The pain of the past week is just too severe to mention in full.  There are only some things I can share, but please know there are certain things that are too painful, difficult and delicate for me to write about here.

As usual the services all weekend were wonderful.  I so love these people and they love me.  It's a perfect love that casts out all fear and it's that love that keeps us all going.

There are times, though, when you think and wonder just how much more pain will there be.  The threats against us have been growing.  In the last week we have heard from both the British Embassy and Iraqi Army Intelligence that there are specific plots to target St George's.  An army Colonel came to see me to explain that this is still linked to the threat of the Florida pastor to burn the Koran.  The fact that it did not happen means nothing to the extremists here.

Then we heard that young Salam had been tragically killed.  He was just 18.  I loved him and all his family so much.  I remember so well his first communion 4 years ago.  I remember how he used to come and help us at the church but most of all I remember how he loved G-d.  We dedicated our service yesterday afternoon to the remembrance Salam and to our Lord who he is now with.  After the service I sat with his family, held them and together we cried.  Salam was not the first of his siblings to die; the same happened to his older brother.

The pain of this place may be great but at no time have I ever thought of not continuing.  Despite the pain, tragedy and difficulty our Lord is always here with us.  He always surrounds us with his love and his angels.  People regularly say that they pray that peace will come to this land and it will all be wonderful.  To be honest with you, I never think that or expect it.  I continue to work for peace and always will; our Lord told us to.  Our Lord also told us what it would be like in the last days.  For us we are there.  On Friday one of our young people said to me "Jesua is like an Iraqi.  He said he was coming back soon and we have been waiting for 2010 years".  I told her that that to Him, a thousand years is like a day.  Now though I really do think it will be soon.

This week I go to America to receive this year's International Civil Courage prize from the Train Foundation.  There are more details about this trip on the sidebar on the right and I very much hope I will be able to see many of my US friends over the coming couple of weeks.

With every blessing from Baghdad,