In February the Alliance sent a pastoral team to Baghdad to underline the solidarity of the worldwide Reformed family with the people of Iraq (see Update 13/1, February 2003). Olivia Masih White, a member of the United Church of Christ, USA, a vice-president of the Alliance, and moderator of our department of partnership of women and men, sent Update this story about the visit.

Olivia Masih White presents the prayer shawl

Written before March 20, it still speaks to us. The war may be over, but the peace remains to be won.

Elda Nicola, a pastor's wife in Baghdad, shared with us the pain and challenges that Iraqi mothers have faced over the past twelve years. "As a mother I can tell you," she said, "it is very hard to explain this war to the children." In 1991 her two-year-old daughter was shaking, trembling and jumping up and down as bombs were exploding. She would cry and shake with fear. It was difficult to calm her down. "I do not want that to happen again," she said.

With tears rolling down her cheeks and a gentle quivering voice, Elda told us that the children, innocent and ignorant of the political situation, were asking their parents why people hate them, why they are being singled out and if this will ever end.

boy with chair Children are not doing well in school; they are fed up with war and fear of war. Some say, "Why should we study? We will all die anyway." War is breaking up the family structure; the children are looking for strength and answers, but their parents feel helpless. They keep praying and hope others will join them in prayers for peace in the world.

As I was preparing to leave for Iraq, the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Vermont got in touch. The women in that church had been knitting "prayer shawls" for friends and fellow church members in need. As the threat of war in Iraq came to dominate the news, their goal changed. They realized that their prayer shawl ministry had a message of peace for the world. As mothers and sisters, they understood the pain and struggle of sisters like Elda Nicola. They wanted to reach out and touch them. As they knitted, they started praying for those in the Middle East and around the globe. They prayed for safety, security and justice for people. Their hope was that eventually they would create "prayer shawls for peace" and send them to whatever destination their prayers led them.

I was asked to carry one of their peace shawls to Iraq as a gift of friendship and a symbol of solidarity.

Every Wednesday evening, 200 to 300 women gather for prayer, Bible study and singing in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Baghdad. On February 19, I shared with them the story of the peace shawl ministry. I presented the shawl and read the prayer used by the sisters in the US when they knitted it. The women were very touched by this symbolic gesture and promised to display the shawl at each Wednesday meeting. Their sisters in the US warmed their hearts while they were shivering in anxiety and pain.

soldiers

Let us all join in reaching out to wipe the tears of sisters in Iraq and around the world. They need our solidarity and they need our prayers.

Olivia Masih White