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NEWSLETTER Email:

Greetings!

Dear friends,

As 2008 draws to a close, I want to share my excitement with you about the accomplishments of all of our fellow travelers on the Joining Hands journey and the tremendous possibilities that seem to be emerging for the coming months. This has been a momentous year in more ways than one.

First, we completed a series of training sessions with country networks and presbyteries participating in Joining Hands.

The goal was to create focused campaigns with clear goals. And the outcome is an influx of proposals that are amazing to read.

Second, we had a very positive international event at Chapman University last July, followed (or preceded) by delegations visiting with their companion presbyteries. By all accounts, the California event -- and the subsequent strategizing -- was quite “historic.” Joining Hands is entering a new phase in its life and we believe that we are finding ways to address effectively the root causes of hunger and poverty in many parts of the world.

This Special Edition of the Newsletter is dedicated primarily to the Chapman University event, which was coupled with the annual Peacemaking Program conference and linked Presbyterians committed to the work of peace and justice in multiple networks. You will find here numerous photos that show both the joyous atmosphere and the seriousness of our deliberations. Joining Hands participants – and many of its network voices – were integrated into the peacemaking event, which tackled larger policy questions and broader issues.

Also, you will find in these pages the section, “ Reflections on What we Learned Since Tacoma.” The combined effect of the trainings and campaign conversations at Chapman resulted in deeper understandings of our Joining Hands methodologies and of our own work. Since then, we developed a new grant application that is more tightly linked to the campaign proposals.

We could not close this newsletter without a special word of thanks to our friends from Los Ranchos Presbytery. David Dolan, in particular, and the whole Joining Hands team of the presbytery went beyond the call of duty to make our experience a positive one. We are indeed grateful to them all, although words may not be enough to express our gratitude; we are in your debt, guys.

We want to thank all the delegates who came to this event. Our international delegates traveled hours and sometimes days to make it here. We were so blessed that you could come and enrich each other’s faith in our joint struggle against poverty and hunger. A word of thanks also to the PC(USA) staff and to the leadership of the conference. You put your hearts into this beautifully.

On another level, with the recent elections in the United States, there is a sense that we are at a major crossroads in the history of this nation, or of this world. We are acutely aware that decisions about the leadership of this country can change the course of events in the USA and in the world. We hope the victory of Barack Obama is a harbinger for great things ahead. With the current economy in shambles and the international relationships of this country at low ebb, there is much to be rebuilt. Hopefully the emerging context will be more favorable to the cause of the poor and of the oppressed.

In any event, happy holidays to all! May you all have a wonderful end of the year 2008 and a faithfully productive 2009. Good health and happiness to you and your respective families. Keep up the good work.