STAN'S BLOGS

DAY 1 of "A Journey with the Brethren" I arrived safely here in New Windsor, Maryland on Sunday evening after a 6 1/6 hour flight and a 50 mile drive from Baltimore Washington International Airport. All is going very well, but there is so much happening each day—with scheduled classroom sessions from 8:30a 'til 9:30p, fun field trips to places miles away, impromptu political and cultural chats with my new friends and lots of just plain goofing around —that I haven't been able to get anything (email or Blog updates) out until now. Saturday night, July 29, as I was standing on the sidewalk outside my house waiting for the Super Shuttle to take me to the airport, the neighbor kids across the street were still saying their goodbyes to me. I received many "repeat farewells" like those the kids were giving me from friends and relatives three or four time before I finally left the City of Sacramento, CA at 10:45p. Huston International is an enormous airpor

[I had some reservations, so I began to work on them] I may not have the same beliefs as you... nor may I be seeking the same objective, but after learning more about you, I believe we might share some of the same values : "Advocating Justice, Working for Peace, Serving Basic Human Needs, Maintaining the Integrity of Creation. "Sharing and examining personal beliefs and values with the intent of growing in understanding of self, others and God. "Learning ways to live simply and responsibly with the world’s limited resources. "Becoming more aware of people and situations throughout the world, including responsibilities of membership in the global family. "Exploring ways to enable personal and societal change that embody mutuality and nonviolence."  Adapted from Goals of Brethren Volunteer Service   And... respecting each other.   I'll be going into this new experience looking for more than just a volunteer position, I'll want to become part of B

After a year and a half of application processing to secure a volunteer position, first with the Peace Corps and now with BVS (Brethren Volunteer Service), I have finally been accepted and will begin serving a two year commitment overseas OR in the states, 'til a position overseas opens up. I was initially scheduled to serve in the Pacific Region with the Peace Corps last year, having met all the qualifications and given a departure date. Then, one month before I was to leave, the Corps' Medical Staff deferred me —see my post Peace Corps-ee escapes East Timor —due to a herniated disc. The Medical Staff gave me a good recommendation and a list of referrals to similar organizations that might be less medically strict. BVS was my first choice, comparable to the Peace Corps and willing to work with me concerning the above health issue. They are a privately funded, faith based, non-profit that welcomes anyone to serve with them, regardless of beliefs. It's kind of a clearing

[Days later I realized that I forgot all about any money I had made and found it lying under some papers in, of course, the garage] Yes, today was the day I hosted that inevitable "garage sale" that we all must endure when preparing to move out of our over stuffed homes, setting our sails towards the next adventure. I hate the garage sale, the sitting outside in my driveway for hours, the bartering with strangers over my personal property to eke out a tiny recompense for stuff I probably never should have purchased and hardly ever used. But attempting to make something fruitful out of this seemingly time wasted, as I try to do with most things in my life, I set out to do the task right . I got up early and started creating the signage that would convert unaware Saturday divers into potential customers: one for the corner of the main thoroughfare near my house sporting an arrow pointing my way, another one at the next corner again pointing the way and finally, using a full she

On July 30 I'll be leaving behind my happy home in Sacramento, CA to live on the other side of the country in the small, conservative town of New Windsor, MD. I'll be on a self-imposed mission, a human rights assignment, an adventure of a lifetime , doing something I've not done before, with people I don't know, in a town I've never heard of and only recently seen on a map. I'll be reporting on my "Journey with the Brethren" from this Blog to give insight into the organization where I'll be a volunteer for the next two years. So to start my sojourn, I thought it would fun and maybe even educational to profile the two locations—they appear to be very diverse. My destination... New Windsor is a town located in Carroll County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,303... 491 households, and 369 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 95.24% White, 3.84% African American, 0.08% Native Amer