Volume 3, Number 4 July-September 2015

THREE YEARS IN REVIEW Franciscan Peace Connection (FPC) Advisory Board and team members recall October 2012 as "a time of excitement, hope, and mystery . . . Southern California's dreams of having something similar to the Center For Active Nonviolence in Iowa were becoming a reality . . . When the new General Leadership Team in Clinton chose to endorse us as a community Initiative, that really helped us get on our feet . . . At first there was a daunting sense of how do we do something like this? And then it just started evolving naturally and it hasn't stopped." Sisters Celeste Hanigan, Yvonne Hawker, and LaVern Olberding met regularly with the other advisors: Angelo Cusumano, Jack Harris, Julie Fawley and Paula Foley. Thanks to Skype capabilities, a lot of input from other team members, and many prayers, the overview and a preliminary plan of action took shape. The first program, Age-Specific Family Self-Esteem Elevation, actually started in September. It gleaned the very first new supporters, who are still quite active and influential. And, that initial program now serves as the blueprint for similar nonviolence programming in Year Four. October 14 was the official opening of FPC. Thanks to a truly Franciscan network of friends it didn't take long to furnish and accent the entire suite. As the First Friday Soup and Song and focus groups on Care of the Earth, the Feminine, Franciscan Perspectives, the Poor and Marginalized, and Youth expanded, so did the outreach and programming. These looped in more team members and attracted a wider variety of new participants.

Suite A, the original suite in which FPC started, and its environs continue to be adequate for team and small

group meetings/retreats, as well as outdoor crafts and cookouts. Neighboring churches like Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) in Lakeside, California, and Vista La Mesa

(VLM) and Crosspointe Life in La Mesa, California, regularly accommodate the needs for larger meeting/retreat/workshop spaces. Networking with community outreach, interfaith, nonviolence, and youth-related organizations continues to stimulate the growth and evolution of the FPC as a viable partner in movements seeking a more peaceful planet. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Build A Miracle, Difference Makers International, Focus on Faith, Interfaith Council- La Mesa, Pace e Bene, Pacifica Institute, Pax Christi-San Diego, Restorative Justice Mediation Program, and La Mesa Sunrise Rotary are some of the primary conduits. The FPC family has a unique opportunity to commingle celebration, evaluation, and "what's next" October 1-15. Providentially, David and Sharon Hoover will be here October 2-4 to provide another artistic, prophetic, mini-retreat, "St. Francis of Assisi: Face to Face." The Clinton Franciscan Family will hold its Western Regional Meeting in Lakeside, California, October 9-11. Additional Sisters, Associates, and Sojourners will be gathering for a Mindful Awareness workshop and dialoging about their corporate mission: active nonviolence and peacemaking. Sandwiched between the two weekends are other events and rituals which will bring closure to Phase One and some kindling and impetus to Phase Two of the Franciscan Peace Connection Initiative.

Dr. Wayne Dyer - May 10, 1940 - August 29, 2015

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

We pause and pay tribute to an esteemed mentor and pillar during these first three years of ministry.

FOCUS ON FOUR Where and how from here? Ideas and energy about possible themes and directions continue to surface. The choice to be mindful during the July-September quarter is bearing fruit. It has attracted new members, convicted the regulars, and now manifests as a mindfully nonviolent leaven for discerning the next programming process. The Energy Tool Chest Circle was the first group to choose its new venue, a book titled, A Course In Miracles. That textbook, accompanied by three additional commitments: weekly meetings, daily reading, and daily mental exercises have noticeably increased the energy level of these self-helpers. "I am so happy we finally made this choice. I already notice a difference in my attitude and daily rhythm," commented one participant. "It's really good to see familiar faces returning," another commented. Sister LaVern is "grateful for how perfectly the Course aligns with nonviolence training." There has been a significantly high interest in this type of weekly quest so there will be two Wednesday sessions: 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. The team is wondering if any of the "at-a-distance" folks are interested in Skyping one of these classes, or arranging a separate cyber-class. Connection is the key! Phone contact: 619-890-9846. It is not too late to join. A new program, Removing the "I" From Violence, is still in the planning stage. It will probably be the

most comprehensive and far-reaching tool developed during the coming year. It has age-specific lesson plans for families and school settings and adaptable curricula for interest-specific workshops and mini-retreat requests. The team welcomes your resource suggestions and input. Email contact: funnun60@hotmail.com A third program on the drawing board has Franciscan overtones. A fair share of newcomers during the past six months are curious to know more about the history and charism of Franciscans. Once David and Sharon Hoover ignite their interest with St. Francis of Assisi: Face to Face at OLPH on October 3, the team will continue developing the Franciscan perspective in a series of bi-weekly storytelling and action-oriented experiences. Click HERE for the FPC calendar page or go to www.franciscanpeaceconnection.org and click on "calendar" for this and other programming options.

And, of course there is the pope's encyclical, Laudato Si!Spirited dialogue continues among team members, such as: how to weave into our lives the myriad possibilities he has identified for "living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork." Such wisdom

barters for immediate and ongoing attention to find ingenious avenues for updating the FPC's first three years of "spiritual and psychological software."

LABOR DAY TCM SESSION The FPC is usually closed on Labor Day unless a picnic or outdoor activities are planned. Last Monday about half of the usual morning Taking Care of Myself (TCM) group came together to remember Wayne Dyer, a mentor and pillar of FPC, by listening to a 2013 interview. Wayne verbally summarized his life and how others can simplify and streamline their own. His wisdom is available in his book, I Can See Clearly Now.

Individuals meeting on Labor Day to remember Wayne Dyer include (from left) Sister Joan Theiss of Clinton, Iowa, Western Region Associate Ellen Flores, Kathleen Pierce, Chris Davis, and Saundra Breindel.

BIDD PICKS UP MORE MOMENTUM Judaism 101 was the title of the fourth session in the Bi-monthly Interfaith Dialogue and Dessert (BIDD) series. Presenter and historian Aaron Landau had a plethora of facts, figures, and observations regarding the almost 4,000 years of Salvation History associated with his Jewish ancestry. Aaron's objective and historical overview of Judaism was enlightening and comprehensive; his candid love of Judaism inspiring. Aaron's composite

of information was as daunting as his credentials. He had already studied four years of Hebrew before he started attending Hebrew High School and Hebrew Teacher's College simultaneously. He also attended four summers of

Hebrew-speaking camp before studying for a year at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Returning to Boston, he graduated from Hebrew Teacher's College. Later, he declined a job as a teacher of Hebrew and chose,

instead, to drive a taxi for four years. "Which," he said, "was yet another whole form of education." New participants at Judaism 101, besides Aaron's wife, Bernie, included a Muslim from Sudan (via Poland and Mexico), and two members of the San Diego, California, East Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter

Day Saints: the president and a counselor. The latter three and others had very interesting and comparative questions during and after the presentation. The next dialogue will be held in late October.

THE FPC "WEEK" OF ACTION SCHEDULE

Pace e Bene, a national nonviolence/peacemaking organization is sponsoring its second annual Week of Action (September 20-27). During these eight days over 350 marches, vigils, prayer gatherings, demonstrations, civil disobediences, etc., will take place worldwide. The FPC is co-sponsoring the following events: Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:00-8:45: Interfaith Devotional, 6040 Bob St, La Mesa, 91942 Sunday, Sept. 13, 6:30-8:30: Evening Prayer For Peace, Taize-style, OLPH, Lakeside Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:00-8:15: Interfaith Devotional, 8867 Los Coches Rd, Lakeside Sunday, Sept. 20, 3:30-5:00: UN International Day of Peace Gathering, Aztec Park Monday, Sept. 21, 6:30-8:00: Interfaith Vespers For Peace, St. James, Solana Beach Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6:00-8:00: Interfaith Equinox Peace Ritual 872 Neptune Ave, Encinitas Saturday, Sept. 26, 9:00-noon: National Friends of the Poor Walk/Run (details elsewhere) Sunday, Sept. 27, 5:00-6:00: Monthly Peace Concert, Mystic Isle, La Mesa Saturday, Oct. 3, 9:00-3:30: Mini-retreat St. Francis of Assisi: Face to Face, OLPH Sunday, Oct. 11, 8:00-1:00: Fair Trade Faire, St. Martin of Tours, La Mesa

All are welcome and encouraged to partake in one or more of these events.

UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE VIGIL

September 21 is the day the UN requests world-wide cooperation in a 24-hour vigil . . . saturated with peaceful, educational events and void of every form of competition and violence. The Interfaith Council-La Mesa is preparing the way on September 20, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., with its Second Annual UN International Day of Peace Gathering in Aztec Park in La Mesa. Those attending should bring a chair or blanket and enjoy watching what happens when clowns, crafts, music, and happy people start to gel.

Bernie and Aaron LandauBernie and Aaron Landau

A heartfelt thanks goes out

to everyone for your

support and interest in the

Franciscan Peace Connection

throughout the past three years!

A SOLIDARITY WALK WITH POPE FRANCIS The St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Luke Catholic Church are co-sponsoring the Annual National Friends of the Poor Walk/Run Saturday, September 26, 9 a.m.-noon, on the parish grounds of Santa Sophia Catholic Church, 9800 San Juan St., in Spring Valley, California. Everyone is invited to join them for a "Walk with Pope Francis in Solidarity with the Poor." Register early at www.svdpusa.net/walk/1322 and get a free T-shirt and brunch after the walk. For more info contact Mike Wasyliw at mjwasyliw@gmail.com

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI: FACE TO FACE

Yes indeed! Saturday, October 3, 9 a.m. to 3:30, David and Sharon Hoover will be facilitating the next in a series of mini-retreats at the St. Joseph Retreat Center in Lakeside, California. The special guest for this Franciscan rendezvous will be none other than St. Francis of Assisi! Register now by calling 619-890-9846 and leave your name and phone number. Early registration fee, which includes food, handouts, and facilitator stipend on/before September 27 is $30. After September 27, the fee is $35.

HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST. FRANCIS Sunday, October 4

A Franciscan perspective . . .

Be motivated by love and wisdom,

not fear or ignorance.

Practice humility and patience;

tame pride and anger.

Trust that God,

not drones and guns,

will be your protector. St. Francis greets all who pass by the home of Sojourner Julie Fawley and Sister LaVern Olberding in San Diego, California.

July-September 2015, Edition 21

Some people believe in miracles; others pray for them to happen; still others get credit for working them. Chris and Julianne North do all three of these . . . plus, they also "build 'em." In 1999 this prophetic duo decided to build their

first home for others in Tijuana, Mexico. Since then, their nonprofit organization, Build A Miracle, has provided 223 families with brand new, insulated, and stuccoed homes.

Couple builds miracles one house at a time . . . The Norths' prophetic adventure started 29 years ago when the couple met while painting a dormitory for boys in an orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. Chris, a recent grad from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, and Julianne, a sophomore there, had gone down on a university-sponsored service weekend. The experience impacted each of them. Shortly thereafter, they met a man named Adolfo Noguez, director of an educational and athletic program, working with hundreds of impoverished children in northern Mexico. They worked on fundraisers and other projects with Adolfo. They started a Loyola Marymount University organization which, after almost 30 years, is still active and now known as De Colores. Once a month during the school year students still make the trip to Tijuana to help build homes and/or volunteer in other capacities as needed. When Julianne and Chris married in 1988, their primary focus below the border was working with Adolfo on orphanage-related projects in Tecate and Tijuana. In fact, they spent the first six months of their marriage living in one of the orphanages. Ten years later, they changed their focus. They wanted to reunite the families with whom they were working . . . and

that meant providing adequate housing. (Most children living in the orphanages were not orphans. Their parents put them there because it was better for their children than starving and being cold at home.) The Norths realized that if they wanted parents to raise their own children then they needed to provide homes where the parents could do that. The cost of each of these miracles varies from $10,000-$12,500 for the building materials, approximately $4,000 for wages (for the team of Mexican home builders hired by the organization) and another $3,000 for the furniture. Where does the money come from? That is always a big part of the miracle in progress. The organization depends totally on donations and 100 percent of all donations goes directly to the cause designated by the donor(s). Amazingly, approximately half of the homes have been financed by the parishioners of St. Gregory the Great parish in Scripps Ranch, California, where Chris and Julianne have been parishioners for 18 years. The Norths began with a humble aspiration and a quantum leap of faith: to build one house a year with financial and physical donations from family and friends. Once the word got

out, contributions from former classmates, fellow parishioners, and others willing to contribute their time, talent and treasure "were, and still are, overwhelming," according to this month's prophets. "St Gregory the Great parishioners need very little priming. Once a year we speak at each Mass on a weekend. We share the organization's vision, successes, and needs. From then on for another year there is a steady flow of contributions and 'the well has never run dry.'" Individuals, many churches, and various organizations in the San Diego area and beyond have heard about the Norths and their zeal to get families off the dirt and into homes where the parents and children have separate bedrooms and everyone experiences warm showers. St. Martin of Tours parish in La Mesa is one of the most recent "sign-ons." Interested individuals went down a few weeks ago for a first visit. They met with families waiting for homes and chose the one they wanted to sponsor. According to the local project coordinator, Jerry Crouch, "The parish has already received $9,000 in donations and pledges . . . in less than a month's time." Julianne, Chris, and their four children cross the border several weekends a month.

Julianne and Chris NorthJulianne and Chris North

"Before you came to our community, it was a godforsaken, forgotten corner of the world where nobody trusted each other and people were cold, sick, and the children had little in the way of role models and hope for a better future. Today, this very same community is a beacon of light that proves anything is possible.” - New home beneficiary

They encourage new people to "Come along! Get to know us and begin building some life-altering relationships." The families receiving these 400- to 500-square-foot, two- to three-bedroom, one-bath homes are overwhelmed with a sense of awe, wonder, and gratitude. At first they question why strangers choose to do such loving and caring acts for strangers. As the two groups work together onsite on weekends those questions fade and lasting friendships begin to form. This symbiosis has expectations for each

Julianne and Chris North pictured with Adolfo Noguez

participant: sponsoring donors commit to raise the necessary funds by a pre-determined deadline and show up to help when they can on construction weekends. Recipient families must own their own land and willingly commit to 500 hours of community service and continued enrollment of their children in school. Building bridges across an international border and new homes below that border are not the only miracles gaining momentum. It didn't take Chris and Julianne long to realize that a subdivision of new houses was only the first rung of their Build A Miracle ladder. Community building, education, and shared responsibilities among neighbors were equally important components for transforming a culture of poverty into one of abundance. The first item they added to their wish list was a community center, and then a committee of local individuals to screen families for home eligibility, and next came tutors, teachers, texts books, computers, life skills

. . . and the community multiplies them

Build A Miracle is a non-profit, service organization which: Helps Mexican families focus on bettering themselves.

Gives American families opportunities to be mindful.

Gives (back to) parents their right to parent.

Gives families appropriate shelter and privacy.

Gives individuals their right to an education.

Provides a community with a sense of pride/ownership.

Maintains an accredited Adult Education Program.

Offers volunteers hands-on/relationship-based experiences.

Uses 100% of its donations for the purposes designated.

Excels at manifesting our basic human trait: collaboration.

Ryan Age 21

Katie Age 20

Kerryanne Age 16

Matthew Age 13

The four children of Julianne and Chris North pictured with new home beneficiaries

classes, scholarships for high-schoolers and college students, trade school/ small-business training classes, etc. This year the "International Build A Miracle Team" will complete a minimum of 25 new homes and simultaneously give assistance to 23 college students at $1,500 each, 60 high school students at $600 each, more than 40 adults working on elementary, middle, and high school credentials, plus all those who choose to better themselves by

taking trade and small business classes taught by American and Mexican team members, and even more! For additional information on this prophetic, faith-based, bi-lingual, difference-making-ministry-of ministries, as well as many vibrant love-in-action photos please spend time on their website: www.buildamiracle.net This truly is an outstanding, multi-faceted example of how Today's Prophets attract more and more prophets.

The family that will receive a home sponsored by

St. Martin of Tours parish in La Mesa, California

We rise by lifting others!