A Note from a Palestinian’s Wife

Hi, my name is Dori. I’m 27. I’m American and I have family members dying in Gaza. Over 25 family members have died in less than two weeks time. I have not even had the chance to meet them. I should clarify they are not of my flesh and blood, you see, I am married to a Palestinian man. They are his relatives, his blood, but when you marry someone their family becomes your own. I can’t say I know their names, their ages, or even that I could recognize their faces. Yet, my lack of memories haunts my hurting heart. I don’t like war; I dream of hope, peace and love. But in days like these, when so many heart-breaking things are taking place in our world, I struggle to feel others are hoping with me. Days- when empathy and love are lacking and judgment and anger blinds.

I wish I could protect my husband from the lack of awareness and the hatred. I wish I could say these things weren’t alive and well in my home country, culture, or with in Christianity. But I see it. Forget politics. Are we to show lack of disdain for human life? Even in a community known to defend the unborn, is this community supporting the death of innocent people? What is our definition of justice? Where is our love? Should I have to listen to my husband re-tell me a stranger’s questions such as, “So you guys are the ones bombing Israel?”

I know one thing, though I struggle, I pray for peace and hope in our world. The unbiased kind, the kind that only comes from a loving God’s heart.

A prayer for India

(Near where I transfered buses with the girls to go to Smyrna)

A few mornings ago, I woke realizing I dreamed of India.

A few days before left India, something really hit me- India is a land in need of healing. Certainly there are places all over the world in need of God, but India has something different about it. It’s obviously a land in need of spiritual healing, but what surprised me was that it is a land in need of physical healing as well.  I can’t even begin to tally the amount of people I saw with some sort of physical problem, specifically I noticed many people with problems with their feet and legs. Legs! The very thing that helps you move forward.

India is a land of pain and heartbreak. Before going to India I may have thought of this as being dramatic, but after not only my experience with the girls, but hearing and seeing so many truly sad stories I can see this reality. So many children who have lost parents, parents who have lost children, so much loss. I watched many Hindi films while I was in India and besides the music and dancing (“Bollywood”) one other thing seemed to tie them together as a common thread. They are dramatic. Really dramatic. The older ones especially. There are traumatic accidents and sudden deaths or other forms of heartbreak. After seeing so many films that have such elements I began to wonder why… Indians like drama? Is that it? While, I think that’s part of it, I believe there is more to it than that. Many Indians themselves have seen and experienced such horror and pain first hand; they relate.

There is known to be a lot of corruption in India. The government and some persons in general who are leaders are unfair and crooked. (The caste system also plays in to this, I believe.) The culture is accustomed to the corruption, but some are willing to fight it. The presence of Freedom Firm is an example of just that! And the dream can be realized.

India, a country of 1.2 billion people, is only 5.6 percent Christian. There are many religions represented in India– Hinduism, Buddhims, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam to name some. It’s fascinating how much these religions have influenced it’s culture through out history. Of course a country in need of healing is going to try to find their hope in something. It’s so sad for one country to be so lost.

I may not have a “calling” to India, but as a Christ follower, this hopeful heart would like to see (and believes) India can stretch out it’s legs and move into a new future. My prayer is for India to do just that.

(at the highest (in elevation) Tea Factory in South India)

Prayer need!

I already posted today, but I know some of you get email notifications and may not see changes made to the previous post.

***Urgent prayer need: I was just informed one of the girls, Zoe* attacked Hope* in a fit of rage…  hit her in the head with her high heal, pulled out some of her hair, kicked her in the stomach, and threw a brick at her. Zoe* is the girl I referenced previously about her improvements with containing her rage, as she has had a history of being violent. This disturbs my spirit as earlier today seemed to be peaceful, and I know that Zoe* has changed and can change. This will likely alter the dynamics with the girls greatly. I will be the “house mother” at Roja Saturday and Sunday. Peace Peace Peace is what we need.

And right now, at 8pm here, there is a raid taking place to rescue at least one girl by FF’s Pune team.

We need prayers for victory! Both, in rescuing and in the situation with Zoe*.

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An update– right about the time I posted this Zoe* went in to another rage minutes after Anika (a fellow FF volunteer) came to Roja to be of support to the other two staff persons there. Anika and Anik had to physically hold her down for about ten minutes until Jayson was able to come to talk to her. In the process of kicking etc. she bit Anika twice… As horrible as this is, the thing to praise God for is that Anika was there to help hold her down because she was not successful in attacking Hope* again, also that Jayson and Greg (He and his wife Mala are FF’s founders) were able to talk to her to the point of her calming down. Today they are meeting with her again to talk through things.

*names changed