Mid India Yearly Meeting Friends welcomed us in Itarsi MM's George Fox Hall yesterday afternoon as drummers passed by in the street for a major Hindu holiday that seemed to bring all of the world into Itarsi. Our delegation of PYM Friends - Jack, Sammantha and Scott - arrived by car together at the same time as four young Friends from Nepal who had traveled three days and two nights by train from the valley of Katmandu.
Archana, who had kindly helped both the Americans and Nepalese groups of visitors find our way here, then gave the opening address at nine o'clock this morning on the theme of this gathering - "Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself." Quoting from Matthew, John, and Luke, Archana gracefully and effectively reminded us that love is greater than faith and hope; love is patient; love is kind; love does not envy; love is not rude; love is not self-seeking.
We met afterward in small "home" groups of five or six, often with members from different yearly meetings. I shared my experiences as a member of London Grove MM after hearing about three different Indian Monthly meetings and the Nepalese meeting. We are now about to hear the report of YM's and the Asia West Pacific Section of FWCC. Devdas has asked that I share a bit of news about Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to complement the brief reports from each of the other yearly meetings represented here at the Gathering.
Archana, who had kindly helped both the Americans and Nepalese groups of visitors find our way here, then gave the opening address at nine o'clock this morning on the theme of this gathering - "Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself." Quoting from Matthew, John, and Luke, Archana gracefully and effectively reminded us that love is greater than faith and hope; love is patient; love is kind; love does not envy; love is not rude; love is not self-seeking.
We met afterward in small "home" groups of five or six, often with members from different yearly meetings. I shared my experiences as a member of London Grove MM after hearing about three different Indian Monthly meetings and the Nepalese meeting. We are now about to hear the report of YM's and the Asia West Pacific Section of FWCC. Devdas has asked that I share a bit of news about Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to complement the brief reports from each of the other yearly meetings represented here at the Gathering.
Welcome to Itarsi, Friends. I pray your travels are full of happy excitement. Folks at Pendle Hill and among the Evergreen Worship Group held Archana's talk in prayer. Archana had worshipped many times with both groups while studying at Pendle Hill under the sponsorship of PhYM's India Friends Working Group.
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