Like Yellow Confetti

I am amazed at how the fall colors are lingering, and the locals comment on the mild temperatures and drawn-out autumn we are having. All this vibrant beauty is such a contrast to the awful news from far away, where more and more regions throughout the world are overwhelmed with new natural disasters. On my way down the hill to worship at the local Congregational Church (UCC) this morning, I was listening to the NPR program "Speaking of Faith" with host Krista Tippett interviewing Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen about the powerlessness we feel in face of an increasingly hurting world. "Heal the world that touches you," Remen said. I've found myself pondering this all day.....what of the world, that I touch right now, needs healing? During announcements at church, a member stood to talk about their congregation's mission partners down in Chiapas, Mexico, where they have been helping financially empower women with literacy groups and a craft co-op. Hurricane Stan (of which we have heard little up here) has heavily impacted both southern Chiapas and Guatemala, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced in the flooding. Chris and I have talked of visiting this region in our winter/spring travels, and are glad for Grand Marais contacts who can help us plan. I'm already grateful that this small, remote, UCC congregation is already helping me see and "touch" new parts of the world.

-Anne