Friends Taking More Steps Towards Hybrid Meeting

Ministry and Council , along with our Technology and Hospitality groups, are all busy moving forward to fulfill an important goal—becoming, being, and expanding our connection as a gathered meeting of Friends.

We have made an investment in our future with technology, and are ready to try new ways of being together in safe and healthy ways—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Equipment is installed and procedures are being developed for operating and sanitizing. It’s time to start preparing to go hybrid.

Sowing and Harvesting All Year Long Friends deepened our relationship with the

Roots for Peace Community Garden with a work day in October. We matched our summer donation (made possible in part by the estate of Paul Parting-ton) with words, and labor with community mem-bers.

Our biggest project was sanding and staining the outside cabinets and a section of fencing. We also helped pull out old plants and prepare the soil for planting. We learned about woodworking, an herbal remedy for high blood pressure, and practiced some of our Spanish. A feast was brought to share by the community members and Friends—fresh juice and fruits as well as some pan dulce, cookies, and brownies.

Anathea, Brendon, Cedric, Deanna, and Elyse Woirhaye were joined by Loletta Barrett and Barbara Healy Sprague. Plans are already underway for an-other opportunity for Friends in April.

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Dear Friends, I know it’s been a rough year. So many things have changed, but I have learned something about sharing some gratitude from my friend Can-dice Ryder. She starts each Whittier Friends School committee asking us to share good things. As we head into the Thanksgiving season, let me tell you a little about some things for which I’m grateful. I no longer work full time-part time. (Just try to figure that out.) I now divide my working time between the Meeting, Whittier Friends School, and Grandma day-care with my grandson, Hudson, who has recently turned one year old, and is now enduring cuteness as he learns to walk and talk and shares his many “stories” with me. Friends About Town: Katerina Ryder, a student at Cal Poly Pomona, worked the school’s Pumpkin Fest, which featured goat petting, hay rides, and a corn maze. Friends Visit: Bob & Sabron Newton enjoyed a four-day visit in mid-September from their daughter Miri-am, her husband Chris, their daughter Amanda, who is in college, and their son, Noah, who is a high school senior. Before returning to Minnesota, they all went to the beach and the Huntington Library, and experienced one of California’s earthquakes, a 4.3. Friends Travel: Kathy Marin went on a month long trip with Overseas Adventure Tours—Crete, North-ern Greece, Albania, Northern Macedonia, and Ser-bia. They were a group of eight—all of them vac-cinated and following Covid protocols. They had many interactions with local people as well as seeing archaeological, Byzantine, and Ottoman sites. It felt good to be out and about again albeit with some pre-cautions!! Here she is with The Living Light continuing our tradition “The Living Light Travels.” (Remember, your submissions are wel-come and needed.)

In August and September, Bob & Lou Secord took a five week driving trip across the country for the wed-ding of grandson Clinton in Boise, ID, and the ordina-tion of grandson Trevor in Columbia, SC. The 8,600 mile trip included stops to visit friends, family, and sightseeing. Be sure to ask them “about narrowly missing a deer but not the road debris kicked up by a semi.” Mary Marshburn, along with son Paul, visit-ed with Carol Marshburn and her husband John in early October. It was a good visit with lovely fall col-ors in Maine. Elinore Petoletti forgot to bring The Living Light, but she still got a picture with Flo Pick-ering Buchanan at the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa.

Friends Remember: Prayers for peace for the family of Donald Wright, including his parents Milt & Donna Wright . As his niece Cassie (Wright) Caringella said, “...What a good man, and a terrible loss. His absence will be felt by so many. We will miss his good-natured humor, his handiness with solving problems, and his abundant love for his family.” Friends Sharing News: Help to keep the Friendly Fare going. Email me a quick note and tell me your news. Send to Lea at lealouw@gmail.com. See you next month!

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At Monthly Meeting on October 10, Christian Education and Outreach reported that the Summer Mission Project raised $1460

for Lugulu Hospital, exceeding the $1,000 goal. As a winter mission project, we will collect new and gently used blankets, caps, scarves and gloves (not clothing) for our neighbors living on the streets served by St Matthias. Money for grocery gift cards for them, and for the Interfaith Food Center is also welcome. The work day at Roots for Peace garden was a success; with plenty of food shared—and lattice fencing stained. We will again be having Advent Sundays on Zoom this Christmas season, and welcome ideas for short online programs. The Cold Weather Shelter has been discontinued, with the City of Whittier now funding hotel rooms for families awaiting services, The City has a 130-bed shelter for single people. The best way for us to support these projects is to donate. Virtual Peace Cafe was a success, with $1071 raised for next year’s Peace Camp. The Personnel Committee reported there are 23 applicants for the Meeting Coordinator position. Things are still slow in the office, but help mailing out The Living Light would be welcome. We approved asking Jennifer Bermudez to return to her Sunday child care job. We will evaluate the continued viability of all part-time positions once a year when working on the budget.

The Facing Bench “A Place of Abundance”

has been our theme this year. For me it is both a joyful affirmation and a rallying cry of resistance in the face of all the hardship we have experienced. There is no doubt we could have been drawn down into the mess, drama, and figurative and literal death-dealing attitudes and events. It is not easy to throw off a heavy yoke and take the one Jesus offers that is light and Light. But we have consistently worked to live in appreciation and gratitude and to embrace the advice found in the first letter to the Thessalonians. “…respect those who labor among you…be at peace among yourselves…admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I admit that last part can be especially difficult at times- a little like salt in the wound- give thanks in all circumstances. When some things happen the question that first comes to my mind is, “This? This is the will of God?” But I keep realizing, yes, God is in it; in the mess, drama, and death-dealing attitudes and events. Wherever we are, where ever creation is, God is. God is in nature consistently re-balancing in the face of our mistakes. God is in the fixers, the helpers, the rescuers, and the witnesses who show up to make things better, to bring compassion, kindness, justice, love, and care.

Here are just some of the places I found God anticipating our need: in one of the first two black women to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Engineer Marian Croak is the tech pioneer of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the essential ingredient for our zoom meetings for worship, business, devotions, and fellowship, Peace Camp and Peace Cafe.

November 7 Abundant Wealth

November 14 Abundant Church

November 21 Abundant Thanksgiving or Gratitude?

November 28 Abundant Jesus

We welcome and encourage your comments as well as your contributions and photos

for inclusion in The Living Light. Kindly send your email to Elisabeth Elliot

at communiquaker@gmail.com.

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News from Whittier Friends School

It’s time, too, for Friends of all gifts to join the support team. In order to return to in-person Meeting for Worship, we have a lot of ways Friends can contribute.

In order to connect with Friends remotely, we need camera and computer operators. In order to connect with our Friends in-person, we need a hospitality team. And in order to do either, we need Friends to learn how to work the sound board. Sound a bit scary? We will make training for all these positions easy and accessible.

Deepened relationships are already developing among the Sunday morning team. And the truth is we cannot do it without you. What will it take for us to go hybrid? Being willing to be trained as a part of the ministry where you are comfortable, and committing to come to meeting for worship early and helping clean up one or two Sundays a quarter.

Business & Finance reported that planned giving continues to be short of projections, but income is currently exceeding expenses. We have resources to help Friends who are in financial difficulty, and we can accommodate Friends who may have to amend their plans for support. The annual stewardship campaign begins shortly. We have Significant Giving funds that have yet to be allocated this year, and Friends are asked to bring their ideas to Monthly Meeting for November.

The Technology Group reported that Friends are being asked to learn how to help with Zoom hosting of Meeting for Worship at the Meeting House. All friends will be trained and supported. We are under budget, with equipment for Fellowship Hall and Sharpless Lounge as the next things to be purchased.

The Meeting will record greetings to be shared at the Whittier Area Clergy Association virtual Thanksgiving Celebration, to be held the Sunday before Thanksgiving

Monthly Meeting for November is November 14, at 1:00 p.m. Dates for Monthly Meeting and Quarterly Meeting of Clerks in 2022 will be announced shortly.

A Virtual Thanksgiving Celebration The Whittier Area Clergy Association is grateful

to re-launch our Annual Thanksgiving Celebration. We missed out in 2020 but that makes our 2021 cel-ebration even more special. Join us for greetings, prayers, blessings, and music from a diverse group of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and Native American faith communities. The celebration will be pre-recorded and streamed the afternoon of the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 21.

Watch for more details on how to tune in and celebrate!

Whittier Friends School retuned to Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch for our first field trip since March 2020. We picked vegetables, petted some farm ani-mals, and chose the perfect pumpkin to take home.

‘Monthly Meeting’ continued from page 3

Children picking vegetables at Tanaka Farm. In the fore-ground is WFS alum Landon with a current preschool friend.

‘’Hybrid Meeting’ continued from page 1

Many hands make the burden light and we can share the fellowship across all the Sundays in the year.

What is needed? For the tech team—set up and operate the sound system, the cameras, or the Zoom screen during Meeting for Worship. For the Hospitality team—set up and operate a welcome desk for screening Friends and guests following COVID protocols. For both—a loving, caring, compassionate attitude and love for the Meeting, a willingness to learn, a mask and vaccination, and willingness to help put it all away afterwards. It’s simple really—it’s currently being beta-tested on the pastor—and you know how hard it is to train her!

Email firstfriendswhittier@verizon.net and let us know how you would like to help on the Sunday morning team..

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Sweet and Peaceful Sounds Online Peace Café 2021 was a huge success. Covid has

made it difficult to gather and everyone was missing Peace Café. Brendon Woirhaye and David Fant pro-vided the technology so we could stream Peace Café on YouTube Live. Jo Nita Beede and Deanna Woir-haye gathered talent. Jo Nita was the MC who intro-duced many prerecorded acts. Jo Nita also added live performances of her wonderful music.

Peace Café featured many entertaining artists. Michael Whitehorse Avila shared his flute playing. Deanna Woirhaye amazed all with her gifted photog-raphy, sharing slide shows created for Roots for Peace, 31 Days of Halloween, and her own collec-tions. She and Carrin Bouchard worked together to share favorite photos of Peace Campers. Musical artists included Joyce Woodson performing “Thank Jack,” and Corrina Carter performing “Precious One.” Norman Beede played the piano in the Meeting House while Russ Litchfield recorded.

If we’ve missed your birthday, we apologize (and happy birthday)! We work hard to keep our birthday calendar

up-to-date so please let us know if we’re forgetting anyone. Thank you!

Austin Allen Patrick Andrews Lynda Bates Norm Beede Steven Bingman Judith Browning Avalon Caringella Samantha Cramer Judith Ellis Lori Graham Marie Kaneko Kent Marshall Rennie McIntosh Jerry Montgomery Stephanie Murillo

Dawn Ortega Zoe Overmyer Dylan Purkiss Mary Raymond Neva Root Ashley Ryder Bob Secord Kristina Shull Audine Votaw David Warren Brendon Woirhaye Norman Wright Marygene Wright Lea Wright

I found it In the Friends who planned, ran, and presented at Peace Camp and Peace Café, and those who generously supported both. In the Friends calling, sending cards, donating materials and money, praying, and expressing compassion and appreciation to each other and to our essential workers. In the Friends working on committees, ad hoc groups, leading meeting for learning, and participating in our hikes, mission projects, Advent celebrations, interfaith discussions, trustee projects, office coverage, and Living Light production. In the generous gifts that allowed us to support our meeting operations, the American Friends Service Committee, and other projects, and will result in fully-available facilities and staffing. In the medic who gave me my COVID shot, and the medical staff working so hard to care for so many. And in the women who witnessed, called the police, cared for, and transported my friend when she was followed by a man in a van in our “nice, safe” neighborhood.

Friends, we and our meeting can give thanks that we live and move and have our being in the Being that is “A Place of Abundance” Indeed. Where have you found God this year?

‘’The Facing Bench’ continued from page 3

Terry Niccum shared her poetry. Lind Coop en-tertained us with his storytelling. We closed the show with some Peace Camp songs complete with hand motions taught by Marilyn Fant and sung by Allison Coop. The evening ended like past Peace Ca-fés, with Noman Beede on the piano.

Peace Café raises funds for Peace Camp. This year, Peace Camp needed to be virtual, which is why we opened up the camp to our international friends. We had campers and volunteers from other states, as well as international friends from India, the Philip-pines, and the United Kingdom. Funding from the Peace Cafe provides supplies to all campers. Our goal was to raise $1,000, and we exceeded the goal by the end of the evening.

If you missed this exciting night, you can still watch the video at firstfriendschurch.org. and still donate to a great cause!

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Return Service Requested Postmaster: send address changes to: The Living Light Whittier First Friends Church 13205 Philadelphia St Whittier, CA 90601–4384

We Welcome a Traveling Friend!

When Quakers travel in the ministry, we carry a travel minute. A travel minute is a letter from the Quakers who love the person back home, to all the new people the person is going to meet. Meet Traveling Friend, pictured here,

who came to us from New York Yearly Meeting. She has visited all over the country with notes and pictures from all the Friends she has met in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Georgia and, this year, with us in California!

Friend attended Zoom gatherings and visited Whittier Friends School, where she played freeze tag with the students (she was really good at that), helped in the garden, and was an honored guest at the year-end recognition ceremony. She even helped Russ Litchfield record music for Meeting for Worship (see above), and went to work with Elisabeth Elliot at the Happiest Place on Earth!

We’re now sending Traveling Friend on to her next adventure with letters and pictures from her friends in Whittier.

Periodicals Postage Paid at

Whittier California

Please remember in

prayer those Friends

unable to worship with us physically on a regular

basis.

Peggy Anderson Barbara Cote Kathy Hood

Rose Nedrow Kathy Robison Ami Troedsson

Carol Urner Gerry Wolfe

The Living Light USPS 316-320

Volume 60, Number #10 Issue Date: November 1, 2021

The Living Light is published monthly by First Friends Church, 13205 Philadelphia Street, Whittier, California, 90601-4303. Periodical postage paid at Whittier, California. Elisabeth Elliot ................................................... Editor Loletta Barrett .................................................. Pastor Russell Litchfield ........................................................... .......................... Dir of Music Ministries & Organist Lorenzo Mora ............................................ Custodian

Telephone 562-698-9805 FAX 562-698-1127

www.firstfriendswhittier.org

Whittier Friends School Staff Candice Ryder ............. School Committee Clerk

562-945-1654