Thinking out loud

We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. (Hebrews 12:1) September 24-25 North Newton, Kansas When the board of MCC Central States met in North Newton this week, it began by remembering who was now missing. Ruth Yellowhawk, co-founder of the Indigenous Issues Forum and friend of MCC in so many ways, had passed recently from cancer. Ruth often worked with Harley Eagle on restorative justic workshops. She helped reclaim indigenous understandings and life ways that allow people to walk in balance today and in future generations. Board and staff successively shared their memories of one whose life had mattered to them and so many more. Paul's image of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses came to our minds. It is a cloud of witnesses so visible to us and yet so far from our minds so much of the time. Each one makes a difference in the world. Material Resources staff person Irma Gonzales illustrated another way one person can make a difference. She remembers a couple

They shall hunger and thirst no more. (Rev. 7:16) September 10-14, 2010 Oregon and British Columbia "We know the economy of our country is not going to change," Susan Ban told us. "So we have to do things differently in smaller strategies that don't feel too huge and that can help our county be caring and compassionate." Susan, the executive director of Shelter Care, a church-based ministry for responding to situational and chronic homelessness in Eugene, Oregon, told the West Coast MCC board that Shelter Care is finding creative ways for the church to partner with the public sector to respond to problems facing her community. A day later, the West Coast MCC board and staff headed north of the border to Abbotsford, British Columbia to learn from the MCC programs there. They joined a Sunday celebration for the relief sale the day before that raised over $600,000 to help meet human needs and work for peace and justice all over the world. Dan W