By Trent
During our stay in Gaza we have made strong friendships that we will have for the rest of our lives. Palestinians, whether they are men or women, are not shy about showing their affection towards others. The following are just a few of the loving text messages we have recieved on our cell phone in the last few weeks:

A Star has 5 Ends
A Square has 4 Ends
A Triangle has 3 ends
A Line has 2 Ends
A Life has 1 End
But I hope our friendship
Will be a Circle
That has No End

Yesterday: I miss you
Today: I still miss you
Don’t worry about Tommorrow
I will Always miss you!
That is a PROMISE
-forever-
i.miss.u
i.love.u

1 + 1 = 2 My eyes looking at you
2 + 3 = 5 Sens missing you
3 + 4 = 7 Days thinking of you
4 + 7 = 12 Months dreaming about you but
99 + 1 = 100 Years I need a sweet friends like you
No word is as beautiful as friends
And no friends are as wonderful as you
Friends are sweet when its True
Its sweetest when its you

If you want to know how much I love you
Try to catch raindrops.
The one you catch is how much you love me
And the ones you miss is how much I love you

It’s a nice feeling when you know that
Some 1 loves you
Some 1 misses you
Some 1 needs you
But it feels much better when you know that
Some 1 never forgets you…
That’s me

By Serena

By now you may be aware that I am in Jerusalem with the four other delegates from the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project, and Cindy and Craig Corrie. We chose to leave Gaza Wednesday morning after two men came to our apartment late Tuesday night asking us to go with them under the false pretense that we would be safer staying in their home. Our host in Rafah recognized this as an attempt to kidnap us and cautiously navigated the situation resulting in the bizarre scenario of the men shaking each of our hands and leaving. Though this experience was nerve-wracking at no point did I feel I was in any physical danger.

Kidnapping of foreigners has become increasingly common throughout the past month as the upcoming legislative elections get closer. The past week and a half in Rafah. (more…)

From The Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2006

News reports stating that the parents of slain American human rights activist Rachel Corrie were the intended targets of an attempted kidnapping Wednesday in Gaza are incorrect. According to Craig and Cindy Corrie, contrary to news reports, the Corries were never threatened with kidnapping, nor did gunmen burst into the house where the Corries were staying. (more…)

By Rochelle and Serena

Hello family and friends,
We are in!!!!!! It went so smoothly, after all the hours of planning and worry it has paid off. Currently we are with the Nasrallah family, the family whose home Rachel died defending. (more…)