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Valiant for Truth By Patricia Edwards-Konic Growing Hope! This is the 2004 overall theme for Quaker Life. Last issue we looked at "Growing Hope in Families." This issue considers "Growing Hope in Hard to Reach Places." Growing Hope! How do we grow anything? First we must plant the seeds. For hope to grow, seeds of encouragement, faith and love must be planted. Emily Dickinson wrote: "Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all." Hope's joy song springs forth, never ceasing, always present. Hope is not just a feeling. Hope is more than a wish. Hope is a condition of our soul. True hope comes from our relationship with God through Christ. Hope comes by focusing on the positive ways God provides for us through His presence. And as hope grows in our souls, the seeds of encouragement, faith and love begin to sprout, possibly in new ways. Paul writes, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) Overflowing hope pours forth from the spirit. It moves us to mend fences with others, find a little extra time for loved ones and reawaken our relationship with God. The handiwork of overflowing hope is discovering God in our ordinary lives, regarding problems as opportunities and pushing forward rather than quitting too soon. We become hope-bringers to the world around us. Be a hope-bringer: Nurture the seeds of encouragement, faith and love within your soul to grow hope. Be a hope-bringer: Know that in the midst of a dark and dreary day the sun will shine again. Be a hope-bringer: Reach out to others with the seeds of encouragement, faith and love.

COVER STORIES 8 Moments of Perfection Darcy Drayton The slums of Nairobi drew Darcy forward. There she found the Lindi Friends School and the work of hope African Friends were providing in this desperate place. 12 Something More Ruth Naylor Sharing hope comes through giving something more. Unexpected gifts provide a burst of generosity to reach out into Kingdom work. 13 Growing Hope in Alabama Rebecca Godfrey Reaching the MOWA Choctaw people, the Friends School provides a first step toward changing lives and spiritually imparting hope. 15Third Quaker Women's Conference on Faith and Spirituality Gladys Tiffany Friends women from seven yearly meetings met and "brought a vivid sense of God at work in the wide world." 16 YouthQuake Reflections Tom Fox Bringing together Young Friends from all North American Quaker traditions, the YouthQuake experience is like no other. The author challenges Friends to seek open and loving communication to bring the Peaceable Realm of God forth.   FEATURES 4 Commitments 4 News from Friends United Meeting 7 Soul Food Watching Our Lips Move Howard R. Macy 14 Salt and Light Spiritual Confidence Lynn Peery Mills 18 News 20 Peace Notes 22 Reviews 25 Booknotes 26 Passages 28 Classifieds 29 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings 30 Meeting Directory     ON THE COVER Growing Hope in Hard to Reach Places Boys from Lindi Friends School stand in a doorway. A mission of AQUAVIS, the school is in the heart of Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The school is also the 2004 FUM VBS Project (see page 5). Photo by Darcy Drayton, who reports on her visit on page 8.

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