Peterson Toscano's A Musing

 In my journey from the Evangelical world to the Quaker tradition, I’ve often found myself reflecting on the bridges—and the gaps—between these two ways of seeking God. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Jasson Arevalo, an Evangelical Quaker from El Salvador, to dive into exactly that. Bridging Two Worlds As someone who grew up Evangelical and is now a Friend in the U.S., I’m used to a specific "flavor" of Quakerism that often leans toward silence and liberal theology. However, Jasson’s perspective reminds me that our tradition is a global tapestry. We explored the distinct ways Evangelical Quakers in Central America approach the Bible and the sacraments, often holding onto a fervor that feels both familiar and refreshingly different from the more programmed or unprogrammed meetings here in the States. My Personal Reflections The Power of Narrative: It was fascinating to see how the same Quaker roots can grow into such different expressions depending on the culture....

Every once in a while, the universe gives you a tug. Not a gentle tap on the shoulder—a full-on gravitational yank that pulls you out of whatever orbit you thought you were in. That’s what happened with the newest episode of Bubble & Squeak . I started out thinking I was doing a simple story about menstrual cups. You know, the kind of lighthearted “Peterson learns about a very normal thing embarrassingly late in life” tale. But once you follow a thread like that, it drags you into bigger questions: Who gets access to the products they need? How many girls are missing school because they can’t afford pads? Why is period poverty still a global crisis in 2025? So I followed the thread. It pulled me through Connecticut food pantries, a refugee camp in Kakuma, and across conversations with women who are out there doing the real work: Christine Garde Denning , Mary Maker , Fran Stoffer , and my cousin Mona—each in her own way shaping the world for women and girls in need. A...