May 6, 2001

A friend sends an email to see about emigrating to the US.

More and more people are getting the urge to depart. The internet cafes (yes, there are two for a village of 3000) have become an escape for some - a few hours of chatting, etc., and a resource for others - learning about American immigration requirements. More families have approached us for emergency assistance, which is a two-edged sword: there is a real, deep, critical need for work and money as the closures and collective punishments of the Occupation continue - something we hope we can minister to in the right ways.

Most large Palestinian municipal projects are done in partnership with foreign aid groups.

At the same time, there is a sense of dependence that underlies these requests, which we are not eager to reinforce. This latter is also part of the climate of a developing nation, which relies heavily on foreign investment and aid to build crumbling and non-existent infrastructures. Tricky at best.