Peter -n- Melodye

What do you say when someone asks you, "When did you stop beating your wife?" If you answer, "I haven't," then it looks like you are still beating her. But if you answer something like "a long time ago" then it looks like you used to beat her but eventually stopped. If you never beat your wife then you can't answer the question. It's a lose-lose situation, and if you aren't given the option to challenge the validity of the question itself then you have no way out. It's entrapment. Roughly a year ago Guy was called as a defense witness in the trial against David Brown. During the course of the testimony the judge himself challenged Guy with a set of questions very similar to the "when did you stop beating your wife" question. And he absolutely disallowed Guy any possibility of challenging the question or any non-answering of the question -- even though Guy specifically asked for each of these. When Guy finally gave an an...

Once again we all gathered at the courthouse. Once again we all filed in through light security. Once again we found our seats and pretty much filled up the room. This time 2 different things happened: (1) we started on time and (2) the prosecutor showed up. This is a new prosecutor (not that we would know since the last one never showed up). She seems pretty young and inexperienced. The word used several times to describe her is "stazh" which is roughly translated as "apprentice". To my mind this is a very good sign as it appears probable that they are assigning a very junior prosecutor to the case in an attempt to save face on a case they would very much like to distance themselves from. In other words, the more senior prosecutors have seen that it's a no-win and so they've given it to the only person in the office who can't say no... So the judge came in, we all stood up, and then we actually had the beginning of the trial. Each "player...

I'll make this post as brief as the trial yesterday. More supporters came for Guy than the last time, nearly 30 this time. Again a separate prayer meeting was going on elsewhere. The lawyer with Advocates International was once again present, having crossed the Atlantic yet again for this trial. We filed into the courtroom and found seats, nearly filling the room. We stood for the judge to enter. He announced that the prosecutor had requested that a different prosecutor be appointed. He announced that today's proceedings were at an end. We stood, he left, and we left. Next date in court is March 27 at 10am.

Yesterday the trial for Guy Eshelman began ... sort of... If you've read INjustice in Albania in this blog then you will be aware of this trial and who Guy is so I won't go into that. We arrived at the courthouse about 9:40 with a group of 10 or so missionaries. The trial was to begin at 10. Several missionaries were already there in addition to embassy representatives and others who came to support Guy. More arrived every few minutes until we were probably 25 or more. (There was another group who met at the AEP to pray for the trial at the same time.) We all filed through a somewhat perfunctory security and were directed to a certain room. I just started to think about what the room would look to a stranger when we were told that the trial was being moved to another room. We all dutifully filed out of room #1 and into room #2 where we were searched a little more carefully this time. We were told to place any bags at the back of the room, including ladies' purses, a...

Lyrics to No More Night : Words & music by Walt Harrah The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away. It’s not a dream, God will make all things new that day. Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell. Evil is banished to eternal hell. No more night. No more pain. No more tears. Never crying again. And praises to the great "I AM." We will live in the light of the risen Lamb. See all around, now the nations bow down to sing. The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King. Slowly the names from the book are read. I know the King, so there’s no need to dread. No more night. No more pain. No more tears. Never crying again. And praises to the great "I AM." We will live in the light of the risen Lamb. See over there, there’s a mansion, oh, that’s prepared just for me, Where I will live with my savior eternally. No more night. No more pain. No more tears. Never crying again. And praises to the great "I AM." We will live in the light of the ri...

April 18, 1972 - December 6, 2008 With his wife, Milena, pregnant with Aaron, and Dea. Picture October, 2008

Today a good man died. He was one of the good ones. He was the one you wanted at your back in the battle. And he was my friend. He was my friend that would tell it to me like it was. And he’s not here anymore. He’s gone on ahead. Too far ahead. He left a beautiful young wife. And a daughter who hasn’t yet seen a birthday cake with a candle on it for her. Now her dady can’t show her how to blow out that candle. And he left this world about 12 hours before he would have welcomed his first son into the world. A day of joy turned into a day of weeping. The weather agrees. Cold tears fall from leaden skies. The world weeps. A good man, cut down in the prime of life. Now I know what that phrase really means. He was wise. He “got it.” He had integrity. Real integrity. Right priorities that he really lived by. He was the man needed here in Albania . Today. In this situation. He was the kind that would have made a diffe...