Friendship Tour Update - A Third Postcard from Burma

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:37:00 CST

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers for our members on Friendship Tours. Please read below for a third postcard from Julie Warner in Burma.

Having flown from Yangon to Bangkok, Thailand, we took the day bus from Bangkok to Mae Sot, a 7-hour trip. There we made a short visit to the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot where we had a tour with Meredith Walsh. [Meredith grew up attending BPFNA's summer conference, "Peace Camp". Her father, Tom Walsh, was a member of the first BPFNA board.]

NC Baptists Against Amendment One: Saturday, February 25, 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:16:00 CST

NC Baptists Against Amendment One: Justice, Equality & Personal Freedom

Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C. will host NC Baptists Against Amendment One: Justice, Equality and Personal Freedom on February 25, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is a part of the national Many Voices, One Love campaign sponsored by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA), and the Alliance of Baptists.

Amendment One bans all legal recognition for all unmarried couples. It states,"Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state." Anyone who falls outside of this definition could potentially be harmed.

A Day of Action against War with Iran - Sat, Feb 4

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:53:00 CST

Summarized content taken from United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ)

This Saturday, February 4th, people worldwide will send an important message against a potential war with Iran.

No Olvidados - A Postcard from Tijuana

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:12:00 CST

The following is written by LeDayne McLeese Polaski, BPFNA program coordinator and leader of the Tijuana Friendship Tour.

I've been struggling to figure out a way to write about this experience; looking for a thread that connects it all together. Perhaps "no olvidados" (not forgotten) is that thread. Wednesday night, Ray Schellinger (one of the missionaries who runs Deborah's House, the domestic violence shelter in which we're staying) talked with the group about the theological foundations of their ministry in Tijuana. He shared the story of the Good Samaritan. He spoke of how the man who stopped to help felt "his bowels busting out" -- the literal definition of the Greek verb (which is also used to describe Judas' death.) It refers to a depth of compassion that is painful. Jesus tells that man who is seeking the secret to eternal life -- "Go and do likewise."

Friendship Tour Update - A Second Burmese Postcard

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:45:00 CST

We just arrived in Bagan after three incredible days in Mandalay. One of the highlights of the entire trip was a boat ride on the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay to Mingun and Inwa, two historical sites near Mandalay. We organized a meeting of Baptist leaders from Mandalay on the boat, so we had a day of fellowship and sightseeing together. The Baptist leaders are from all ethnic groups - Karen, Kachin, Chin, Lisu, Burmese. Our group chatted with them about the work of their churches, and they had the opportunity to interact with each other in a way that they would not normally have. Our guide, and my friend who organized the boat trip, said that the Baptist leaders were all so happy to have this opportunity to be together that they were asking her how they could organize such an event in the near future for themselves.