playing on a concrete surface, has now the only opportunity in town to play on green turf; right on his school grounds.
An engaged parent, who longs for a distinct kind of education for his daughter, to his relief, finds the renowned International Baccalaureate Program offered in his hometown.
A teacher, who longs to learn of and experience new and innovative approaches to teaching in her classroom, is offered top-quality, professional development opportunities.
A teenager who has lived the agonies of military occupation all his life, where his town is surrounded by a gigantic concrete wall, is traveling to the Netherlands to share his story with students from all over the world and learn about issues of global significance through his participation in the Model United Nations Conference.
As is apparent, the Ramallah Friends Schools continue to touch the lives of Palestinians in many significant ways. I was asked to write with a “strong ask for support” and we all know why. I hope the list above has succeeded in highlighting one of FUM’s important projects from around the world. Thank you for helping FUM continue to adequately oversee the work of the Ramallah Friends Schools, through supporting student scholarships, Ramallah Friends Schools and my ministry account. A huge thank you for all those who continue to pray for and support us — the Ramallah Friends School community is counting on you!
Updates from Sam and Becky Barber in Belize
Our enrollment has climbed to 20 students, 18 boys and 2 girls. Becky and I have taken the students on two field trips. One trip was to the weather bureau and the air traffic control tower at the airport. The second field trip was to the Belize Zoo. This trip was right before the Christmas break and many of our students had never been to the zoo. We were given permission from Christian Service International (CSI) to use their bus as needed and they park it at our home.
We have had two groups visit recently. First were Lorrie Ludwick from College Avenue Friends in Iowa, and her cousin, Donna. They came and did crafts for three days with the students. The second group was a medical team that came to the school with Michael Paetzold of Canadian Yearly Meeting. They held a free medical clinic and taught health for threedays, which covered first aid, nutrition and CPR. I must also mention that a CSI team brought new laptops from the U.S. The computers were paid for using excess funds from the FUM summer project “Bikes for Boys in Belize.” These funds were released with the permission of individual meetings.
Currently the school is back in session. We are concentrating on preparing the students for the first half of the PSE (pre-secondary examination) at the end of March. We are also working with teams and groups planning to come to Belize at a later time. We are so filled with joy as we see people come to Belize. They leave us not only with a sense of the call we received, but with a passion for Belize. This gives them their own stories to share when they go home. Those stories inspire others to come, see and experience Belize.
Quaker Heritage Center Exhibit
Bridges of Friendship: How Children Learn About Other Cultures
Quaker Heritage Center, Wilmington College, Ohio
March 4–October 1, 2010
FWCC Section of the Americas Annual Meeting
Register online
Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center, Reisterstown, Maryland
March 18–21, 2010
Quaker Genealogy Conference
To Bind Up the Nation’s Wounds — Quaker Work During Reconstruction (1865-77)
Wilmington College, Ohio
April 10, 2010
Quakers Uniting in Publications
Annual Gathering and Writers Conference
Quaker Hill Conference Center, Richmond, Indiana
April 21–25, 2010
Young Adult Friends Gathering
Bearing Witness to the Word among Us
University Friends Meeting, Wichita, Kansas
May 28–31, 2010
Young Adult Friends Delegation to Israel/Palestine
Sponsored by the Middle East Working Group of Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting, the Friends International Center in Ramallah and endorsed by
AFSC
Register online
June 7–25, 2010
USFWI/Quaker Men Triennial
Sun N Sand Beach Resort, Mombasa, Kenya
July 1–4, 2010
Extend your
stay in Kenya and visit FUM project partners for 2–10 day tours following
the Triennial. Visit www.fum.org to register by April 1.