Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Millie Phillips, Cathy Read

Music by: Alan Bell, John Ray, the UUsual Suspects, Tessa McClary

Share the ENTIRE Basket: International Rescue Committee*

Nature Herself is our greatest teacher. As the cycle of the year moves toward darkest night and shortest day, we consider the lessons, challenges and comforts that Mother Earth offers us in the eternal changing of the seasons.

 *Our fellow members Shirley White, Linda Harlow and Pam Tennant have recently become closely involved with an organization that helps settle refugees from war-torn areas in the Middle East. Through the Oakland branch of the International Rescue Committee, a highly regarded NGO, they have become particularly well acquainted with an Afghani family that was forced to flee their homeland for their lives. The father, who speaks English, served as a translator for the U.S. Army during our military engagement there. Our government has been shamefully negligent in supporting and resettling such dutiful servants of our country, in spite of what has amounted to a death sentence by the Taliban and other extremists since the U.S. withdrawal.
What do I mean by shamefully negligent? Among many other challenges, this family was responsible for the cost of their own airfare in order to get to the United States.
Since that ain’t right, on Sunday we’re going to give the ENTIRE collection to the IRC towards reimbursing the cost of those flights.
 I hope you will be generous.
 Fondly,
Rev. Chris
Want to learn more?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/relocated-afghan-translators-u-s-life-offers-new-struggles/
http://www.cnn.com/videos/international/2014/11/05/exp-no-one-left-behind.cnn
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/499/transcript