Convoy to Mosul

Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas any more!

This thought came to me as we took a small convoy into downtown Mosul yesterday. We traveled in three gun trucks which decisively moved through the city. The gunner in the first truck motioned his arm to move the traffic over as we passed. I am including here a picture of a stryker vehicle in downtown Mosul. I was in a humvee but you get the idea. We arrived at the Center where we would meet with the director and meet with some children. I am needing to be vague about the center and its mission since this blog is public and can be used against these amazing people. We met the "Child in Iraq." In the first portion of this blog there is a poem I wrote called a "Child in Iraq." God help me, I met that child! I was so deeply moved by the people here who deeply appreciate our presence here and yearn for the freedom we celebate on this 4th of July. As we arrived our hosts welcomed us with a meal. I am including here a picture that is very similar to what we were offered. We were offered an abundance of food and our hosts would actually put food in our mouths as we were eating. I had an opportunty to speak directly to the director who spoke through an interpeter. I told the director that many americans had a deep yearning for peace in Iraq and yearn to provide resources that would make for peace. The director was deeply moved and with hand over heart said, shakur, thank you. Two children wrote notes in arabic to two of my companions on this mission. The children, who couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 spoke with simplicity and yearing of simply being able to play without the fear of bombs or shooting. They spoke of being able to go to the park without being afraid. God bless their souls! Any doubts I may have had about our involvement in this country disappeared with those children's letters. I asked the director, "How can we in America be helpful to you." She seemed puzzeled by the question. We later discussed the issue and concluded that she had no frame of reference for compassionate gifts form America. It was amazing to live through an event that I knew I would never forget and that could be decisive for the well being of Iraq. My challenge is to find a way to bring compassionate resources from America to Iraq in ways that would be helpful for the Iraqi's. The problem is that when the Insurgents find out we are helping people in Iraq, they will simply kidnapp thier children and hold them for ransom or have them killed. It is dangerous to do good in this country. I am determined to find a way! I see some type of faith based United Way of Iraq to help these desperately poor but richly noble people. Our host, looked into my eayes and said through our interpetor, "I feel in my heart your deep feeling for us, shakur." I pray you will feel the depth of compassion I feel for these people. GOD, help us find a way to make peace in the land of strife.


Blessings to you

Dave