Peace Corps: Life is calling. How far will you go? February 4, 2018

Heather Higgins, longtime BUF member, will share some of her recent 26 months’ experiences and photos as a Peace Corps Volunteer Primary Literacy Specialist in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the West Indies. The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated change makers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle their most pressing challenges. 

Heather will tell of her experiences while being integrated as the “White Lady” in a rural village of 900 people with nine fundamental, conservative Christian churches. She will highlight the joys, the challenges, the warmth and love of the community and the daily learning doing the “toughest job you will ever love!”

Finding Answers to the Question on Death, January 28, 2018

Apologies for the late posting . . .

Jennifer Smith, BUF's Director of Lifelong Learning, will lead us in conversation about how we can approach our own death and those of our loved ones. How can we create ritual to honor our loved ones in the comfort of our own home and in a way that reflects who they were in life? How can we turn the tide of commerce and reclaim a mystery that has alluded us for centuries and helped people heal through their grieving? How can we help other families to be empowered during one of the most incredible and spiritual rites of passage? We celebrate the growing number of people interested in finding relevant and fulfilling ways to answer these queries.    

Sunday Forum: Whatcom County Domestic Violence Commission, January 21, 2018

Melissa Lacki, a representative of Bellingham/Whatcom County Commission against Domestic Violence—will speak about the history and makeup of the Commission, including projects being currently undertaken.  In particular, Lacki will speak about Toolkit for Faith Communities, which was developed when it became clear that most abuse victims, family members and perpetrators seek help from clergy and religious leaders than all other professional providers combined.  Be sure to attend this interesting, educational discussion in the Conference room from 9:15-10:15am 

Sunday Forum, Restorative CommUnity Coalition, January 14, 2018

Irene Morgan is the Founder of the Restorative Community Coalition (formerly Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition) that supports prisoners and homeless who are striving to return to work. She will discuss the Coalition’s successes, including their recent role in defeating the jail sales tax, and their vision and strategy for the future, as well as current difficulties and needs.

The Road to Magyarszovát, January 7, 2018

Join four members of the BUF touring choir and friends as they detail adventures of their June 2017 pilgrimage to the BUF partner church in Magyarszovát, Transylvania, through photos, story, music, and other souvenirs. 

The region of Transylvania is known for the scenery of its Carpathian landscape and its rich and abundant history and multicultural convergence of Romanians, Hungarians, Saxons and Roma. It is a region rich in myth and misty medieval sites. Romania's greatest and best-preserved castles, fortresses, and fortified churches are to be found here. Modern-day Transylvania is home to some of the most developed cities in Romania, but also villages where people still live as they did a hundred years ago. There are many small villages still centered around their community churches, still depending upon the bounty of their livestock and land for their survival.

BUF Sunday Forum: End Child Abuse with Brigid Collins, December 17, 2017

Andrea Harrison of Brigid Collins Family Care and Support Center will update us on the work of Brigid Collins, which has served Whatcom County for 27 years. Each year, we help more than 3,000 families in our Whatcom community who are at-risk or have been victims of child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. Our Stewards of Children program is an evidence-based prevention education program that has armed more than 6,000 residents of Whatcom County with the skills to prevent child sexual abuse and how to spot and respond to child abuse when it does occur. Our goal is to educate 10,000 Whatcom County residents by 2020, and in this Forum we will share how we plan to do this. Andrea Harrison, MSW, is the Development & Outreach Manager/Stewards of Children Facilitator at Brigid Collins.

Bringing Hope to Nepal: One Woman, One Child at a Time, December 10, 2017

Nicole Strachan, a Seattle volunteer with the Friends of the Women’s Protection Center Nepal, will speak on the tragic stories behind the creation of the Center. “If a person has had to experience human trafficking, they have known a life worse than death itself. Sometimes they try to escape. When they do, they are punished, and this can be unimaginable to anyone with a conscience.”  Women’s Protection Center (WPC Nepal) supports various awareness programs in the rural villages with the partnership of the local community to raise awareness and prevent girl trafficking.