FUM News

Turkana Friends Mission Holds Conference at Kakuma Camp

Turkana Friends Mission recently held a youth conference at the Kakuma Friends Church in the Kakuma 2 Refugee Camp. The Mission gathered young people from across Turkana to explore the theme “Youth and Social Media.” The camp was held from 16–20 April, and between 250 to 350 people attended. Heavy rains received during that period posed some challenges to the program, but overall Turkana Friends Mission assesses the conference to have been a success.

FUM Leads Pastoral Care Team to Middle East

During our time in the West Bank, we had the opportunity to visit with three pastors: two who spiritually support Christian congregations and one who leads a university in Bethlehem. With ongoing military strikes on Gaza, persistent IDF operations, and settler violence in the West Bank, the faith leaders spoke about the pervasive trauma and grief that engulfed their society. This trauma manifests in various ways. Directly, families face the anguish of lost loved ones in Gaza, witness the destruction of homes, and experience the ever-present threat of violence and displacement in the West Bank. One faith leader said, “We are not suffering from PTSD, but OTSD (Ongoing Traumatic Stress Disorder). ”Our students and staff at Ramallah Friends School are not immune from these stresses. We learned that one of our teachers lost eighteen members of her family in Gaza. Another teacher’s husband and children are stuck in Gaza. Witnessing or hearing about such intense violence and instability, and persistent exposure to news of suffering, leads to a profound sense of helplessness and anxiety.

Refugee Quakers in Uganda Affected by Changes in U.S. Aid

At the FUM office in Richmond, Indiana, we recently received this report from our friend Alfred Wasike, former General Secretary of Uganda Friends Church, and currently a pastor in Uganda. He describes a visit he recently made to the Friends Church in the Nakivale Refugee Camp, and the effects that changes in American policies are having on residents of the camp, including those who are members of the Quaker congregation.

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FUM Journal

Lessons from the garden

This growing season celebrates the 15th Anniversary of the Compassion Garden at our Meetinghouse. This garden project will not last forever at Winchester Friends, but I am thankful for the years I’ve had and the lessons I’ve learned from urban gardening in the middle of Winchester, Indiana.

Ask Tom: on leadership

How have Quaker ideas about leadership changed over time? Do Quakers have leaders? Do Quakers want leaders?

Along the Way

For the fourth of July, my son and I took a short road trip to Mounds State Park in Anderson, IN. We had put this trip off for far too long. The rainclouds followed us to the park, and we both decided we didn’t care—the rain was warm and the thick forest kept much of the water off of us.

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An Enduring Truth

Throughout our history, the people known as Friends (or Quakers) keep rediscovering an essential and enduring truth: There is one who speaks to our most basic needs and most significant hopes—Christ Jesus the Lord. Both individually and communally, we are learning to know and follow the Voice that guides us in the way we should go. Together, we seek to understand and obey that truth which sets us free. As a people, we share in the experience of that powerful life which makes all things new. Maybe you are searching for an authentic and transforming faith and community to call home—if so, come in and join us as we seek to know and follow Christ.