June 19, 2001

“90 and Holding”.

We got the chance to eat lunch with the staff from First Presbyterian Church. They were celebrating the birthday of a member who coyly claimed her age as "90 and holding" (slyly omitting a decade). We couldn't think of a better person to give one of the Zababdeh crosses to.

Elizabeth beneath the exquisite ceiling at Atlanta’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

We also had a chance to visit with one of the priests at Atlanta's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which we happened upon as we wound our way through the city. We took a peek at the incredible, delicate iconostasis before heading off to Peachtree Presbyterian Church.

The church is in the middle of establishing new ministry relationships in Palestine, and are sending a group to Beit Sahour in July (we hope to connect with them and bring them to Zababdeh). We gave our program, and the issue of Iraq drew the most attention and heated discussion. It has been interesting to see this, particularly since our message was not an argument to lift the sanctions, or to embrace Hussein, but rather to understand that there must be nuance in our political understanding and that the people of Iraq are worth praying for.