Volume 59 Number 5 Whittier First Friends Church May 2020

Virtually Gathered

The faces of First Friends—a Zoom screen captures just nine Friends worshipping together,

THE LIVING LIGHT For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Ephesians 5:9

A CHRISTIAN PEOPLE CALLED TO LISTEN, GATHERED TO SEEK PEACE AND SENT FORTH TO SERVE

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Friendly Fare by Lea Wright

Dear Friends, Home quarantine, Shelter in Place, Safe at Home...During this time of so much change, I heard from many friends, and so much of their news is very similar to each other. People are struggling to stay in touch during this unusual time. They draw chalk pictures on the sidewalk for passing-by friends to enjoy. They put teddy bears on the window sill. People are learning new crafts i.e. sewing face masks or learning new cooking skills. We are binge watching TV shows (including my favorite Hallmark movies). For those of you who watch Hallmark, you may have figured out the pattern, so imagine when you’ve seen the same movie multiple times.

Friends Travel: In April, the Woirhayes visited their living room. They took a tour of the backyard, and learned to conserve toilet paper.

Friends Share: The writing group has stayed active with Gwen Woirhaye’s encouragement. Many are sharing their writings via email. Liz Gwinn, (John Marshburn's mother-in-law,) has been staying-in with Ted & Mary at their house while the young folks are more active and doing errands. Gwen, Liz and Kathy Marin are a few of the many who have been sewing needed safety masks for friends and family for which we are all very grateful. Liz Ellis has been home alone, slowly going through deferred projects around the house. Loletta Barrett is learning another way to use kumquats besides in pie. With the proper equipment, of course. Kat Ryder and family spent time at the park, where dog Milo thought it was funny to roll around in duck poop. Besides having to deal with that, it was a good day to get out with my family while wearing masks and social distancing.

Friends Celebrate: We all celebrated Easter in different ways this year. Mary Marshburn cooked a whole Easter dinner (ham, turkey, four vegetables, a salad, rolls and pie) for 19 people and packed it up for five different family groups to pick-up from the Marshburn front porch! So, they all had dinner celebrating Easter “together.”

Friends About Town: Willie (Lee) Riley posted a picture on his Facebook page of the church, and the plaque that his father Bill received when he retired with original keys to the building—and received over

165 likes. Willie said he had no idea how historical the church building was when he was just a caretaker’s kid living there. He remembers flying paper airplanes off the balcony of the old meeting house. Not during meeting, he added.

School and Work: This is obviously a difficult time but there are some positive things that have happened this year in the Marin family. Mercedez Marin was named Teacher of the Year in the Whittier City School District. Isabel Marin received the honor of “Top Seven” at Dexter Middle School. And Kathy Marin received the Whittier Area Superintendents Award for her work as a volunteer at Orange Grove Elementary. Kathy says she is taking two good walks a day, studying a bit of Arabic, reading a coffee table tome on Egypt in the hope that someday she’ll be able to travel again. She is enjoying Zoom get-togethers with friends and family, doing tons more reading and a bit of writing. Elyse Woirhaye has managed to keep her grades up while attending Rancho Starbuck Middle School distance learning, earning all A’s on her third quarter grade report. Elyse is taking Honors Math, Honors English, Science, Social Studies and P.E. as well as Advanced Placement Computer Science. Anathea has continued to design and sew her glorious prom dress, among several other costume-making activities, despite the official event and the other typical senior festivities, like Grad Night at Disneyland and even graduation, being postponed. Orange County School of the Arts Acting Conservatory parents have come together electronically to have the kids celebrate prom in their own way at home. The kids are encouraged to dress up if they wish (Anathea will) and get together on a virtual Zoom meeting to share a night of good cheer and loving camaraderie while “Safe at Home.” Both Elyse and Anathea will take their AP exams in May and hope to receive credit when they enter college. Anathea has received several college admission acceptance letters and is currently considering her path. Cedric has returned home during the quarantine and is continuing to attend Rio Hondo distance learning courses online. He has found it to be a real good time to practice his driving skills with fewer cars on the road. Deanna & Brendon are completing Real Estate Practice and Principal distance learning courses online also at Rio Hondo.

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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On Sunday, April 5, we had our first Monthly Meeting via Zoom. Friends were sent an email with the Zoom meeting link and the agenda and minutes attached.

We’ll be doing this for the foreseeable future so please make sure we have your email on file.

We have been frustrated by our inability to visit in person but have increased our outreach online and on the phone, which we have enjoyed immensely.

Loletta has postponed her sabbatical while the stream of life remains uncertain, and many of our committees have begun adjusting our planning and service accordingly. All committees are meeting regularly via Zoom.

Our staff is following Safer at Home practices but monitoring the office daily and picking up mail. If you need to visit the church office, please call ahead so we can make arrangements. The office is undergoing regular disinfection procedures.

Communication with community organizations who share our space has been smooth.

We have enhanced our wifi capability to meet current needs but other infrastructure projects are on hold.

We approved that we will reopen in accordance with state of California timelines.

We are actively discussing how our Significant Giving will be distributed. Friends are encouraged to share their thoughts regarding organizations in need.

The Facing Bench “…for God all things are

possible.” And God has been working through God’s people and accomplishing some amazing things. We have completed things we might not have imagined possible in only a few weeks. Relocating our offices, rewiring the meeting house, making last minute changes to and getting out The Living Light, and being in contact with all our building partners to coordinate shutting down before the virus could be spread, all things we had to do with very short notice. Friends quickly approved changing personnel situations and researching financial programs. We implemented Zoom for meetings for worship, business and fellowship with lots of learning and relatively few glitches. And Friends have been reaching out to Friends to connect both formally and informally. We have had the wonderful blessings of reconnecting with Friends in far flung places and worshipping with some of them for the first time in too many years. And some of us have become less technophobic, though we still have to remember to breathe when we fear it might not go smoothly.

I think we all hope this won’t last too long, and yet the blessings we have received have been enormous in terms of renewed relationships, going deeper in ministry and supporting each other, learning new ways of connecting, and adapting to the “new normal” every day. All the Friends deserve big thank you’s; those who made the moves, technology and changes in building usage possible; who made calls, wrote letters and emails and reached out; who calmly accept new worship roles with technology; who continue to support the meeting and school financially, with prayer and with their presence; who keep their cool and remain calm and peaceful through all the frustrations of things being… different.

And what have we learned? Things can be different and still work out. “New” and “learning,” while sometimes a little scary, can be good words. That meeting across a computer screen still allows the Spirit to move and speak because…for God all things are possible. It was Spirit speaking, not coincidence that we affirmed a Yearly Meeting minute to encourage all the Friends organizations to allow meeting electronically so that Friends could fully participate

This Month in Meeting for Worship

May 3 Lolea Barre brings the message

April Showers Bring May Flowers

1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10

May 10 Lolea Barre brings the message

Becoming Rocks

Psalm 31:1-5, I Peter 2:4-10, John 14:12

May 17, 24

and 31

As the Spirit leads

Mee�ng for Worship is held online via Zoom

Sundays at 11:00 a.m.

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. Continued on page 4

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Remote learning has become Whittier Friends School’s norm, just like all other Whittier schools, and just like schools across our state and our country. Though we have had to cancel field trips and fundraisers as well as our in-class meetings in order to follow Safer at Home mandates instilled by Los Angeles County and the state of California, we continue to stay consistent with our education philosophies.

We are managing this by mailing personalized packets to our students every two weeks, keeping in touch with families weekly by email or text message, and scheduling daily Zoom meetings for the children to meet up with the teachers for checking-in, mini-lessons, updates, riddles, show-and-tell, and other activities as the Spirit moves us. One time, we discussed our science lesson for the week on simple machines, and sent the children off to their kitchens to find and share examples of wedges, screws and other simple machines. Another time we discussed ways we could celebrate Earth Day at home. The children had great suggestions, such as walking or biking, being kind to plants, and using less water. We also meet in small groups and one-on-one to complete small group work or to give extra help, all via Zoom. These face to face virtual opportunities allow our students to not only keep in touch with their learning, but also help them keep in touch with each other socially.

Our teachers are committed to continuing to provide individualized lessons based on each child’s specific level and need, while keeping up to date with state learning guidelines. This commitment does not just include fostering our students’ growth as learners, but also in matters of emotional and social growth, as a friend and as a member of a community.

To take the place of our Spring Event in April, we are holding a donation drive. We depend on our fundraisers to keep our tuition as low as possible. We appreciate your gifts in the form of checks, mailed to Whittier Friends School or the church (memo line: Whittier Friends School), or through PayPal at finance@whittierfriendsschool.org. During this time of uncertainty, we especially appreciate your support!

—Cassie Caringella

News from Whittier Friends School

Russ’ Reflections One of my favorite hymns, If You Will Trust in God to Guide You, was written by Georg Neumark (1621-1681) in the winter of 1640-41. It relates to the verse: “Cast thy burden on the Lord, and God will sustain thee” (Psalm 55:22). The

original hymn had seven stanzas and Neumark wrote both the words and the melody. These were published in 1657. The hymn was written in response to an attack and robbery of nearly all of Neumark’s possessions, his wandering looking for work, and being given a position as a tutor. He begins with words of advice and then suggests actions we should take. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) translated this hymn into English in 1863. The text has had alterations for our hymnal (#636). The hymn seems very appropriate these days, as we cope with the uncertainty of the Covid-19 virus and the isolation of quarantine. The first and last stanzas get to the heart of Neumark’s message.

If you will trust in God to guide you and place your confidence in him, You’ll find him always there beside you, to give you hope and strength within. For those who trust God’s changeless love build on the rock that will not move. Sing, pray, and keep his ways unswerving, offer your service faithfully, And trust his word; though undeserving, you’ll find his promise true to be. God never will forsake in need the soul that trusts in him indeed.

To hear three musical settings of this hymn, visit my Facebook page.

I pray that each of you will find that God is present in your life and that you will seek the leading of the Spirit to guide you into right actions and service to others.

‘The Facing Bench’ continued from page 3

without having to travel. And now we have a new way to connect more regularly as a Yearly Meeting.

Things are and will be different. Novelty introduced by outside forces tends to allow changes to occur and to last into the future we never would have imagined. Spirit challenges us and invites us to envision more new ways of being. We have been offered, again, another chance and opportunity to co-create with God into new possibilities for our Meeting and our world. Because… for God all things are possible.

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Gabriel Sadler Abigail Sadler Lou Secord Ann Smith Paige Tillman Carol Urner

Peggy Anderson Mary Coop Todd Cramer Christian Eggleton Lloyd Kaneko Kathy Marin Wendy Marsh Kat Ryder

If we've missed your birthday, we apologize (and happy birthday)!

We're working hard to keep our birthday calendar up-to-date so please let us know if we're forge3ng anyone.

Whittier Friends School students, via one of their morning Zoom meetings, came up with practical things they can do at home to celebrate Earth Day. to the church

Our classroom guinea pig, Ewok, is being cared for at a teacher’s home. He is happy and healthy, and enjoying plenty of fresh veggies and cuddles.

Concerning Your Faith Promise We’d like to take a minute to update Friends on

our Meeting’s finances. In these trying times, everyone is concerned about the economy and the Meeting is no exception. The community groups who rent meeting rooms and parking spaces are not using them because of the Safer at Home policy. Although many of our members and regular attenders are sending in checks or donating on our website via PayPal, others usually leave their gift in the offering plate, and we’re not able to pass that around when we meet virtually.

Despite the uncertainty, the Meeting is continuing to meet its obligations. We are continuing to pay our employees and provide health insurance coverage. We have regular facility upkeep to maintain. We have property taxes to pay. We are fulfilling our promise of support to the Western Association of Friends.

We know that your personal finances are being affected by job loss, stock market fluctuations and general economic upheaval. We are so very grateful to the Friends who have continued to fulfill their faith promises to the Meeting. We rely on your support.

Our option of placing gifts in the offering plate on Sundays is not possible at this time and some of you may not have been able to adjust all the details in your life, including that weekly practice.

Please remember to mail your checks (and support the US Postal Service at the same time!) to the church street address:

Whittier First Friends Church 13205 Philadelphia Street Whittier, CA 90601–4384

We are grateful for your gifts of support! —The Business and Finance Committee

April May

Ami Troedsson Amy Wright Anathea Woirhaye Anthony Manousos Brett Haynes Chris Quarnstrom David Ellis Liz Ellis

Gina Natoli Jean Sponsler John Marshburn Linda Upton Tammy Van Dorn Tim Root Trinity Solis

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

Periodicals Postage Paid at

Whittier California

The Living Light USPS 316-320

Volume 59 Number 5 Issue Date: May 1, 2020

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 Marie Kaneko ......................................... Copy Editor Loletta Barrett .................................................. Pastor Lynda Ladwig................................ Associate Pastor ........................ & Christian Education Coordinator Russell Litchfield ........................................................... .......................... Dir of Music Ministries & Organist Mary Boltz ............................. Office Administrator 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

Join Us on ZOOM for Meeting for Worship, Sundays at 11:00 a.m. More and more Friends are joining us every Sunday. One of the blessings of meeting remotely is we are

welcoming Friends from all over the country to join us in worship—over 50 Friends were together on Easter! We’re seeing Friends we haven’t seen for weeks, months or years! From Apple Valley to Cambria in California, from Washington state to Philadelphia, from Arkansas to Salt Lake City—we are One in the Spirit.

Zoom is an internet service that allows a group of people see and hear each other through our computers, tablets and cell phones. It divides the screen into little boxes, and each of us has our own box (as pictured on page one).

Friends must be invited (for security purposes) via email to Zoom with us. If you are not on Loletta’s emailing list or currently receiving an email invitation, please drop an email to pastorffc@verizon.net and we’ll send you the link.

HOW TO JOIN A ZOOM MEETING

• Computer. Go to the Zoom website at http://www.zoom.us. You can see video, and even use your webcam if you want to be seen—or not if you don’t. You can use the microphone and speakers on your computer or use your telephone for the sound.

• Smartphones and tablets: Download the Zoom app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android. You can use the camera on your phone or choose to participate without video.

• Telephone: Call a phone number provided for you from your telephone and type in the access number as sent to you.

Brendon Woirhaye is willing to give you individual help via email or phone if you need help using Zoom. Don’t hesitate to email him at bytre@woirhaye.com.