Hello dear friends and family, Happy New Year! I went back to Palestine for five weeks intending to say goodbye to Mohammed and his family. We had been engaged and then called it off due to what seemed to be insurmountable legal odds against us. But when I saw Mohammed again we instantly realized that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. And our love grew tremendously. We decided that we wanted to get married and see what would happen with my immigration into Israel and his immigration into the US. Five days before I left to come to the states Mohammed's parents told him that they did not want us to get married, even though they like me and we get along wonderfully. They do not want Mohammed and (hopefully) our children moving to the United States forever. We both understand their feelings but we are hoping that they will change their minds because we want to spend time in both Vermont and Palestine and include both of our families in our lives. In Palestine you cannot get married unless there is permission from both families. Mohammed and I have never been in love before until now. I will be going back to Palestine for 4 and 1/2 months. I want to go back and see what will happen. We both know that it will not be easy if get married or if we cannot get married. But we make each other extremely happy when we are together and that is what is most important. I will be returning to Palestine January 17 and staying through May. I will be helping give the non-violence trainings for the International Solidarity Movement every week, studying Arabic, and hopefully finding a job and getting married. I will also be working with the Women and Children's Association of Budrus, the beautiful village I lived in for two months. They are starting an amazing project, which includes literacy programs for elderly women, special needs education for children, sewing lessons for women so they sell clothes throughout Palestine, a children's garden, and women's rights advocacy. Hilary and I are helping to fundraise for this group. (Expect an appeal letter in the next week or two). And of course I will be traveling to Abud to visit with Mousa's wonderful family. I am renting a house on the outskirts of Ramallah, so everyone is welcome to come visit me. If you come, I will bring you on a tour of the West Bank. Happy New Year! Be well and stay warm. Love S'ra ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/MknplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VTJP/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
