Valentine's Lunch

Dear friends,

The Ambassadors of Peace is trying to put together another interfaith and multicultural group to work Valentine's Day lunch at The Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. We decided to do the lunch the day before Feb. 14, so people could rest up on Sunday and be ready for the work-week. We expect to feed between 130 and 180 people. The number is higher this year given our current economic climate and that it will be on the weekend.
I'm happy to share that our last year's entertainers -- Jennifer Shawker and Larry Ward -- volunteered again. So will have songs! However, if there are any magicians or balloon animalers out there, please contact me!
The menu this year:
Braised French-inspired beef tips and mushrooms, served on a bed of caramelized onion rice, a medley of green beans and bell pepper, salad, soup, chocolate dipped strawberries and fruit cobblers.
As always, we would appreciate the donation of fruit cobblers. All you wonderful cooks out there, please take note!

Please contact me if you want to volunteer and let me know what area you’d be interested. Here’s the schedule:

The lunch on Saturday, Feb. 13th is from 11:00 to 2 p.m. at the soup kitchen at Wesley United Methodist Church, 301 W. 18th St. and Martin Luther King.
The chefs and their assistants will have to be there by 8 a.m.
Entertainers and servers by 10:45 a.m. (Maybe the servers can be there a bit earlier or later depending on schedules).
The clean up crew has to be there by 1:00 p.m. so we can be out of there by 2:30 p.m. hopefully.
This is just a tentative schedule. Please send in suggestions and ideas to help improve it and make the event a success. Please contact me to volunteer so I know what to expect and not panic!
Also, if you are unable to volunteer on Valentine’s Day there are other ways to help. Remember, we are looking for donations of boxed chocolates (the small boxes that cost about a $1). Chocolate makes Valentine’s Day so much more special. Monetary help with the grocery will also be appreciated.
And pass the word to family and friends who may be interested in volunteering and/or donating.
This is the fifth-year for the Valentine's Day Soup Kitchen Lunch and we couldn't make it happen without everyone pitching in. So thank you for your help in the past and thanks in advance for your help and prayers this year.

Blessings, Peace, & Love,
Rashda Khan
(325)656-2824
Rkhan@wcc.net
Be the change you want to see in the world --Gandhi

A Beautiful Community Forum

When Bishop Michael Pfeifer, O.M.I. opened last night’s community forum with St. Francis’ Peace Prayer, I knew we were in for a beautiful evening. Throughout the night, candidates and citizens shared open, respectful comments concerning their hopes and dreams for the City of San Angelo.

Of special interest to this group was Peace Ambassador Rashda Khan noting the real need for sidewalks, especially around neighborhoods and parks, and advocating support for a very democratic and highly-used institution, the Public Library. Samuel Green of the Peace Ambassador’s book club, the Faith Club, asked that dignity, courtesy, and unity be watchwords for all citizens. Peace Ambassador Ara Rahman received applause after encouraging City leaders to represent ALL citizens of all faiths, all colors, all shapes, and all sizes and thanked Bishop Mike for founding and supporting the Peace Ambassadors. She, too, agreed with Rashda and suggested a Mayor’s Book Club with emphasis on education. Peace Ambassador Ami Mizell-Flint was also present, stayed late to visit with candidates, and then posted a story for the Standard-Times.

Bishop Mike closed the evening by commenting that many citizens requested attention to City infrastructure, and that he, too, was concerned about infrastructure, but of a different sort. He encouraged development of “infrastructure of the heart” to build a better San Angelo understanding we are all children of one, loving God. Bishop Mike advocated for collaboration to make us a strong community, a polis of God – a City of God - with polis being the Greek root of words such as politics and political. He affirmed use of power for the common good, respect for different views and perspectives, and listening.

I found the Coolest site today, while looking for clip art for Peace Camp. It is called the International Kids' Club. It has all kinds of free peace-related crafts, games, clip-art, and more. And, it's free!

I'm thinking we can utilize this sitewhen planning Peace Week, and maybe incorporate it into the 11 Days of Peace, to get more kids involved... Can't wait to share it with you all at our next meeting!

Here's a link: http://www.ikidsclub.org/

Post a comment here to let me know what you think, and any ideas you have!

1st Annual Holiday Party

Now that we are meeting monthly, it was especially fitting for our December meeting to be a Holiday Party. We met at Scrapbook University's Alpha Kappa Scrappa Retreat House. It is always such a blessing when everyone in our group can attend one of our functions, and tonight we had almost everyone (Ara is still out of the country). Here are some pictures from what will hopefully become an annual event.

Ami and her son, Matthew, lit the Hanukkah Menorah.

As we were eating dinner, we listened as everyone shared different traditions of their faith.

Bishop Mike studying Scrapbook University's "Wall of Inspiration".

Peace Week

Sunday, October 7, 2007


In honor of the International Day of Peace, students at Trinity Lutheran School participated in a creative arts contest in which all entries conveyed a message of peace. Alicia Cornwell earned honorable mention with the following poem.

What Peace Means to Me

What peace means to me
is something that starts at home,
When we help out each other, where we are not alone.
What peace means to me
is also overseas
Where some are fighting, for peace between countries.
What peace means to me
Can be between you and me,
A conflict can be solved, by turning to peace.
What peace means to me
is understanding anyone,
and knowing what they really need,
is the three in one.
What peace means to me
is being able to see,
the love in the heart,
and love by you and me.
What peace means to me
is loving and caring,
it is something done,
by sharing.
What peace means to me
could be one simple word,
A word just as simple,
as love.
No matter what color, shape or size you are
everyone deserves and needs peace,
no matter who you are.
So overall peace is love,
when we have it,
we are as beautiful as a dove.

We were featured in the Standard Times!

Multifaith ceremony marks Day of Peace
AMI MIZELL-FLINT, Special to the Standard-TimesMonday, September 17, 2007

As summer settles into fall, the world becomes a little quieter — school schedules are under way, the days become cooler, and night falls earlier each day. The world seems to be begging for peace.
To mark progress toward peace and serve as a reminder of a commitment to peace, the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 set Sept. 21 as the International Day of Peace.
In keeping with the ideal of promoting peace in San Angelo among the three major Abrahamic religions — Christianity, Judaism, and Islam — Bishop Michael Pfeifer of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo brought together two people from each of these religions for a symposium in January 2006. The group has since stayed together and named themselves “Ambassadors for Peace.”
They meet monthly to exchange ideas, discuss community projects and listen to other speakers.
The group has served meals at Wesley United Methodist Church’s Soup Kitchen, prepared backpacks for the ISD Family Shelter, and held community prayers for peace. They speak several times throughout the year to various religious groups and to the public, promoting their ideas of peace.
Following are three of the members’ thoughts on peace.
Peaceful greetings
Rashda Khan is one of the Muslim members of the Ambassadors for Peace. She is also the busy mother of two children. Originally from Bangladesh, she has called San Angelo home for more than 10 years.
“Growing up Muslim, the importance of personal responsibility was drummed into me. My father often quoted from the Quran:
‘If anyone does a righteous deed it is to his/her own benefit;
‘If he/she does harm, it works against his/her soul.
‘In the end, you will all be brought back to your sustainer.’ (45:15)
“Being the daughter of a sailor, I got to see many strange and wonderful parts of the world — Egypt, Singapore, Italy, Africa — before leaving my childhood home of Bangladesh and arriving in America, another new and different world. When saying goodbye as I left for Houston, my father again quoted from the Quran:
‘O humankind! We created you all out of a male and a female,
‘And made into nations and tribes
‘That you may come to know each other.
‘Truly, the most highly regarded of you in the sight of God
‘Is the one who does most good!’ (49:13)
“What I like about America is how all the world’s people come together and call it home. In college, my friends came from Africa, Finland, Vietnam, Russia, the Phillipines, Mexico, India, France and more, and they were all Americans. They represented a rainbow of colors, beliefs and languages.
“As we studied together, we went to plays and concerts, had lunch, joked, shared dreams and comforted each other during times of need. I learned it didn’t matter what color our skins were, where we grew up, what name we used for God or how many different languages we spoke. What mattered is what we chose to say and how we chose to act with each other.
“You can say peace in many different ways: pax, shanti, salaam, shalom.
“The Quran recognizes the importance of peace:
‘When you are greeted with a greeting of peace,
‘Answer with an even better greeting, or at least with its like.’ (4:86)
“In the end, each of us can choose to greet another with the greeting of peace and help make this world a better place. God gave us that choice when he created us.”
Internal peace
Ozi Utah, an honorary Peace Ambassador, is a 21-year-old Christian college graduate. She came to the U.S. from Africa to pursue her education.
“I grew up in Africa, a continent that is often associated with war, strife and suffering. My childhood was as normal as it could be under the circumstances.
“My friends and I rejoiced when there were riots in the city because we didn’t have to go to school. Our excitement was similar to that of American children on a snow day.
“Even in the most violent and volatile times, I counted it a blessing to be living in Nigeria. The uprisings that took place in my city were nothing compared to the genocides and social atrocities I heard about on the news every day.
“Needless to say, I didn’t have the idyllic notions of peace that most children have. For me, peace has always been internal.
“As long as this world is in existence and man lives within it, there will be war. This is primarily because man, for the most part, is not at peace with himself. Sometimes, man’s internal unrest is caused by a need for freedom and justice. Other times, it is brought about by greed and lust for power.
“Whatever the reason for his discontent, man’s internal strife often develops into an external struggle. Unfortunately, unwilling parties are swept into the battle, caught in the middle of a fray they did not initiate.
“War begins in the heart of man, and so does peace. As we strive for a more peaceful existence, it is imperative that we remember that peace begins within us. When we are at peace with ourselves, we endeavor to create a peaceful environment that is consistent with the peace we already possess.
“More than anything, my faith in God gives me internal peace. In turn, I maintain peace in my immediate environment by reminding myself the world does not revolve around me and a petty need to win verbal battles.”
Open to others
The writer of this article is Ami Mizell-Flint, a Jewish member of San Angelo’s Ambassadors for Peace. She has three children, ages 11, 9 and 3. She grew up in New York and South Florida, but loves San Angelo and everything it offers her family.
“Needless to say, living in San Angelo is different from living in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., or Long Island, N.Y., where I spent my childhood and young adult years.
“Aside from the fact that I live farther from the beach than I have at any point in my life, people here have a different way of thinking. To be honest, my family was worried about me living in ‘the Bible Belt’ at first.
“They were afraid I’d have a hard time adjusting to the small Jewish community here, and that my children would be subjected to others questioning their beliefs.
“I hadn’t lived here long when I realized I love the small, older Jewish community, who treat my children as their own grandchildren. And, yes, my family’s beliefs are questioned, but the questions are more inquisitive than invasive.
“Many people I meet tell me they’ve never met a Jewish person before, or, if they have, they never had the opportunity to ask questions. Once people I talk to realize I am willing to share my ideas, but not argue about them, the conversation is always beneficial to both of us.
“Living in New York and South Florida, I noticed people of different religions mostly stay to themselves. Perhaps that is because there were so many people within each congregation; they had no reason to go outside their own faith. Because of this, the only religious discussions I had were with other Jewish people, who shared my same views.
“Here in San Angelo, I hold Sunday school for my children and as many as six (depending on the year) around my dining room table. My kids are still learning their beliefs, as many others their age are, but they know they are Jewish and are proud of that.
“As they get older, I have no doubt they will be in a religious discussion they may not have an answer to. I pray they will go to their religious reference books to get the answer for themselves — not to argue a point but to be assured they can be confident in what they believe.
“Being a member of Ambassadors for Peace has given me another resource. I have found friends of different faiths who I can ask to answer a question I have or to clarify a comment I hear.
“I sincerely enjoy living in the Bible Belt. Now, if we can just find an ocean nearby ...”
© 2006 The San Angelo Standard-Times

Peace Ambassadors on KLST

Rashda and Ami were interviewed by Kathy Munoz of KLST today, to talk about our group, and also to promote upcoming events. It should air tomorrow on the 6:00 news, during the Nosotros segment.

Dialog Radio Show

Once again, we were blessed to all come together (well, most of us, anyway) to talk with Le Kilgore on her weekly show, Dialog. It was wonderful to see everyone again. Unfortunately, Rashda and Debra were unable to join us. We hope to get together "in full" again soon!