Hello, my name is Françoise. My Quaker family is in Whittier, California, at Whittier First Friends Church. We found each other in 2017. My Quaker family says I was born a Quaker; I just did not know it. All my life, I had been searching for a place to call home. A place in a community that is LOVE-centered. When I learned about the Quaker testimonies—Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship—I knew I was home. I finally found a worship community based on the foundation of my own core values.
I discovered that what I called God’s voice inside me actually has a title: “Leadings.” I knew that the silence I was already experiencing on my own was my direct connection to the Spirit. I was excited not to have to sit in silence alone anymore, because the Spirit had led me to my loving Quaker family.
Fast forward to 2025, and I am now in Richmond, Indiana, following the calling of the Spirit. I am attending Earlham School of Religion in hopes of obtaining my Master of Divinity. I am completing my 40-hour practicum at Friends United Meeting this semester. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate with an organization that is sending out so much LOVE in the world. LOVE is always needed, everywhere!
As part of the practicum, I will be writing short essays for the E-News. I hope you will enjoy them. Please remember, “That of God in everyone” and “Let your life speak.” To me, the most essential thing in life is LOVE, and the actions love leads us to. Please know that you are loved, you are not alone, and I am holding you “In the Light.”
Love & Light,
Your Friend, Françoise
