We have experienced another splendid spring in western Kentucky. I do not think there is any place in the world more beautiful than Kentucky in the spring, or, actually, any other time of the year. Some one once asked me where I would like to live of all the places I have traveled. My prompt and adamant reply was "Kentucky"!!!

The World Friendship Day meeting on March 1, 2008, at Wesleyan Heights United Methodist Church was a great success. We celebrated the 31st anniversary of Friendship Force International with interesting ethnic food, dress and many souvenirs that our members have collected during our club's extensive travels since our first exchange with Cremona, Italy, in 1979.

Our club was represented at the southeast regional conference at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on April 22-24, 2008, by Marsha and Morris Mullins and W.D. and Joyce Owens. They report that the conference was informative and enjoyable. The FFI international conference will be held October 2-5, 2008, at the Gold Coast in Australia.

On May 13, 2008, our board met at my house. We discussed current club business and future exchanges. Our next general meeting will be held on June 5, 2008, at Owensboro Christian Church. Details of this meeting can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. Please plan to attend.

Plans for the July 9 - 14, 2008, outbound exchange with Ottawa, Canada, are mostly complete. We are well represented on this trip and we will have a workshop for participants prior to our departure. Our domestic inbound mystery exchange is planned for September 11 - 14, 2008. As announced at our last general meeting, we will be joining the Huntsville, Alabama, club for a November, 2009, outbound exchange with Cairo, Egypt. All of these exchanges will be discussed at our June 5 meeting.

FFI has many exciting and comprehensive exchanges planned for 2008 and 2009. Refer to FF communications and the web site for information about these. Each year FFI works with clubs around the world to implement long range plans. As a part of this effort, each club is surveyed for information and opinions in order to design programs that best meet our needs and interest. I will be completing this survey for our club by the end of May.

In September 2008 we will host another mystery trip exchange. At this time we are not sure of the number of ambassadors. They will be arriving September 11, Thursday and departing early September 15, Monday. Please keep this date open on your calendars for hosting and fun with this mystery club. Marsha will be contacting you later with more details and hosting arrangements.

Our next outbound exchange is Ottawa, Canada scheduled for July 9-14, 2008. For those that have not applied for their Travel Guard travelers insurance, please call Marsha Mullins at 270-826-6095 to get it purchased online via the internet. Friendship Force members can not purchase this insurance over the telephone per Travel Guard.

Liz Welch, Ina Marie Bratcher, Dietra Paris, Beverly Abraham, Morris and Marsha Mullins, Bruce Whitmer, Margaret and Ashland Shaw, Sue and Jim Hawkins, Sue Morris, Nancy and Ray Kramer, Joyce and W.D. Owens, Evelyn Jackson, Rita and Steve English.

Sarah Mather, granddaughter of Joyce Baxter, will be graduating May 24th from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

Leanord and Beverly Abraham on their 60th wedding anniversary April 9th.

Congratulation To: Mr Ashland Shaw for Celebrating 60 years of God's work---This was the heading and a big picture in the Evansville Courier and Press as the Trinity United Methodist Church Boonville, Ind had a surprise celebration that honored him for his 60-year career with reception, songs and words of praise. Just keep up the good work.

Sue Morris in the death of her stepdad Mr Samuel Foster Smiley Jr 86 who passed away Tuesday April 29th at the hospital in Hardinsburg, Ky after a short illness.

Mr Bob Merriam had a good picture in our local paper, he was pictured with a llama on his visit to Machu Picchu, Peru, where he worked a week on an eyeglass mission in Cuzco, Peru. He was wearing a Panama hat that a lady in Ecuador spent three months weaving.

Two of our ladies, Betty Rush and Joyce Baxter, were in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia watching the Southeastern Conference tournament; when the tornado hit damaging the facility. We are just thankful no one was hurt.

Dietra Paris traveled to Picayune, Mississippi to attend the March 15th, 2008 wedding of her niece, Martha Paris, and Zachary Smith. After that event, she traveled on to Galveston, Texas, then to Hot Springs, Arkansas, before returning to Owensboro.

Peggy Morris and Betty Rush were part of 1,200 United Methodist Women attending the Quadrennial Meeting of the Southeastern Jurisdiction April 4-6. A bus, taking them and 25 others from across Kentucky,

was chartered and along the way they visited Williamsburg, Monticello, The Greenbrier, and the Tamarack. Jim Rush was also partof the bus group, and visited family living in the area while the others attended the UMW Meeting.

Jim and Betty Rush recently spent a weekend in Cincinnati, where their 17 year old granddaughter was part of the cast for "Anything Goes,"; a play by her High School drama department. They also were in

Louisville recently to see another granddaughter graduate from University of Louisville.

W.D. and Joyce Owens and Morris and Marsha Mullins attended the Southeast Regional Conference April 22-24. It was held at the Oak Tree Lodge and Convention Center in Sevierville, Tennessee in the heart of the Smoky Mountains.

There were a total of 78 attendees from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee. They attended several workshops and listened to George Brown speak on the Friendship Force's strategic plan for the future. Joanne Schuetz, our Southeast Regional Field Representative and the Knoxville FF club did an excellent job in coordinating and hosting this event.

Sarah Mather, Joyce Baxter's granddaughter, traveled with the students of Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky to Israel on May 3-17. They flew to Telaviv, toured Bethlehem and Jeruselem and other places of interest. Then they flew onto Cairo, Egypt to see the Pyramids, many museums, and even swam in the Dead Sea.

On February 24th through March 9th, Morris and Marsha Mullins joined the Friendship Force of Central Montana on a two week/two club exchange in Mexico. They visited the Friendship Force of Tuxtla-Gutierrez, Chiapas and Xalapa, Veracruz.

They traveled to the cities of San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque to experience the rich culture of the indiginous people and see the beautiful ruins. As they traveled down the Canyon of Sumidero and hiked the Blue Water Cascades, it was well apparent what paradise looks like.

                                   Ina Marie

We are now well into our exchanges for 2008 with many excellent programs underway. Here are some items that I hope you will look at carefully. If you are interested in learning more, simply send a message to the contact person listed for each item. Or feel free to contact me directly about anything related to your Friendship Force programs.

Opportunities Open to All Friendship Force Members, Worldwide: Here are some great opportunities for FF members around the world to join each other for some very unique experiences:

Asia-Pacific Festival June 4-8, 2009: Plan early for 2009! Don't miss the Festival hosted in Oregon's Mid-Willamette Valley. Participate in tours, parades and a homestay. Contact Maryam Jordan at mjordan@thefriendshipforce.org.

Edmonton Canada Festival August 19-28, 2009: Plan early for 2009! Come experience friendship Canadian style in August 2009. There will be many cultural activities, such as the Fringe festival, with FF members invited from around the world. No doubt the best part will be the hospitality! Click here for details: http://www.friendshipforceedmonton.org/FF%20Edmonton%20css/Festival%20Page.htm.

Ready to Lead? To supplement the 290+ club exchanges for 2009, Friendship Force is also organizing a small number of exciting specialized exchange programs. These programs are open to ambassadors from any country, so the group would represent several different nationalities, not just one! Over the next few months we will be working on the content and itineraries for these 2009 programs and are looking for experienced, enthusiastic and effective exchange leaders from any country for the following. Please contact Debbie Powell at dpowell@thefriendshipforce.org if interested in learning more.

Humanitarian programs in Costa Rica, Mongolia, Romania and Tanzania: These programs include a homestay and have a service-related focus, such as bringing donations of medical or school supplies, working light construction at a new school or women's refuge, working with orphans, teaching English etc).

Discover programs in China, Croatia, Eastern Europe (H), Guatemala, New Zealand (H), Norway, and Vietnam (H): These programs provide us a close encounter with the locals by way of cultural touring and activities such as meals and home visits with local people. Those marked H also include a homestay of at least five nights.

Bridgebuilders programs in Colorado for skiing with a homestay, or northern Europe for biking with home visits. Bridgebuilders programs are based on a specific theme, either interest-based (such as sports, hiking, music) or based on profession (such as medical professionals, agricultural workers). Please contact FFI if you are a skier or enjoy cycling in the countryside.

                                  GENERAL MEETING

Our next meeting will be held on June 5th at

the Owensboro Christian Church at 6:00 p.m.

The meal will be catered by

Old Hickory Bar-B-Que

Please call Bobbie Jackson before June 3rd

at 270-685-3665 for reservations.

Cost will be $6.00 per person

                                                                                                (to be paid at the door)

Please plan to attend a short workshop after the June 5th meeting. Because of gas prices and facilities, I have decided that this would be the best time to get together before our July trip.

I hope everyone can attend, but if you can not, please let me know so I can give you any additional information that I may have.

270-826-6095