Newsletter
Hello
Friendship Force Dallas Membership,
It’s spring and what a wonderful time of the year to be in Dallas with
all the lovely Texas wildflowers. It’s also the start of the travel
season.
As a club we have a great deal of travel going on. We have a very
interesting outbound journey to Dayton, Ohio, May 18 -25th. There may
still be spaces available. If interested contact Barbara Taylor at
[email protected] . We will be hosting an inbound journey, also from
Dayton, in the fall. Friendship Force International World Conference
will be October 2nd – 5th in Dubrovnik, Croatia. We already have eight
members who are going to this beautiful part of the world and there’ll
be more to follow in this newsletter on all of the above.
At our last Friendship Force Dallas meeting, we suggested and worked on
each of us having our own elevator speech about Friendship Force. I am
asking that each member take on the challenge of being able to speak
about our club and purpose in a two-minute speech or less. With this in
mind, I went to Friendship Force International’s website at
https://friendshipforce.org to get some ideas. This was what I
found on their home page.
“For us, travel is about more than taking a vacation. With over 300
clubs and thousands of members worldwide, Friendship Force International
connects people with its mission to promote global understanding across
the barriers that separate people. Through home-hosting and meaningful
travel experiences, participants learn about other cultures, develop a
better understanding of our world, and discover our shared humanity.”
I thought this might give you a few ideas to form your own Friendship
Force elevate speech. Let’s have some fun with this. The next time you
meet a FFD member, ask them for their elevator speech. It would be a
good idea for you to have your own speech ready in return.
I look forward to seeing you at FFD meeting, journeys and conferences.
Don’t be surprised if I ask you for your elevator speech.
Sandy Kaiser
- President
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FF Dallas is springing back after the slow down during Covid. Paula
Rose has arranged some great programs, while Julia Cooper is working
on inbound and outbound journeys for this year and 2024. The World
Conference will be held in October in the beautiful city of
Dubrovnik, Croatia. And more and more journeys are available on the
my.FriendshipForce.org members’ website.
There is a lot going on and your board of directors are planning and
working on tasks to help improve our club. However, we cannot do it
by ourselves. We need members to assist in achieving our mission &
goals. There are several opportunities listed below - most of them
require very little training. The time commitment can range from as
little as an hour every few months to an hour every month. If you
live outside the Dallas metro area, you can do some from your home.
The more you get involved, the more you will learn about and benefit
from Friendship Force. Please contact either edward perez, our
membership chair,
[email protected], Sandy
Kaiser,
[email protected], or any of our board members. All
contact information can be found in your membership directory.
Working together, we can make the world a more peaceful place
through friendships
,
Sandy Kaiser,
President
edward perez, Vice-President Membership
* Welcoming teams
1. We are looking for a few members to attend our meetings and check
in members and guests, as well as a few members to greet and visit
with guests before & after meetings. Depending on how many members
are on this team, your time commitment could be once every few
months or a few times per year.
2. We are looking for a few members to phone new members soon after
they join. Depending on how many members are on this team and how
many new members join each month, it could be once a month or every
few months and just a few new members to contact.
We will provide training and information for these roles.
* Event Publicity team
1. We are looking for a few members to send/post club meeting
information to several local community newspapers and websites. You
would use email and/or a web browser (Chrome, Edge, or similar).
Time commitment would be 30 mins to 1 hour per media outlet per
month.
We will provide training and information for this role. We have four
possible media/web outlets identified. Look in the Apr 30 Dallas
Morning News Metro section, "Timeless in Texas" Calendar for our
event posting!
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2023 World Conference: Registration is Live!
October 2 - 5, 2023 | Dubrovnik, Croatia
Sheraton Riviera Dubrovnik
Online
registration is now available for our 2023 World Conference, which
will take place from October 2-5, 2023 in beautiful Dubrovnik, in
southern Croatia. Copy and paste the link below into your browser to
learn more and sign up. We hope to see you there!
https://whova.com/web/MHGa2lx4%40KKr8tao3GHiEYkN9ULEng1s7l1FzS-VUaI%3D/
* Plans are underway, including pre- and post-conference tours in the
region
* Registration is now open!
Some of our Club members are planning to attend; others are still
thinking about it. If you are one of those who have yet to decide,
please read on. There will be several day excursions and
pre-/post-conference tours within and outside of Croatia available
to conference attendees. For any questions, please contact:
[email protected]
·
TOURS
If you are looking to extend your stay in Europe with a pre- or
post-conference tour, there are several options; however, space is
filling-up fast:
Pre-Conference:
A Taste of Istria and Dalmatia: you will discover Venice and
Croatia, specifically the Istrian and Dalmatian regions and their
seaside picturesque towns, a mix of cultural exploration and
gastronomy highlights of the region: truffles, olive oil etc.
- Balkans the Land of Blood and Honey: this is for you if you are
interested in learning about the history of the Balkans region,
through first-hand testimonials. You will meet with locals sharing
their view on the Croatian war of independence. It's a dual
narrative tour, so you will not hear only one side of the story but
both the Croatian and Bosnian versions.
Post-Conference:
- Gems of the Adriatic region, Croatia and Slovenia: this tour is
heading north along the Dalmatian coast, to explore Mostar (Bosnia),
Croatian seaside towns, the capital of Zagreb, and beautiful
Slovenia with many natural wonders.
- Discover the Balkans: this itinerary is an opportunity to see
several countries in a more off-the-beatentrack region such as
Kosovo or Albania where the locals are very friendly and
approachable; since tourism isn't very developed yet.
Day Excursions:
A number of excursions and day-trips will be offered during the
conference. Whether you are looking to learn more about Dubrovnik,
participate in oyster or olive harvest or learn about wine and
traditional cooking, there really is something for everyone!
Read all about the tours and excursions on the conference website,
in the Logistics tab, right below accommodation information.
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Dear Friendship Force Members, As travel continues to rebound, we
are finding there are new fractures in the world and people's
understanding of one another, and a growing appeal for citizen
diplomats like us to stand up for peace. Meet new friends while
reconnecting with old ones as we explore the future of Friendship
Force and how our movement of peace through friendship will help
answer the call.
In friendship,
Jeremi Snook, CEO
Begin Your Journey
Friendship Force Clubs have been thriving around
the world since 1977. Today, there are more than 300 Clubs in 60
countries; people willing to open their doors in the name of
hospitality and friendship. Friendship Force International (FFI) is
the parent organization under which all the clubs are chartered. You
can travel with any club that has room on their journey. The best
way to see what is available is to search the FFI Website by
clicking on the link below or copy and paste it into your browser:
https://helpcenter.friendshipforce.org/journeys
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Meetings coordinator – Paula Rose,
[email protected]
Past Meetings Viewable Online
IMPORTANT: Please note the start time of our general meetings at
Forest Green Library has
changed to 2 pm until further notice.
Were you unable to attend a past meeting? Want to "re-attend" a past
meeting? You can view recordings of our prior meetings at our club's
YouTube webpage (click on "Videos" or "Playlists"). Recordings run
between 50 minutes and just over an hour. You can always "rewind" or
"fast forward" sections. You can watch them on your computer,
tablet, smartphone or smart TV. ....
FF Dallas' YouTube Channel at
https://tinyurl.com/FFD-YouTubeChannel...
Or search YouTube for "FFDallas Texas" (include the quotation
marks!)
SPECIAL MEETING ABOUT FF DALLAS AND FF INTERNATIONAL IN
FEBRUARY
The February "All about FF Dallas and FF International" meeting is
on YouTube. Plus, edward made another recording where he described
his role as Regional Field Rep and demonstrated the myFF.org
website.
.... the meeting is at
https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-AllMember-2023-02-11
.... the 2nd recording is at
https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-FieldRep-myFF-2023-02-14
If you would like a PDF of the presentation, Edward can email you a
copy. Just let him know.
March
Meeting - Hawaii 1: the Big Island and Maui
For our March meeting, Mary Williams presented the first of two
programs on Hawaii. This was part 1: the Big Island and Maui. During
this illuminating presentation Mary explained extensively about the
volcanoes of Hawaii and showed lots of vegetation along with some
beautiful photos of the landscape and sunsets.
 |
|
 |
|
Volcanoes |
|
Different types of ginger |
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April Meeting - Ned Fritz and his amazing work in ecology
This month Amy Martin (autho of "Wild DFW" treated us to a
history of the lawyer, Ned Fritz, who saved the Trinity River from
becoming a barge canal and used his legal skills to protect many of
the wild areas of Texas and beyond.
Meetings coordinator – Paula Rose
[email protected]
Most meetings are now held at the new Forest Green Library. Zoom
access to these meeting is an option and members receive a
meeting flyer and link. Guests are very welcome in person and
can get a Zoom link from edward perez at
[email protected].
No reservation is needed. For information contact Paula Rose at
[email protected]
A full calendar of the meeting schedule for 2023 can
be seen on the
Meetings.page.
(These events are not sponsored by the Dallas Library)
May Meeting
| Date: |
Saturday, May 6 |
 |
| Time: |
2 pm |
| Location: |
Forest Green Library
|
|
|
9619 Greenville Ave Dallas
75243 |
| Speaker: |
Beth and Randy Tezlaff |
| Topic:
|
|
Optional
Dinner:
|
Flaming Cheese Greek - 9025 Forest Lane #191,
Dallas 75243
Sandwiches and plates $9-$12, BYOB if you want wine |
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June Meeting
| Date: |
Saturday, June 24th |
|
 |
| Time: |
2 pm |
| Location: |
Renner-Frankford Library (CHANGE
DATE and LOCATION) |
|
|
6400 Frankford Road (just east of Preston) Dallas
75252 |
| Speaker: |
Mary Williams |
| Topic:
|
Hawaii - 2: Oahu and Kauai |
Optional
Dinner:
|
Banana
Leaf Thai Restaurant
17370 Preston Road #500, Dallas 75252
(South of the library a few blocks - East side)
|
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Links to recordings of past meetings are on the
Meetings page of our
website.
Or you can go directly to our past Zoom presentations on our
YouTube page:
https://tinyurl.com/FFD-YouTubeChannel
There will also be Member Connections get-togethers on Third
Thursday or Saturday and Travel Book Club on Fourth Tuesday of each month. See
Member Connections.
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International and and Domestic Journey Organizer - Julia Cooper -
[email protected]
I am excited to share some good news with you. We now have 2
Journeys scheduled in 2023. Firstly we are heading to Dayton, Ohio
next month leaving May 18th and returning May 25th for which we
currently have 11 members signed up - 6 from Dallas and 1 each from
Greater Harrisburg, PA, Missoula and Sarasota and 2 from Olympia.
There are a few spots still available so please contact myself at
the email below or Barbara Taylor at
[email protected] for more
info.
Outbound Journey May 18 – 25, 2023 FF
Dallas to FF Dayton, Ohio
The
second Journey is the Dayton, Ohio club coming to Dallas for a
reciprocal Journey.
They will be
arriving October 23rd and leaving October 30th
for a total of 7 nights. The Dayton club has already chosen their
Journey Coordinator (J.C.) so we should get busy. The board believes
this would be a great job for a new member; there would be plenty of
help available and possibly this could be a joint effort.........
believe me, those of us who've been J.C.s had to start somewhere so
we know how it feels! If you'd like to be considered, please contact
me by May 15th as it takes some months to organize. This would be an
excellent opportunity to proudly show what makes Big D so special.
If you look at P.34 of the member handbook you'll find the following
policy about how we thank the person who acts as an inbound J.C.:
The Club will allocate a Three Hundred Dollar ($300.00) Inbound JC
allowance to each Journey
Coordinator who organizes and manages an inbound journey of five (5)
or more days. The Journey Coordinator may use the allowance to cover
any or all of her/his travel costs, FFI ambassador fee, or FF Host
Club Program fees on an Outbound Journey assigned to or arranged by
the Club. The Inbound JC allowance may not be used for journeys or
travel assigned to, managed by, or arranged by another Friendship
Force club or by FFI. Qualifying Journey Coordinators must use the
allowance within 24 months after the conclusion of the Inbound
Journey for which they served as Journey Coordinator. Any funds
allocated as Inbound JC allowances and not used by the Journey
Coordinator within that time period will revert to the Club’s
account. This policy will be effective for journeys concluding as of
February 15, 2016.
We need a Journey Coordinator from Dallas. If you are interested,
contact Julia at
[email protected].
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Join Another Club’s Journey
Don’t forget to check the FFI website for other possible adventures for
2023. They are a tremendous (and sometimes underutilized) resource for
our clubs. You can get information at
https://www.friendshipforce.org
Click on "News & Updates" for the Blog page and "Virtual Experiences"
for the Virtual Experiences page.
Here's a direct link to the FFI Blog which has links to the Friendship
Connection newsletters.
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/.
If you are interested in 2022 and 2023 Journeys you can go to
www.FriendshipForce.org page: then
https://archive.friendshipforce.org/journeys-and-eflyers/ . Just
click on a Journey name if you are interested and send a message.
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Facebook
Like our page and follow what is going on with FF Dallas.
Shuttle
Rides
Shuttle Coordinator Aurora Madrigal -
[email protected]
For those of you doing some traveling or for running errands,
remember, use our volunteer shuttle service (see page 45 in your
yearbook). Make a new friend or learn about a friend's journey/trip
during that ride to/from the airport. Send an email to
[email protected] with info on date, time, and place
for pickup and/or drop-off.
Want to become a shuttle driver? Send an email to
Aurora Madrigal for more info. If you use this service, remember to send a donation to the club treasurer
(Leslie Parker) after your ride and pay your driver $5 for his/her
expenses.
Board
Board meetings are being held via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each
month, following our monthly club meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Please contact our
Vice-president, edward perez at
erperez54@gmail for a link to Zoom if you wish to attend. The next
Board meeting is on June 26th at 1 pm - a later date,
since our club meeting has been set back to June 24th..
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The Travel Book Club
Chair: Barbara Taylor -
[email protected]
Here is the list of
books for the next few months: All FFD and other FF members are welcome
to attend our Zoom meetings on the last Tuesday of the month.
|
Date |
Book/Author |
Discussion Leader |
|
|
|
| April 28 |
Roughing It, by Mark
Twain |
Janis Robinson |
| May 23 |
Caliph's House: a
Year in Casablanca, by Tahir Shah |
Marie Beck |
| June 27 |
A Wedding in Haiti, byJulia Alvarez |
LouAnn King |
| July 25 |
Book TBA |
Barb Taylor |
We meet at 1 pm on Zoom.
If you like to be on Barb's list and discuss some travel books, let her
know at the email address above.] We’d love you to join us at one of our
Zoom
meetings (even if you haven’t read the book for that month). If you’re
not on the email list to receive the link, simply contact Barb Taylor at
the above
email address.
Thanks, Barb Taylor
Mary Latham shared a link for free e-books:
https://lifehacker.com/how-to-read-e-books-for-free-without-pirating-them-1847187739
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Vice-President Membership - edward perez,
[email protected]
Spring has sprung, brought blooming flowers and now April
and May Showers!!
Wishing you a Great Spring!
edward perez
Vice President, Membership
Members
Thanks to FF Dallas members who have invited your friends to our
meetings! Tell your friends and acquaintances about FF Dallas and invite
them to an upcoming meeting or event.
Please extend your hand of friendship to our two newest members the next
time you see them at an upcoming meeting or event!
* Stephen Lawler - Evergreen Club friend of Mary Williams
* Glenna Witherspoon - friend of Paula Rose
Membership
We are now 75 members: 71 Individuals, two Associates, and two Emeritus.
THANKS to the 40 FF Dallas members who have signed up for myFF.org. That
gives you a member ID, access to news and club info on the website, and
ability to receive FFI news & info that is sent to those who have signed
up. If you need assistance in signing up, please contact me.
Member
Meetings
So far this year, we are averaging between 25 and 30 members and guests
attending our monthly meetings. I encourage all members to attend in
person (carpool w/ members in your area - see your 2023 yearbook for
members by Zip Codes). Since we have a Zoom account, if you are out of
town or cannot attend, you can attend the meeting over Zoom. For those
who attend in person, we often go out for early dinner - LOTS of time to
visit and learn about your fellow members.
I encourage all members to attend in person (carpool w/ members in your
area - see your 2023 yearbook for members by Zip Codes). And if you are
out of town or cannot attend, we broadcast the meeting over Zoom. For
those who attend in person, we often go out for early dinner - plenty of
time to visit and learn about your fellow members.
Also, I encourage you to invite your friends, members of
groups/organizations you're in, and others to our meetings, gatherings,
and events.
See Videos
"It was Just a Week - FFI video 2017"
A short video describing what can happen during a Friendship Force
International Journey.
.... https://youtu.be/meNDjVcCzH8
"Explore, Understand, Serve - FFI video 2011"
A short video describing what Friendship Force Intl is about -
exploring, understanding, serving the cause of friendship.
.... https://youtu.be/unIhM1HGFPE
FFD All Member Meeting
.... https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-AllMember-2023-02-11
FF Southwest USA Field Rep and my.friendshipForce.org website (starts at
6:20 into the video)
.... https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-FieldRep-myFF-2023-02-14
The meeting is at https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-AllMember-2023-02-11
The 2nd recording is at
https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-FieldRep-myFF-2023-02-14
All the FF Dallas videos are at
https://ff-dallas.tiny.us/FFD-YouTubeChannel
Membership Connections - 3rd Thursdays / Saturdays
3rd Thursdays / Saturdays are back!
In March, we met at Big Shucks in Richardson. In April, we met at Havana
Cafe in Casa Linda Shopping Center. These are smaller and more informal
gatherings and an excellent way to meet & learn about other members.
COME JOIN US!
Know of a great restaurant for lunch or a great place we can visit for
3rd Thursday / Saturday?
Have ideas for Membership Connections topics and/or locations?
Like to volunteer to organize and/or host a gathering, field trip,
picnic, tasting, games night, etc.?
If so, let me know!!
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Let People Know About Friendship
Force Dallas!!!
THANKS to those members who have invited your friends, family,
and members of other clubs to our meetings and events. Please continue
to share with your friends about Friendship Force and invite them to our
meetings and events - just forward club emails to them. If you know of a
group that might be interested in learning about FF, please contact me.
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Contact Info Updates
If you move or change your contact information, let me know so
I can update the records. I will publish a list of updates every few
months which you can use to update your yearbook and email address book.
Our telephone tree, led by Patty Niemeyer, contacts members prior to
monthly events. If you haven't been receiving calls, contact edward
perez so I can make sure you are on the calling list. If you know a
member who has not be attending recently, please give them a call and
invite them, perhaps offering to carpool with them. Pages 21-24 of your
yearbook lists members by zip code.
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Replacement Badges
Do you need to replace a lost or damaged badge? Need a replacement magnet? If
so, please contact
edward perez who
will order a new one. Replacement badges are $14 (mailed to your home)
or $11 (pickup in Richardson). Magnets are free.
edward perez
vice president, membership:
[email protected]
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Remember, FFI hosts Virtual Experiences presented by FFI staff and
members of clubs around the world. There are several "Faces and Places"
events.
You can see all upcoming events at the following webpage. Toward the
bottom of that page is a list of previously recorded events. ....
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/virtual-experiences/.
Here's a direct link to the FFI Blog which has links to the Friendship
Connection newsletters.
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/.
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my.friendshipForce.org
In 2021, FFI launched my.friendshipforce.org (aka myFF or myFF.org). The
idea was to partition the publicly available and member-only information
to two different websites
- https://friendshipforce.org/ and
- https://my.friendshipforce.org/ (for members only).
Because of this partitioning, FFI now knows who are members in various
clubs, including presidents. Thus, they can email info and announcements
about the organization, journeys, virtual experiences, etc. to folks who
have signed up at myFF.
Folks who sign up at friendshipForce.org for the public newsletter will
only receive general information. As of October 2022, myFF.org has info
about journeys, virtual experiences (webinars), conferences, events,
clubs & groups, and a help center. In the future, myFF.org will provide
ways to communicate with other clubs and other members *and* find and
apply for journeys (the "journey marketplace").
If you are one of the 31 Dallas members who have already signed up for
myFF, THANKS!
===> If you have not signed up, please do so at
https://my.friendshipForce.org (click on the purple "SIGN UP" button). I
have an instruction document which goes through the process
step-by-step. Let me know if you want a copy or would like assistance in
completing the sign up. Once you sign up, FFI assigns you a Member ID -
you'll need it to apply for any journey.
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Travel Insurance
FFI used to allow a waiver for people who chose NOT to buy travel
insurance and to self-insure. They are revising their policy & standard
application form - everyone will now be expected to get travel & medical
insurance when traveling on any FF journey, either domestic or
international. People can get an insurance policy from the FFI recommend
insurance company or a company of their own insurance choice. More
details as they finalize their policy.
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Friendship Connection
If
you’re are not receiving the FFI Newsletter or other emails from FFI, you can go to
the FFI home page
https://www.friendshipforce.org/ then go to the bottom, put
your email address in the "email address" box under "Newsletter," then
click Subscribe.
Remember, FFI hosts Virtual Experiences presented by FFI staff and
members of clubs around the world. There are several "Faces and Places"
events.
You can see all upcoming events at the FFI blog webpage. Toward the
bottom of that page is a list of previously recorded events. ....
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/virtual-experiences/
Here's a direct link to the FFI Blog which has links to the Friendship
Connection newsletters.
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/.
Don’t forget to check the FFI website for other possible adventures for
2022/2023. They are a tremendous (and sometimes underutilized) resource
for our clubs. You can get information at
https://www.friendshipforce.org
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FFI – Virtual Journeys
And if actually traveling is still in the future for you, try a
Virtual Experience – a class, a part of the world, a lecture. Here’s
a direct link to the Virtual Experiences page:
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/virtual-experiences/
Friendship Force
International Virtual Experiences
The pandemic has cancelled many club Journeys but FFI has created a
series of virtual events that look really interesting. There are
"Virtual Journeys", "Learning Space" and "Members Connect"
experiences. Virtual Travel Experiences are from many countries - cooking,
Zoom training, languages, crafts,
photography and more.
They will be highlighted on the new FFI blog you can
see by clicking on this link or copying and pasting it into your
browser
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/virtual-experiences/.
New
experiences will be added so check back often.
To make sure you have the correct
starting time for your time zone, it's easiest to visit our FF
Virtual Experience Page. You can see a time zone converter under
each event. Just click on it and it'll show you the starting time in
your time zone automatically.
Time Zone converter:
https://blog.friendshipforce.org/virtual-experiences/
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Video
Looking to 2022, Friendship Force International has
several Journeys on their website for which you can express interest
with the caveat that we have no idea if we’ll be able to go on them.
Anticipate that we will travel again!
Check out the new video. This one is in English, but there are links to
other languages on the video.
Link to Video
Need information about Friendship Force International (FFI)?
Go to their website at
https://www.thefriendshipforce.org/
An illuminating article on the FFI website is about the history of
your organization.
It can be found here:
https://friendshipforce.org/history/
Our new mailing address is:
Friendship Force
International
279 West Crogan Street
Lawrenceville,
GA
30046
* EXPLORE UNDERSTAND SERVE!
*
EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT VIEWS
DISCOVER COMMON GROUND!
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