With the help of FCNL and Fort Lewis College’s Office of Diversity Affairs, we were able to send four students to FCNL’s lobby days March 16 through 19. Durango Friends will fund one student, FCNL will fund a team leader, and Diversity Affairs will fund two other students. They are Navajo, Hopi and Apache. The topic this year is “Truth and Healing for Indian Boarding Schools."

Join us for second hour Oct. 8 when we will be screening “An Indian Boarding School,” about the history of Fort Lewis College. We will cut worship to 45 minutes in order to accommodate the film, which is a little under an hour, and follow-up discussion.

Durango Monthly Meeting officially added “Stewardship” to our testimonies at meeting for worship for business Sept. 10, 2023! This has been a long-time concern of Dick Grossman and others in the meeting. The testimony reads as follows:

As stewards of the earth, Durango Friends believe that care for the earth, its people, animals, plants, air, soil and water is a sacred trust. We strive to promote environmental, economic and social sustainability both as a meeting and in our individual lives.

The full minute, the text of which will be archived, will be presented at New Mexico Regional Meeting Sept. 17 and Intermountain Yearly Meeting next summer.

Lynne, Jim and Cindy manned a table at Fort Lewis College’s Services Fair Friday. Lynne’s Quaker Oats cookies were a big draw, and we talked to several dozen Fort Lewis students and their parents about Friends. Many knew nothing about Quakers, and some were familiar with the religion but were unaware there was a Quaker meeting in Durango. Hopefully we’ll see a few new faces Sunday, but even if we don’t, more people are aware that Quakers are still around and exist in Durango!”

Today’s Meeting for Worship was enriched by Vallie (thanks, Christina, for bringing her!). Bill from Olympia Friends’ Meeting also told us about “World Quaker Day”. This year the theme will be: "‘Living the spirit of Ubuntu: Responding with hope to God’s call to cherish creation – and one another’” .  To find out more, click on the FWCC logo.

Princy Dwyer and his Dwyer Foundation under it's 'See Well' programme conducted an eye camp at 'Nobo Jivan' a destitute home, run by Mother Teresa's organisation (Missionaries of Charity). Old frames donated by Mrs. Kerstin Liebchen from Australia and [his] mother, Mrs. Bimla Dwyer, from Canada, were reused. Dr. Purnendu Sekhar, a renowned ophthalmologist conducted the eye tests. The Durango friends also supported the programme. Bro. Samir, Superior of the Missionaries of Charity, Gaya and Mr. Vinod Sharan helped as volunteers. All were given masks sewn by the village girl students of 'Pragati Sewing Centre being run by the foundation at Sekhwara and Khajwati village in Bodhgaya.

Other photos from the Dwyer Foundation are linked here...

Cindy Yurth spotted this visitor to the Meeting House this morning!

Friends with both a capital and small “f” gathered at Heartwood last Saturday to wish Dick and Gay Grossman a happy 80th birthday year! There was plenty of great food, music and good cheer.