Hello again dear family and friends!

Thanks again for the many comments and the wonderful prayer support that
I've been receiving from you! I always love to hear from you and I am so
grateful for your prayers and warm wishes! I couldn't do this without
you!! I do miss you all dearly!!

Today the thermometer here in Bethlehem registered 100. But, I'm taking
this as a day off and relaxing inside the Bethlehem guest house where I
continue to reside and commute back and forth to Jerusalem for work at
the East Jerusalem International church. It's a 15 minute bus ride which
takes about an hour because of time at checkpoints!

On Sunday, May 26th, the church said farewell to Pastor and Mrs. Andrew
Bush who had provided wonderful care for this congregation through four
very difficult years! I led the service, Andrew preached, sharing
honestly from his heart, and the good folks here shared with tears and
also humor as they prayed them on their way back to Pennsylvania. It was
a healthy time of "good bye", which is the first step in the interim
ministry process....and the potluck was fabulous! Wow....talk about a
feast full of Mediterranean cuisine! It goes without saying that there
was no red jello at this church potluck!

Last week was spent reaching out and making contacts in the
neighborhood. I introduced myself and gave out bulletin board info at
nearby schools, bookstores, hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores. The
neighborhood is mostly Palestinian and Muslim, but I was always received
quite cordially. I think the church has a good history of earning the
respect of its neighbors!

I had one disappointment last week in that the first potential candidate
for the pastoral vacancy decided he probably couldn't really consider
the job. He is already very busy with many important commitments due to
this role as head of the Jerusalem Evangelical Organization. (By the
way, the word "evangelical" here hasn't been jaded like it is in the
United States where it has been equated with a right-wing political
stance. Here it is simply used in connection with the original Greek,
meaning "good news")

Saturday, June 1st, was the church work party day, with a healthy
cleanup of the property. An international work crew put in 5 solid hours
weed whacking, pulling, mowing, raking, and gathering litter and
sweating profusely on a very hot day. Hydrations was a critical element
for the day!!

Our Sunday worship together was an interesting learning experience as we
begin this journey of interim ministry. True to form, some long standing
differences in the congregation bubbled up and found some expression.
Interims are a time when the conflicting dynamics of a congregation as a
family system tend to reveal themselves. Where people can speak their
truth, in love, and be accepted still, is so important. There was good
conversation that followed and we gathered around the altar in Holy
Communion at the end with a good sense of resolution. But there will be
much more to do, I'm sure.
Please continue pray for this small flock, and my guidance for them!
Thank you so much!!

Next Sunday we will replace the regular service with a planning retreat
format, breaking down into smaller groups to ask question question about
the unique identity of the small church and their purpose. Those will be
vital questions in discerning who their next pastoral leader should be!

I hope all this "church stuff" hasn't been boring for you, but I just
want to keep you all aware of what I'm doing and what my needs are. As
you can see, I'm not dealing with issues of safety or security. However
the shadow of the Gaza Genocide loom over all that we are doing...it's
like trying to do normal church business in an abnormal atmosphere.
Prayers for the people of Gaza are always uppermost in our hearts and
minds!

God bless you all! With much love for each of you,

Terry