Dear Friends,
 This has been a week of extremes. First, the fun extreme.
When I walked in the social hall one day during Vacation Bible School, I was handed a “yummy mummy.” Most normal people would call it a pig in a blanket, or just a hot dog. But this is, after all, VBS at St. Mark’s, bringing together the creative gifts of some special people to provide a really fun and meaningful experience for kids.
The theme was “Egypt: Joseph’s Journey from Prison to Palace.” On our patio, there was the river Nile (five swimming pools). In the social hall, 20 or so children and adults dressed as ancient Egyptians were enjoying their yummy mummies. Nearby tents had various artifacts, and freshly-decorated mantles (or vests?) were drying outside on the sidewalk.
If you haven’t had a chance to stop by VBS, never fear. In church this Sunday you can be part of the fun, as the children show us some of what they’ve learned this week.
At the other extreme, all of us in the California-Pacific Conference are called to prayer for the East Congo Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church in the wake of a vicious terrorist attack. Their Bishop Gabriel Unda was with us in our last Annual Conference session.
Bishop Unda reports that, on the night of Saturday August 13, at least 40 people are believed to have been killed when a group of terrorists allied with Daesch (ISIS) attacked the city of Beni with machetes and knives. They burnt houses, and raped women and young girls. Beni is near the border with Uganda in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Among those who died were two daughters of a United Methodist District Superintendent. The District Superintendent himself was injured in the attack and was taken to a hospital.
It is hard for me to conceive the shock, grief, and fear of those affected by this attack. It is hard to even know how to pray. May God help us all. And may all our brothers and sisters know that are never forgotten, never alone, and forever blessed.
See you in church.
Craig
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