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Sundoor Trainers
Peggy Dylan
Sundoor
History of Firewalking
International Firewalking School
Sundoor Initiation
Firewalk Instructor Certification
Sundoor Masters
Sundoor Spiritual Workshops
Femme Vital!
SpiritDance – Breathwork & Spiritual Coach Training
Sundoor Journey to Nepal
Sundoor Corporate Seminars
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Home / History of Firewalking
The History of Firewalking
Fire worship, practiced as a rite of purification, healing, initiation and transcendence, has been a long thread in the cultural tapestry of our planet. Many tribal people had, or have, rituals and ceremonies to honor the sacred aspect of fire – honoring its gifts and acknowledging its transformative power. Fire worship and firewalking has nourished and warmed the human spirit since the dawning of humankind. In contemporary society, firewalking has evolved into a powerful tool for self-realization and empowerment.
Many of the natural environments of our planet are dependent on the cleansing and purifying aspects of fire; wildfires clear the way for new growth, which many animal and plant species depend upon for survival. Just as the planet requires fire for renewal, so does the human spirit, as we are always intrinsically connected with this earth from which we grew. Our relationship to fire is as old as the human race. Recent evidence suggests that Australopithecus controlled fire nearly a million and half years ago.
The beginnings of firewalking are lost in the annals of history, but we do know that Africa, often considered the birthplace of humankind, has a long history of firewalking and fire dancing. The African-born Hindus walk on fire regularly as part of important religious festivals and !Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari desert have firewalked since their tribal beginnings. The !Kung use fire in their powerful healing ceremonies.
In 1977, anthropologist Laurens van der Post published an account of his travels to Africa to study the !Kung and was astonished when witness to their healing fire dances. And, Richard Katz, a Harvard psychologist and anthropologist, reports that the !Kung use the fire to heat up their energy, which they call n/um: Dancers will go in the fire, walk in it, put their heads in it, pick up the coals and rub them over their hands and body… when the n/um (or energy) in the body is boiling and as hot as the fire, they will not be burned. As the n/um intensifies in the healers they experience an enhanced consciousness called !kia , during which they heal all those at the dance.
In Bali, the mystical South Sea island, it is not the men who dance on the fire, but young girls. In India, Tibet, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Argentina, to mention a few, people dance and walk, joyously, solemnly, exuberantly, or devotionally across fire. In the Hindu fire ceremony Agni Hotra, fire is used to purify the physical and spiritual atmosphere and in Peru the flame is used to spiritually uplift participants in the fire-ceremony.
The oldest recorded firewalk was over 4000 years ago in India. Two Brahmin priests were competing to see who could walk further, one managed to do so and his feat was written down in the historical records of that time.
In a 17th century letter a Jesuit priest, Father Le Jeune, writes to his superior, telling of a healing firewalk he witnessed among the North American Indians. He reports of a sick woman walking through two or three hundred fires with bare legs and feet, not only without burning, but all the while complaining about the lack of heat she was feeling.
Some 30 years later, Father Marquette reported similar firewalks among the Ottawa Indians and Jonathan Carver writes in his 1802 book Travels in North America that one of the most astounding sights he saw was the parade of warriors who would "walk naked through a fire… with apparent immunity".
Other North American Indians who were known to have shamanic traditions which included fire handling were the Fox, Menomini, Kere, Blackfeet and particularly the Zuni, who had, and some claim still have, a "great fire fraternity". The Kahunas, or native priests of the Hawaiian Islands, had powerful practices of lava waking. All around this little globe people rely on their spiritual kinship with this dynamic element to bring them closer to their true nature and, through touching the fire of their spirit, feel renewed and healed.
Firewalking in Modern Times
I am often called the mother or originator of the firewalking movement. Given the history of firewalking, as practiced throughout recorded time on nearly every continent on the planet, that seems a rather unlikely title, quite like calling myself the mother of the human race because I have given birth to children.
What I will take credit for is bringing firewalking into the public eye and allowing it to re-emerge in Western culture as a practice for people who are exploring consciousness and personal power.
Through more than two decades of teaching firewalking and firewalk instructors in the United States and abroad, I have had the honor of developing a modern comprehension of this ancient ritual and training others so this time-tested practice could also benefit the modern era.
Incorporating firewalking into my seminars and teaching began when I returned from a personal pilgrimage to India in 1981. The following spring I walked on fire for the first time with Tolly Burkan. I realized immediately what a powerful tool firewalking could be in a seminar setting if truly explored and developed.
At the time I was introduced to firewalking it was sometimes used as a surprise beginning to small weekend retreats where the participants were asked to keep it secret after taking part in the event. In these early settings, much to the shock of his group, Tolly would whip off his socks and shoes after singing around a campfire and quickly cross the coals.
The entire "teaching" of how to walk on fire I witnessed back then amounted to 9 words, "do what I do and you won't get burned" …and a smile. Modern firewalking has come a long way since then!
Because of the quality and emphasis on safety in modern firewalking, when asked about the birth of the modern firewalking movement, I hesitate to reply that Tolly trained me to firewalk. A more equable answer is that both Tolly and I were "shown" firewalking, but we created the seed of a powerful seminar built around this ancient ritual together.
In the beginning we combined tools from both of our backgrounds to create the first large public workshops. We developed the training for firewalk instructors two years later and formed a somewhat fiery, short-lived but productive partnership that lasted four years.
I had been leading workshops internationally and had developed the Spiritual Reality Training, a weeklong intensive, which later was to become the base of our Firewalk Instructor's Training. The first Firewalk Instructor's Training was held in 1984. In 1984 I also incorporated my company, SUNDOOR. Tolly and I dissolved our partnership in 1986 and he retired from teaching public firewalking and firewalk instructors until the turn of the century.
My memories of the early beginnings of modern firewalking, the experimentation, research and exploration that we undertook in the early 80's are much cherished. We explored which woods were best, if one could walk on bark, how deep and long the coal-bed should be, and the ideal mental state people should be in when firewalking. The question we answered was: How do we take this potentially dangerous activity and make it both safe and powerful for Western people?
Although those early years were difficult at times, those raw experiences provided the seed from which I developed the modern ritual, as it is known today, by continuing for these last two decades to explore and teach and train. Now as I teach with the support of my expert staff and Steve Brougher, my partner of 16 years, by my side, the firewalk has matured into a true vehicle for transformation.
During the booming economics of the early nineties, the firewalk caught the attention of managers and corporations as a way to inspire creativity and empower visions of higher horizons in their employees. Corporations as diverse as Microsoft, Coca-Cola, American Express and Pierce-Waterhouse participated in firewalks with great success. After the 11th of September 2001, I received an e-mail from an American Express employee in New York expressing her gratitude with the words, "I don't know how we would have survived these last few weeks without the tools you gave us". The American Express building was damaged in the catastrophe and they were at the heart of the disaster.
The firewalk was touching a new culture, from small spiritual groups to thousands in corporate conferences. The firewalk as a tool for personal empowerment and a ritual for spiritual communion had been born in the West.
SUNDOOR's International Firewalking School has continued to grow. For nearly three decades my staff, the SUNDOOR Master Firewalk Instructors, and I, have been training instructors around the planet. SUNDOOR now has firewalk instructors doing excellent work all over the globe and offices in numerous countries worldwide.
This organization that I began in the early 1980s has grown into a large international community that is not only the most experienced and wide-reaching school for firewalking but is sponsoring a host of other exciting activities as well.
The name SUNDOOR comes from an Inuit teaching. Ancient myth says that there are seven doors to pass through on the path of spiritual development. The SUNDOOR is the seventh and final door on this journey to awakening. I had little idea of the beauty and transcendent power of the firewalk when I named my company, but in these years of witnessing thousands of people crossing the fire and using that experience as a portal to their spirit, I now know it was aptly named.
Through SUNDOOR I have attempted to keep the ancient heritage of firewalking pure in our courses. The experience people are having is truly remarkable. The firewalk is allowing people in western cultures to experience a depth of healing, inspiration and life altering change that is not usually available to us. Despite this, I realize that we have only just begun to explore the fantastic potential of this ancient ritual and am truly excited to see where this ancient path of fire will lead us in the future.
I want to thank the following sources for their excellent material that I used in my research.
They are listed in the order in which I incorporate them within the article:
Susan Weber, "Sacred Flames", Science Digest, August 1982, p. 71.
Herbert Thurston, "The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism", Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1952.
Jim Doherty, "Hot Feat: Firewalkers of the World", Science Digest, August 1982, pp. 369-384.
Jonathan Sternfield, "Firewalk: The Psychology of Physical Immunity", Stockbridge: Berkshire House, 1992.
Laurens van der Post, "The Lost World of the Kalahari".New York: Harcourt Brace Joanvanovich, 1977.
Richard Katz, "Boiling Energy: Community Healing Among the Kalihari Kung", Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982.
Sundoor Updates
New Dutch Firewalk Instructors!
Monday 14th April, 2014
Congratulations to the new Firewalk Instructors! This is a remarkable Dutch group primarily interested in… …read more
Scotland Trainings
Tuesday 8th April, 2014
Hi Everyone, We've just finished our Wild Hearts training at Lendrick Lodge in Scotland with… …read more
Interview with Peggy
Monday 3rd March, 2014
Peggy talks to Kay Gillard about the firewalk and how it is a powerful tool for transformation …read more
Steve's new puppy!
Thursday 6th February, 2014
Mojave is the newest member of the Sundoor team. 4 month old golden retriever and Steve's new best friend! …read more
"I don't want to forget, no matter how terrible… I will never forget. The world… …read more
Sundoor Links
Corporate Training Firewalking Course Corporate Workshops Firewalk Initiation Alternative Coprorate Training Breathwork Training Shamanic Courses Spiritual Course Shamanism Breathwork Peggy Dylan Blog Spititual Growth Sundoor Blog Firewalking Learn to Firewalk Spiritual Seminar Corporate Days Peggy Dylan Personal Development Personal Development Course
Contact Sundoor
About Sundoor
SUNDOOR School of Transpersonal Education LLC
Twain Harte, CA 95383 USA
Tel. & Fax: +1 209 928 1700
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The ePub format has quickly become the standard for distributing an ebook to the masses using a digital reader. With the iPad continuing to sell well and ePub the standard for the iBook app for browsing for books on the iPad, it is important to get your book in the ePub format so you can share your ebook easily!
Some companies are offering conversion of the PDF or DOC version of your book to ePub format for a fee, but a new service has popped which does all this automatically for you! The service is called ePubBud and it was designed to look like the interface of the ubiquitous YouTube. To see an example, here is Mario Lurig's ePub book (hey, that's me!).
The site is changing regularly as features are being added, so if something is broken, you may have to come back. It should be marked 'Beta'.
The target audience is not mainstream authors, but that doesn't mean you can't benefit from this website!
NovelRank nor I are affiliated with this website in any way.
This entry was posted in Tips and Tricks and tagged ePub on June 7, 2010 by Mario Lurig.
One major problem with the ePubBud site is they get to keep whatever you convert, and they get to do whatever they want with your work, under a non-revokable transfer of rights from you to them. Even if you delete your stuff and your account, the ePub book you created using their software can be sold, given away, modified, etc., for as long as they want. This is not a free service, it is a method to get thousands of free books that they can then turn around and resell to make money. You're technically transferring a non-exclusive print/sales right to them, forever.
All problems with display have been fixed. The service seems to work great!
This is potentially a great resource! I tried a couple of conversions, and I noticed that they render all quotation marks as question marks. I sent in feedback, and got a personal response. They said the issue should be fixed soon.


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Assistant Professor, 9 Month Salaried (Music Theatre)
Job Title: Assistant Professor, 9 Month Salaried (Music Theatre)
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 47992
Department College of MusicEqual Employment Opportunity An Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer.
FSU's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at: http://www.hr.fsu.edu/PDF/Publications/diversity/EEO_Statement.pdfResponsibilities Teach applied voice to undergraduate music theatre students, including students from both the College of Music and College of Fine Arts.
Teach Music Theatre Repertoire courses and related offerings; coordinate the music theatre workshop.
Direct the Music Theatre program in collaboration with the School of Theatre.
Work collaboratively with interdepartmental initiatives in voice and theatre.
Maintain a high level of professional visibility and leadership in the field.
Recruit, advise and retain highly qualified students into the music theatre program and promote the Bachelor of Music degree and the Music Theatre program.Qualifications Completed terminal degree in vocal performance, vocal pedagogy, or music-related field at time of appointment (master's degree required, doctorate preferred). Evidence of significant teaching and performance experience in the music theatre genre; demonstrated ability and interest in working in a collegial and mutually supportive environment.Contact Info For technical assistance in applying for this position, please contact Emilie O'Connor at [email protected] For all other inquiries, please contact Erica Francis at [email protected] Information Florida State University is a comprehensive, national graduate research university of 18 colleges and schools with 2,500 faculty serving a student body of over 42,000 students. A full summary of comprehensive employee benefits is available online at:
https://hr.fsu.edu/total-rewards
The College of Music, with 90 faculty, 40 support staff, and 1,100 students, offers a range of degrees in music, baccalaureate through the doctorate. See the College of Music web page at http://www.music.fsu.edu.
The University is situated in Tallahassee, Florida's beautiful, wooded capital city with an area population over 375,000. Located in the Big Bend area of northern Florida, Tallahassee enjoys a mild change of season and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico.Anticipated Salary Range Salary competitive.Pay Plan This is a Faculty position.Criminal Background Check This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check. The background check will be conducted as authorized and in accordance with University Policy 4-OP-C-7-B11.How To Apply If qualified and interested in a specific Faculty job opening as advertised, apply to Florida State University at https://jobs.fsu.edu. If you are a current FSU employee, apply via myFSU > Self Service. Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include education details even if attaching a Vita.
Please upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for four references (mailing address, phone, e-mail). PDF files are preferred.
Review of applications will begin November 6, 2020 and continue until the position is filled.Open until filled Review of applications will begin October 30, 2020 and continue until the position is filled.Tobacco Free Campus Effective January 1, 2014, tobacco use, including simulated tobacco use, is prohibited on property, interior and exterior, owned or managed by Florida State University. This policy applies to all Florida State University students, employees, consultants, contractors, visitors, and external individuals.
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State Overviews
If you are a New Mexico landowner with a powerline anywhere near your property, you may be getting some interest from Solar Developers to lease your property for a solar farm. While this may be a new concept to you, solar development has been steadily building across the country and due to recent legislation passing it is about to expand to New Mexico in a big way.
Here are a few things you should know before signing a lease with the first developer who knocks on your door.
Project Size Matters
The recent legislation that is promoting solar development is a Community Solar program which will probably be capped at 5 Megawatt project sizes – equivalent to roughly 40 Acres. This means a developer will NOT be able to build larger than that, so if you have a larger property, they won't be able to lease more than a 40 acre footprint. Oftentimes, landowners are looking to maximize the rents for the land and would prefer developers to use a larger amount.
In the past two years there have been similar community solar initiatives in Colorado, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, and right now Virginia and Pennsylvania are working through the process. The good news is that hopefully there has been a lot learned from the private and public sectors on how to successfully roll this out.
Prepare for Patience
It's important to understand the development timelines for these types of projects. It would be great if you could decide you wanted to lease your property and then construction started the next week and you immediately could start collecting rent. Unfortunately, like most development these days, there are hoops developers need to jump through, including securing an interconnection and power purchase agreement with the local utility, permitting and construction. Typically this process takes between 18-24 months to complete.
While the legislation has passed, it is now up to the Public Regulation Commission to establish the final rules and regulations, which is estimated to be completed by late spring of 2022. The good news is, most qualified developers are comfortable beginning the development process and making investments now, so they will be ready for construction as soon as the program opens.
Pick the Right Partner
Unlike evaluating a buyer for your home where the goal is pretty simple and a short time frame, in this case finding a developer who can complete your project involves some shared risk and time. It's very much a partner type relationship. Bottom line, it will take time, money, and experience to complete a development so you'll want a partner with a positive track record in solar development. Given the national attention towards solar development in the past few years, there have been a lot of groups coming out of the woodwork who are just trying to jump into the game. We encourage you to be cautious and do your research prior to making any deals.
Timing is Key
While it is always prudent to explore all options and do the proper due diligence, there is a relatively short fuse on the opportunity to lease for solar. The biggest reason is the interconnection process with the utility. While the final regulations will vary, oftentimes the utilities accept applications on a first come first served basis. The power lines will quickly become saturated with projects and the chance of project success is significantly reduced regardless of the property suitability.
If you own a significant amount of land in New Mexico near power lines and think your land could be a good fit for a solar farm, we encourage you to start educating yourself about the recent policies in your area or find a broker like NLR Solar to help guide you through the process. NLR Solar exists to mediate the relationship between you, the landowner, and developers to ensure the most successful and smooth solar development process possible.
Contact us today for a free consultation and to discover if your land could be a prime candidate for this exciting new land use in New Mexico!
Shortly after taking office, President Joe Biden pledged to slash the United States' carbon emissions to half the levels seen in 2005 by 2030. The key to reaching this goal… Continue Reading Washington
It should be no surprise at this point that solar development has come to the state of Virginia in a big way. The state ranks 4th in the nation for… Continue Reading Virginia
If you are a landowner in Pennsylvania, odds are you have been contacted by a solar developer over the past 18 months. There is a lot of momentum behind solar… Continue Reading Pennsylvania
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Alabaster Community Give Backers is taking donations to help Hurricane Laura victims. (Contributed)
Alabaster Community Give Backers helping hurricane victims
By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter
ALABASTER – Local nonprofit and charity organization Alabaster Community Give Backers is collecting donations in preparation for a trip to assist victims of Hurricane Laura.
According to Give Backers founder John Ellison, the group works to help community members who have been displaced by fires or other natural disasters. The group was founded back in 2017 designed to, as their namesake suggests, give back to their communities.
"We are planning a trip to help the Hurricane Laura victims just like we did for Hurricane Michael victims," Ellison said. "We believe in helping thy neighbors."
Hurricane Laura ravaged parts of Louisiana after making landfall on Aug. 27. With wind-speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, the Category 4 hurricane is one of the strongest storms to ever strike the state.
The storm was responsible for an estimated 59 fatalities overall with 15 of those in Louisiana alone. The damage done throughout the area is estimated to be around $8.7 billion. Many people have been displaced and have lost most of their possessions creating an imminent need for help and supplies.
The organization has been in touch with the Cajun Navy, an informal volunteer group who assist in rescue and relief efforts in Louisiana and surrounding areas. They have provided the group with a list of items that are most needed right now by those impacted.
These items include: Water, canned foods, non-perishable items, drinks, clothing, diapers, wipes, mops, brooms, cleaning supplies, coolers, batteries, flashlights, blankets, tents and other essential items.
The organization is still collecting supplies which can be dropped off at 108c 1st Street South, the group asks that all donations be labeled as for Hurricane Laura.
Monetary donations to support their efforts can also be made through Alabaster Community Give Backers PayPal alabastercgb@gmail.com or cash app $alabastercgb.
Helena church collecting supplies for hurricane victims
By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter HELENA – Helena Cumberland Presbyterian Church is currently collecting supplies in preparation... read more


Although more than 2000 years old, paper is still a fascinating material with a high potential for the 21st century!
1. Pulp and Paper is one of the oldest sectors whose needs are different in many ways compared to other industries. What is your perception in this regard?
Pulp and Paper faced many challenges in his long history. Today it needs new products to compete with digital applications and new processes to be part of the future low-carbon bio-economy. The Pulp and Paper sector has good chances for his sustainable products fit exactly what the customer prefers.
2. Can you please outline the basic structure of Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS)?
PTS is a foundation of the German Paper Industry. That includes paper manufacturers, paper converters and the supplying industries. PTS provides support to companies from all sectors in the development and application of modern fibre-based solutions based on research & development, consultancy, testing services, measurement engineering and training. A staff of 150 at two locations in Munich and Heidenau/Dresden generates an annual turnover of around EUR 14mn.
3. Founded in 1951, PTS has been a leading provider of research and services. Would you like to share some insights on the company's products & services range?
Research know-how is the backbone of PTS. It is achieved by national and transnational funded research projects as well as by contract research, working in close collaboration with the companies involve. The projects aim to develop new, future-oriented products. By virtue of their outstanding knowledge of national and European funding programs, development projects can be conducted in a particularly economical and cost-effective manner. This knowledge is then transferred to industry via consultancy and testing services, innovative measurement systems and training. Laboratories and pilot plants with state-of-the-art facilities in Munich and Heidenau/Dresden make product testing possible on an industry-oriented scale.
With its consultancy services, PTS enhances the efficiency of mill processes, minimises operating costs, optimises energy and water management, maximises the efficient use of resources and prepares expert opinions.
The chemical and physical laboratories at PTS are equipped with innovative and conventional testing laboratories for paper materials including semi-finished and finished products. The samples are subjected to comprehensive testing and subsequent evaluation by skilled staff with long years of experience in this sector. PTS supplies not only reliable measured data, customers also receive upon request solutions for operational troubleshooting.
In PTS seminars, workshops and symposia, experienced speakers from science and industry deliver top-quality lectures and papers. Thematic focal points include stock preparation, deinking, papermaking, chemical management, energy and water management, surface/coating technology, paper converting as well as measuring and sensor technology.
4. Which major challenges do you see in the pulp and paper industry?
Major challenges we faced and still face today are the development of innovative, ecologically-friendly products and processes. PTS is required to pre-think the future and join forces with partners to create the prerequisites for the development of innovative fibre-based products and processes in our sectors. With our close links between scientific research and solution-oriented consulting, powerful analytics, broad variety of training offers and active cooperation in national and international networks we have excellent conditions to support our customers to encounter this challenges successfully.
5. PTS put focus on four future topics. Which applications and customers are you targeted on?
With "New Materials" we introduce our know-how on fibre properties into future markets. Innovative paper products e.g. highly filled papers, fibre composites or modified pulp make completely new applications possible − sustainable and eco-efficient but without wasting resources.
In the area of "Packaging" we see a strong growth going with high dynamic developments. Paper is one of the most environmentally-friendly packaging media. Its good printability and flexible uses make it a fascinating material. Paper and board are the most important materials for packaging. Customers have an increasing demand for natural, environmentally compatible, sustainable packaging products and PTS helps to develop such products that will convince customers.
"Print Products" are still one of the most important applications for paper and board. PTS develops high-quality products and solve problems associated with all common printing methods. We have unique possibilities available to develop new products in a scale-up process from laboratory to pilot plants including the production of demonstrators. In addition, we offer our customers high quality surface analytics, e.g. to evaluate surface properties, to characterise optical properties or to evaluate printability.
When we talk of "Resource Efficiency" we want to tap potentials for energy, water, raw materials and residuals. Growing scarcity and competing uses of raw materials are among the greatest challenges the world is facing today. Highly qualified PTS experts are helping companies to efficiently use and sustainably protect their resources.
6. Transferring research results into marketable products is a challenging task. How does PTS manage this process?
Testing and pilot plant facilities are key instruments to develop ideas after first laboratory trials into solutions that are ready for full-scale production. They are at the heart of any research institute aiming to successfully transfer its R&D results and implement them in products and processes together with partners from the industry.
A good example is our pilot plant in Heidenau. The pilot paper machine was provided with a new inclined wire module to enable the development of novel fibre-based composite materials. For the latter, we can rely on our competence in the field of wet-laid nonwovens. Besides cellulosic and plastic fibres, we have succeeded in using synthetic fibres based on carbon, glass and basalt on the pilot paper machine to produce nonwovens and papers offering attractive properties for a multitude of potential applications. The installation of a twin screw extruder has broadened our spectrum of pilot plant services for the treatment and compounding of fibres. It will mainly be used for modifying pulps in the high consistency range to obtain intermediate products that can be processed directly or used in papermaking and other sectors.
7. Products and processes are going to be more complex and therefore requiring various skills. How does PTS match this challenge?
In order to pool resources and benefit from synergistic expertise, PTS is an active partner and promoter of national and European research networks. A fine example of the successful joint implementation of research results is the Balemat system, a measurement station for the automated quality control of incoming bales of paper for recycling that can readily be used in production. Together with our partners from the Finnish company Haarla Oy, the first installation of Balemat was successfully put into service in the Gernsbach board mill of Mayr-Melnhof. We are planning to develop our vast and multifaceted expertise in the field of paper for recycling and its value-adding use into a comprehensive service offer for the industrial quality management of paper for recycling – based on creative ideas, together with competent partners and geared towards the present needs of the market.
8. Regarding present digital products one may think that paper is an old-fashioned material. What do you think about the future of paper?
Paper as a product for the future is one of our greatest challenges today. We see a lot of future prospects in building new, innovate materials based on natural fibres. Paper has more possibilities than just printing or packaging. It may be uses a lightweight-material in construction, in air purification and thermal management, as fire protection material and providing electromagnetic protection.


Hi! I'm Holly! I'm happy you're here!
I've been helping others transform their lives and find their passion for living healthier since 2015, however fitness, nutrition, motivating and serving others have been lifelong passions of mine. My training programs are customized to each of my client's goals and utilize different types of equipment and formats to keep things effective and fun.
My goals for clients are to help them build strength and feel good physically, boost self-confidence and feel good mentally, create lasting habits, and have fun throughout the process. Exercise and nutrition do wonderful things for the mind, body and soul, and I help my clients recognize this through working together.
Q: Are you, like, a real person, or are you some crazy fitness freak?
A: Fitness and serving others are two of my biggest passions. Blend those two together and personal training is the perfect fit. Plus, I sat behind a desk for 3 years and knew that just wasn't my jam! Finally, going to "work" doesn't actually feel like "work." Everyday on the job is extremely rewarding!
Q: What do you like to do when you're not training your clients or working out yourself?
A: I love volunteering, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, traveling and being outside with my husband Joe and pup Surly (and also pretending Surly understands me when I talk to her).
To contact me, or learn more about services I offer, click one of the links below!


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PITCH Sex Work Vietnam SCDI
The Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI) addresses stigma at health care centres by publishing a manual on friendly health services for interested parties. The Vietnamese Network of Sex Workers (VNSW) receives assistance in developing communication channels to reach advocacy objectives. SCDI's priority in the PITCH programme is to work closely with policy and decision makers to ensure the realisation of the rights of sex workers. VNSW and SCDI facilitate partnerships between sex work-groups and local and national governing bodies to cooperate in implementing harm reduction interventions for sex workers.
30 September 2016 - 30 December 2020
Partners under PITCH aim to beat the AIDS epidemic in countries that are most affected by HIV. If sex workers have equal access to HIV-related and sexual and reproductive services, if equal and full rights for sex workers are realised and if a strong civil society exists then sex workers will be able to work under safe conditions. Specific outcomes of SCDI's work include addressing stigma at health care centres, working closely with policy and decision makers to ensure sex workers' rights and increasing the demand for- and access to services.
The work of SCDI and VNSW reaches and includes 32 sex worker-led community based organisations in 21 provinces of Vietnam.
In Vietnam sex work is criminalised and sex workers are subject to violence committed by police, clients, brothel owners and pimps. Legal support for sex workers is limited, leading to underreporting on incidents and lack of law enforcement. Sex worker friendly health services are only available in major cities and ART access is challenging.
The overall HIV prevalence in Vietnam is relatively low (0.4%), however the HIV epidemic is concentrated in a number of high-risk populations such as female sex workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men. HIV prevalence under female sex workers is estimated at 2.7% with in some regions HIV prevalence exceeding 10%. 18.3% of men who have sex with men are engaged in sex work. Despite the number of new HIV infections having declined during recent years, prevention programmes did not reach 40% of the high-risk population.


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Performance Rights
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Theatre Angels
Thank you to our theatre angels for financially supporting Lady Garden.
Elizabeth and Shane Way
Flowers painted by Darren Brealey
Lady Garden
Lady Garden is real actors, a real director, challenging the world, making us think and feel. It's a story about us. Lady Garden intends to be a story, told by us for our generation, to share with the future, intending to create a better world; such is the power of the storyteller.
The Lady Garden project is designed to build and create a new piece of womens' theatre based on a framework of creative ideas outlining a story about women, for women and told by women, working on a Garden Allotment in London.
The basis of the script will be created around a rainbow of women (and a transwoman actor and for balance of scale one male actor), from a myriad of cultures and backgrounds, from diverse socio demographics, discussing universal women's concerns, and of many ages from the young to the young at heart. I promise you this will not be another one of those caricature pretty plays about pretty things.
The main themes will include:
Cultural and Diversity
Inclusion and Class
Challenge the perception of gender
Our Indiegogo Campaign was launched to raise the necessary funds for its research and development workshop (stage 1). In my mind, Lady Garden, after it's research and development workshop and script writing phases, I see it opening on a West End stage. It's a dream and a vivid vision and it takes discipline (and a dash of obsession) to make it happen.
The playwright / creative producer will provide a framework of creative ideas outlining the plotline. It will be up to the director and actors to decide what story to tell and how they tell it.
A female director, five female actors, one transgender actor and one male actor will be engaged to workshop the framework of creative ideas, working in collaboration to deliver a final draft, production ready, full length stage script.
The full length stage script will formulate a 'stage 2 project' plan. Funding applications for the 'stage 2 project' will be sought once the final draft full length stage script has been completed with an outlook of mounting a fully staged professional production, engaging the female director and actors.
Defined Method of Approach
The Lady Garden project will be a collaborative process in which the playwright / creative producer will provide a framework upon which the Lady Garden script will be created, defined by the female director, five female actors, one transgender actor and (for balance of scale) one male actor.
The director and actors will work in collaboration to workshop the framework into a production ready, full length stage script.
The director and actors will work with the playwright to determine the path of the story, plot and character outcomes.
The playwright will form part of the decision making process in line with the director to decide upon story relevance, strength of plot and character driven ideas, making final decisions on the story's path, framework and dialogue. All this, culminated from the collaborative work completed with the actors.
The Playwright
Darren Brealey has written over 30 plays and has had many of them produced around the globe; although he is not a global name. He is well known for his self confession about his writing, "I don't write about Fairytale sunsets and I'm not about to start now." He is a perceptive playwright with the ability to expose the flaws in the human condition, to hit home.
Brealey wrote and produced his first full length play before the age of 25 years and it won an Award for Best New Production in the 1996 Melbourne Fringe Festival Awards. With many awards, recognition and much work to show, Brealey tirelessly works on new theatre projects, assists others with their work and lives for the theatre. "Theatre is what gets me out of bed in the morning".
Lady Garden is a new piece of writing for Brealey, yet more importantly, a new way of working for him. Collaborating with a female Director, five female actors, one transgender actor and (for balance of scale) one male actor, this writing process will allow Brealey to work directly with creative input and work in a cohesive and collaborative process to create a new piece of amazing theatre.
His heritage is full of strong women.
Project Deliverables and Desired Outcomes
The desired deliverable of the Lady Garden project will be to deliver a production ready, full length stage script.
The desired outcomes include:
the creation of new work in the theatre for women with powerful, embracing and inclusive dialogue with a positive message to women, about women the creation of a new project plan to be called a 'stage 2 project' where funding is sought with a vision for a fully professionally produced production;
once the current project life cycle has been delivered and considered a success
holding an award winning script for future productions of equity paid work, school productions and community theatre productions for women with an outcome to spread the positive messages in the Lady Garden script
Lady Garden takes place in a garden allotment in the London area for the local community, focusing on the local community requirements, whether the main purpose of their visit is hibernation, a re-focus of mind and body, establishing a gardening routine, making new friends or to celebrate a special occasion, each woman has her patch of garden to either become a recluse or to reach out and communicate.
In London, the idea of creating this project has drawn great interest from a female director, five female actors, one transgender actor and (for balance of scale) one male actor. It's time to write a theatre script, for women in theatre, about women to allow real women to perform where their voices will be heard.
Lady Garden is an artistic project with the intent to deliver the following inclusions:
challenging perceptions of gender
describe a haven
international characters and their cultures, views and experiences
contrasting stories about women
a transgender character
financial standing
class / social standing
family, children and siblings
What We Need & What You Get
The Lady Garden project is quite simple for Stage 1:
Our budget for Stage 1 is simple, we want to (and need to) pay wages, venue hire, food, administration and insurance. This four week project will provide fully paid work for these artisans.
With different levels of support for you to choose from, we'll pack a punch to match your generosity when you pick a perk. Should you wish to remain anonymous, we will respect your privacy.
A common problem in theatre is a lack of available good quality scripts for women, real women (not a caricature), for older woman and for women from diverse backgrounds. The Lady Garden project will provide:
a strong, diverse, powerful and compassionate story for women about women.
providing opportunity to work, to perform and speak with a strong voice.
a script told by women, constructed by women, for women.
Risks & Challenges
Our transparency is clear. Our obstacles at delivering such a powerful script include lack of funding and lack of ongoing financial support. The artists need to eat, support families and be part of an equal equation. The artist's talents and passionate commitment to their art requires remuneration.
Your generous and appreciated financial support through donations will assist us to overcome our financial challenges.
Strong social media profiles, ongoing marketing and constant communication will assist our project immensely to avoid the risk of failing this project.
Please spread the word. It would be amazing if you could share to the world on social media our desire to create our world class theatre by independent artists.
We would love to be able to write the Lady Garden.
LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE
We are grateful and appreciate your donation and support. Should you be unable to provide financial assistance, you can still help. Please spread to the world on social media.
Remember to use the Indiegogo share tools.
* Flowers painted by Darren Brealey
© Copyright DARREN BREALEY 2019


Visit one of Vancouver's significant stop restaurants and you are likely to be taken aback by what is on the menu — primarily the salad menu.
The development among our top chefs is to serve up weeds and wild flowers alternatively than the additional conventional salad ingredients. Talk to what is in your salad, and count on to hear dandelion, ox-eyed daisy, purslane, wild sorrel, nettles, chickweed, shepherd's purse and barrage as properly as fresh herbs this sort of as chervil and watercress.
Our prestigious cooks do not just provide any aged weed, of training course. Whilst it is tempting to visualize them roadside, attired in their white hats, pulling dandelions up by the roots and stuffing them into coolers, such is not the scenario. Our cooks get 'high good quality weeds" which are grown organically by neighborhood farmers who focus in giving salad greens and other vegetables to superior conclude eating places.
And get this: the demand for high high-quality, organically grown weeds is so high that one particular farmer studies supplying weeds and veggies to twenty-7 restaurants and has an supplemental 7 places to eat on the ready checklist.
The concern now amid foodies is whether or not or not the normal spouse and children will soar on the organic weed bandwagon and begin serving wild foraging crops at their household dinners and barbecues.
A person can only envision how a facet of weeds would style. Still, to be fair, a lot of of the foods we take in are acquired tastes. Keep in mind the initially time you tasted broccoli? Or green olives? Or parsnips? Probabilities are you had to teach your self to consume people food items. No doubt we can prepare ourselves to take in weeds as very well. If you have any concerns pertaining to where and the best ways to utilize Buy Weed Online Canada, you could contact us at our web site.
But why ought to we? Think it or not, there are a few great good reasons why eating weeds tends to make fantastic feeling.
You can buy your weeds from natural and organic weed growers, if you have any in your spot. Usually, you can be really reliable, spurning obtained weeds and foraging for your individual. In advance of you start out, you might want to avail on your own of a single of the publications on this subject, this kind of as Samuel Thayer's reserve, The Forager's Harvest: A Guideline to Figuring out, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Crops. This e-book very significantly tells you what you need to know when you start out to forage for wild plants. It also discusses how to establish them, serve them and prepare dinner them.
The appeal of foraging is twofold: very first, the plants you come across are cost-free, so you save dollars. 2nd, the weeds qualify as community create so you might be performing your matter for the setting.
Alternatively, if traveling about hunting for excellent top quality weeds just isn't your idea of a entertaining way to devote Sunday, then you could motivate the weeds that want to grow by natural means in your garden or yard. Not that they require a lot encouragement, but you get the notion.
Even so, and I want you to know that I have Tried Definitely NONE OF THIS, but evidently if you are setting up on turning your garden into a major salad bar, you will learn that you have to fiddle all-around with the weeds to make them good ingesting.
You may well have to skinny your weeds out, just as you do your row of garden lettuce and carrots. You will have to recall to harvest your weeds whilst they are in their primary, else they will be also previous and hard. One committed weed eater maintains that she trims her chickweed with scissors each individual 4 to 7 times, making certain it stays tender all spring.
In other phrases, your weeds have turned into vegetables and you have to fuss with them the exact way you do with your beets and spinach.
Obtaining foodstuffs that are developed locally has develop into a mantra for many – and with very good explanation. Domestically grown food items is possible to be fresher, environmentally pleasant (presented that it has not needed undue amounts of carbon based mostly gasoline to transportation it), and purchasing it supports the regional financial state.
Taking in regional weeds unquestionably fits the to start with two items on the listing, and if you acquire your weeds from a community organic farmer, you've covered the 3rd a single as effectively.
Not all weeds, of system. Some are toxic. You will need to know what you are doing, especially if you forage for your individual weeds instead than buying the specifically developed ones.
If you do your possess foraging, be confident to steer clear of vegetation that are expanding roadside. They will have absorbed pollutants from car exhausts. Also, no matter of wherever you uncover your weeds, be specific they haven't been sprayed with pesticides or other poisonous chemical compounds.
All this notwithstanding, the properly-developed, non-toxic weeds are very likely to have wholesome or medicinal qualities.
Choose the dandelion. Whilst the dandelion is not a well-known food items in North America, Europeans have a very long heritage of cultivating and ingesting this plant. Tender spring dandelion shoots are good in salads, and the greens can be cooked the same way you would cook spinach or other greens. Blend your boiled or steamed dandelion greens with a bit of sautéed garlic, onion and pepper increase Parmesan cheese and gown with oil and vinegar dressing.
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The University at Buffalo School of Nursing seeks an energetic, forward thinking Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (ADAA) and Professor, who is responsible to the Dean and provides innovative leadership in the promotion of excellent undergraduate and graduate nursing education programs (BS, ABS, RN/BS, MS, DNP, PhD) within this research-intensive university. The role has ultimate accountability for the quality and fiscal sustainability of the nursing curricula. The ADAA enables faculty to design and implement educational programs that: are innovative; address current and future directions in nursing; prepare graduates to be leaders in research, education, practice and service; facilitates the growth of our global health initiatives; and supports a culture of collaboration, inclusion and respect. To achieve these educational objectives, the ADAA fosters and champions collaboration and engagement: within the SON; throughout the University at Buffalo by championing interprofessional education, and with our local and global community partners. The role encompasses oversight of the operations that support students, including student services. The ADAA position will be 70% administrative and 30% research/scholarship. The ADAA is a member of the School of Nursing Executive Committee, collaborating closely with the Dean and Associate Deans, and supervises Assistant Deans for UG, MS/DNP, and PhD programs.


Chicago Jazz String Summit (CJSS) is a two-day music festival showcasing jazz, classical & experimental music by internationally celebrated musicians. Founded by critically acclaimed cellist and composer, Tomeka Reid, this year's multi-venue event is open to public and will take place at Elastic Arts and Constellation on May 12-13, 2017 respectively. Chicago Jazz String Summit aims to bring recognition to contemporary string music and to foster a creative platform for talented improvising string musicians to convene and to experiment.
First conceived in 2013 by Reid, Chicago Jazz String Summit is one of the few festivals in Chicago dedicated to presenting ensembles led and comprised of solely string players.
"The purpose of this project is to bring more exposure and to support string players who are forging paths and boldly basing their musical life, outside of the prevailing classical path, in the area of jazz, improvised and creative music," says Reid.


Construction sites are constantly progressing. We deliver highly accurate up to date information in both map at 3D formats. Giving you the knowledge to see all the moving parts, and stay on track and on time.
High-resolution images and 3D rendering improve project management, inspections, progress tracking, create marketing materials, and most importantly increase safety.


Restoring power to the produce, one delivery at a time.
Every year, 60 million tons of produce end up in US landfills. A lot of it is tossed because it's "cosmetically imperfect," meaning supermarkets and suppliers think it's too small, too big, too oddly shaped, or too blemished to pay for. When this perfectly edible produce goes to the dump, it hurts the pockets of farmers and consumers while also letting off potent greenhouse gases.
We pick up these "ugly" fruits and veggies from farms throughout Massachusetts and deliver them to homes throughout Boston every Sunday for an awesome price. This way, farmers make some income on the produce they nurtured all season, you get affordable and fresh produce delivered, and mother earth gets a well-deserved break. So sign up for our weekly deliveries to help us find a loving home for less-than-loved produce!
Read about us in Edible Boston!
"On his 21st birthday in November 2018, during his study-abroad year at the London School of Economics, Alex Wong was in the British Museum when he got the call from his friend and business partner, Parker Hughes.
'We got the money,' said Hughes..."
Or in co-founder Parker's school newspaper, The Berkeley Beacon of Emerson College!
"After learning about food waste in his Food and Nutrition class, junior interdisciplinary major Parker Hughes decided to create his own solution—BRÜZD, a startup company with a twist on the farm-to-table model..."


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Andy Warhol Diamond Dust Shoes
"I just happen to like ordinary things. When I paint them, I don't try to make them extraordinary. I just try to paint them ordinary-ordinary." – Andy Warhol
'Iconic' may be the most overused description for an artwork. But for Andy, who came to achieve first name celebrity recognition as iconic as 'Marilyn', 'Jackie' or 'Arnold', a list of all the artwork images we know to be iconic from his oeuvre might challenge the length of the closing credits for "Return of the King", the final chapter of J. R. Tolkien's film trilogy. But there was also a simple, down-to-earth side to Andy. By 1980, the closing decade of his life, he yearned to return to his roots as couture queen of 5th Avenue window dressers and the commercial artist who rocked the world of Vogue, Harper's Bizarre and haute footwear companies from Henri Bandel to Bonwit Teller. As he remarked, "I'm doing shoes because I'm going back to my roots. In fact, I think I should nothing but shoes from now on," (A. Warhol, July 24, 1980, quoted in P. Hackett, (ed.), The Andy Warhol Diaries, 1989, p. 306). He began by photographing piles of shoes. It became a fixation. He did drawings, and later that year, embarked upon the Diamond Dust Shoes series of large prints in two versions: the first, a portfolio of five screen-prints of low contrast, ghostly-hued shoes against a black backdrop, and a second, more popular version of brilliantly hued shoes carefully arranged and based on his ever-ubiquitous Polaroids. Both versions are dazzling.
(from left): Andy Warhol, "Shoes", c. 1980, Polaroid, Polacolor / Andy Warhol, "Roy Halston", 1980, Polaroid, Polacolor
(from left): Andy Warhol, "High Heel Shoes", c. 1960, Ink and Tempera on Paper / Andy Warhol, "Shoes", 1948, Ink and Acrylic on Cardboard
Andy clearly had a thing about shoes, but it is not enough to say he was fascinated by them. As his good friend, the poet John Giorno recalled, he was sitting in a chair at The Factory when "one thing led to another, and he (Andy) was kissing and licking my shoes. I had always heard he was a shoe fetishist all those years designing shoe ads…I thought with a rush, 'he's sucking my shoes!" (John Giorno and William S. Burroughs, You Got to Burn to Shine, 1993, pgs. 131-32) That fetish was not much of secret. Rupert Jasen Smith, Andy's printer from 1977 until his death in 1987 (and the printer from whom Andy learned all about diamond dust) knew enough to purchase the stock of 2,000 pairs of shoes when he happened upon a nearby wholesale company going out of business sale. Andy loved the gift. Later, when Smith tripped and fell, spilling a box of the shoes to the floor, Andy, looked upon them spellbound and realized the pell-mell arrangement held as much good fortune as an African bone reading.
While diamond dust proved to be too chalky for Warhol's sensibilities, he settled on pulverized glass and the Diamond Dust Shoe series came to fruition via an ad campaign assignment from his good friend Roy Halston Frowick, the fashion designer known as Halston. The iconography embraces Andy's early dreams of glamor and fame, but with its sparkling surface the imagery congers up the strobe of a disco ball, and for those that recall the event, the Studio 54 New Year's Eve celebrations of the late 1970s when four tons of glitter were trucked in, and revelers danced the night on stardust.
The print offered here is from the same portfolio, signed and numbered, 6/10 AP (Artist-Proof) in graphite, printed on D'Arches Watercolor using the cold press technique. The colors match those as shown in the 1989 revised version of the catalogue raisonné. (ed. Frayda Feldman and Jörge Schellmann, Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné, Revised Edition, 1989, pg. 89)
Art Detail
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Shoes with Diamond Dust 11.254198040 x 59 in.(101.6 x 149.86 cm) screenprint in colors, diamond dust on arches aquarelle paper
Coskun Fine Art, London
Private Collection, Florida, 1990s
Heather James Fine Art, California
Frayda Feldman and Jörg Schellmann, Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987. Fourth Edition. Expanded and revised by Frayda Feldman and Claudia Defendi, p. 120.
Price250,000
Hi, I am interested in Shoes with Diamond Dust 11.254 by ANDY WARHOL.


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If humans suddenly disappeared, who would rule the world?
What would happen to the world if there were no humans in the future after the Apocalypse? About five billion years from now, our sun will rise and run out of fuel, swallow up the earth, and destroy all life on earth, including humans. But we humans are likely to disappear before that time.
Let us imagine that if humans disappeared, only animals would remain on earth. In other words, what would happen if there were no more people ruling the world today?
Imagine for a second you were transposed into the karmic driven world of Earl. What do we see? What animal or group of creatures will rule the world like us? Will monkeys rule like the popular science fiction movie Planet of the Apes? Or will other intelligent dolphins rule? Mice? Polar bears? Cockroaches? Pigs? Ants?
This is a very interesting fantasy question, and some scientists have compiled a list. Before making any such predictions, we must first define the dominant species that dominates.
Why can't a landing on the moon be a lie?


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Q: Priority Queue Issue Am implementing the A* algorithm based on this tutorials:
create the open list of nodes, initially containing only our starting node
   create the closed list of nodes, initially empty
   while (we have not reached our goal) {
       consider the best node in the open list (the node with the lowest f value)
       if (this node is the goal) {
           then we're done
       }
       else {
           move the current node to the closed list and consider all of its neighbors
           for (each neighbor) {
               if (this neighbor is in the closed list and our current g value is lower) {
                   update the neighbor with the new, lower, g value
                   change the neighbor's parent to our current node
               }
               else if (this neighbor is in the open list and our current g value is lower) {
                   update the neighbor with the new, lower, g value
                   change the neighbor's parent to our current node
               }
               else this neighbor is not in either the open or closed list {
                   add the neighbor to the open list and set its g value
               }
           }
       }
   }

Now i have two priority Queues for the open list and the closed list.
After moving a node from the open list to the closed list, i must generate its neighbours and check them one by one if they are also in the closed list and perform an operation as described above. The problem is i can only peek() only the head of the queue and compare to the generated neighbours. I can't access the rest of the nodes in the queue in order to compare them as well.
My questions is:
how can i compare the neighbours to the nodes in the closed list. Or should i use a different data structure for the closed list?
thanks

A: Store a value on each node that indicates if it is in the open list, closed list, or no list, then you don't have to go through the lists to see if it is or not.
And, as others have pointed out, you will probably get best results from implementing your own heap, as java's implementation apparently lacks the ability to update the key value on a node.

A: PriorityQueue's main disadvantage is it is only guarantees "what is the first element", no guarantees on any other elements [except they are "bigger" then the first], so finding an element is an expansive operation.
You can use a TreeSet to store your states, and then finding the elements will be done in O(logn) time, instead the O(n) PriorityQueue offers. You can use the first() method to get the first [lowest] element. To modify an element, you will need first to remove the original [will probably require an additional HashMap:State->value to store the current value] and then to insert the new node, with its modified value
Note that you will probably have to rewrite equals() for your nodes.
Also note:Though both are O(logn), each insert operation in a TreeSet is usually slower then its equivalent in PriorityQueue, so if your problem doesn't have to reopen states, this solution can actually be slower. However, in the general case, this is expected to be faster then the alternative, due to the shortened seek time.

A: What is the structure of your search space? If it's a path though a grid, you can use a grid to find a node "by positions". To update the F cost of the "potentially re-parented node" that is on the open-list you need operations that Java's standard PriorityQueue class does not support (namely UpdateKey, and the nodes have to know their index in the heap so UpdateKey can find them), so you'd have to roll your own heap (which is relatively easy).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The measure, signed into law by Governor Paterson in August, was sought by OPRHP to address a troubling rash of fatalities involving off-season boaters on small boats who were not wearing PFDs. In recent years, roughly 25 percent of the state's boating fatalities occurred in the off season. In New York State, there were 21 boating fatalities in 2008, of which five occurred in cold water conditions, including an October 19 Sullivan County incident in which three people died. In 2007, there were also 21 total fatalities, of which eight were in cold water conditions, including a May 4 Franklin County accident in which two people died.
"The new law will save lives by sending a strong message that boaters should always prepare for the unexpected," Ash said. "Frigid water can quickly overcome even the strongest swimmers – and significantly reduce the chance that those not wearing a life jacket will survive. A life jacket, no matter what the season, is the single best way boaters can keep themselves safe on the water.
"Assemblyman Steven Englebright, who sponsored the law in the Assembly, said: "This measure will help to address the escalating trend of boating fatalities that occur off-season when water temperatures are cold. A person's best chance of survival during cold water months is to wear a securely fastened personal safety device which allows the body to conserve energy, prevents submersion, and allows more time for rescue.
"Senator Antoine Thompson said, "Life jackets are a vital part of all recreational marine activities. They are especially valuable off-season when ice fishing or boating accidents in cold water can cause the body to go into shock and rapidly lose consciousness. This law is intent on protecting everyone's safety, especially children."
Al Johnson, the Northeast First Coast Guard District's recreational boating specialist, said: "Tragically many boaters and paddlers greatly under estimate the debilitating shock of sudden cold water immersion. This law will be instrumental in being the incentive to at least wear a life jacket."
John M. Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), said: "We applaud the New York Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation for shepherding and ensuring the passage of this visionary piece of legislation. Life jackets are a key to survival in cold water accidents and this law will put that fact in the mind of every New York boater with the force of law.
"Officials noted immersion in cold water, considered less than 68 degrees Fahrenheit, can cause sudden cardiac arrest, a gasping reflex that causes inhalation of water, the loss of swimming ability and grip strength and eventually hypothermia and unconsciousness. These risks are compounded by the absence of other boaters on the water at this time of year, reducing the likelihood that others will come to the aid of a boater in distress.
It's also important to note that the water temperature is often dissimilar to the air temperature. Warm, sunny days in the late fall may obscure the fact that lakes and rivers have quickly cooled due to shorter days and freezing nighttime temperatures.Under the law, each boat passenger must wear a securely fastened, United States Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device of the appropriate size while the boat is under way – that is, while the vessel is not at anchor, or made fast to the shore, or aground. Boaters are subject to the law while on any lakes, rivers, streams and waters within the state that are not privately owned. Violation of the law could result in a fine of $25 to $100. Commercial boats and racing crew shells of organized rowing teams are not subject to the law.


UMass Boston says dozens of employees are taking voluntary cash buyouts as the Dorchester campus tries to reduce an annual deficit of at least $10 million.
One of this country's largest for-profit college chains has agreed to a $49 million settlement after it was charged with misleading students. DeVry University will pay a total of $455,000 to eligible graduates in Massachusetts.
High school seniors across the country are prepping for their graduation ceremonies. At a charter school in Boston, another big day comes a few weeks earlier when seniors make their college decisions public at an emotional school-wide ceremony in front of family and friends.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh have partnered to launch a program that makes public college tuition-free for low-income Boston residents. Boston joins Tennessee, New York and Rhode Island in pushing for free college, but affordability advocates wonder how many students will benefit from the plan.
Parents enrolled in college would lose a childcare program aimed at helping them graduate under Trump budget.
The Trump administration wants to phase out a program designed to forgive student loans for graduates who work in public service, but student loan experts are telling borrowers not to panic.
University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan tells WGBH News that he sees an endgame for UMass Boston's financial struggles.
Household debt in the U.S. has reached a new peak north of $12.7 trillion, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Student loans account for more than 10 percent of that debt.


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A London River Walk: Putney Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge
Cemeteries capped the beginning and end of a long rainy walk one Saturday from Fulham to Hammersmith and back again, a loop that took me along the Thames and home via Ravenscourt Park. Juggling a camera and an umbrella is not ideal, but I managed to take a few photos anyway. Sometimes rain makes you see the world a bit differently, bringing dripping branches, sleek reflective surfaces and making it easier to look down more often than up.
After wandering through the historical gravestones near All Saint's Church, I hit the familiar trail that runs along the edge of the Thames on one side and the leafy Bishop's Park on the other. The green railings dripped water onto already wet leaves piled up against the edge for kicking through while the wind whipped against my umbrella. The park was empty, but a few dedicated joggers passed me on the river path.
Once I reached the edge of the park, I veered off now and then from the river path, following sleepy side streets that were more colourful than I expected. Red berries littered the ground beneath a tree. I spotted a few colourful doors and walked beneath an arbour partially covered with leaves and twisting branches.
More joggers. More wind. The river was muddy and brown against a grey sky, the remains of an old dock standing in the subtle ripples caused by passing boats. Trees on the other side already stretching bare branches into the cloud-filled sky.
It was the day after the Paris attacks, a day I was supposed to go to the east for an Etsy meet up with some inspiring and creative people and to spend a happy afternoon taking bright, artistic photos of Shoreditch, but the weather seemed suitably bleak for such a day and I opted for this dreary walk near home instead.
The tide was out, the sopping sands of the banks ripples from receding streams, dotted with pieces of debris, the odd abandoned shoe and coffee cup. But there was some colour in the burnt orange Autumn berries, the rows of red Boris bikes, and the pink stems of rhubarb growing in the garden of The River Cafe toward Hammersmith.
Near the River Cafe, I came to a street called Bowfell Road that could have been somewhere like Notting Hill, an area that you'd associate with such vibrant homes. But then this part of west London has surprised me with its architectural details like the stained glass windows in the doors around the Alphabet Streets, each one a different design that you notice more at night when the lights are on indoors, and the artistic tiles in the entranceways too. So I guess Bowfell Road shouldn't have surprised me.
Just past the River Cafe, I came to the Harrods Furniture Depository on the other side of the river in Barnes. Later I found out it was built in 1894 in the site of an old soap factory, was owned by Harrods and used as a place to store some of the bigger items that couldn't be taken to the Knightsbridge shop.
The Grade II listed Harrods Furniture Depository buildings are no longer owned by Harrods but have since been converted into 250 townhouses and penthouse suites known as "Harrods Village". Curious, I Googled the property and found this little look inside a 2-bedroom, £1.25 million flat and a smaller 1-bedroom for£750k.
Closer to Hammersmith Bridge, there are more new developments cropping up, no doubt for similar prices. I thought about crossing the river, but opted to head back to Fulham through the back streets on the north side instead and cut over into Ravenscourt Park.
Hammersmith is a bit of London I'm happy to not spend too much time, though I have happy memories of going to gigs around there years ago. Other than that, there's a lot of traffic, concrete, betting shops, phone repair shops, Primark and the transport hub / shopping mall that is Hammersmith Station.
What I do like about Hammersmith is the lovely Ravenscourt Park (of course, much more enjoyable when it's not raining…) with its plane trees and cedars and lake in the middle. The best part is wrought-iron gates leading into the scented, a lush little nook full of benches and a bit of cover from the weather.
It's a small circular, symmetrical garden with rose beds and rose-covered arches, yuccas, giant poppies, irises, wisteria, lavender and jasmine. Vines snake around brick columns and birds hop over sleek pathways in search of worms on the surface. Tiny yellow flowers sway and bob under the weight of the rain. Translucent drips hanging from each pink bud.
I sat for a while under the partial roof that covers the benches around the garden before making my way back through the park to the other side, heading back home to Fulham with soggy boots. The Autumn leaves were not yet blown away and the ground beneath the trees coated in the ones that had fallen already.
There were kids playing a game of football in another section of the park, but other than that it was quiet. Everyone else was probably home, snuggling up with netflix and tea while the rain slithered down their windowpanes. At this point, I was ready to be doing the same (though probably a book instead of a series).
I still had quite a walk ahead of me though: Past the lake where birds floated under the trees and down the busy streets of Hammersmith into Fulham where I passed "Hammersmith's Favourite Sandwich & Salad Bar" which seemed a bit of a lie considering it looked to be closed down to me…and then finally home via the Fulham Palace Road cemetery which I wrote about last week in the link above!
1,000 Years of Borough Market
A Walk Through London's Portobello Market
A Wander Down London's Westbourne Grove
wonderful photos and commentary Steph. As a newish Londoner, your site and keen eye really helps me appreciate what is on offer here
littleobservationist
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Tim! Glad you're finding inspiration. I remember back to being a newish Londoner with so much enthusiasm for seeing everything. Fun times! 🙂
Rainy, dreary, moody London is just as dear to me as it is in drier, sunnier times…great photos!
Thanks Caroline! (And I completely agree about the rain.)
Minion from Madras
Loved reading this! I thought I had the Hammersmith and Fulham area covered, but I'm glad to have found a few places I hadn't known existed, through your post.
Hi, I'm Steph.
I'm a freelance social media strategist, content creator and photographer who loves to support and promote small businesses. Born in New York, I currently live in London with my husband Jorge, our kids Emilia and Sebastian, and Oakley, our lazy cat. Beyond work and family, I love to travel, read, explore, blog, bake, eat and drink lots of tea. Read my story here!
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Church growth for the Laarim people: The Laarim people in South Sudan have started an indigenous church. Last month was the first ever Laarim-led worship service in the village of Yei. It was a service complete with Laarim gospel songs accompanied by a drum, and the telling of a Bible story by a Laarim youth. This is one of numerous little churches sprouting up in different villages throughout Kimatong. Pray for these churches to grow and spread throughout this people group.
Rift Valley Academy Christian boarding school: Rift Valley Academy (RVA) is a Christian boarding school established by AIM in central Kenya with over a 100 years of rich history. It serves about 500 missionary children, representing 30 nationalities and 80 mission organisations and churches. Pray for its ministry supporting current mission work, while investing in the next generation of missionaries and gospel-bearers. Pray for the staff and children at RVA, that it would be an environment where children feel supported and cared for, as well as develop their own relationship with Christ. Pray too for the families who send their children to RVA, as they can struggle with the separation too.
The Karimojong people: The Karimojong live in northeast Uganda. Armed conflict, often stemming from cattle raiding has left unresolved animosity and the current 'peace' in the region is the result of a significant army presence. While many of the Karimojong will say that they are 'Christian', this does not usually mean a transformed life. Many factors hinder the church there from fully engaging in the Great Commission and as a result the Karimojong are often categorised as an unreached people group. Doctrinally, some churches seem focused on religion or prosperity, and the presence of mature Christian leaders, able to teach and disciple others, is largely non-existent.
Living water for the Zigua: Although the area where the Zigua people live has plentiful rains, most have no way to store water. For much of 2018 the pump at the village well was burnt out and the government system to deliver water didn't reach them. The result was that the cost of a single Jerry can of water was out of reach for every household in the area. People rode over 10km to obtain even a can of water. Water is one of those things that you don't consider too much until you don't have it; then it consumes you. Now that the well in the village has been fixed, pray that the Zigua would turn their thoughts to the Living Water, and be consumed by it.
Digo people to experience the Holy Spirit: For over 20 years, a handful of AIM missionaries have served on the coasts of Kenya and Tanzania among the Digo. Yet, despite this gospel presence, there has been little visible fruit. Please pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Digo people, that they may seek after the truth. Pray that they would understand that good works or following rules and traditions cannot earn them a place in heaven. Pray that the love of Jesus would soften their hearts.
Reflecting in solitude: The Lesotho shepherds are the least reached people group within this small mountainous kingdom. They are hired to take responsibility, often in remote and isolated areas, for the animals of richer cattle owners. In order to share the gospel, a team of Christians had to sacrifice even basic comforts. Give thanks that these sacrifices have led to relationships being built with the shepherds and that the team has had the joy of seeing fruit. The shepherds were given digital audio players which play Bible stories told using the shepherds' own storytelling techniques. Pray that in the time that the shepherds spend alone, the words of God would dwell in their hearts.
Serving the Kanembu: There's a new ministry among the Kanembu in Chad. Pray that the established church in southern Chad would have a growing enthusiasm for evangelism and that we may be effective partners in the gospel. Pray that God would be calling people to serve on a team among the Kanembu and that he would also be preparing the hearts of the Kanembu to be open to hearing the gospel, and to the idea of having a team living among them.
The Fulani in Niger: The Fulani in Niger combine their Islamic beliefs with ancestor worship. Pray that they would put their trust and faith in Jesus and that he would set them free from their fear. Pray for help to understand the free gift of salvation, so that they don't have to rely on rituals and sacrifices. We give thanks for all the connections and contact that the AIM team has been having with Fulani in the surrounding communities to where they are living. May the team and the Fulani believers have wisdom as they share the gospel beyond their immediate communities.
Godly Christian Leaders among the Ik: Pray that the Ik would have more access to God's word as it is translated into Icetod, the Ik language. Pray they would fully understand who God is and what Christ has done, and that they would wholeheartedly love, worship and live for Christ alone, instead of fearing evil spirits or men. Pray also for godly Christian leaders among the Ik. Many of the church teachers have been away for training. Pray that this training would be useful and that the teachers would come back excited and encouraged to be faithfully sharing God's word with those God has entrusted to them.
Alagwa of Tanzania: Pray that God's kingdom would come in power among the Alagwa of Tanzania. May there be Alagwa disciples who make disciples in many villages. For the new Alagwa believers, we ask God that they may have the courage to share the good news of Jesus with their family and friends. Pray for the church in Kwa Madebe, that the believers may grow in faith there. Prat it would be a missionary church, reaching those from all people groups in the community.
The Fulani: Praise God that a well-known witch doctor, almost dying because of an infection in his jaw, gave his life to Christ and was healed. He is a walking miracle! Now he, his wives and his children and grandchildren are all walking with the Lord and, according to his pastor, they are the strongest believers in his church. Pray for more believers and more such miracles among the Fulani.
The Mwani are Following Christ: Praise God for the growing numbers of Mwani who choose to follow Jesus. In Quissanga there have been three more baptisms this year and we pray the group would be urged by God's Spirit to reach out to family and friends in other areas. Pray that they will remain strong in their faith.
The Amhara of Ethiopia: The Amhara inhabit the northern and western highlands of Ethiopia. A traditionally orthodox people group, AIM and Serving In Mission are seeking to put a team together to live among them, working with local evangelical churches to share the news of Jesus with those who have yet to fully understand it. Please pray that Orthodox believers of Bahir Dar would encounter Christ in all his fullness and not only grow in personal relationship with him but also in sharing their faith with others.
Five Samburu men: Samburu men are quite resistant to the idea of coming to church. Pray that five Samburu men will begin following Jesus by the end of 2017. Pray that they will have the courage to live for Christ, even if it means losing the acceptance and respect of other men. Pray that God will establish his church among the Samburu.
Equipping Women: Nancy Lambrechts helps to teach and train women on the 'Preach the Word' training course in Rwanda. She says she often meets women who feel ill equipped to disciple or teach other women. Women have many unique opportunities to lead each other to the feet of Jesus, so pray that the work she does would encourage women and give them the confidence they need to draw others to listen to Jesus' words.
Training local leaders: Transformation development taught in Madagascar is based on the biblical foundation of Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind". Praise God that many participants have understood that development starts with themselves, and that the principles are empowering them and their families. Pray that the 170 local leaders who have received the training would begin to apply Biblical principles day to day.
Growth in Mozambique: Praise God for the baptism of new believers at the end of last year in Pemba. Pray also for the growing number of believers in areas like Quissanga and Ibo Island. Lift up these new believers into God's care as workers leave. Pray for God to raise up and strengthen local leadership.
Alagwa breakthrough: Please pray for spiritual breakthrough among the Alagwa, that the fear and demonic activity which enslaves so many people there may be broken. May our God who releases captives set many souls free to love and serve him. Community is of ultimate importance in decision making, so please pray that whole families will come to faith among the Alagwa.
Indian Ocean Islands: AIM is currently looking to send a team of aviation professionals and their families to work in the Indian Ocean Islands. Please pray for people to join this team who abide in Christ, and who will work with integrity in the aviation industry for the benefit of the country. The team will live in community with the Islanders, seeking to share their faith and see churches planted.
The Zigua People: The Zigua people of KomSanga village in northeastern Tanzania have never heard the gospel. Please pray that even before missionaries go to live among them and share the good news that God would be softening their hearts to his message of love and redemption.
Reaching the isolated: Pray that God would work in the hearts and minds of the Lesotho shepherds boys. Pray that the team working amongst them will develop good friendships with shepherds who will then receive the gospel. Pray that shepherds know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and live lives obedient to him. A Lesotho shepherd's day is very lonely and isolated. Pray for the Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team members seeking to reach the shepherds as they live this life, finding it hard with lack of stimulation and activity.
Sakalava people: Pray for the Sakalava people of Nosy Be, Madagascar, that they might come to know the true God of the world. Pray that they would turn from looking to their ancestors for protection and blessing, and turn to Jesus Christ, their true spiritual brother, who is the only one able to save them. Please pray for a new Focus team to go to the Sakalava of Madagascar, to be recruited in 2016. Please pray for some current team members, who are now considering God's call in their hearts to return for this ministry, that the Lord would make it clear to them.
Reaching shepherds: Please pray that God would work in the hearts and minds of the shepherds of Lesotho. Pray that the team working amongst them develop good friendships with shepherds who will then receive the gospel. Pray that shepherds will know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and live lives obedient to him.
Goats for evangelism: For a number of years now, AIM has been running a livestock project which loans goats to evangelists from the Africa Inland Church Tanzania (AICT) working in the Lake Eyasi area. The project aims to help them in a sustainable way, encourage them to breed a herd and then return the original goats to the project within a four year period. The idea is that through the goat herds the evangelists will be able to supplement their incomes. Give praise to God that recent highlights have included the first goat twins being successfully reared and seeing one evangelist having to enlist the help of a second herder as his flock grows. It has also been encouraging to see people who have tended to live 'hand to mouth' start to take a more long term view of things as they have seen the value and number of their goats increase over time.
Counselling in the front-line: The Tumaini Counselling Centre in Kenya is run by professional counsellors and psychiatrists, who are also missionaries. They support missionaries who often work in difficult, isolated, sometimes dangerous situations, and are in the front-line of spiritual attack. The centre works with those experiencing personal crises, family stresses, marriage problems, or traumatic events in their missionary work. Consequently, many are able to resume effective ministry without having to leave the field. Please pray for this vital work of healing and restoration.
Safina Street Network: Safina Street Network is an holistic outreach to vulnerable children and young people in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Many come from broken families and decide to live on the streets. They face crime, drug abuse, hardship and repeated rejection. Safina aims to help these children to know God and come into a relationship with him through Jesus Christ as well as assisting them with shelter, food, medical treatment, education and life skills. Pray for all those involved with this project.
Basotho shepherds: Lesotho - 'the Kingdom in the Sky' - is a small, mountainous country, surrounded by South Africa. Basotho shepherds are a socially rejected, unreached and semi-nomadic group of men and boys, living high in the mountains. A chief shepherd shared: "I've heard of missionaries going to my home village, but I have always felt left out. But now, you're coming to us, we are very happy!". AIM is placing a team amongst these shepherds. Pray for young men willing to endure these extreme conditions. Praise God for the shepherds' eagerness to share their lives with the team. Pray that their hearts are prepared to hear the gospel. In two years, trusting that the fields are 'ripe for harvest', we aim to plant a church!
The Mwani: The Mwani people live on the north coast of Mozambique. Influenced by sea-faring Arab merchants centuries ago, the culture is defined through fishing and folk Islam. Children go to Madrassa schools. They memorize and can recite the Koran, but they don't understand its meaning. Most Mwani are illiterate and speak only a bit of Portuguese. Radio Nuru is a Christian FM radio station in the Kimwani language, well-known and loved in many Mwani villages. The Koti were an unreached people group, violently resistant to the gospel. Since 2003, thousands have come to Christ and Koti missionaries are now reaching the Mwani. While Radio Nuru broadcasts the truth about Jesus, the Koti extend the work and sit with the Mwani under the trees, answer questions and give explanations!
Ostracised by their communities: No one knows for certain, but the Datooga are thought to number at least 100,000, spread out over a vast area of bush in North and Central Tanzania. Traditionally they follow animistic beliefs and practices, in which animal sacrifices and ancestral spirits play an important part. Datooga Christians who decline to take part in traditional rituals are often ostracised by their local communities. Pray that believers will be able to stand firm in the Lord and enjoy being free from these traditional practices and superstitions. Pray that their freedom in Christ will attract many more to follow Jesus.
A mighty church: Despite many hardships of war, unrest, poor infrastructure and powerful traditional beliefs, give thanks that a mighty church, dubbed CECA 20 by the government, has arisen with vision, passion and good organisation. Pray for the Congolese as they face fighting in the southeast near the Uganda and Rwanda borders; many are suffering and a large number have been displaced. Pray that any solutions proposed to help them will enhance their dignity and bring them into a vibrant relationship with Christ.
The Rendille: The Rendille live in Northern Kenya, as semi-nomadic pastoralists, between the Muslims to the north and Christians to the south. They practice a traditional, animistic religion which includes prayer to the moon, animal sacrifices and worship of ancestral spirits. For the Rendille, life revolves around water. They move wherever vegetation can be found. Driven by thirst, clans fight over wells and steal livestock. This inevitably leads to deaths. But there is another thirst - a spiritual one. They long to be satisfied; to be at peace. Pray that Christian organisation, working with the Church in Kenya, will bring the life-giving water of the gospel to the Rendille.
The Antakarana: Nosy Mitsio, a remote island off the northeast coast of Madagascar, is the cultural heart of the Antakarana people. An Antakaran King once made a deal with Allah during an invasion and ever since the Antakarana people have been devoted to Islam. To this day, Nosy Mitsio is a revered place. Pray for the people there to learn of Christ and desire to make him their refuge. A team of translators is now gathering data for a translation of Luke in the Antakarana dialect. Pray that this work goes well and that the finished product may be put to good use.
The Laarim: The Laarim are a Nilotic people living in the Boya Hills of South Sudan. They live in small settlements in a rugged and hilly terrain with rich savanna, high grasslands and scrub bushes. Among the Laarim, many relationships within families, groups of friends, and the community, are troubled with mistrust and jealousy. Please pray that people would experience the love of Jesus and turn to Him to find healing in their relationships. Pray too for the Lord to prepare and raise up workers from outside and within the Laarim community to reach the Laarim people with the gospel.
The Datooga: Datooga is the name of the large group scattered across Tanzania to which the Barabaig and Taturu belong - there are possibly 16 groups or clans. The Datooga respect and fear their ancestors and communicate with them through the spirits, so witchcraft and sorcery is rampant. Five Old Testament foundational stories have been prepared to be translated and recorded by some Datooga believers who just recently graduated from Bible School. They are grateful that they already have four parables of Jesus recorded in the Datooga language which the local people listen to with rapt attention. Pray that the Holy Spirit would open the hearts and minds of the Datooga people to the truths they are learning about a God who wants a true, deep and loving relationship with each one of them.
The Lopit: The Lopit are an unreached people group who inhabit the Lopit hills in Torit district in South Sudan. They believe in a supreme god, spirits and the spiritual sphere. Worship celebrations are accompanied by dancing and drinking, and alcoholism is a problem. The rain-maker and other mediums hold great power, and gifts are given to seek their favour for rain and other good things. Pray that the secondary school students will receive more than knowledge of school subjects; that they will experience a real intimacy with their loving heavenly Father, a passionate relationship with Jesus and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as they live in a very animistic community.
The Sakalava: Praise God that a TIMO (Training In Ministry Outreach) team will be living and working among the Sakalava people in northern Madagascar, beginning in November 2012. Praise Him for Rosina Ferdinand, one of few Sakalava believers, who will lead the team. The Sakalava worship their ancestors, believing that children are the 'future ancestors', and therefore place great emphasis on them. Fear is their constant companion and sorcery and witchcraft are endemic in their communities. Pray that the Lord will lead people to join the team and that the Sakalava will come to see the hope that there is in Christ and leave their ancestor worship. Pray too, that the team will have the strength to stand up against the inevitable spiritual attacks.
Prostitution: Prostitution is a serious problem in Chad. As is the case in many countries across the world, women who go out to seek a better life end up turning to prostitution to simply survive. In Chad their main clientele come from the nearby army bases and the indignity of it all leads many of the women into depression and its unfortunate repercussions: drugs and suicide. Drug addiction leads to a circle of dependency, where they need more money to feed their habits, often while trying to support their own children. Please pray for the female missionaries working with these women - that they will remain physically safe while trying to show God's pure love - and pray also that the Church in Chad will have a vision to reach out to them.
Switzerland of Africa: Lesotho is described as the 'Switzerland of Africa', due to its high altitude and mountains, often leading to extremely cold and snowy winters. It is also on these mountains that the country's largest unreached people group lives: the 120,000 shepherds (or 'herdboys') of Lesotho. The boys and men, ranging from 5 to 65 years, have little contact with villages and when they do visit they are viewed with caution and treated as thieves. But praise God that they are being reached with the gospel. A team of missionaries and Basotho (local people) is being put together to translate scripture into the song and story patterns of the shepherds. Pray for their work.


text:
Kujang-ŭp är en ort i Nordkorea.   Den ligger i provinsen Norra P'yŏngan, i den centrala delen av landet,  km norr om huvudstaden Pyongyang. Kujang-ŭp ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Kujang-ŭp är huvudsakligen kuperad, men den allra närmaste omgivningen är platt. Den högsta punkten i närheten är Yongmun-san,  meter över havet,  km öster om Kujang-ŭp. Runt Kujang-ŭp är det ganska tätbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer. Det finns inga andra samhällen i närheten. Trakten runt Kujang-ŭp består till största delen av jordbruksmark.

Inlandsklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är augusti, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är juli, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är februari, med  mm nederbörd.

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