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Greetings from Baghdad. I want to concentrate the positive aspects as there is so much negativity where I am, and so many bad things have been happening now, that I just want to concentrate on the good.
FRRME America
A lot has happened in the past few days. We had our board meeting for FRRME America, which Ward Scott and I joined via Skype at 4am. This was an outstanding meeting and many of the issues we are facing were dealt with there and then. It is very significant that most of this board was in Iraq, even those at a most senior level of importance.
Christians' plight in Iraq
We are still challenged as to how we respond to the crisis faced by Christians in Iraq. We have wanted to have the High Council of Religious Leaders in Iraq meet and try to find a solution to the present violence, the process originally funded by the British and then the US Government. Unfortunately the US funding ceased two years ago and since then we have only been able to afford one meeting.
Moving forward with peace initiatives in Iraq
In the past two weeks, a main Sunni Islamic leader told me that starting the process today is too late. But, the British Ambassador said "now is not the time for talking, but acting". Then to our delight, the Danish Ambassador informed us that his Foreign Ministry would cover all costs for a meeting to happen ASAP in Copenhagen.
Yesterday afternoon we had an highly useful meeting with the US Ambassador and his Deputy Chief of Mission in which we were able to discuss the meeting after Copenhagen. They want us to conduct it in Turkey, and that is precisely where the HCRLI wish to meet.
We hope and pray that the US government will fund this.
After we met with the US Ambassador, we went to see the Danish Ambassador and had another great meeting. He assured us that all the funding is in place for our meeting there. They have requested that it will happen early in January.
We are now working to make this meeting happen and Peter Marsden will travel to Denmark in the next week or so to start making arrangements. Yesterday was a real answer to prayer.
So despite all the difficulties, we give thanks to the Almighty that great progress is being made.
With grace, peace and blessings
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The Rev'd Canon Andrew White | 
