June 15, 2001

Save the turtles!

Elizabeth saved a turtle today! As we got near Smyrna, GA (Marthame's folks' home), a turtle was trapped in the road amid suburban traffic. Elizabeth hit the brakes, picked up the critter, and released him to the wild freedom of the Sanders' Smyrna cul-de-sac.

Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah greets the Atlanta crowd.

We arrived in town just in time to attend a banquet benefiting the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Fund at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. It was attended by over 300 people from around the Southeast and featured the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah! It was a treat to get to see our friends from the Patriarchate in Marthame's home town as well as to meet new friends whom we had known on-line only from responses to our letters.

We were also introduced at the gathering, which caught us quite by surprise. We confirmed with Patriarchate folks that Abuna Louis will be going to Jaffa of Nazareth in August, and learned that his replacement will be a young Jordanian priest, Abuna Aktham, who has been working in the village of 'Aboud for the past few years. We have heard good things about him, but have only had the chance to meet him briefly on one of our trips to Jerusalem.