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Dear Readers, first let me thank you for your prayers and your undertakings for us and on our behalf. Your e-mails thanking God for our safety, after hearing about our miraculous survival, has meant a lot to us. Our churches in Iran also have had thanksgiving services and we are ever grateful for their loving concern. For us it has meant to rededicate ourselves to the task entrusted to us.

Leadership crisis

The outstanding issue the Diocese faces is leadership, for long a desperate need but now a critical crisis. Last year the Provincial Synod asked me to prolong my stay in office for two years as an interim period for finding a replacement. As time moves on it seems the gap between the immediate need and what is anticipated widens beyond repair.

A searching question haunting us and the Province has been, can a community called to a life of faith, service and witness survive without trained and dedicated leadership, without demonstrable social presence or constituent ministerial support to uphold it, and without legal right to ownership? Moreover, how can a community constantly watched and held in check by agents of suspicion and suppression from without as well as experiencing embarrassment and humiliation by human weaknesses from within, be sustained?

The next disturbing if not distressing problem is the issue of the moving out of so many people taking refuge in the West, in search of a better and safer future. The urge to leave is for the simple reason that they do not see any prospect of change for a better life style, nor spot a star of hope twinkling in their sky, to encourage them to stay where they are.

These daunting questions as well as distressing movements must keep us concerned, but surely should not alarm or disappoint us. True, the sown seeds that fall on the way side, or land on the stony beds, or spread out among the thorns seem wasted. But would God labour in vain? Surely not. The good seed in the well-prepared ground will multiply at least a hundred fold.

To the worldly wise we may seem doomed or counted as lost. But to the eyes equipped with faith, we can be seen even as a sign of hope, and marvel how we live though being in the midst of death! Truth should never be measured solely by the factual. Seen in deeper levels, truth is spiritual or even personal. And what is spiritual looks beyond the immediate or the apparent! The worldly wise ultimately proves to be foul if not a fool.

A quiet but joyous Christmas

For the first week before and after Christmas, we stayed in Isfahan. On the longest night of the year, "Shabe Yalda", we gathered in the church hall to sing and practice all Christmas hymns and for fellowship and dinner together. On Christmas Eve we went from home to home to sing and to pray for each family. On Christmas day after Communion, we gathered for entertainment and watching a play, staged by our youth, about the Birth of our Lord, and for a special dinner prepared for 130 people. Father Christmas appeared at the end accompanied by Haji Firooz for the distribution of gifts to the children.

We spent New Year with the Tehran church. Many people had gathered the previous week to celebrate Christmas. Simin and her team had prepared three hundred parcels of gifts to be presented and distributed among the homeless and retarded children in an institution. The staff and the children happily welcomed and greeted them. On the New Year, church members welcomed us. We were entertained by a young singer, accompanied by Albert Fazeli’s piano. After dinner, we had Holy Communion and wished each other a happy New Year during the service.

A week after, Morad and I went to Shiraz. We knew the situation there was tense. Christmas had been celebrated very quietly, for so the local authorities had wished! We had also to show a low profile. Yet it was a good time to meet people who had not been allowed participation on Christmas day. Meeting them, we encouraged them to grow in the Christian virtue of loving patience. We met also people in their homes and in their offices. At the celebration of Holy Communion, two men sent by the local authorities came to check who we were, what we said and who were present with us. Please pray for Bahman and us to have the needed wisdom to cope with the situation. Pray also for the local authorities to be more tolerant and receptive.

Car accident injures Minoo

Arriving in Isfahan Minoo and I made arrangements to go to Tehran. It was on this journey we had our terrible accident. People who stopped to help us took Minoo to Tehran. I stayed to deal with our crushed and turned over car. After lifting and taking it to a safe place, I went back to Isfahan to deal with the luggage I had with me. Then I took a bus and reached Tehran at midnight.

On Minoo's arrival in Tehran, Simin had met her and taken her to the hospital for a head scan. The result was satisfactory. The head injuries were not internal.

We arranged two parties to say farewell to Simin. We were sad to lose her but were happy she could start a new life abroad. She really deserves it.

Hope for the future

Our finance committee went on well. We decided to double the stipends. For long people thought we should raise radically the standard and we did so.

We heard also the good news that Vahik, an Armenian member of our congregation, has responded to the call of God and has offered himself for the ministry. He is over forty, and is sincere and simple. He loves the Lord, is warm in heart, and has a sweet character. Pray that he may be the right person for the job.

Yours in His service,

Iraj