People of the Heart Weavings
Transcription
People of the Heart Weavings
Volume 1 Issue 3 October/November 2008 People of the Heart Weavings Con~spiring with People of the Heart P O T H BO A RD Rev. Jayna Gieber- Spiritual Director and President Jon Gieber-Vice-president Linda Sant'Angelo-Treasurer Amanda Schueler-Secretary Dean Sizemore I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Ayni Calendar African Water Festival Movie Reviews Autumn, the season of going deep within is here. Conspire with us now, taking a fresh breath in and breathing out gratitude for leaves turning golden-red on beautiful Mother Earth. At People of the Heart we are deepening in beauty also through coming together for gatherings that manifest joy and meaning. Along those lines, Jon’s 50th Celebration was a blast! Boka Marimba played their hearts out as all ages danced wildly and raised funds to produce clean water for the Engeye village of Uganda. Amy Livingstone Tan Pinney in Bolivia Namaste’ Friends, 2 3 4-5 6 Please join us for another heartfelt gathering—Sunday, November 16th, POTH’s 1st Gratitude Open House, 2-5 pm! Come reconnect with old friends and be appreciated for your contributions to our sweet community and enjoy a sumptuous feast and spirit-filled music by Shama. Your presence will make it a warm and special time on the land. bearing in mind how our decisions impact the Greater Good, for we are all connected. To uplift our community spirit, we offer this heartening poem by Starhawk: We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been— a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to As we watch the world time. Community. Somewhere, around us changing—the there are people to whom we economy, the political arena, can speak with passion without and the environment—we having the words catch in our need each other to walk in hope and integrity. May we throats. Somewhere a circle of all feel supported in making hands will open to receive us, the wisest decisions we have eyes will light up as we enter, the blessed freedom to make, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free. 7 Don’t Miss Jayna’s Book 8 Exercise Your Right To Vote 9 Braided Way Blessings to all, Rev. Jayna and Jon Gieber Jon and Jayna , Stewards of the Land P e o p l e o f t h e H ea r t P a g e 2 Tan Pinney Provides Care In Bolivia By Scott Hewitt, Columbian Staff Writer. Sept 16, 2008 There are some winding roads and hairpin turns in the hills east of Hockinson. But that’s nothing compared to El Camino de la Muerte — “The Road of Death.” Tan Pinney, who lives in those Hockinson hills and works as an emergency physician with Kaiser Permanente in Portland, found himself bumping down that famously lethal mountainside lane in Bolivia and reminding himself that he’d come to this country to save lives — not so much to risk his own. The road is about 10 feet wide, a sheer wall on one side and a sheer cliff on the other. “At least 40 people die every year falling off it,” Pinney said. (Actually, according to one BBC news report, the number is between 200 and 300.) The harrowing bus trip was just the beginning of his journey into the heart of Bolivia — and poverty the likes of which he’d never seen. He went with a medical team sponsored by Project Helping Hands (www.project-helping-hands.com) — 35 Americans who joined with an equal number of Bolivian interpreters and assistants. They arrived in Bolivia on Aug. 23. Their first stop was the village of Guanay — population no more than 1,200, Pinney said. “We arrived in town and what we did was set up medical clinics. We had lots of donated medical supplies — antibiotics, fungal creams, IV bags, glasses — and we would sign people in and see them. If we found somebody who was extremely ill, needing more care than we could provide in that setting, we had a contingency fund to send people La Paz” — the biggest city in Bolivia and the site of the most sophisticated hospital care. What kinds of problems and illnesses were most frequent? “Lots of musculoskeletal injuries,” Pinney said. “Lots of intestinal worms that kids had. It’s all over the country. They don’t have good sanitation and kids are running around in dust and bare feet all the time. It’s difficult to control when you don’t have good infrastructure.” From there, he said, the group split into three teams that took primitive wooden boats down the Midiri River, a tributary of the Amazon. Each team stopped at a different village each day, treating hundreds of people, sleeping on church or school floors and packing up to float on to the next village in the morning. On Aug. 28, he said, his 35-foot boat hit some rapids and capsized. “All the gear floated away. Fortunately we were only waist high in the water. We had to bail it out, and as we were doing that, the motor caught on fire.” Pinney remembers thinking: “We’re waist deep in the middle of a Bolivian river, miles from nowhere. I signed up for an adventure, but I’m not sure I signed up for this.” Amazingly enough, the medical gear was rescued downriver by another medical boat, and somebody had the mechanical know-how needed to rebuild the engine. It worked. “We spent one night on the beach at the entrance to Midini National Park,” he said. “In the morning, there was a thunderstorm so we packed up and got back on board.” Dr. Tan Pinney examines a young patient in Bolivia. (Photo courtesy of Tan Pinney) From there it was a large town — population 15,000 — called Rurrenebaque. “We saw 1,200 patients in one day,” Pinney said. “They flocked to us.” He said he saw hospitals where the price list is posted: $1.25 for each suture, $5 for a medical test. “To see the poverty that these people live with every day was an incredible experience. What we have here, even indigent care, is significantly better.” Pinney, 59, said he’s been fortunate to have a successful career in emergency medicine and was glad to do something for others. He paid his own way to Bolivia but wanted to thank ambulance provider American Medical Response and a Battle Ground nonprofit spiritual group called People of the Heart for their donations of supplies and cash. “What little we could do, it was a drop in the bucket — but it was a great way to touch people. It was a great adventure.” V o l u m e 1 I s s u e 3 P a g e 3 Ayni: Sharing in the Labor for POTH and its Community "In South America, ayni is the single most important concept of the Andean way. It is translated as reciprocity and means the interchange of lovingkindness, knowledge, and the fruits of one's labor between individuals, between humans and the environment, and between humans and nature spirits. Reciprocity implies that one's labor is shared. I will help you today, and tomorrow you might help me. The purpose of reciprocity is the maintenance of life." -The Andean Codex When we attend an event, a meditation, a celebration, or a workshop at POTH we feel a reciprocity (ayni) with each other, the land and with spirit. Now we invite you to share in the reciprocity of labor among us all. Maintaining a home and garden can be overwhelming to keep up with physically as well as financially. In the spirit of the Andean Spiritual tradition, we would like to propose a communal system of "sharing in the labor for all." In other words, when we spend a few hours at POTH (tending the land, the Laurel Lodge, and/or the sweat lodge) to maintain that sacred land, we know that we can ask and receive sup- port in-kind from the community. Like a barter system, members of the community would donate time in their area of expertise or comfort-from weeding or painting to woodworking or plumbing. In this way, we share our gifts with each other and save time and money! All in the spirit of love and kindness and a desire to build a stronger community. From Amy Livingstone, POTH community member I was inspired to suggest this system in our last board meeting for two reasons. The first comes out of my pilgrimage to Peru in 2006 where I spent time studying the Andean spiritual tradition with an indigenous community and their Q'ero shaman. Ayni is central to their way of life and these teachings continue to inform my life and work. The second reason comes from my experience with a small group of women friends (4 of us) who that gather each month to do home and garden projects. We rotate homes each month and meet on a Monday morning from 9am-12pm, rain or shine. In the warmer months we do gardening projects--anything from clearing land, trimming, weeding, planting, or cleaning Amy Livingstone, Sacred Shamanic artist and POTH Board Member gutters to much larger projects like redoing a walkway. Last month, we cleared a path, mixed the cement and laid in flagstone with river rock! It is so beautiful. In the winter, projects come indoors and we paint, tile, or clean. It is amazing what the four of us can accomplish in three hours all the while sharing what is happening in our lives and having fun, too. Not only have we strengthened our bond of community but we save time and money on these projects while freeing up time for our other passions in life. It enriches my life so profoundly and feel that all of us in the POTH community could benefit from this type of support. If you are interesting in signing up to share in this community support, please contact POTH at Heartpeople@aol.com or 360.666.4942. P e o p l e o f t h e H ea r t P a g e October 2008 S chedu le o f Even t s • Sun Mon Tue Wed 1 Thu 2 Fri 3 Sat 4 Sangha & Nature Kids 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Sister’s of the Heart 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 Couples Unite Jayna speaks “Gifts From the Heart” Sister’s of the Heart Autumn Day of Mindfulness Blessing of the Animals 25 4 • • • • • • October 4th—Braided Way Sangha and Nature Kids at Heart 4:30-6:30 p.m. October 8th—Sisters of the Heart Prayer Circle (Closed, prayer requests welcome) October 18th—Blessing of the Animals 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. October 19th—Couples Unite, (closed, next offering Winter 2009) October 22—Sisters of the Heart Prayer Circle (Closed, prayer requests welcome) October 24th—Autumn Day of Mindfulness, 9:30 a.m.— 3:00 p.m. October 26th—Jayna speaks on “Gifts from the Heart” 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m. at Abundant Life Center in August Moon Dear Friends of People of the Heart, Here is our Autumn list of community offerings and additional upcoming notices for you to save the dates if you wish. We hope they speak to your desire for connection and that we get to share some of these gatherings with you and your families. Please note that we require RSVP's for most gatherings to determine if the event will be held. October Calendar of Gatherings: (All offerings at Crooked Kitty Ranch in Battle Ground, Washington unless otherwise noted. RSVP's requested 10 days in advance of event to Heartpeople@aol.com or 360.666.4942) For gatherings that include potlucks, please bring: *Your own plate, utensils, cup, bowl and napkin in your own bag to keep at home (a recyclable one works great and can be reused). We are making the concerted effort to use fewer resources. (Paper products & dishwasher's hands) *Please visit our Yahoo site to carpool with community friends: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heartpeople/ C a l e n d a r October 4th: 1st Saturday Braided Way Sangha A Mindfulness Meditation Circle, 4:306:30 pm, simultaneous with Nature Kids at Heart children's program, followed by vegetarian potluck. RSVP required for kid's attendance. (Children under 6 may attend if accompanied by a parent) Self select contributions of $10-$25 appreciated, not required. October 8th: Sisters of the Heart Prayer Circle, closed. Prayer requests welcome. October 18th, Blessing of the Animals, between 10 am-2 pm, ALC at August Moon parking lot, 111 W 39th Street, Suite C, Vancouver, WA 98660, 360-695-0211 Bring your beloved animal(s) for special blessings by Reverends Barbara Valencia and Jayna Gieber and to be listened to by animal whisperers Mark and Sandy. Bring a picture or something from a loved pet and place it on our Memorial table. Love donation appreciated and not required. No RSVP required for this. October 19th: Couples Unite, filled. Next offering, Winter, 2009 October 22nd: Sisters of the Heart Prayer Circle, closed. October 24th: Autumn Day of Mindfulness: 9:30 am-3 pm. Meditation, movement, chanting, journaling, and personal reflection time in the country. 7 RSVP's required by 10/14 to make this a go. Contributions of $10-$25 welcome and not required. October 26th: Rev. Jayna speaks on “Gifts from the Heart.” 10-11:30 am, Abundant Life Center in August Moon, 111 W 39th Street, Suite C (right off I-5) Vancouver. No RSVP needed. P e o p l e o f t h e H ea r t P a g e November 2008 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Hallows Eve/ Samhain/ WOY Gathering 2 9 Day of Silence & Yoga 3 10 4 11 5 12 6 13 7 14 8 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 POTH Gratitude Open House Jayna Speaks “Inter-being: True Nature of Oneness S chedu le o f Even t s • November 1st—Hallows Eve/ Samhain/Wheel of the Year Gathering 6:45-9:00 p.mish. • November 9th—Day of Silence and Yoga, 8:30 a.m.— 2:30 p.m. • November 16th—1st People of the Heart Gratitude Open House! 2:00—5:00 p.m. • November 23rd—Jayna Speaks on “Inter-being: True Nature of Oneness” 10:00— 11:30 a.m. • December 16th—Save this Date Jayna’s Book Celebration Party 15 16 5 30 U p c o m i n g Sat. November 1, Hallows Eve/Samhain/ Wheel of the Year Gathering, 6:45-9 ish pm. Honoring ancestors of all kinds we will weave a Days of the Dead theme into a joyful remembrance of those who've passed on. Come dressed as the ancestor who wants to attend with you (May be human, animal or another species) and bring their favorite food for the feast. Bring a photo for the ancestor altar. Families welcome. Donations $10-$25 to POTH appreciated and not required. RSVP required. Sunday, November 9th, Day of Silence and Yoga, 8:30 am-2: 30 pm with yoga instructor, Sarah Robinette, $100. Meditation, yoga, and light breakfast. Register now by sending your E v e n t s name, contact info. and a check to POTH at 24205 NE Alvas RD., Battle Ground, WA. 98604, or by credit card through Paypal at (www.peopleoftheheart.com) RSVP required. Sunday, November 16th: 1st People of the Heart Gratitude Open House! 2-5 pm. Save the date. Come be appreciated for your contributions to our beloved POTH community. (There will be a door prize!) Hear from our Board of Directors what POTH is about-our vision and accomplishments-where funds go and so on... Enjoy a sumptuous gratitude feast and spirit-filled music by Shama. (Her CD's will be for sale) RSVP's required by 11/1 for feast planning. Sunday, November 23rd: Rev. Jayna speaks on “Inter-being: True Nature of Oneness.”10-11:30 am, Abundant Life Center in August Moon, 111 W 39th Street, Suite C (right off I-5) Vancouver. No RSVP needed Save the Date! Sunday, Dec. 14th. Jayna's Book Celebration Party. Finally! Whew. More details soon. V o l u m e 1 I s s u e 3 A f r i c a n P a g e Wa t e r Dearest Friends and Family, The African Water Festival was an awesome success! The outpouring of support, generosity and joy was truly beautiful to behold. I am such a lucky man to be part of this incredible loving community. My heart is full with memories of the dancing, laughter, music and love. Particularly moving for me was when the community walked with me to deliver the last gallon of water. I was overcome with emotion; the sense of connection and support was a wave that passed through my core. To turn 50 in such a manner was one of the greatest events of my life. Thank all of you; I am such a rich man to have you in my life. While there are simply too many people to thank you in this letter individually, please know that your standing in support for this project F e s t i va l means the world to me. Your action gives me greater hope for the world. Due to all of the supporters and donors for the water carry, the donors for the auction, the participants in the raffle and the auction we raised over $3,000!!! You Rock! I am currently creating the Ugandan Flute Company. This company will create Native American Style flutes made out of bamboo. 100% of the proceeds from this company will go directly to Engeye. I am looking for someone that is interested in making the flutes. I will sell them and donate time to teach people to use them. Jon Gieber is thankful for the many friends that supported his endeavor to aide Engeye children during his 50th birthday celebration. Love, Jon There is calmness to life lived in gratitude and quiet joy. Ralph H Blum F e e l G o o d CD’s/DVD’s/Jewel Cases Are you trying to keep your life simple by not adding any new items to the family collection of CD’s and DVD’s and yard sales just aren’t your style. Try swapping with another music or movie lover at www.zunafish.com. If you own CD’s and DVD’s that are too damaged to swap, but don’t want them to end up in a land fill sent it along with the jewel case to www.greendisk.com for recycling. R e c y c l i n g Juice Boxes/Bags Your child’s juice box or juice bag can not be recycled due to the combination of plastic polymer and aluminum. Terra Cycle will donate money, 2 cents, for each Honest Kids, Capri Sun, and KoolAid Drink pouch and 1 cent for any other brand to your favorite charity. TerraCycle used all of the juice boxes that you send in to manufacture purses, totes, and pencil cases that you find being sold by Target and Walgreens stores. To learn more go to www.terracycle.net/brigades. (www.stjudesranch.org) has a program for the kids to provide a second life for your holiday cards. Kids cut off the front covers, glue them onto a new card and sell the result as a brand new card with proceeds helping to support the program. Gadgets Have an old PDA, MP3, Portable CD Player? Money earned from the sell of parts from your outdated devices is given back to a worthy cause or charity. Crayons What to do with the box of 64 million half Recycleforbreastcancer.org is an examused crayons? Send them to the National Holiday Cards ple of a worthy cause that will send you Crayon Recycle Program with their wrap- The holidays are right around the corner. prepaid shipping labels, recycle your pers still intact (blue, black, and purple all Do you still have last years cards laying gadget, then donate the cash to breast at the bottom of a cardboard box? Will look the same in the crayon world) to cancer research and awareness chariyou feel guilty if you throw them into www.crazycrayons.com LuAnn Foty ties. your blue recycling bin? St. Jude’s a.k.a. the Crazy Crayon Lady will melt Ranch for Children them down to make new crayons. 6 V o l u m e 1 I s s u e 3 P a g e 7 POTH Movie Reviews By E’lan Geiger Buendia "What Dreams May Come" - Worth a second take (on DVD) I watched this film, in my early-20’s, in the theater. I found the story-line interesting with beautiful scenery, though it was just another movie to me. I’m now in my mid-30's with a 'few' more life experiences under my belt and am a Consciousness Explorer with an interest in the Spirit Realm. So, when I recently learned that a cofounder of the Spiritual Cinema Circle was a producer of "What Dreams May Come", I thought there was probably something more to the film. My husband, Danilo, and I bought the DVD and are happy we did! The film is deeply interesting, at times very sad, and amazingly beautiful. We enjoyed the concepts and quotes. With Danilo as a Special Effects artist we are always interested in watching the ‘behind the scenes’ - we learned that the imagery in the film was completed by a means not formerly attempted and really not attempted since (even maybe impossible to replicate), could it be then that this film was meant to be? Was it meant to be made to get out into the Hollywood masses and into people's Consciousness... "Ghost Town" - A fun Hollywood film of the Afterlife (in theaters 9/08) We recently watched this movie at the theater. I was pleased that there was a good attendance, as it allowed a mass audience a look at the spirit realm. The film delves into how the Afterlife affects the living and how the living affect each other and why spirits ‘hang around’. Though it is a very light-hearted film and does not purposefully step into Consciousness. However, what I noticed was how ‘believing’ created a new, wonderful life and viewpoint for the characters. It’s a sweet film that, dare I say, misted up my husband’s eyes. "Henry Poole is Here" – A look at how miracles present themselves (on DVD 11/08) I’d been curious about this film because of the actors and story-line. Then I read an article by the director, he’d suddenly lost his wife and was raising his 2yr old daughter, he eventually remembered reading this script and felt it was just the film he needed to make. The film looks at a young man’s reaction to news of his terminal illness, coupled with a miracle ‘image’ of Jesus on the sidewall of his house by his snoopy neighbor. Does he believe in this miracle? Does he eventually feel the image will save him? How does it impact him and the neighbors he begins to interact with? The film is not a strict religious film, but more of an opportunity to see that miracles can happen in diverse ways for different people and for vast reasons. On a side note, the day we went to see this movie, we crossed paths with Deepak Chopra while shopping at Whole Foods. That encounter made us eager that this movie was going to make us ‘think’ and ‘feel’, we were not disappointed… Jayna’s Labor of Love Don’t forget to mark your calendar for December 14th to join Jayna in celebration of the upcoming release of her first book, Snatched From the Fire. The following is an overview from the back cover of her latest labor of love. E’lan Geiger Buendia and Danilo Buendia Jayna Gieber, Warm Nest Woman, weaves a stirring account of triumph over suffering to achieve healing of body, mind, and spirit. In a lifetime, one might brush with death once, but Jayna makes her way not only through drug-addiction and alcoholism but also breast cancer. She realizes that to truly free herself from the past she must also heal the pain of her religiously oppressive upbringing and shunning by the Jehovah’s Witness religion. Jayna takes on us on a journey of the heart, revealing her deep love for her daughters, her husband, her ancestors, and Great Spirit. This passionate book offers hope to the hopeless, courage to the frightened, strength to the disempowered, and freedom to the spiritual seeker! P e o p l e o f All t h e H ea r t P a g e Hallows 8 Eve Gathering Saturday, November 1, 6:45-9 ish pm in the Laurel Lodge Created and led by Jayna Gieber, Ingrid Dankmeyer, Nan Niiranen and the Wheel of the Year Council Bring their favorite food for the feast. Bring a photo for the ancestor altar. All are invited to celebrate the ancestors—those who wore skin, fur, bark, scales, or feathers—in this Days of the Dead joyful remembrance of those who've passed on. Bring your own plate, utensil, and cup. Tax-deductible contributions of $10$25 to support People of the Heart's WOY nature based gatherings are deeply appreciated and not required RSVP's are needed now for planAdults and children both are welcome to ning purposes. attend this circle. Limited to 30 guests. Come dressed as the ancestor who wants To RSVP reply to Heartpeople@aol.com or call 360.666.4942 to attend with you! (May be human, animal or another species) Directions will be sent out when we receive your RSVP. Registration Form Event Qty. Price Subtotal Celebrate your ancestors with POTH at our All Hallows Eve/Samhain gathering. Method of Payment Check PayPal Name Address Phone E-mail To Register for POTH Events Poth has numerous ways to register for many of it’s upcoming events. E-mail: heartpeople@aol.com Phone: 360-666-4942 Mail: send attached registration form to People of the Heart 24205 NE Alvas Rd Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-666-4942 Email Heartpeople@aol.com Credit Cards: Paypal on website: Www.peopleoftheheart.com WE’RE ON THE WEB People of the Heart: A Braided Way www.peopleoftheheart.com We are an inclusive community and non-profit organization dedicated to peace. POTH We honor oneness and diversity in each other, nature, and planet earth. We gather together in community to play, pray, 24205 NE Alvas Rd Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-666-4942 E-mail: heartpeople@aol.com work, teach, and learn. We help one another to peacefully love and serve our world. Rev. Jayna and Jon Gieber, Stewards of the Land 24205 NE Alvas RD., Battle Ground, WA. Volunteer Help Always Appreciated! E x e r c i s e (360) 666-4942 y o u r R i g h t t o V o t e By Cody Sizemore, POTH youth What I would like those of you that can vote to do for me is to vote with your I am 17 & 1/2 years old, on the edge of head and hearts. I can’t tell you who to being able to exercise my right to vote; vote for, but I would like you to make however due to a six month technicality, an informed decision for me and your denied. Can you believe the government children. I don’t want you to vote berecognizes that I am old enough to drive a cause you would like to see more great car, work, enlist in the military and possi- Saturday night comedy or because you bly die for my country, even get married are looking at the color of the candiand have children, but can not exercise dates skin or because your family has the privilege of voting until six months traditionally voted for a particular after it really matters to me. I am an unparty. I want you to vote for what really derage United States citizen that still de- matters to not only me, but you, your pends on adults, even if they were only family, and the rest of the United born six months before me to vote on my States. future as an adult. Imagine my frustration in knowing there are people out there that Vote on the candidate that best reflects can legally vote and due to whatever rea- your view on the issues. Which candison, will choose to go without exercising date will uphold your feelings regarding a right that I can only envy at this point in women’s issues, economic issues, edumy life. cation, and environmental issues? You hold the future of America in the palm of your hand on November 4. This can possibly be considered the most critical election ever. If you cannot make it to the polls, pick up your pencil and vote by mail. There is absolutely no reason to not take five minutes out of your busy life to make a decision affecting the rest of your life and mine. Vote for me, I envy your constitutional right to vote.