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Friends United
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January/February 2008
Sacred Moments by Sylvia Graves, FUM General Secretary
Transition to Retirement
Fifty, Oh No, Oh Yeah!
Transitions? All the time!
Disasters in Jamaica
Meetings Support FUM Missions
It's Not Too Late!
Monthly Meeting Highlight: Cuba Friends Meeting, Cuba, Ohio
Note from a Field Staff Volunteer
Greetings from Belize Friends Boys School
On Leaving Ramallah
Jumping in with Both Feet at Friends Theological College
Sacred
Moments
By Sylvia Graves, General Secretary
He was a young man, recently graduated from an elite American college in the northeast, who decided to do some world traveling before landing a career. When I met him in Kenya he was wearing a large backpack that he planned to carry as he hiked hundreds of miles in Africa and Asia.
Since childhood he had attended a Friends meeting where the Spirit of God seemed to visit often, delivering messages of social justice and peace from those elders who were living in the Light. He had been not only allowed but encouraged to explore his values, his beliefs and his boundaries. So, in high school he experimented with various forms of entertainment and had a variety of friends, both leading him at times into dangerous situations. In college, he wasted away some opportunities because of his smoking and drinking. Still, he had known good, solid faithful Friends who nurtured and encouraged him. On this backpacking journey, he hoped to find direction for his life, an avenue toward productive use of his talents and resources.
Then he attended worship in a small Kenyan village church near Kisumu. The style of worship was vastly different from what he was used to. Instead of sitting in silence, there was enthusiastic singing of praise songs, compelling preaching and an alter call.
While riding in a car with Eden Grace and me, this young man told the story of that worship experience: “At the end of his message the pastor said, ‘If you want your life to count for something, if you have decided that Jesus is your teacher, companion and Lord, and if you want to start changing the way you live to follow his teachings, the time is now to put one foot in front of the other one and take that first step forward to accept his love and his call to you.’ I felt lifted off the bench and carried to the front with such joy and relief as I have ever known.”
My response was thankfulness that God had found an unpredictable way
to reach this young man. My prayer is that this life has been transformed
for good, that indeed this man has found a new Companion that will lead
him daily on a journey that is wholesome, productive and blessed with
joy and peace.
Transition
to Retirement
By Paul Smith, FUM Director of Operations, Richmond
Transitioning to retirement is a simple and fun process. Like Martin Luther King Jr. I can shout, “Free at last, thank God, I am free at last.” No more Monday mornings to dread. No schedules. No deadlines. At least that is what I thought before I began getting serious about planning for retirement. I soon discovered retirement involves more than me — it involves my spouse and my children, too. Tough questions pop up:
• Who am I if I am not working? Almost 50 years of my life have been
defined by what I do to make a living.
• Am I at the end of having a productive/meaningful life? What can I do
to still be productive? Am I no longer needed or wanted?
• Financial fear. I have never been without a paycheck. Are my retirement
funds adequate to support my lifestyle?
• What will it be like spending ALL day with my spouse when we are both
retired? What will we do, talk about? Do we share common retirement values
and goals? We have had a wonderful marriage for the past 46 years and
I want this to continue through retirement.
• What do my children expect? Built-in babysitting? Taxi service? 24-hour
repairman?
• In talking with retired friends they report, “Our days just fill up.”
Where is the motivation to live all of life in just “filling up” our days?
• What will I do if I lose my health to a disabling disease?
• Since I now commute to work, how will I get plugged into my home community?
• How will I relate to and be involved with my circle of friends?
I don’t have answers to these questions. But what I have learned during this transition process is how vital it is to: share and talk with family and friends, spend time with my spouse in planning and finding common goals with shared values and commit to spending time centering and seeking clearness as I turn to the next chapter in my life.
“Cease to dwell on days gone by and to brood over past history. Here and now I will do a new thing; this moment it will break from the bud. Can you not perceive it?” —Isaiah 43:18–19a, NEB
Fifty,
Oh No, Oh Yeah!
By Yvonne Snyder, FUM Distribution
Coordinator
In life, we choose to react to situations positively or negatively. Last January, 2007, I begin to think, how do I want to celebrate turning 50? A lot healthier came to mind. So I decided to change some habits in my life. Life changed some things for me also. I made a plan to lose 50 pounds before I turned 50 on November 10. And I did it! I enjoy surprising people, but I wanted a little more control when it came to my own celebration, so I planned my own birthday party. I wanted to have a prom because I didn’t attend my own. My husband thought I had gone over the edge, or off it. We had a dinner and a dance — my family helped me a lot. Family and friends have given me so much. It was wonderful; it is always a blessing to see friends and family enjoying each other. As I mature, I just want to keep trusting Christ Jesus.
Transitions?
All the time!
By Shari Veach, FUM Graphic Artist
It seems to me when you are a parent, life is always in transition. At this time in my life in particular things seem really “transitiony.” I have aging parents and parents-in-law, a son who is on the verge of becoming a teenager and a daughter in the midst of toddler-hood. I am blessed to be part of a large family with most of my siblings living close by and, if not for the support of my husband, family and co-workers, some days might be downright too overwhelming!
Thank goodness, for the most part, I am also blessed with a good sense of humor and I find it important to not take things too seriously. After all, with God in charge of my life, when things do go awry it is he who speaks to me through the precious voice and laughter of my daughter, through the calming hugs of my husband, through the constant — but great — questions from my son, through the prayers and encouragement of Friends and FUM staff members.
Sometimes it is nice to daydream about quieter days, less errands to run, fewer messes to clean up around the house, but then I’m afraid that would mean I might also be lonely. So with joy in my heart I gladly accept the life God has given me right now!
Swift Purscell Boys Home and Lyndale Girls Home in Jamaica received damage from Hurricane Dean in September causing difficulties in each location. Swift Purscell lost part of the roof, making the old cafeteria unusable. Lyndale Girls Home had a different problem. An Ackee tree (native Jamaican fruit tree) blew over near the home completely condemning the restroom facilities. The girls are not able to use the restroom there. If that weren’t enough, on the evening of October 10, 2007, a young person broke into the office of Donald Stewart in the historic Great House at Swift Purscell Boys Home. If this person would have left quietly taking only the items he or she had come for, the story would not have been as devastating. But this young person, whether intentionally or not, left a fire behind at the Great House. Burning through the night, the Great House fire spread to consume another nearby building and damaged part of yet another building. By the end of the evening, the boys had come to the harsh realization that there would be no more computers, no library, no dining room and no tailor shop to learn the tailoring trade. Donald Stewart, who runs the boys home, and Angella Beharie, who is in charge of Friends Education Council in Jamaica, both suffered the loss of their offices including computers, years of records and many personal items. The kitchen and store room suffered some damage as well, but are now usable. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the damage and loss is painful enough.
• Jericho Friends had a successful Kenya Tea benefiting the Kaimosi Friends Hospital Adopt-A-Nurse Program. Gifts of $326 were raised plus faith promises committed.
• Lynn Friends sent a work team to New Orleans to help in the continued rebuilding of that city.
• Winchester Friends raised at least $1,000 for Ramallah Friends Schools in Palestine from their recent rummage sale. Their USFW made over $2,000 for their outreach ministries by making and selling over 2,100 dumplings plus other food items.
• Sycamore Friends held an auction to raise funds for Pat Shrock’s (volunteer field staff) expenses during her upcoming three-month work time in Belize.
• Marion First Friends sent a work team to Greensburg, Kansas, to help with the rebuilding of a town demolished by a tornado last May.
• In July, Friends attending Eastern Quarterly Meeting (North Carolina Yearly Meeting) approved a project in which their four monthly meetings would combine efforts to raise funds to purchase 150 chairs for the new meetinghouse at Friends Theological College in Kenya. The goal was $5,250. At their November meeting the collection totaled $5,808.62! In one meeting children passed a jar around during Sunday school classes. Another meeting had a car wash. With a total of only 200 people participating to raise these funds, the goal was surpassed!
• Western Yearly Meeting is supplying the funds ($10,000) needed to provide equipment, materials, training and other professional growth needed for the staff at Friends Theological College to gain accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Theological Education in Africa. This accreditation will make it possible for students to earn Bachelor of Theology degrees as well as diplomas.
• The annual Chain of Prayer began January 1 and continues through Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008. Meetings in North America, Africa, Cuba, Jamaica, Ramallah and Belize make a “Chain of Prayer” by signing up for a day to pray for the ministries of FUM as well as its member monthly meetings. Sign up online or call for more information: (765) 962-7573.
• The November/December issue of Quaker Life included a “Gifts of Gratitude” insert, describing many of our mission sites and their needs. Consider purchasing gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, mother’s and father’s days, etc. Additional catalogs are available. Email or call (765) 962-7573.
• Since September, if you have donated each month to the General Fund you have received Prayer Cards for John Muhanji, Trish Edwards-Konic, Paul Smith and Katie Terrell. If you haven’t, it isn’t too late to sign up for monthly donations and receive the seven remaining Prayer Cards. The final card will be available at the FUM Triennial in High Point, North Carolina, in July. So far over 1/3 of our donations have come from new donors. That’s great! We also have 100% staff participation and 40% General Board participation. Questions: contact Kim or call (765) 962-7573.
Monthly Meeting Highlight: Cuba Friends Meeting, Cuba, Ohio
Sunday, October 28, was a watershed moment in the life of Cuba Friends. Nearly five years of planning, hard work, perseverance, visioning, fundraising and building culminated in the dedication of the new meetinghouse. “This is the day that the Lord has made” was the theme of the day as 218 people from the church and community gathered to celebrate, pray, worship and give thanks for this “miracle,” as one member described it.
All three Clinton County commissioners were on hand and President Mike Curry commended the congregation for its hard work, vision and perseverance demonstrated in this project. Lois Hackney, clerk of Wilmington Yearly Meeting, shared her words of commendation, reminding the congregation of the vision Eliza Bates had to plant this church in Cuba 111 years ago. Clerk of the meeting, Doug Haag, shared colorful and inspirational moments from his years growing up at Cuba. Doug also read a letter from Marvin Hall, executive secretary for the yearly meeting, congratulating Cuba for a job well done.
Bill Pierson, clerk of the Building Committee, shared the history of the building project and his reflections in spearheading this project. Bill reminded attendees of the hundreds of individuals that have been involved in this project over the past four plus years. Bill was especially appreciative of the work of Building Contractor Tag Williams. In a very emotional moment, the congregation broke into a thunderous applause as an expression of thanksgiving and appreciation for Bill’s tireless work.
Perhaps the highlight of the day was the exhortation and exchange of words between Francis Parks and Rudy Haag, two former pastors at Cuba who have continued to be active in the meeting to this day. The two men shared moments from their ministries at Cuba, bantering back and forth to the delight of the congregation.
Current pastor Dan Mayo expressed his appreciation for the work of his two predecessors and challenged the congregation from the words of Abraham Lincoln, that we need to be challenged to do something great. The challenge of building a new meetinghouse has been accomplished. Now the challenge is to fill it. He pointed out that we have an occupancy of 299 and that should be our goal. We now have new pews, classrooms, a fellowship hall and a nursery and our charge is to fill these rooms with God’s love, his teaching and with new disciples for Christ.
Richard Edwards, music director at Cuba, sang “In This Very Room,” a beautiful contemporary piece proclaiming, “There is quite enough love for all of us … in this very room.”
A candle was lit, both as a reminder of the beginnings of this project and of the candle sale the congregation had to raise money for the Building Fund which totaled about $13,000 at the time. After the prayer of dedication the congregation responded by singing “Jesus Saves,” a hymn with a great missionary message.
Following the service, attendees moved into the fellowship hall for a time of refreshments, took tours of the new facility, reviewed pictures that Cuba families had put together and enjoyed the fellowship of a very special day. Indeed, “This is the day that the Lord has made,” was never more true at Cuba than on Dedication Day.
Want to see your monthly or yearly meeting highlighted? Do you have exciting news of growth, projects, etc. to share? Write to: Quaker Life, 101 Quaker Hill Dr., Richmond, IN 47374 or e-mail.
Note from a Field Staff Volunteer
Since returning from Kenya in January, it has been the life of a retiree — well, sort of. I completed two more trimesters at Huntington University toward a Master of Arts in Discipleship Ministries. As a part-time student, it may take five years to complete but I am now over halfway! I taught adult Sunday school, a mid-week Bible study, presided over Indiana United Society of Friends Women functions, participated in the USFW International Triennial, Indiana Yearly Meeting, Western Yearly Meeting and a work team to Appalachia. The reading and writing for classes kept me somewhat isolated but the conferences and other sessions allowed for interaction among friends.
A change in ministry focus has developed. I will not be returning to Kenya this year or even next. However, I will spend three months of 2008 on the field in Belize. I will be assisting Mike and Kay Cain at Friends Boys School in Belize City, January through March. My anticipated work will be both in the school and the community. School duties will be to assist the Belizean teachers by doing some one-on-one remedial tutoring in math and English. I will also assist in the computer classes. Visitation with the students’ families will get me into the community. I also hope to start a women’s Bible study among the mothers, aunts and grandmothers of our students and perhaps the women who live near Friends Boys School.
This is an exciting time. While I do miss my African friends, I look forward to new opportunities in Belize. I have often heard of people who say, “Use me, Lord, just don’t send me to Africa.” That was never my qualifier; I would pray, “Use me, Lord, just not with junior high boys.” Well, God chooses where he will send us — and what do you know, I am eagerly on my way to Belize to minister primarily to 12–13 year-old boys. But the “not junior high boys” is no longer my plea, just “Use me, Lord.”
Your prayer support is greatly appreciated. Cards, notes and e-mail have been a tremendous encouragement as I have served the past six years in Kenya. I know you will continue to be a support and encouragement to me and others “On The Field” by your financial support, your faithful prayer support and your ministry of encouragement.
May God bless you abundantly,
Pat Shrock
Greetings from Belize Friends Boys School
The realities of leaving FBS are beginning to be felt by Kay and myself. Kay has been going through the files and getting everything arranged in an order that the next managers should be able to find records on students and all that kind of stuff. I asked Kay to get me a total on the number of students that have passed through FBS during our time here. This was something that we had never looked at as we were always looking to the next class, the next year. Now we are beginning to look back to try and remember where each student went and what they are doing. We find it hard to remember them all but some do stand out. Of the nearly 400 students, most have gone on to high school and several have gone to sixth form or to university. We have found our time here to be the most rewarding time of our lives. We want to thank all of you who have supported us and the work here in Belize over all these years. A big GOD BLESS YOU. We hope to have enough in our ministry account by the end of May to cover our round trip ticket to the U.S. and the cost of the Triennial in July in North Carolina, where we hope to see you all.
HIS Servants in Belize,
Mike and Kay Cain
Yesterday I went to the office to hand over the keys to the new guy. I was emotional. It seems that God has used the Friends School and Ramallah to be a major part of the platform from which my life will take a direction. The faces and experiences that I found here will stay with me forever. And, while I will miss it all dearly, Rana and I look toward the future with excitement, knowing that our journey has only begun.
Again, thank you all for your love and support!
John and Rana Hishmeh
Jumping in with Both Feet at Friends Theological College
Graduation was held October 27. It was a big day, with hundreds of guests anticipated. At about 8 p.m. the night before, when the tents and chairs had not yet arrived, we were beginning to get a little worried, though even in three months we have learned to believe that God really is in control and things will work out. Sure enough, Josphat Lime, our finance officer, was able to track down the lorry with the tents and chairs that had gone to the wrong institution and by nine o’clock students were busy setting up for the big day. The day went well; our 22 diploma and certificate graduates and our hundreds of guests were well satisfied.
This semester, Ben is teaching Quaker History and Jody is teaching Psychology. Jody made a big hit with her Psychology class when she introduced the concept of classical conditioning with a practical demonstration. She got up very early one morning to make mandazi — small triangular donuts that are served as a treat with Kenyan tea. She came into her class and banged on a pot and asked the students if that meant anything to them. Of course they looked blankly back at her. Then she said, what would happen if, when she banged the pot, the students would get mandazi? Big grins! If you hear a pot being banged and each time that sound brings mandazi, pretty soon you will be conditioned to expect mandazi when a pot is banged. Got it! The students shared their mandazi with other students at tea that morning and classical conditioning was the talk of the campus for a while. Even a month later when we were on a ministry visit, two of her students were talking about how they were applying classical conditioning in their ministry work.
Most weekends, we accompany students to their home meetings. The last two weekends have been exercises in off-road ministry. Alfayo Muranda took a team of us to his Bulovi Quarterly Meeting near the Nandi escarpment on Sunday, October 28. Ben was to give a lesson on leadership and Christopher Sailu, the General Superintendent of Malava Yearly Meeting, was the main speaker and confirmed the nomination of new On Leaving Ramallah Yesterday I went to the office to hand over the keys to the new guy. I was emotional. It seems that God has used the Friends School and Ramallah to be a major part of the platform from which my life will take a direction. The faces and experiences that I found here will stay with me forever. And, while I will miss it all dearly, Rana and I look toward the future with excitement, knowing that our journey has only begun. Again, thank you all for your love and support! John and Rana Hishmeh clerks and leaders for the quarter. We had five other students with us, from as many yearly meetings. Ben spoke about the importance of example in leaders, and one of his points was that the way we conduct our households should reflect the equality of men and women and be a witness against the plague of domestic violence. That comment has been reverberating and the women of the meeting have been requesting a return visit and seminar on the subject.
Being with Friends far off the tarmac roads has been a real joy and privilege, and we are grateful for this part of FTC ministry. We learn something of the situation of local Friends, the Gospel is preached and important connections are made.
Thanks for your support!
Ben and Jody Richmond