There is a long history of connection between Bear Creek Friends Meeting in rural Iowa, and Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica. Wolf and Lucky Guindon and my parents, Burt and Birdie Kisling, had a double wedding at the Bear Creek Meetinghouse in 1950. Shortly afterward, the Guidon’s were among a small group of Quakers who left this country because of increasing militarism and settled in Costa Rica. Lucky and Wolf are on the right.
In 2018 I received a letter from the school in this envelope with a drawing of a whale. The clerk of Bear Creek Meeting received the other envelope below.
Envelopes from Monteverde Friends School (2018)
When we shared the pictures at Bear Creek Meeting, we spent a lot of time sharing stories about our connections with Monteverde Friends. Some present had visited Montverde. Others know people who have lived or continue to live there. As we shared these stories, we thought it would be nice to reply to the drawings from the children at Monteverde, by sending back drawings from us. The school told us the student artists were thrilled that we appreciated their artwork.
Drawings from Bear Creek to Monteverde.
In 2011 some of our family traveled to Monteverde for a reunion with Wolf and Lucky. Lucky on left, Wolf on the right.
Recently we received more envelopes from Monteverde.
LANDBACK Friends 