Emma's Visit to U.S. Friends, Winter of 2005/2006

I am Emma Condori. I have been a Quaker since I was born in La Paz Department, Bolivia. Now I am studying at the university as well as teaching English in one of the Bolivian Friends schools in La Paz. (E-mail: emmacondori10@yahoo.es)

First of all, my trip to the United States was like a miracle from God. Secondly, this trip was very interesting because I was able to visit several Friends Meetings and Schools in Pennsylvania and other states. I have always wanted to see how the Quaker meetings and schools are in the US. I will never forget this wonderful experience.

Even though in Bolivia my meeting is an Evangelical Friends meeting, I really liked to be in silent Friends Meetings in the US. The first Sunday my friend Sarah, her family and I went to Germantown Monthly Meeting. At that meeting I was asked many questions about Quakers in Bolivia and also about my country. For me it was a pleasure to share some information about my experiences with their members, as I did in other meetings. I visited Fredonia, Collins, and Buffalo Meetings, Powell House, Abington Friends Meeting, Westtown Meeting, Landsdowne Meeting, Central Philadelphia Meeting, Medford Meeting, Medford Leas, Pendle Hill, etc. Above all I think I realized how my American Friends or Quakers have God's love and light in each one since they have and share good principles, practices and testimonies. Meeting members seemed like a big family to me.

For many years Bolivian Friends' education was one of my favorite issues as a young Quaker. When I was at Friends Schools in Pennsylvania, I loved visiting and observing each class. Students in the Lower School at Abington Friends were amazing—how they learn the different lessons and how they behave showing Quaker values is great. Seeing how students of the Upper School at Westtown Friends School study hard before they go to college was unique for me.

The organization of these schools and the excellent and hard working teachers make the Friend Schools wonderful places for education. I guess these Friends Schools and others are the best because the Quakers have always wanted to have a moral and academic education that could really help the young people to become successful students. I saw that besides the students having academic excellence, they learn how to live in community, respecting others. So they are definitely well educated.

My visit to Friends Meetings and schools helped me understand and realize more how one can be a good Quaker, student and teacher. I hope God guides me to help myself and others who are working a lot in order to improve the 16 Friends Schools in Bolivia. So I thank God a lot for this two-month trip. And also I really thank BQEF (Bolivian Quaker Education Fund), Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and all my friends I met during my visit to the US.