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Danae and Steve Hudson are ELCA missionaries in Jerusalem. Danae works in communications for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, www.facebook.com/ELCJHL. To support Danae and Steve, see the information below. To read Danae’s blog, go to http://hummusnotwalls.com/.  To support another of the ELCA’s more than 240 missionaries, go to www.ELCA.org/globalchurch.

Nov. 21, 2014

I’m sure you’ve all seen the news, with the terrorist attack in a synagogue. What you may not have seen is the suspected lynching of a Palestinian bus driver, a Palestinian driver who ran over a handful of Israelis, the two Palestinian children who were struck in the head by plastic bullets fired into vehicles by the Israeli army, a 3-month-old Israeli child died after being struck by a Palestinian driver, and a 5-year-old Palestinian child who died after being struck by an Israeli driver.  All of the Palestinians who committed terrorist attacks are dead and their family homes demolished. Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, is closed to women, is closed to men under 60, is now closed to everyone, fanning the flames. And it just goes on and on and has been going on for weeks.

We are tired.

Our Palestinian friends shake their heads at each new death, no matter the side. They tell us to be careful. But really, we aren’t worried for ourselves – we’re worried for them. As each side becomes more and more extreme, it’s harder to hold onto hope here. I know as Christians we are called to hope when there is no reason to hope, but that is a tall order. Taller than I can handle most days.

We are safe and we aren’t afraid to walk the streets here. You are free to pray for us, but we would ask that you pray for the people we love and care about here.  People who feel such sorrow at seeing this happen again and who hold such fear for their children.

If there is something you feel moved to do, please contact your representatives and push for a peace process. Neither side is leaving or will ever leave, and the current status quo is untenable.

And finally, to take care of business, if any of you donate to Steve and I through the ELCA, there is some house-keeping regarding where donations can be sent to now:

By check: Make payable to “ELCA Global Church Sponsorship” with “Hudson MSG0725” in the memo line. Give through your synod office or mail your check to:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Gift Processing Center
P.O. Box 1809
Merrifield, VA 22116-8009.

By credit or debit card:   See https://community.elca.org/jordanholyland  or call 800-638-3522 and specify “Hudson MSG0725.”
By automatic monthly bank withdrawal, or to establish a covenant of prayer, communication and support: Contact 800-638-3522, ext. 2657, or globalchurch@elca.org.