Volume 46, Issue 4

ContactApril 2017

North Bethesda

United Methodist Church

Tony, Go Raibh Maith Agat!

(Thank you very much!)

This congregation is so blessed to

have Tony Ashur as its music

director! He has devoted his life to

music, starting at age 4,

continuing through several

degrees and certifications in piano

and music, and culminating in a

second master’s degree in church

music. Tony fulfilled a dream by

venturing to Ireland to study the

music. We are the recipients of

this great love.

Tony delighted everyone with his lovely solo piano pieces. He played eleven pieces,

interspersed with commentary about his trip, the accompanying pictures, and

translations from Gaelic. Tony noted that many of the pieces are recycled hymn

tunes, with the music representing the traditions of Irish music.

The audience learned many things: “Cead Mile Failte Romhat” means “One hundred

Thousand Welcomes,” a common salutation; “Red is the Rose” is also known by its

Scottish iteration of “Loch Lomond;” Boston has a holiday on St. Patrick’s day because

it is Evacuation Day in Boston, the day during the Revolutionary War in which the

British were evacuated from the city; “St. Columba” comes from the Gaelic “Colm

Cille,” meaning “church dove;” “Danny Boy” was written by an Englishman; Brigid is

one of the main saints of Ireland; and the “Salley Gardens” are places where willows

grow.

Each song was unique. There were delicate trills, a tempered bass, beautiful melodic

repetitions in a higher octave. I had two favorites: “Down By the Salley Gardens” for

its expansive lines, dynamic range, and interesting repetition of the same note at

points; and “Deus Meus Adiuva Me,” for its minor key (it’s probably modal, but that’s

beyond my knowledge), juxtaposition of the Latin and Gaelic words shown on the

screen, and the lovely resolution to major at the end. Beautiful!

Thanks so much to Tony for this incredible gift.

Valerie Blane

Page 2 April 2017 Contact

North Bethesda United Methodist Church

10100 Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda MD 20814

Phone: (301) 530–4342

E–mail: nbumc.office@gmail.com

Website: www.NorthBethesdaUMC.org

Office Manager: Chris Lee

Office Hours: Tuesday -Thursday 8:30AM– 3:00PM

Pastor: Pastor Jeff Jones cell: (240) 994-1505

Minister of Visitation: Linda Thompson

Music Director: Tony Ashur

Coordinator of Education: Vicki Morrison

Contact Newsletter Editor: Valerie Blane

starlily5@comcast.net

Contact Newsletter Publisher: Chris Lee

4 Kitty Johnson 8 Joshua Smith

13 Beth Wason-Blair 17 David Poole

18 Lisbeth Sodee 22 Daniel Blair

24 Barbara St. Aubin

24 Armin Tabatabai 27 Jeffrey Colbert

27 Karol Surrey 28 Virginia Nanzetta

If you have additions or correc-

tions you can contact Diane Ta-batabai at 301-983-6878 or

diane@linktech.org

C ead mile maith agat (A hundred thousand thanks!)

to our wonderful church community for all you did to make my

Anam Cara premiere concert a success. I particularly want to thank Dayna

Fellows, Janet Replogle, Jack Enders, and Ken Ow for their endless support in

making this a reality. I know there are

many others that I am missing, but to all who are "sung and unsung," thank

you! It is a real tribute to the church to see so many offer their time and their

talents. "Anam Cara" is about connections and caring, and NBUMC

people certainly showed how they care and are connected with each other and

the larger community.

Thank you!

Tony

Down By the Salley Gardens By William Butler Yeats

Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;

She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.

She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;

But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree.

In a field by the river my love and I did stand,

And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. She bid me take life easy,

as the grass grows on the weirs;

But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 3

Preacher Feature

Ever since I was a child, one of my favorite pastimes is working on jigsaw puzzles. I don’t seem to have the time as I used to, but when we visited my Dad and Rocky at Asbury, we would be drawn to the open puzzle near the

cafeteria and put a few pieces in place. As Jane Tomaine says in her book, St. Benedict’s Toolbox, “As I find each piece and

fit it into place, a beautiful scene begins to take shape. A tree begins as a speck of green, forms gradually, and emerges as a majestic pine. A hand gains a body and face to become a person. Piece by piece the

work is completed.

“How like a jigsaw puzzle is the work of God in our lives! Like the pieces of a

puzzle, God places the seemingly disparate pieces of our lives into a picture that, for a time, only God knows. All along the way, through the

circumstances of our lives and the choices we must make, God says to us, “Here, my child, take this piece; place it here. Now this piece. Now another.

And another,” until some form or pattern begins to emerge that we can see.”

I’ve been drawn to St. Benedict because the news disturbs me. We seem to be losing our

sense of faithfulness in our country. It seems that the real teachings of Jesus and the love we are supposed to have for one another are vanishing as we try to fit in, or lay low, or just

realize that traditional Christ-like ideas are not what seems to be working right now.

Our country has reflected Christian values for the most part. After World War II, we thought

we had won and made for ourselves the perfect life. But in the glory and the rush of victory, we began to grow farther and farther away from what was right. Right now, we seem to have forgotten even basic decency to one another. I want my community and my country to

bless the world, not destroy it out of anger because others don’t look like we do, or speak the way we do, or that somehow we think they have gotten something of ours that we won’t

get back.

We need a strong community, a bigger than family place to find the love and support we

need to be like Jesus in every way we can be. Would you be interested in that kind of community/family? I would hope so! It will take sacrifice, and that is one word we think is

only for losers!

We need to develop our faith to the point we know how to act in appropriate ways in all

circumstances. We need to learn about Jesus to such a degree that we can act like him, think like him, speak like him, love others like him in every way. It may lead to crucifixion

for us. Yet, Easter reminds us there is life beyond death.

To develop our faith demands hard work. We have to decide that faith and Jesus are

important; that life like his for the benefit of our community is worth the hard work. We have to treat people differently than they are being treated, and that means learning a

quality and depth of love that will overcome hatred, prejudice, racism, sexism, and fear of

others who aren’t like us.

Seriously, we can’t do this without the Holy Spirit’s help. We can’t do this without truly knowing what Jesus knows about God and one another. We need to read our Bibles deeply, to spend time in worship drawing closer to God, to make significant time for prayer, to go to

Bible Study, to put substantial resources into the offering plate. It’s hard work.

Easter teaches us to look at the world differently. Easter teaches us that God is more powerful than rejection. “Not my will but thine be done” is really significant. The news will

show us that with a new dimension of life from all of us, we can help each other.

Blessings,

Pastor Jeff

Page 4 April 2017 Contact

Worship Themes

April worship begins with Holy Communion and a wee little man in a tree. Then we move into Palm Sunday, Holy Week services, and Easter Morning. We look at how the

church realizes that Jesus was alive and with them.

4/2 Lent 5 Holy Communion Luke 18:31-19:10 Meet Zacchaeus first person

4/9 Palm Sunday Luke 19:29-44 The Triumphant Entry

4/13 Maundy Thursday Soup Supper 6 pm. Worship at 7 PM Luke 22:1-27 The introduction to Lord’s

Supper

4/14 Good Friday at St. Mark’s Presbyterian 7:30 pm

The Crucifixion

4/16 Easter Sunrise 6:30 am Worship 10 am. Luke 24:1-12 Resurrection

4/23 Easter 2 Luke 24:13-35 On The Road to Emmaus

4/30 Easter 3 Acts 6:1-7:2a, 44-60 Stephen’s Witness

This month covers all the essential dimensions of our

faith. We get to see Jesus’ influence on Zacchaeus,

Jesus’ welcome to Jerusalem, the Last Supper. “He Loves Us, He Forgives Us, Let’s Eat!”

Good Friday takes away barriers we had with God so

we can be restored. The resurrection shows us that God is real, that Jesus spoke the truth, that we can

follow and understand him, and that there is life

beyond death. The next week we understand his message. We meet Stephen, the first martyr whose

seeds sprouted into a world-wide faith. You won’t want to miss any of these episodes, so you can have

the full story.

The Lectionary April 2nd

Ezek. 37:1-14

Ps.130 or UMH 848

Rom. 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

April 9th

Matt. 21:1-11

Ps. 118:1-2, 19-29 or UMH 839

Isa. 50:4-9a

Ps. 31:9-16 or UMH 764

Phil.2:5-11

Matt.26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54

April 16th

Acts 30:34-43

Ps. 118:1-2, 14-24 or UMH 839

Col. 3:1-4 or John 20:1-18 or

Matt.28:1-10

April 23rd

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

Ps. 16 or UMH 748

1 Pet. 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

April 30th

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Ps. 116:1-4, 12-19 or UMH 837

1 Pet. 1:17-23

Luke 24:13-35

"We were overwhelmed by the kind expressions of appreciation given to us last Sunday. Thank you all. We love you." Jack and Sue

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 5

Support For Our Ministry During the time between Easter and Pentecost, we will share with you the hopes, plans,

and dreams we have for the ministry and work of NBUMC. We will detail and present the budget for the next fiscal year, July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. You will meet

people who support our work. You will be invited to pray about ways in which you can be a blessing of hope and new life to our church family and the community around us.

You will see once again how much difference we make in the world.

God describes tithes and offerings as a thank you for all of God’s gifts. The more we

acknowledge how God blesses, the more we should say thank you. It takes work to develop gratitude. To help grow gratitude,

we encourage you to take a step at a time to a more generous and grateful heart. A step could be $5 dollars more a week, one

less cup of fancy coffee. It could be $10 more a week. Through your gifts, we can show hope, encouragement, and care, giving

resources to change lives forever. And you can feel blessed for your generosity.

Please pray about your response to ministry, and ask God to encourage everyone to grow in faith. Thank you. Pastor Jeff

Book for After Easter After Easter, we will begin a book called Draw the Circle: a 40 Day Prayer Challenge. Written by Mark Batterson, a pastor in Washington, DC, this book has truly inspired my

life and ministry. It could make a difference for you as well. To encourage everyone to read it together, we will review it on Wednesday night after AWE. Your faith and prayer

life will develop power and encourage your own walk with God. Easter can change you.

We will have copies of the book available at church. Or you can get a Kindle version.

St. Benedict, who developed a recovery mode for Christianity after the collapse of the Roman Empire, based his monastic communities on the

power of prayer. If we are going to survive this current world challenge, we are going to need all the help we can get. Join us for a prayer walk with the

Draw the Circle study. There is a companion book called The Circle Maker. You may want to get it first.

I wish you the best. Connecting to God in a powerful way will bring the best

to you. God’s best is better than anything you might dream up.

Pastor Jeff

More Words from British Mysteries:

gobby: loudly opinionated or offensive (Works well with politics . . . )

porkies: old Cockney rhyming word used to mean “lies.” tickety-Boo: phrase for when everything’s going great feeling really grotty: Feeling under the weather, not well.

He was very gobby and told a lashings worth of porkies. This made the rest of us feel grotty and not tickety-boo.

Valerie Blane, laughing

Page 6 April 2017 Contact

Organ Concert with Maestro Olivera The sanctuary was packed on the afternoon of Sunday,

February 26. The 4 PM concert began after introductions from

Pastor Jeff and Tony Ashur. Maestro Olivera began to play and

the church filled with beauty. Between pieces, he told us a bit

about the upcoming song.

The second piece was a favorite: Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s

Desiring.” He played it in several registers, including one that

sounded like angels. He also used the voice switch, making the

melody sound as if a choir were singing on “ah.”

Handel’s “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale,” from Organ Concerto 13, was next. Olivera

pointed out that the two cuckoos were coming from the two speakers above either side of

the choir loft.

The fourth selection was delightful. A combination of Henry Purcell’s “Trumpet Voluntary”

and Jeremiah Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary in D,” with Purcell’s piece bookending Clarke’s.

Lovely!

Number five was Bach’s “Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor.” Big and powerful, this song

filled the sanctuary with glorious sound.

Maestro Olivera took time out to introduce his stuffed frog, Harry Hamlet. Harry is a

Lutheran frog, but tolerates Olivera’s playing of “music by composers of other religious

backgrounds . . .”

The sixth selection was a “Contabile,” played mainly with the celeste and flute voices.

Cesar Franck’s, “Final, for organ in B flat major,” was next. Majestic and loud with much

footwork for Olivera. Several times, his feet crossed as he danced on the pedals.

Olivera dedicated the eighth selection, a lovely French piece, to Harry.

After the intermission, Maestro Olivera returned to play, “O, Danny Boy,” in honour of Tony

Ashur. This piece flitted from a simple one note melody to orchestral, flute, and celeste, with

many voices and styles.

Number ten was a theme of a hymn and variations.

The last piece was an improvisation from one of the Allen Organ representatives. He gave

Olivera the sheet music to Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.”

This was fun. Olivera bounced the melody around with

various styles, including what sounded to me like

Bernstein, then broadened it to include Franck and jazz.

In the middle of the piece, he injected “A Mighty Fortress

is Our God,” perhaps a nod to Harry. He changed to

minor and a different mode, then finished up with a loud

recapitulation. Bravo!

What a fine concert!!

Valerie Blane

___________________________________________________

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 7

I cannot say enough good things about

those folks who organized, set up, and cleaned up for this reception. From Carol

Hornig’s beautiful flower arrangements to the lovely platters of cheese and crackers,

fruits and veggies, and especially that carrot cake (!) from the Italian Cousine to the

smiles on everyone’s face, you all did a superlative job. I appreciate your hard work:

Linda Thompson, Joanna Voight, Mary Lou Griffin, Joy Burt, Beth Wason-Blair, Vicki

Morrison, Kathy Devadas, and Amy Duroska.

Congratulations!

Valerie Blane

The Organ Concert Reception

The Membership & Evangelism Committee is very proud to have had such a successful reception after the marvelous Organ

Concert with Hector Olivero on Sunday February 26, 2017.

The Italian Cuisine in Wildwood Shopping Center provided the

delectable food which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

I wish to personally thank everyone who participated and

helped to set up, serve, and clean up afterwards. It was a very delightful event at our Church.

Mary Lou Griffin, Chair of Membership & Evangelism

Page 8 April 2017 Contact

Organ’s Praises to God

Sunday, February 26: Our organ dedication service. What a

wonderful morning! Music Director Tony Ashur played a prelude on the piano, saving the organ for the processional hymn. After the call

to worship, the glorious new chords of the new organ burst forth, surrounding the congregants with a beautiful hug of sound. The

choir processed, and all sang “When in our Music God is Glorified.”

Our first anthem was “Break Forth into Song,” a wonderfully upbeat

song reflecting what the choir was feeling.

The joyous Psalm 150 followed, praising the Lord with music.

Jack Enders gave the official presentation, and Pastor Jeff blessed the organ.

Tony showed the organ in many of its voices during “Prelude on ‘O God Beyond All Praising’” by Charles Callahan. Based upon Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from “The Planets,”

this lush and highly melodic piece spread the music across harmonics throughout the sanctuary, filling the space with soaring beauty.

The offertory anthem was a choir favorite, “Days of Elijah,” highlighting the large dynamic range of the organ and the choir.

Our song of dedication was “God of the Ages,” with its stirring trumpet call at the beginning and between the verses. Glorious!

And the finale was Rutter’s “Creation’s Alleluia,” a long and moving piece that spotlights the animal and geophysical aspects

of creation, interspersed with “alleluias.” The organ and choir wove the harmonies together into a sparkling song of praise.

WOW! Valerie Blane

Conference Policy on Visiting Pastors

This is to remind all members of NBUMC that in the event of an emergency or

hospitalization, or a wedding, baptism, or funeral to be held at North Bethesda, the current pastor is to be contacted to make and coordinate arrangements. The policy

manual of the Baltimore-Washington Conference is quite clear on this matter.

As stated in Section 2412, paragraph 2 of the manual:

"Pastors, active or retired, shall respectfully decline to participate in such duties when invited by members of a former congregation. Declining all such invitations is the

responsibility of the previous pastor. The present pastor, at his or her discretion, may invite the previous pastor to return for pastoral functions. However the present pastor

shall never be under any pressure to invite the previous pastor."

If you need further clarification, please contact Mike Haney, chair of SPRC.

Signed,

Amy Duroska, Chair, Church Council

Gordon Cragg, Lay Leader Mike Haney, Chair, SPRC

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 9

The Story Behind “Christ is Alive”

This modern hymn is one of Brian Wren’s two hundred and fifty hymns.

Wren was born in Romford, Essex, England, in 1936. He joined the

Upminster Congregational church in Essex when he was fourteen years old

and was soon called to ministry. Wren was in the British Army for two

years. He attended Oxford University, receiving a BA in Modern Languages

in 1960, a BA in Theology in 1962, and a PhD in Theology of the Old

Testament in 1968. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Humane

Letters from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis in 2004. Wren

was ordained in 1965.

Wren had a church briefly, but became interested in internationalism and

developing nations. For thirteen years, he worked for justice at Churches’

Action for World Development and Third World First.

Concerning this hymn, Wren writes, “I wrote that hymn in April of 1968, immediately following the

murder of Martin Luther King. I knew that I could not preach on Easter Sunday without dealing with

that event. Even though the Congregational church I was ministering to was located four thousand

miles away from the American deep South, the people in my congregation were profoundly touched

by King's death.”

Wren continues, saying, “However, after I had framed my sermon around that tragedy, I discovered

there weren't any appropriate hymns for the congregation to respond with. There were plenty of

songs that spoke about Easter as something very triumphant that happened a long time ago or that

happens again in the heart of the believer. But there wasn't anything that suggested a combination

of suffering and life. So I wrote the hymn "Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing."

Wren is a prolific writer. He has a good lyricism for the topics and a good ear for matching his words

with music, maintaining the flow of the words with the flow and beat of the music. His hymns are

filled with the poetry of worship and the power of language. His 250 hymns are published in many

collections of hymnals. He came in second in the International Millennium Hymn Competitions in

London.

Wren targets inclusive language, with women and oppressed minorities. He writes, “The vocation of

a poet in the church is to not only to write poems of faith which people will pick up and sing, but to

also speak truth by stepping beyond the church's limits of comfort and convention.”

Wren continues, “I began to experiment, to explore what it might mean for me to speak to God in

female terms. When I first began thinking in these terms, thinking of God as she, or as mother, was

profoundly disturbing. When I thought about the disturbance, it became clear to me that I couldn't

see any rational grounds for it. Whatever the source of it was, it was deep in my own psyche. It

took me some time to become happy with this wider language.

“I would also want to connect my concern about inclusive language with my visit to South Africa, where I heard something of the pain and experience of black Africans, of the terrible things that

people do to others in an oppressing system.

“That experience and many others like it made me aware of how little I know of the experience of others—particularly of those who are members of an oppressed or subordinate group. It's very easy

for white men in the privileged areas of the world to think they can speak for the whole human race and that in particular they know, understand, or can speak for women. I've learned that this is not

true!”

The music for the hymn, called Truro LM for an ancient city in Cornwall (noted cathedral and

pottery!), was from Psalmodia Evangelica, published in 1789 by Thomas Williams. Nothing is known

about Williams.

Valerie Blane

Page 10 April 2017 Contact

Meanwhile it’s never too early to

start dusting off your donations –

see Janet’s Golden Rules of

Donating.

We welcome donations (clean and

in good working order, please) of

furniture, household items, books,

DVDs, records, clothing (new or

gently used), toys, collectibles,

jewelry, dishes, artwork, tools,

electronics, but please, NO

computers, printers, monitors, TVS

or phones, and NO beds,

mattresses, curtains, curtain rods,

baby car seats or prams.

Remember, through your donations

you

raise money for local, national,

and global charities provide help to many in our

community who desperately need

good items and clothing at prices they can afford clear your attic and basement of

unneeded clutter and you can get a tax deduction

(get your receipt from Gordon Cragg)

100% of proceeds will benefit

NBUMC Missions.

Spring Rummage Sale!!

June 3, 8am – 2pm

Janet’s Golden Rules of Donating

Dear Donors to our Rummage Sale

For your stuff we’re on the trail

Treasures and trinkets and all useful things

We hope you will bring to us this spring!

Just a few guides that will help us well,

As you bundle your goodies for us to sell.

Be a Golden Rule Donor, it's easy to do.

It will lighten our load and raise money, too.

If you can, buff your stuff just here and there,

To show that your goods have been handled with care.

No rips or stains on the shirts, pants or tees,

Dresses, coats, and suits on hangers, please.

If your electronic gizmo needs a battery or two,

Please provide a fresh set so it will run like new.

Clean linens are welcome, labeled and sized.

Dolls, toys and games are especially prized.

Bring anything kids can play or ride,

And puzzles with all of the pieces inside.

Bring us gently used furniture be it small or big,

And don't forget Aunt Mildred's thingamajig.

Books, CDs and movies receive warm welcomes,

But please no textbooks or academic tomes.

Bring stuff in boxes, crates, or bags

Just nothing broken or nearly in rags.

China and collectibles we can sell with ease,

But no telephones or PCs, please.

Jewelry is just fab be it modest or showy,

Like that beaded bracelet from Cousin Chloe.

So that's all, that's it, just a suggestion or two,

Many hands make light work when there's so much to do.

We're grateful, dear donors, for your generous dispositions.

It's through your help we can support our missions!

Come to where the Bargains are!! Mark your calendars! Tell all your friends and family!

Please consider volunteering, not only for the Saturday, but for the week leading up to

the event. The sorting, cleaning, and pricing are great chances for fun interactions with

other members of your church family. And you also get to scope out the best bargains!

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 11

Applause for Pancakes and Performances! What a terrific Shrove Tuesday we had! Yummy

pancakes, both veggie and meat sausages, an egg

dish that was delish, and, oh, that maple syrup. As

true connoisseurs know, pancakes are just the reason

for eating maple syrup. And such talent! From folk

songs to classic rock to an ode to a rubber duckie,

from gymnastics to jokes, from tai chi to trios, we

had a marvelous time!

Many, many thanks to: Natalie McManus for organizing the performances, helping set

up tables and chairs, making the egg dishes, making pancakes, setting the the stage

props, and whatever else she was doing in the kitchen; to Ed Swanson for the audio

and for draping the cross in the sanctuary; to Chris Lee for buying all of the food,

taking pictures, bagging up extra food, and whatever else she was doing and being a

support to Valerie; to Pastor Jeff for helping set up tables

and chairs, finding the money box, and running off copies

for me. At 4:30, Johnson Hall was devoid of furniture. We

needed to get them up quickly.

Many, many thanks to: Wayne Huff, Mark

Aehle, David Tardif-Douglin, and Claude Bartholomot for making pancakes,

organizing the kitchen, putting away dishes and extra food, and doing a gazillion things to make

everything work; to David Tardif-Douglin, Rose Aehle, and whoever else was washing dishes when we discovered that the dishwasher did

not work (It had been checked out earlier and was working.); to Mark Aehle for putting up the stage and helping set the tables; to Paul Hurlburt and Kathy May for emceeing;

to Paul Hurlburt for indulging those of us who are maple syrup snobs (myself included)

and love the REAL thing by bringing pure maple syrup.

Many, many thanks to: Nancy Kane and Ardoth Hassler-Short for helping set

the tables; to Colton Hammond and Jan for taking care of the donations, handing out beads, and accompanying folks on the piano; and to Rose Aehle

and Heather Fricke for being servers.

Many, many thanks to all of the performers!

And, finally, many, many thanks to every single one of you who helped take down, clean up, and put away.

Valerie, gratefully

Page 12 April 2017 Contact

A Place of Miracles by Lee Hilling

An incredible story of hope in Afghanistan

Sunday, April 30 at 4pm,

followed by a reception and book signing

Lee Hilling is the author of A Place of Miracles: The Story of a Children’s Hospital in Kabul and the People Whose Lives Have Been

Changed by It.

Lee has had an unconventional career. In 1978, he retired from

the U.S. Navy Medical Department, after serving twenty-two years as both a white-hat sailor and a commissioned officer. During the Vietnam War, he was

a USAID advisor to the Government of Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and was the administrator of a team of doctors and medics working in a Vietnamese hospital in the

Mekong Delta, on the Cambodian border. In the United States, Lee has held board and

senior executive management positions at academic health centers. For five years, he was Co-Director of the Health Care Practice at Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world’s

largest international executive search firms.

Since 1991, Lee served in a wide variety of roles with the Aga Khan Development Network, including: six years as CEO of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi,

Pakistan; three years on the staff of the Aga Khan’s Secretariat in France, as global

Director of Aga Khan Hospitals worldwide; and one year as the full-time founding Vice President, Health Services for the Aga Khan University’s hospitals and health services in

East Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has consulted for governments and private health systems in Nigeria, Bangladesh, the Bahamas, and the British Virgin Islands.

Since 2004, Lee has been deeply involved planning and

implementing the French Medical Institute for Mothers and

Children (FMIC), a 170-bed hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, and since 2006, he has been chairman of the hospital's board. He

has traveled to Afghanistan nearly seventy times.

FMIC is one of Afghanistan's most unique and remarkable social sector reconstruction success stories. It went through a four-

party, public-private partnership involving the Government of Afghanistan, the French Government, a French Non-

Governmental Organization (La Chaine de L’Espoir), and the Aga Khan Development Network. It has accomplished many

miraculous things in its short existence, including performing nearly 2,500 pediatric cardiac surgeries, half of which were open-heart cases, with results at or exceeding

international standards.

Save the date! Spread the word!

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 13

Shadows Written by Brandon C. Kesselly

I see the buildings' shadows

As old replaces new

Where there used to be many

There are now very few

They say it is for everyone

We know that is not true

And so we all pray to The Lord

Each Sunday at the pew

That He watch over every home

O'er every boy and girl

For at any given moment

They could lose their whole world

The place where all their hopes and dreams

Should come to fruition

Could all be swiftly taken away

And turned to supposition

The shadows continue to grow

Engulfing the light we see

The future they once held dear

Is now in jeopardy

Can they escape the darkness

Escape the tragedy?

Or will they be lost forever

To the powers that be?

They watch as they are replaced

By very different peers

They have not lived in neighborhoods

With these people in years

Their parents simply shake their heads

And won't admit their fears

They simply pack in silence

While slowly shedding tears

The homes they all grew up in

Their fathers' fathers made

Will no longer be their own

In just a few short days

They used to do the gardening

Digging out holes with spades

Now the holes they all will dig

Will be for family graves

I see the buildings' shadows

As old replaces new

Where there used to be many

There are now very few

They say it is for everyone

We know that is not true

And so we all pray to The Lord

Each Sunday at the pew

Page 14 April 2017 Contact

Dear church family,

Mark and I have disconnected our home landline phone

number of 301-493-6701. To reach us, please call our cell

phone numbers. Rose's cell phone number is 240-476-9967 and Mark's cell

phone is 240-421-3521. Rose Aehle

Volume 46, Issue 4 Page 15