On October 17, a gorgeous 70 degree day in Houston TX, SGI held a YMD 3 on 3 Rock the Era basketball tournament at Crain Park where 15 members participated in a joyful and friendly competition. The tournament included four teams: Houston Heat, Pepperoni, Soka Hoopers, and Teran Brothers. Team Pepperoni was made up of four guests from Pasadena Texas and won the tournament against Team Houston Heat. Team Teran Brothers was the youngest among the four teams and they were smiling all the time even they didn’t win the tournament.

One of the guests, Chien Wang, said after the game that he would definitely come back to do more activities with SGI and bring more guests with him next time. YMD member Sushain Dhawan said that this game brought out the unity of many in body one in mind among everyone and he learned the importance of having great friends in our Buddhist practice. YMD member Go Ochiai, who was planning to drive four hours to Dallas the same day, said there was no way he would miss this opportunity to have a great time with fellow YMD members. Several members from three other divisions came out to show support by taking photos and bringing fruit and water for the activity.

Despite the outcome, everyone is a winner at the end. This activity served as symbols of creating bond through friendship and planting seed for kosen-rufu. Based on President Ikeda’s guidance, each of the 15 young men received tremendous benefit by creating golden memories for their lives and put faith into action through the games.

- Contributed by Tony Lee

BCAF is Houston’s award-winning one-of-a-kind outdoor art gallery is a juried fine art event that boasts 300 acclaimed artists in 19 media formats from throughout the U.S. and the world. Ranked the #3 Festival in the U.S. the event features fine art, multicultural music and dance on the Houston Arts Alliance stage, international food and wine cafes, and interactive art where children and families can discover the fun of making art together.

The crowds were wall to wall as the SGI volunteers entered the event.  Volunteers were greeted with stage performances and continuous multi-cultural musical and dance shows with art demonstrations. There were incredible paintings, handmade jewelry, ceramic art, stained glass murals, sculptures, hand-woven scarves and a Creative Zone for kids’ crafts like rock painting, mask-making, face painting, wax hand souvenirs, beaded necklace and bracelets, and more.

Seventeen SGI-USA Houston members volunteered for the two-day festival. On Day 1, volunteers were assigned duties in the Creative Zone for children to experience the fun of making art projects. Houston’s East and West Area youth division rocked the bat mask-making station sponsored by Buffalo Bayou Partnership, a non-profit organization revitalizing and transforming Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource. On Day 2, several Houston youth and adult division members were assigned Artist Relief duties where they looked after the artist booths while the artists took breaks for lunch or snacks.

Direct interaction with festival guests of all ages made volunteering all the more fun. So much fun, in fact, that the SGI members did not want to leave even after their shifts ended. It was an awesome day. Each and every one of the volunteers had some new-found appreciation for art and for what goes into organizing a very large public event. SGI Houston is proud to have supported BCAF, of which the proceeds of the festival fund 17 area arts and service nonprofit organizations. So, if you want to ‘experience art’ at its best with a good amount of southern hospitality thrown in, visit the BCAF in March 2010 at Memorial Park in Houston, Texas.

- Contributed by Ashwini Kulkarni

Yes! huh…huh…that’s right…it’s time for youth division to party and prepare for the grand festival in July 2010 with the entire youth division of SGI-USA to celebrate 80th anniversary of Soka Gakkai.

Our SGI General Director Danny Nagashima recently shared, “We have to build the future of America with the youth division!” This is so exciting to hear! So, on every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday, we will be preparing for the July 2010 festival, for which all supporting/auxiliary groups (student division, junior/senior high school division, youth performing group, brass band, fife & drum corp, byakuren, soka group, gajokai, elementary school division) will come together to create a new and exciting meeting. This is YOUR youth meeting!  WooHoo!!!

So let’s get ready to party with all the youth division and rock the SGI center to the core!!! You and your guests are invited!!! We can’t wait to see you!!!

Time: 10 AM – 2 PM

Venue: Crain Park @ 9051 Triola, Houston TX 77036

Eligibility: All YMD members & guests

Entry fee: Yourself

Check-in time: 9 AM on October 17 @ SGI Houston CC

Deadline for signup: Wednesday – October 14

ALL GAMES WILL BE SELFOFFICIATED.

1. Game Length: The first team to 15 (win by 2, 20 point max) wins.

2. Time Outs: One per team per game ‐ duration 30 seconds in length.

3. All games are self officiated. The two teams involved should mediate questions of judgment. If teams or players cannot agree on the validity of the foul then the player “contesting the call” will shoot a free throw. If the free throw is made the foul is nullified and that team will get the ball. If the free throw is missed the foul shall stand and the “fouled” team shall retain possession.

4. 3 on 3 basketball is a half court game played by 2 teams of three with a maximum of 4 per roster. Teams MUST have at least three people to start a game.

5. Substitutions may be made after a basket or any stoppage of play.

6. Coin Toss. The team listed first on the score sheet shall call the toss and choose to take the ball.

7. The possession changes after each basket (this is NOT make it, take it).

8. The “Check Line” is determined by the three point arc. The ball must be beyond the arch at the beginning of each half.

9. On defensive rebounds (including air balls) and steals, the ball must be passed or dribbled beyond the arc. The ball does not need to be given to a different player. As long as the ball goes beyond the arc, there are no limitations on who can shoot it.

10. The Three Point Shot is in affect and 2 points will be awarded for a shot made behind the arc and 1 point for any shot made on or within the arc.

11. If the ball is knocked out of bounds or goes across the mid court line it shall be awarded to the opposing team (the team that did not knock it out).

12. Alternating possession on all jump ball situations will be in affect.

13. The offensive team must “pass the ball in” before a shot is attempted (make one pass before a shot is taken).

14. Out‐Of‐Bounds. If the ball goes out‐of‐bounds the offensive team must check the ball with the defensive team at the top of the key.

Notes:

‐ Sportsmanship like conducts will be implemented throughout the tournament.

‐ All players will meet at SGI Houston Community Center on game date at 9am.

‐ All players are required to fill out liability forms provided by SGI‐USA at sign‐in.

‐ Water bottles & snacks will be available for each participant.

‐ Please wear appropriate clothing for the games.

BEACH DAY ‘09 will be taking place on Sunday, June 28 at Indian Beach! The party is held for the graduation of Jr./Sr. High School & Student Division graduates as well as a final farewell get together for those moving out of Houston at the end of summer! All youth and friends are encouraged to attend to have fun with us (Men’s and Women’s Division support are welcome too)!

Schedule:
9:30-10:00 Meet at community center (3465 West Alabama - Houston, Texas 77027) to do gongyo, organize carpools, collect consent forms from minors, headcounts.
10:00 Leave community center promptly for beach house at Indian Beach, Galveston TX
11:00-12:30 Arrive at beach, icebreakers, discussions til everyone arrives and have food/lunch
12:30-1:30 Activities and graduation ceremony for graduating Jr./Sr. High & Student division members.
1:30-3:30 Beach time! (volley ball, soccer, games, swimming, etc.)
3:30-4:00 Pack/clean and round people up, get ready to leave
4:00 Leave for community center promptly
~5:00-5:30 Arrive at community center and go home!

Stuff to bring:
-Minors/Under 18 please bring parental consent forms and have them signed prior to coming to the center. Download the Minor Consent Form.
-Some food and snacks will be provided by some of our lovely Women’s Division members, but please bring your own bag lunches if you can
-Towels, swimsuits, change of clothes if you plan on getting wet
-Suggestions: hand sanitizer, sunscreen, chairs, umbrella, old sheets, games, soccer/volleyballs, a bag to carry everything, etc.
-Cameras, phones, music
[please keep track of all personal belongings]
-A smile and friends :)!!

Other Information:
-If you are able to provide transportation, please email Rose. Come with a full tank of gas so we can leave together and make a nonstop trip to and back from the beach. Maps and directions will be provided at the CC on Sunday unless you plan on meeting us there–if so, let me know and I can email you directions.
-Some Women’s and Men’s Division have asked how they can support; this is totally voluntary but if you’d like to help, we are asking the Women’s Division to bring some snacks, etc. (coordinator: Tanya Ayers) & Men’s Division to help with water, ice, light refreshments (coordinator: Howard Lee) –thanks everyone so much!!

]]> http://sgi-houston.org/beach-day-09/feed/ http://sgi-houston.org/houston-pride/ http://sgi-houston.org/houston-pride/#comments Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:27:05 +0000 sgiadmin http://sgi-houston.org/?p=874 The SGI-USA Houston Chapter is excited to participate in the 2009 Houston Pride Festival on Saturday, June 27!!!

The Pride Festival is the single largest community event that supports Houston’s gay and lesbian community and friends. Admission is free and each year the Pride Festival & Parade brings out approximately 150,000 people.

The SGI-USA Houston Chapter has a booth in the Festival where we will be sharing materials and promoting Introductory Meetings to festival participants.

On Saturday, May 23, 2009, 160 young women from across Texas and Oklahoma challenged their lives and woke uncharacteristically early on a Saturday morning. While it would have been completely normal to still be lying in bed these young ladies packed sandwiches, props for skits and rice balls to drive and ride buses for several hours in many cases for a historic gathering.

On the bus to Austin!

These youth finally met together at MacCullum High School in Austin, Texas to kick off their participation as members of the first class of the SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai. National Youth leaders Kim Herrmann, National Young women leader Vinessa Shaw and Central Territory Young Women leader Jee Moon joined the meeting to offer encouragement and information about the newly formed Ikeda Kayo-kai, an international faith-based studying group for young women founded by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda.

National Young Women’s Division leader Vinessa Shaw explained the background of the SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai and shared a picture that she took of the World Ikeda Kayo-kai apricot tree that was planted in Japan at Makiguchi Memorial Hall in early May of this year in between President Ikeda’s mother’s tree and Mrs. Ikeda’s mother’s tree, symbolizing our deep mission as young women of the SGI to lead happy lives and help others do the same.

National youth division leader Kim Herman challenged all of the young women in the room to make that day the kick-off day for their lives, urging all of us to “wake up to who we really are and how we can truly live each day of our lives based on the oneness of mentor and disciple.”

Study is one of the main components of being a part of the SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai

Highlights of the TX/OK Zone Kayo-kai kick-off meeting included a history of Kayo-kai by South Central Texas young woman and a clever skit by the young women of the Texas Gulf Coast Region that conveyed the elements of Nichiren Daishonin’s writing “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” through three television shows on The Gakkai Channel. Sharing a spirit of contribution, the Oklahoma young women made bead bags to share with guests and new members.

Next, Ashima Vermani shared a deeply touching experience of her struggles with her mother-in-law that are helping her achieve her own human revolution. Also, Nisha Bhatt shared an inspiring May contribution experience about how she and her husband fought and met their annual contribution goal even after several financial set backs.

Just before the close of the meeting, an unexpected Gohonzon conferral was announced. Daniela Gaudiesus, a young women’s division member from Killeen, Texas was shocked to learn that her guest Jamaica Martinez decided right then and there to receive her Gohonzon. In a breathtakingly joyous moment, Daniella and her shakabuku hugged and thanked everyone for their support. “My life has been so hard,” said Jamaica, in tears. “But thanks to Daniella, I’ve been chanting and already seeing changes.” The entire audience rose to its feet to cheer for this tremendous victory and there was not a dry eye in the room.

Buoyed with joy, the South Central Texas Region young women ended the meeting with medley of dancing and singing. The Texas/Oklahoma Zone SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai Kick-off meeting was a great success and filled many with a renewed sense of hope and determination to lead lives of indomitable spirit.

Texas/Oklahoma Zone SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai

3 Eternal Mottos of the SGI Ikeda Kayo-Kai

1. Strive together in friendship as sisters in faith and remain true to the path of faith throughout our lives.
2. Base ourselves on” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin” and always cherish and protect the SGI.
3. Forever advance together with President and Mrs. Ikeda.

By 2030, let’s become the type of women who are the source of limitless hope for all!

For more information about the SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai, please visit the SGI-USA website.

When I arrived in Houston in March, 1982 I already had built up my practice and the determination to always practice this Buddhism and became active in all the young men’s division activities and in my district. In March, 1988 I was appointed as the Young Men’s Division leader of Houston on the basis of my sincerity, and dedication. Throughout our efforts, including countless home visitations, I was able to recommend and have appointed twenty young men to have responsibilities of district level and higher in the Houston SGI organization over the period of three years. Many new young men joined. Since then I have been a district leader and also served as coordinator of the Culture and Study Dept Committee of Houston multiple times. My faith in this Buddhism has deepened over the years.

I became married to a wonderful lady in 1991.We have challenged job, her sickness of Fibromyalgia, and all types of life challenges. It is an amazing benefit to be married to this lady and witness her tremendous spirit as we practice this faith together.

For today’s experience I will discuss the great fortune and life condition that allowed me to recover from a moderate brain injury. On February 28^th, 2008 after waking up, I fell on the back of my head at home and made it back to bed. My wife was concerned when she found drops of blood in the kitchen and on my pillow. I did not wake up and eventually she called my primary doctor who advised her to call for an ambulance which brought me to Hermann Memorial Hospital downtown. I was admitted to the intensive care unit where I stayed for seven days and underwent many tests including many Catscans, and MRI’s of the brain. The results indicated that I had fractured my skull and suffered a moderate brain injury. Sometime after I was admitted, I was given a responstivity test which I scored at the upper end of being responsive. The irony is that I still have no memory of this. The memory gap was approximately two days long.

After two days I started to remember events in the hospital. It soon became apparent that I had great difficulty walking and had lost most of my balance. Also my speech appeared to have slowed down. Additionally, I experienced high degrees of fatigue. Throughout my hospital stay of eighteen days, amazingly I was very calm. It also became apparent that my cognitive functions of the brain appeared to be almost intact.

I began speech, balance, coordination, walking, and cognition therapies which continued after I was transferred to a regular hospital room. I have vivid memories of my speech therapist arriving in my room at 7:30 AM and challenging me to be ready. My regular speech came back very quickly within a few days. The other targeted therapies were more challenging for me, especially the balance and coordination activities. I would use a walker to get around. Eventually I used a cane to walk around the hospital which was very tough for me. By the time I left the hospital I was able to walk almost without a walker or cane but used the walker to take the precaution not to fall down. During the 18 days of my hospital stay I advanced on all fronts with my sense of humor, always joking with the excellent hospital staff.

At the time of my discharge it was apparent to me that I was not ready to return to work. I was still very tired, lost a considerable degree of my stamina / strength and my balance / coordination had a great way to return to normal. My doctors in the hospital recommended that I go to an outpatient facility to continue the therapy until I was well enough to return to work. After taking a ten day rest at home I began my 14 week program of therapy. I went to therapy at first four days a week. As always, undefeated I was able to stop using my walker and cane within four days.

My greatest victory at the TIRR outpatient clinic was being recognized as one of the most successful patients with regards to the physical therapy for walking, balance, and coordination. I attended many group sessions that focused on coping with all respects of the injury and learning more about the effects of a brain injury. From my experience in SGI, I naturally took the responsibility of encouraging other patients of the outpatient clinic. This helped me to never lose my spirit and gave me a sense of purpose for attending the many group sessions.

Near the end of my fourteen weeks of sessions I was given a neuro-psych exam which is the only empirical way of measuring effects of brain injuries. The results of my test indicated that my short term memory of repeating back information had degraded greatly. Of course the neurologist at the facility was very concerned. I was not shaken up too much by this. My job revolves around performing conceptual functions / tasks. I boldly told him that I would be all right. He seemed very skeptical of my spirit but then again I wondered how many Nichiren Buddhists he has treated.

I returned to work five months to the day that I experienced my injury on July 28^th. The next chapter in my recovery began. Assurances were given to me by my manager that the work load was not that high. After I resumed my day to day functions, I immediately realized that this was not the case. I had never worked for him before. He arrived and become manager three days after my injury occurred. Not only did I have to challenge being away for five months; I had to also win over a new manager. I made great efforts and eventually made my point that I needed another person on my team and a person was made available. My job also evolved to include new responsibilities. I was successful on all fronts with the software project release of 2008. I gave a presentation this month at work and realized that I had recovered back to my pre-injury level. My presentation received positive recognition from my manager and others that I worked with. My wife tells me that I appear smarter since I experienced the concussion.

My balance has recovered. The stamina and strength are returning. I can now do work around the house. I still occasionally need a brief nap when I return from work. I have resumed my workouts. I am rebuilding my strength and hope to be back to where I was before the injury by the end of this year.

I plan to resume my education part-time at night pursuing my PhD in Geology at the University of Houston in August as I enter my twelve year as a Geologist with Schlumberger. The gap was twenty seven years between receiving my Masters degree in Geology and my doctorate studies. This is one incredible challenge for me.  My wife and I live full lives and participate in diverse activities outside of SGI.

In conclusion, I had the fortune from this practice to quickly recover from a moderate brain injury and the life condition to stay calm and advance step by step to overcome my injury. Incredibly, I was able to return to work one week before my short-term disability had run out so I was on full salary during my absence from work.

When you work for the happiness of others and personally build up your state of life, you will always feel undefeated and decisively win through various struggles and change your destiny. I wish you all the best in pursuing your dreams and living life’s of great joy and deep fulfillment. Thank you.

I honestly had no idea what to expect as 2007 drew to a close and 2008 became the new focus. This was The Year of Capable People and Development. January 1, 2008 marked the third year of my Buddhist practice and where I have definitely experienced several benefits both inconspicuous and conspicuous, I came to a point in my practice where I wanted to have unshakeable faith. The newness of my practice began to wear off and now I wanted to achieve various goals that I had set for myself. These goals included getting a great job that was in the field of consulting, moving out and being able to support myself financially, and in 2010 enter into graduate school.

The beginning of the latest chapter of my Human Revolution began during the month of February 2008 and ends in February of 2009. I was working at a Super Target in an intern/managerial role. I already aced all of my interviews and as soon as I was ready I would be shipped off to a store and working full time in the department of my choice. However, I couldn’t help but notice that I wasn’t really excited about this, nor did it seem like what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After much thought on the issue, I concluded that I wanted to be a consultant because I love to dialogue, and help people find viable solutions to problems they face. I figured that I could stay at Target until I found an opening at a consulting firm and work my way up the ladder.

But, as most of you may know, plans and reality are two totally different things, one not guaranteeing the outcome of the other. One day while I was at work, my store manager called me into his office and told me he needed to have a serious talk with me. I had no idea what this could be about, as I had no indication that there were any issues with my performance. He then informed me that my position had been terminated and that they could no longer afford to pay my salary. I tried to hold back my tears but failed as I had no idea why this was happening to me. He was kind enough to let me stay until the end of February but after that I was on my own.

February came and went as the months tend to do, and I still had no prospective leads for employment. I saved up some money while working as is a habit of mine, so I was able to pay my bills but knew the money would run out eventually. At the end of March I landed a job working for the University of Phoenix. I was an Enrollment Counselor and was charged with enrolling students into various programs this university offered. After about three weeks on this job my birthday was approaching so my colleagues decided to throw a surprise potluck lunch to celebrate. I honestly thought it was a nice gesture, but, my stomach had its own opinion. I got food poisoning from something I ate there causing me to miss one and half days of work. I tried my best not to be swayed as this job was starting to take a physical toll on me. During the first week of May I contracted a bug that was going around the office and had to stay home to recuperate. On Thursday of that week shortly after I called in to work still feeling ill, I received a call from my recruiter of the employment agency that got me this job. She informed me that I sounded ill but, I was being fired for missing too many days.

During this most difficult time I received lots of encouragement and guidance from my Youth Leaders, many Women’s Division members as well as my comrades in faith. They encouraged me to never give up, chant to really understand my work karma, and change this poison into medicine.

Since I had so much time on my hands I decided to take action. I registered with five different staffing agencies and interviewed for various positions that each firm offered. I also researched a few opportunities that members told me about as I knew they wanted to see me win over this obstacle. I started to immerse myself in Gakkai activities for world peace, going to meetings and being active with my Jr./Sr. High members. I was also encouraged to study to understand why I’m going through this specific type of struggle. I also started chanting more daimoku to deepen my understanding.

During the middle of June I recall having a conversation with my Mom about how frustrated I was that I was doing all of these things but, I couldn’t land a job. She made the suggestion that I file for unemployment benefits until I was able to find another job. I did, and even though I had serious obstacles to complete the process, I was able to receive unemployment benefits.

Even though the benefits weren’t a whole lot I was able to pay my bills and get myself the things I needed. I know that this is largely due to the monthly monetary contributions I made to the SGI during this time. Sometimes it would be only a dollar or two. But, I distinctly remember many Women’s Division members telling me that in order to change your financial karma you should contribute as much as you can monthly. By making sincere offerings to the SGI, you will most definitely see a change in that part of your karma.

At the end of August, my good friend Brittane told me of a position that she knew was available. The position was with a Trustee who sits on the board at Houston Community College, is a Program Advisor on multiple levels, owns her own communications and consulting companies, works closely with Metro, and is active and supportive in the Hispanic community. I interviewed with her at the beginning of September and waited to hear back from her.

While I waited, I chanted for wisdom because while I was appreciative to be receiving the unemployment benefits, I needed more money to do more things and to buy Christmas gifts. I chanted for an opportunity to reveal itself that would allow me to do these things. Right after Hurricane Ike swept through the Gulf I went to work for an Aunt who works in landscape architecture. She needed me to run a small catering operation for her men for a period of two weeks. This was just the opportunity I needed! Now, I’ve never done this type of work before but I knew I could complete this project. Little did I know that this would be the start of several projects that I would take part during this five month period. Other projects that I worked on included fashion consulting (which I love) and managing the office operations of a small business owner. I was able to buy everyone on my list a gift for Christmas.

As I managed these various projects and saw positive results, I picked up a book that I can honestly say changed my life. It’s called Commentaries on Buddhahood: On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime. This book really opened my eyes and helped me to find the answer of how to deepen and strengthen my faith. During this whole experience I wanted to develop that unshakable faith that I’ve heard several members speak of. To some degree I doubted myself and my ability to deepen and strengthen my faith. But, after reading this quote my perspective changed. It reads: “For example, the Mystic Law is revealed in human life as courage, perseverance, wisdom with which to break through obstacles, and compassion for others. These various powers–described as the attributes of the Buddha’s life–immediately come forth from within. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with confidence in its existence, this mystic truth and, with it, the condition of Buddhahood will appear.” (Commentaries on Buddhahood: On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime pg. 14) After reading this I realized what it was I was missing in order to obtain this kind of unshakable faith. Confidence + Courage = Faith. Faith equals daily life. The more confidence and courage that I have in my practice this reflects the depth and strength of my faith. The only way to get this confidence and courage is by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with this conviction. By living each moment, knowing, my life is an entity of the mystic law; that “Myoho-renge-kyo is my life itself”.

While I was discovering what the deepening and strengthening of faith entailed, I found myself chanting from a totally different perspective. The perspective of persevering based on faith. I noticed more confidence and courage in my life, and as a result felt like I could take on the world. At the beginning of December, Brittane called and told me the Trustee I interviewed with in September would be looking to hire me at the beginning of the year if her last few contracts were approved. I chanted for them to be approved as I knew this would be an opportunity of a lifetime to gain experience in my field of interest.

I later found out that the Trustee’s contracts were approved and that she wanted me to sit in on a meeting and discuss the final details of my employment. After the meeting we discussed the details and I must say that I got everything that I chanted for. All of the detailed goals that I wrote down and placed on my alter were met, the specific salary range, the kind of work I would be doing, the location of the job, the kind of people I wanted to be surrounded with, and being involved with the community. I started this new job as a Project Assistant on February 23, 2009! This first week of work has proven to be extremely gratifying. I was able to participate in a series of meetings in relation to procuring new contracts, setting up consultations with existing clients, and sitting in on my first board meeting. As I reflect on the work week, I realize that at my new job I am utilizing various skills I learned in college, and from the projects I completed during my time of unemployment. Like all of the opportunities I’ve had up until this point prepared me for this job. Mystic huh? I also look forward to learning more about the world of consulting and what it has to offer. One quote by my mentor SGI President Daisaku Ikeda that has touched my heart during this challenge states: “Youth should not seek an easy comfortable path. No one develops in a pampered environment. Youth should instead actively seek out challenges and hardships, transforming them all into valuable assets as they strive to become individuals of outstanding character and ability.” (For Today and Tomorrow Daily Encouragement pg.33)

February had another significant date for me as it was the last month that I had to pay my car note! So now with my car paid off, new job, and a new cell phone, the next big goal I’m working on is finding the right apartment for me. In hindsight I can say that this lesson in deepening my faith came at the perfect moment, a time when I needed it most, as we all know nothing is ever wasted in Buddhism. I look forward to advancing and winning!

More than 40 Youth Division members and guests spent the day at Brazos Bend State Park for YOUTH ACTIVITY DAY on Sunday, March 22, 2009.

Located about an hour southwest of Houston, Brazos Bend State Park is home to many lazy alligators, a type of pink colored bird and lots of other wildlife.

After a round of introductions and a fun ice-breaker called “Never Have I Ever,” the youth division had a few hours of free time to walk the nature trails, hang out, and be one with nature.

After a long walk around Elm Lake, it was time for lunch!  It was a meal fit for kings — with rice balls and goodies provided by the wonderful womens division, as well as some tasty BBQ chicken right off the grill (thanks to Jaron and Jay!).

After lunch, the youth broke into six smaller groups for a discussion session, and spoke from the heart about what inspires them to share the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism to others, particularly when so many people are suffering in light of the current down economy and continued world conflicts.

After a heart-to-heard discussion, it was game time!  After a few unsuccessful (but fun!) attempts to untie The Human Knot, one group broke into a spontaneous game of Red Rover while another group started a game of soccer.  At 4 pm, it was time to pack up and go. After a few encouraging words from YWD Region leader Pilar Hoffman, the group headed back to Houston, all the while reflecting on the joyfulness of the day and the new friends made.

Read about Brazos Bend State Park here:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/brazos_bend/

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