Dear Friends

Dear Friends,
Sadly, a third year goes by and Bethlehem faces yet another bleak festival of the Lord's birth. Celebrations have been strictly confined to religious rituals. Curfew imposed on Bethlehem was lifted for three days only; in order to show the "considerate" face of the occupation…

Christmas Eve was cold and pouring. The Manger Square was almost empty; there was no Christmas tree and no decorations. Everywhere seemed dismal. I would not have been present there myself, had it not been for the fact that I had invited two young ladies, a Scottish and a German both work as volunteers in Jerusalem, to come and spend Christmas in Bethlehem; as it might be their one and only chance. We waited in the cold and rain for over an hour, until the group from St. George's Cathedral arrived, and we were able to join them in the service that took place at the Church of the Nativity at nine in the evening.

Al-Shurooq School
However, the mood at Al-Shurooq was totally different. Our children are just bubbling with joy and excitement. For them, it is the happiest time of the year. Their first Christmas party was the annual one, at the YMCA Jerusalem, which took place on the 22nd of December.

This is the most popular event of the year amongst our children. "Let's go there again." Pleaded our five-year-old sweet Shahd. On Christmas morning, the children woke up to find a small parcel for each under the Christmas tree left by Santa at midnight. It is so gratifying to see them so happy. Al-Shurooq's Christmas party will not take place until January 4th, since our children are busy taking their mid-year exams. This year we have some lovely toys for all of them, which we have received from generous donors, mainly the expatriate group in Jerusalem. We are indeed most grateful for all the friends we have, who support us in every way, giving our children the joy and prosperity they deserve.

Looking back at 2002, Bethlehem had been under curfew for most of the year. The few who are still employed were unable to go to work, children have been deprived from school and social life came to a stand still. Nevertheless, we, at the school, consider ourselves fortunate. Somehow, we have not suffered immensely from the curfew imposed. Our programme was hardly interrupted, as the staff managed to get in daily, risking their lives walking through fields and back streets. A year's education was not lost, at least not for the children of Al-Shurooq.

It is God's blessing that we are able to continue despite the many daily problems and difficulties. The Lord has always been there for us.

During the term, another five-year-old girl called Aseel Izreiqat was admitted into Al-Shurooq. She comes from a village on the outskirts of Hebron and has five sisters and brothers, of whom she is the youngest. Her father is a nurse at the local hospital. He visits her quite often and is delighted with the progress she has already made.

Outreach
This vital part of our programme has not gone well either, for the same reasons. Closures, roadblocks and curfews imposed everywhere. Our visits have been confined to the few children who live in the Hebron and the Bethlehem areas. Such as Ayyoub, Abedulrahman and Tahreer all are doing extremely well. We have not been able to visit Ehsan yet, as getting to Ramallah is impossible. We telephone regularly and are always reassured by her new headmistress of her spectacular achievements.

Blind Women's Committee

Unfortunately, due to the prevailing circumstances and the fact that it is almost impossible to travel from one place to another in the West Bank, the activities of the committee have been put on hold until conditions improve. We hope by summer, the existing situation will have changed and that we will be able to run another course in computer training for blind women.

Library and Braille Book Production Unit
Work in this section has continued to flourish, as the demand for books never ceases. We have hired a young lady to help with typing the books onto the computer. We pay her per page typed. We think is a much better arrangement.

During the year 2002, 135 new titles have been added to our book collection, 228 copies made, 1317 books given out on loan together with 25 Perkins Braillers.

Recreation
On a warm mid-November afternoon, a few days before the invasion of Bethlehem, we managed to take the children out to the local theatre. The script was especially adapted for children with visual impairment. After performing on stage, the actors went down and interacted with the children as they drew and coloured the different story characters on their faces and asked them to perform on stage, their way.

Each child offered to impersonate a certain character. They did quite well and had a wonderful time. They were never given the chance to go up on stage and perform. What an experience!

Appeal
As a matter of fact, the school is badly in need of a cooking gas. The old one is way beyond repair and we can hardly do without one. A new cooking gas costs around seven hundred dollars.
Also, the seven wardrobes we have in the children's dormitories need repairing as they might collapse any minute. That should cost around one thousand dollars.
Nevertheless, I am absolutely certain that our loving father is there to meet all our needs. Our greatest request is that He may open doors for us, so that in His own time and will, we shall be able to have our own building and so be relieved from the burden of paying a colossal rent month after month and year after year.

God bless and thank you all for your support, love and prayers.
May 2003 bring peace, love and dignity to all mankind.