Preparing to go to Gaza

Our hotel is abuzz. There's so much work to be done before we leave Cairo for Gaza--organizing donations, vehicles, and people. We had a meeting this morning at which one of the leaders of the convoy ended the discussion by saying he has a sense of "excitement, trepidation, and focus" regarding our tasks." "Soon," he said, "we will cross into Rafah and all of Gaza will come out to greet us."

The last part sent chills up and down my skin. But my thoughts quickly left the subject of what it will mean for me to cross into Gaza and went instead to what it would mean for our Palestinian sisters and brothers on the convoy. Some of the Palestinians here have spent most of their lives in Palestine and have fresh memories of it, others have never been there and it will be their first times going home to their own country. Particularly on my mind are our sisters and brothers from Gaza--who have not seen their families and friends in years. One brother mentioned that he will be seeing his mother for the first time in three years. The experience for these sisters and brothers, I imagine, carries a significance that I don't think I can ever fully appreciate.