SMALL WORLD DEPARTMENT...

El Cajon, California, has a large population of Assyrians, an ancient people caught up in a new diaspora. They are known as Chaldeans if they belong to the Chaldean-church and Syriacs if they are belong to the Syrian Orthydox Church. Chaldeans are fiercely loyal to their church, to their language, and to each other. Margaret and I had the pleasure of being included in a picnic this afternoon with Chaldeans largely from the village of Bidaro in Northwestern Iraq. Bidaro is five miles from the Turkish border and very close to the southwestern border of Iran. A couple of other people were from the village that was once the ancient city of Ninevah across the Tigris River from the modern city of Mosul on the Plain of Ninevah. The Chaldean-Syriac Christians have a long history of persecution. Some of our friends left Iraq for Lebanon in the nineteen seventies, and then the civil war there forced them out again, and they came to the United States. Some newer friends have come to the United States since the current war with Iraq began. Today I had a long conversation with a Chaldean man who is now an Australian citizen and lives in Sydney. He lost a leg in the war with Iran and suffers hearing loss from a roadside bomb explosion. What moves me most is the thankfulness and hopefulness of these people. They are amazingly resourceful and supportive of each other.








Food and fellowship are enough reason for these gatherings, but today was special because of the arrival of Father Michael from Bidaro and because this is a special saint’s day for the Chaldean Church. It’s wonderful to sit and listen to people speaking one of the world’s oldest languages and to be included in a feast that rivals anything else we’ve ever experienced in extensive world travels. To my taste Chaldeans rice dishes are the best in the world... and a roasted whole lamb was outstanding.