ELCA's Bishop Crist shares reflections on trip to Holy Land......

Dear Friends,

    Many of you have asked for my reflections on the January trip to Israel and Palestine.  My reflections are now on the Montana Synod web page, www.montanasynod.org.   On the middle of the front page you will see where to click to get to my reflections and some photos.  It is interactive, so you can respond, if you like. At the end, you will find ways to see more photos and see other reports on the visit.

    I've been asked to do presentations in several congregations, and I am glad to do it.  I've also been asked to prepare something short that you can distribute.  My "Words from the Bishop" that come out in the February newsletter in the next few days might fill that bill.

 

Sincerely,

Bishop Jessica Crist
Montana Synod ELCA
2415 13th Avenue South
Great Falls, MT  59405
jcrist@montanasynod.org
406-453-1461

 

MAC President heads east.......The journey begins,

I (Lyle) leave shortly for the airport to begin a journey that will find me leading a group of people to Amman, Jordan tomorrow afternoon.  Marianne will leave next Monday morning and will lead a group to Tel Aviv and up to Tiberias (along the Sea of Galilee).  My group will meet up with Marianne's group next Tuesday evening, and we will be one large group, divided into two bus groups, of about 70 people.  Following about 11 additional days in Israel, some folks will travel to Egypt, some will travel with Marianne and me to Rome and Assisi, and some will return to their home in the USA.

If you want to follow our journey, go to following web address:  http:///mytripjournal.com/OurHolyLandPilgrimage2009, and put in password hl2009.  This will take you to our blog site, and allow you to follow our journey with us for the next 3 weeks.  Feel free to share this web address with interested family members, friends, and colleagues. 

We will have an intermational phone with us for emergencies.  The phone # is 406-459-9880 (Marianne's cell phone #).  If you want to contact us throughout the journey, the best way is to text message us from your phone (we can receive a text message very inexpensively, even in the middle east or Italy. 

We will also have a laptop computer with us, so email us as well.

Know that we love you.

Lyle and Marianne

 

Now at a computer near you--