Gaza

Now I come to topic that is on almost everyone's mind here at all times: the situation in Gaza. Since late December, the situation in Gaza has only gone from bad to worse. Gaza city has been bombed on an almost daily basis while friends, allies, and supporters have had only limited means to communicate and to send much needed medical supplies. But the school is doing everything is can for "our brothers and sisters in Gaza", as I've heard students refer to residents of Gaza during morning meeting. The school has asked the community to donate money and/or any medical supplies to the community service office and to keep the people of Gaza in our thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately, actually getting the medical supplies into Gaza is the hard part since very little humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza right now. Next week, the school plans to hold a candle light vigil in the spiritual center. Some of the junior fellows are even trying to organize a trip to Madaba so that we can donate blood. Now, although I try to mention students as little as possible in this blog, I feel that I do need to mention the words of one student in particular so that I can convey a sense of how close and how real this conflict feels to me now. During an all school meeting a student stood in front of the stage next to Dr. Eric to talk to everyone about Gaza. The student related that she hag lived in Gaza city from age 1-9 but that here grandmother still lives there. The student told us that she had spoken to her grandmother a few days before and had heard that her old school had been bombed and that the city "smells like death". I'm gradually starting to feel closer and closer to this conflict almost to the point where I feel as if I'm surrounded by it. Not only is Gaza city only about a 4 or 5 hour drive from here, but now Lebanon has joined the conflict by firing its own missiles into Israel as Egypt works continuously to negotiated a cease fire. I'm honestly starting to feel a little scared actually. Neither Israel nor Hamas is showing any signs of compromising and nobody knows how exactly how bad this situation might get or when it will show signs of improvement. I hate to sound egocentric, but I'm trying to give my future self a sense of what I'm experiencing here at school. I think about the suffering and destruction that is taking place so close to me every day and I hope that I can give my money, my blood, and whatever else I can to the people and families of Gaza.