"World Neighbors Exchange," Reverend Dicks said. He smiled at his wife. "Yes, we're definitely participating. And contributing, as well."
"That part's already in hand," Dorothy said. "I need your help picking who we're going to invite for this round of exchange visits."
"Very good." Henry looked at the list. "Look, this couple is from a Moslem group in Palestine."
"That's right, Henry," Dorothy said, "The exchange is for Christian, Moslem, and Jewish worship groups practicing neighborly love. That couple's congregation already exchanges with a Jewish group."
They read through the profiles of the couples and picked out the most likely matches.
Rev. Peter Dong and Mrs. Irene Dong from Changsha in China. They had attended college together in Minnesota, where they had joined a neighborly love church. They decided to share the love by founding a congregation in their home city when they returned, and it had been running for five years.
"Same college as me," Henry said. "Different year, of course."
"They're hoping to talk with someone with an established congregation, about how to maintain it and deal with growing pains," Dorothy said.
"They've run a congregation in a large Chinese city for five years, they must have it together." Henry looked more closely at their entry. "I see. Maybe we would have some things to share. I wonder if it would be safe to email them?"
"For some of their questions, yes," Dorothy said. "Those there... hmm, maybe we could have someone set us up an Internet phone hookup. I bet they have some way of communicating discreetly, if they're a member of the exchange.
Ahmed and Leila as-Salaam, the Palestinian couple. They were part of a Moslem congregation that began exchanges with a Jewish group during the hopeful period when the peace process was making progress. After the troubles started again, the two congregations secretly maintained their ties, continuing to know each others' husbands and wives. The connection helped both groups continue to be strong in advocating for peace.
Dorothy looked at one of their notes. "Leila does not wish to know men without the mark of Abraham's covenant. What?"
"She's not open to sharing with uncircumcised men," Reverend Dicks said. "You know the congregation."
"Yes," Dorothy said. "Some are, some aren't. You are." She smiled. "We can let people know, I don't expect it will be a problem."
"Look at this couple, we know them," Henry said.
"Very well indeed," Dorothy said.
Gunther and Gretchen Fickelman, a German couple who had been their cabin-mates during a neighborly love retreat. Healthy, energetic, enthusiatic, a few years younger than Henry and Dorothy, and eager for variety in sex techniques. Their home congregation met on a Christian nudist camp on the German seacoast, and they were always nude in the cabin.
"Do you think Gunther and Gretchen could convince Mrs. Patterson that sodomy is worship, not sin?" Henry asked.
Dorothy laughed. "I doubt it. It took her quite a while to decide that it wasn't sinful to kiss someone below the waist."
Henry and Dorothy lined up some alternate choices in case their first wasn't available, then picked a first choice. |