February 2022 visit

 

VISIT FEBRUARY 8^th AND 9^th

 

Sr. Frantiska and I went together this visit. We had no troubles entering or leaving. Sabah had us visit right away a home that we have chosen to renovate. They need extensive renovations: a bathroom outside the home, a second bedroom for the children, a new roof, windows and flooring in places. The second family which we visited had the father in bed as he has suffered 14 years with cancer. They had their bathroom and kitchen put in by another relief organization, but they still need a new roof, flooring and an added bedroom as they all sleep in one room now. They have nine children.

We met with the directors of the four pre-schools. We reminded them that the teachers should be getting their full salaries of 300 to 400 nis monthly since we are covering the fees for the families who can pay only part of the monthly 20 nis. 

After that, we visited a home that we had just renovated. The family was very happy with the results of their renovations. They are a family of 12 children; the Father and one son are diabetic. We had helped them with medicines and bags of food.

Next we made condolence visits to two families. We went for the evening to the Missionaries of Charity Sisters where we always spend the night. They always are so good to us and they bring up to date on what is happening in the parish.

The second day we went to the Middle Camps to visit our two schools there. The children were hard at work. In the school sponsored by Marco, the Italian clown, we were able to see the outcome of many great renovations that were made. We tried to visit a third school, but were too late so we visited a Women’s Center. This center supports this pre-school and their kitchen prepares nice meals for the children. On the next visit we hope to visit the school while the children are there.

Sabah’s photos help us to share our visit with you.

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January 2022 visit by Lorenzo

 

January visit by Lorenzo

Lorenzo went down just for the day. He and Sabah visited three homes. Their visit were to choose the next homes to be renovated. Two of the homes were in a bad condition and one will be renovated soon. Our pictures this month are of a home that was renovated in mid-December. You will see the condition of the home before the renovations and then the condition of the home after the renovations. There is one pictures of Sabah and Lorenzo talking to the family.

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Visit November 2021

 

Our visit Nov. 22 and 23 of November 2021

Our newest member Fr. George Schultze joined Sr. Frantiska and me for this visit. Although we couldn’t rent a car as we usually do, we found that we could take a taxi from the Damascus Gate to and from Gaza.

The first day we were just the three of us, and the second day Lorenzo joined us. That first morning was spent visiting families in need of home repairs or homes which we repaired during the Covid. We were pleased with the home renovation outcomes due to Sabah’s close supervision. Our driver is also volunteering his time to help Sabah. Before winter we hope to renovate two more homes.

In the afternoon we met with Sabah.  It was Fr. George’s first visit, and we showed him the popular little fishing port. Later Fr. Gabriel welcomed Fr. George to the priest’s residence, and they discussed the situation of the local church. We sisters joined the Missionaries of Charity where we are always welcomed to spend the night. They spent some time with us in the evening.

The following day, being we were a larger group, one group went to visit the two schools in the Middle Camps, and Lorenzo joined us to clear up some long-standing problems with our bank. We met in the office where again we had lunch, and Sabah again shared news with us.

Sami the driver took us to the border where we hired a taxi to Jerusalem. Arriving at Damascus Gate, we took public transportation  or walked to our various homes.

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Visit October 2021

 

VISIT OCTOBER 24 AND 25 OF 2021

Sr. Frantiska and I were asked to be in Gaza to see a NGO L’Oeuvre de l’Orient who supports our Medical program in Gaza now for several years. We were asked only a few days before to go so Sabah, Fr. Gabriel, his man in charge of permits worked hard to get us the needed documents. We were to be at the Mass in Gaza that morning. The journalist met us after Mass and asked us to return at 4 pm as he had other people to see. Sabah sent the driver and we went to the office and had schawamers sandwiches and talked about the recent events in Gaza. After we still had time to visit three very poor families. The photos which I took share the realities of their lives.  Several had members with special needs. Two have homes which let the rains and cold of the winter months that are approaching penetrate so that everyone and everything is soaked. One home has no water in the bathroom nor in the kitchen and the mother cooks outside over a wood fire. One Father of the family is from Egypt so they can get no assistance from any organization. For each family we help them with food and medications. After we were back at the Missionaries of Charity to see the journalist.

The following day we met with all the directors of the pre-schools. They main topic off their conversation was that they are grateful to be able to keep their school open as Al Omri provides the fees for the majority of the children who cannot afford to go to the schools.

Another big topic of conversation was hopeful as now 1,000 workers are allowed to get permits to work or trade in Israel. If this number can grow it will have a great impact on the economic crises which now exists in Gaza. Eighty percent of the population now depends on food packages from many different sources. Please pray with us that many more men will be able to work in Israel. Entering and leaving we saw hundreds of men going in or leaving at the border. It was truly great to see.

Sr. Susan

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Visit July 2021

 

In July I were delighted to go down to Gaza after being absent for one year and a half. It felt so right to be there. Seeing Sabah, Wesel, Fawyseh and Mohamed again made me feel right at home. The debris from the destruction was still being scooped up with heavy machinery, carried away and roads were being opened again. In this last war they shelled residential area and high rise apartments mainly. In the last war Hamas building had been shelled.

Having had troubles getting my permit to enter I spent two hours in a new building waiting in the heat to enter. Sabah and Sami our driver were a welcome sight when they came with the document allowing me to enter.

The main reason for this visit was to go to the bank to solve some long lasting problem. Again we had some hitches. I never made any headway and hopefully Bro. Lorenzo and I will go down together and get things worked out in September. We both have our signatures for our bank account in case that either of us is away and we can still take money out.

Sabah brought me up on the situation. We have no problems with getting medications for the very poor monthly. The pre-schools are still closed until the middle of August or September first. No building material are allowed in yet after the war so we cannot continue for the moment to renovate homes. The funding has been promised us for two or three homes. The food distribution to 100 poor families continues until the end of September. 

A real concern is that none of the families who send their children to the pre-schools can pay the small fees monthly for their children. We hope to meet in September and try to work out a solution so our three pre-schools can continue.

Pictures will follow which tells the results of the short but powerful shelling lf the last war.

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Info June 2021

 

June Events

With the pre-schools closed it was a quieter month for Sabah and Wasel. Yet they were able to continue with the medical program. They change the region each month so that we don’t serve the same people monthly. Still families with disabled people have priority. We are able to give diapers to about 14 individuals monthly also and these people have different handicaps.

They also visited many new families; names that have been given them these last months in order to decide what families are most in need of food. Here priorities have been given to those who lost their home in the last war. Sr. Frantiska and I hope to visit Gaza and to go to see some of these families this month when we receive our permits to go there. One hundred families have been chosen to receive the 14 items in each bag. It is all dry foods due to little electricity for refrigeration. The items included are soap for personal hygiene, washing dishes and laundry.

Next month in August, when the pre-schools are open for registering children for the fall  Sabah and Wasel will be choosing a fourth school for us to replace the Musaddar Pre-School which one of our benefactors have begun to sponsor. They have three schools in mind to visit.

Photos of the women and one young girls are here to show who received medications for June.

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Infos May 2021

 

For those who have followed the events this month in Gaza you know that May tenth began the war in Israel and in Gaza which last eleven days ending on May 21^st.Like the other post-war realities we began to receive donations to help us reach the hunger and the homeless now over 32,000 who were living mostly in the UNERWA schools. Yet this time, Sabah who directs our programs there was not totally over the COVID which she had contacted a few weeks previously. For the eleven days of the war nightly shelling gave little possibility to sleep or go out on the streets. She and her husband who lived in an area which was heavily shelled had to move in with friends.

Tomorrow almost one week after the end of the war many people are still in shock. Others are busy cleaning and moving the rubble from homes and streets. Last Monday we had hoped to get urgent medications to people; the streets were not passable, now we hope to do this next Monday. Sabah is feeling stronger, yet is not fully herself. We feared that our office was damaged, yet the windows are still there and it only needed a good cleaning. Funding came in to feed 200 families in June 100 more than what we do monthly. The pre-Schools are closed probably until September. Today our two women will begin to visit the hard hit families in the north where the shelling was the worst. The families also need hygiene kits with the basic items that they need immediately. The pictures included with this update will be taken by them today.

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March and April 2021

 

March and April 2021

In March we were able to continue our programs with seeing that the children in the four pre-schools had a good meal daily. The sick received their medications as usual. New outfits were delivered to all the children in our schools, so over 400 children received a new set of clothing. The photos of this month shows their joy when they received outfits.

April brought a higher rate of the COVID to Gaza. As a result the government closed the schools again as a precaution. Ramadan started the 14^th of the month and many families asked Sabah and Wasel for food due to the fast. They doubled the number of families needing food due to the generosity of our Al Omri benefactors. We will be able to continue this food program again for the next six months.

Sabah, our coordinator of our programs, and her husband both contacted the COVID. At first Sabah didn’t feel that she had it badly. Yet with time and continued fatigue she went to the hospital where they gave her extensive tests. The results showed no serious problems. They suggested that she stay at home and rest for a few days which she is doing. Her husband had other effects from the virus which were less serious than those of Sabah. We are grateful to the Lord that neither of them were seriously ill.

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February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

 

We are still not allowed to go down to Gaza, yet Sabah and our social worker Wasel continue our programs there.

We are having banking problems so this month we were unable to repair a home which we regret as we have had some heavy rains which are hard on families where the rain enters the roof, windows and sometimes even the doors to the outside.

We have been able to give 100 very poor families a bag of food still and many of these families have a handicapped person or more in the family. Some families have up to five members disabled.

The sick who cannot buy their medications are helped. Monthly we provide the medication for 40 to 45 individuals. They are children, the elderly and all ages who need medications. Fifteen individuals receive diapers monthly also.

The schools opened in the middle of the month. This means that our pre-schools opened suddenly. We hope that they will be safe for these three and four year olds who are now back in classes. 

The good news this week is that the vaccine is getting to Gaza now. We pray that this will help to slow down the pace for which many are getting the virus. Gaza has had a high percentage of people contacting the COVIT. The hospital there do not have the equipment to deal with severe cases of the virus.

Br. Lorenzo is still in Italy unable to return. He is caring for two brothers with the corona. After he receives his two vaccines we hope that he will be free to return. 

Thanks to our benefactors we are able to continue to serve the population in this time of financial need.

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Christmas 2020

 

Christmas 2020

                                                                                                        

Dear 

“All the end of the Earth have seen the saving power of God… Sing joyfully to the LORD all you Lands;

Break into song; sing praise.”      

                                                                     

It’s time to wish each of you and your families many Joys and Blessings for the Christmas season! This year I must add my wishes that you are free of the COVID virus and living carefully.

 What a strange Christmas 2020 will be! Physically we must be distant from each other, yet may this time of restraints which separate us in one way bring us together in other ways. We still have our cell phones with these devices: skype, zoom, what’s up and viper to keep connected with each other.

In recent years I use this Christmas letter as an opportunity to bring you up-to-date on what has been happening with our programs in Gaza. When the corona hit in mid-March we tried to go on with our programs, but Sabah, our lady who runs the programs there, was detained in Turkey visiting her children and was unable to return to Gaza until September. She ran our programs through Wesel, our social worker, those months when Sabah was away. With the schools closed (they still are closed) we could only care for the sick monthly. Getting funds transferred to our account was another problem as Brother Lorenzo, who makes the monthly transfer, was in Italy on his home visit. The parish priest came to our assistance and he paid the bills at the pharmacy and Lorenzo was able through another aid organization to transfer money to reimburse him. We missed only two months of assisting the sick in receiving their needed medications. The Lord still runs our programs there. He truly loves the people!

When Sabah returned in September, she evaluated the situation. The COVID was so bad in Gaza by then that the pre-schools were not able to open. The virus has struck 35% of the population since March. People stayed at home when they contacted the corona as the hospitals hadn’t the resources to respond to their needs. Whole refugee camps or towns were under lockdown for weeks at a time to control the spread of the virus. For a long time people did not have masks to wear.

We received funds to repair some six homes before the winter rains. The rains would quickly drench families due to faulty roofs.  Homes are often without doors and windows; Bathrooms and kitchens are often broken down. Many have handicapped members who sleep on mats on the floor and are soaked when it rains. Our two ladies had already identified with our team the homes which critically needed renovations. Two homes a month have been renovated. You can’t imagine the joy shared in these families now with a safe, hygienic and proper home.

In November we received funding from Al Omri of Germany to feed 100 families for six months. We are so grateful for this funding as most few cannot find work to assure some food for themselves. We’ve never before seen so many hungry families in Gaza! 

The assistance we are able to provide to the very poor is due to your generosity during this critical year and through other years as well.  You have been keeping us going through wars and other disasters for many years. Together we can make a difference for many families. Still the Lord seems to come to the aid of these people caught in a very bad situation.

Know that you and your families have top priority as we raise your intentions to the Lord this Christmas. May he care for your every need and keep you healthy!

I’ll add a personal note, I have been missioned to our Hospital in Nazareth to serve the seniors in the geriatric department animating their activities. I’ve already gotten very attached to these women and men who are not so different from the sweet children and young adults with whom I worked in Haifa. Being older myself, I seem to fit right in to this funny bunch. My three sister companions have been welcoming and supportive too.

                                                                              

Love and prayers,

                                                            

Our team: Bro.Lorenzo, Sr. Julian,

                                                                Sr. Sandra, Sr. Frantiska and 

                                                                                               Sr. Susan

See the children’s and mother’s joy                                              after their home was renovated!