Reverend M. William Howard, Jr.

But the gravity of it unfolds as you're in it. We arrived in Iran. We were escorted to the, I think, the Hilton Hotel. And we walked in the door and there must have been 200 or more press people. It was a circus. I mean, people from the United States, but from all over the world, wanting to meet these clergy who were about to go into the embassy. You know, I'm a Protestant clergyman.

But the gravity of it unfolds as you're in it. We arrived in Iran. We were escorted to the, I think, the Hilton Hotel. And we walked in the door and there must have been 200 or more press people. It was a circus. I mean, people from the United States, but from all over the world, wanting to meet these clergy who were about to go into the embassy. You know, I'm a Protestant clergyman.

I'm thinking, Christmas, that's tomorrow, because this was in the evening of Christmas Eve. And I had staff people accompany me. And one of them came to the door of the hotel and knocked on the door and said, Bill, you'd better get dressed. We have to be at the embassy at the strike of midnight. Yeah, the midnight mass. And that's what the Muslim hosts knew about the Christian.

I'm thinking, Christmas, that's tomorrow, because this was in the evening of Christmas Eve. And I had staff people accompany me. And one of them came to the door of the hotel and knocked on the door and said, Bill, you'd better get dressed. We have to be at the embassy at the strike of midnight. Yeah, the midnight mass. And that's what the Muslim hosts knew about the Christian.

I'm thinking, Christmas, that's tomorrow, because this was in the evening of Christmas Eve. And I had staff people accompany me. And one of them came to the door of the hotel and knocked on the door and said, Bill, you'd better get dressed. We have to be at the embassy at the strike of midnight. Yeah, the midnight mass. And that's what the Muslim hosts knew about the Christian.

So we dressed quickly, and literally at midnight, we were at the embassy, driving to the embassy from the hotel. You talk about paparazzi. I mean, my Lord. You know, just speeding cars, reporters hanging out the window of cars with TV cameras. And you're wondering, Is there going to be some kind of accident here? But we arrived at the embassy and the moment we arrived, And we were expected. Yeah.

So we dressed quickly, and literally at midnight, we were at the embassy, driving to the embassy from the hotel. You talk about paparazzi. I mean, my Lord. You know, just speeding cars, reporters hanging out the window of cars with TV cameras. And you're wondering, Is there going to be some kind of accident here? But we arrived at the embassy and the moment we arrived, And we were expected. Yeah.

So we dressed quickly, and literally at midnight, we were at the embassy, driving to the embassy from the hotel. You talk about paparazzi. I mean, my Lord. You know, just speeding cars, reporters hanging out the window of cars with TV cameras. And you're wondering, Is there going to be some kind of accident here? But we arrived at the embassy and the moment we arrived, And we were expected. Yeah.

You know? I would hope so. That's when the... That would have been awkward.

You know? I would hope so. That's when the... That would have been awkward.

You know? I would hope so. That's when the... That would have been awkward.

We didn't surprise them. Yeah, yeah. But the thing that... What happened at that point really became interesting. They blindfolded us. Did they at least give you a warning that they were going to do that? They explained to us why we were being blindfolded. Sure. They weren't mean to us. Right. But we were completely at their mercy. Right.

We didn't surprise them. Yeah, yeah. But the thing that... What happened at that point really became interesting. They blindfolded us. Did they at least give you a warning that they were going to do that? They explained to us why we were being blindfolded. Sure. They weren't mean to us. Right. But we were completely at their mercy. Right.

We didn't surprise them. Yeah, yeah. But the thing that... What happened at that point really became interesting. They blindfolded us. Did they at least give you a warning that they were going to do that? They explained to us why we were being blindfolded. Sure. They weren't mean to us. Right. But we were completely at their mercy. Right.

They escorted us to a place, sat us down. Once we were inside, they removed the blindfold. Now, each of us were taken to a different location. We didn't know where the other people were, our colleagues. I was brought to a large room, well-lit, and there was a table there

They escorted us to a place, sat us down. Once we were inside, they removed the blindfold. Now, each of us were taken to a different location. We didn't know where the other people were, our colleagues. I was brought to a large room, well-lit, and there was a table there

They escorted us to a place, sat us down. Once we were inside, they removed the blindfold. Now, each of us were taken to a different location. We didn't know where the other people were, our colleagues. I was brought to a large room, well-lit, and there was a table there

with uh sort of desserts you know like cookies and cakes and so forth that was the muslim understanding of how christmas was celebrated what was it like sugar cookies and things i think it was sweet stuff i don't know uh i didn't explore it because i didn't dare eat it sure sure i didn't yeah was there a christmas tree there and all that oh yes yes it was sort of like

with uh sort of desserts you know like cookies and cakes and so forth that was the muslim understanding of how christmas was celebrated what was it like sugar cookies and things i think it was sweet stuff i don't know uh i didn't explore it because i didn't dare eat it sure sure i didn't yeah was there a christmas tree there and all that oh yes yes it was sort of like

with uh sort of desserts you know like cookies and cakes and so forth that was the muslim understanding of how christmas was celebrated what was it like sugar cookies and things i think it was sweet stuff i don't know uh i didn't explore it because i didn't dare eat it sure sure i didn't yeah was there a christmas tree there and all that oh yes yes it was sort of like