The Hardest Day - May 31

Friends,

Today was the hardest day. Those of you who have been here will understand what that means. It was the day when the emotional impact of the situation hit with full force.

The day began simply enough - with a visit to the Lutheran World Federation's Vocational Training Center - which has been in existence since 1951. They teach metal working, auto-technology, woodworking, plumbing/electrical and telecommunications. Their students have done quite well. However, in recent months, fewer and fewer students and teachers have been granted permits to go to the school. The school cannot obtain reasonably priced materials from their usual suppliers and so have to purchase more expensive materials from other vendors. In addition, the market for their work has grown smaller. It is increasingly difficult for all involved.

After the VTC, we moved on to Augusta Victoria Hospital. Some of you know that the Israeli government has been trying to extract taxes from this institution which has to date been tax exempt (like other similar institutions). That case has been in the courts for 7 years and has caused the hospital to live precariously for some time. However, the greatest threat to the life of the hospital is due to the responses of other nations to the Palestinian elections. As the hospital administrator explained: They ousted a corrupt government (Fatah). Out of frustration that nothing had been done - and as a result of the fact that Fatah ran multiple candidates in districts in which Hamas ran only one (in some cases, two Fatah candidates combined received more votes than the one Hamas candidate), Hamas was elected to power. These democratic elections were held peacefully and without incident. But still, the US and others have chosen to withhold funds from the Palestinian Authority. This is not hurting Hamas. It's hurting the Palestinian people.

Augusta Victoria's largest insurer has been the Palestinian Authority. Since the PA has not funds (and has not paid salaries in 3 months), the hospital has been informed that the insurance program cannot pay for patient care. For Augusta Victoria, that's like an American hospital receiving notice from Medicare that it cannot pay for healthcare. And yet, the hospital must keep its doors open. Health care is its mission. If it were to close, chances of reopening would be small. Further, if they were to close and then reopen, the hospital would be subject to new regulations (building codes, etc.) from which it has been exempt as it's been grandfathered into the current system.

Augusta Victoria is the only hospital that provides pediatric oncology and pediatric dialysis for Palestinian children. It is a struggle for patients even to get to the hospital for treatment. Although all had the proper permits to get to the hospital, the soldier at a checkpoint once told the cancer patients in a group that they could continue on but refused passage to the diabetic patients. Of course, diabetes can become life threatening very quickly. The hospital administrator has had to negotiate passage for these patients as well as one person each to accompany patients to hospital. (It's tradition in the Palestinian culture that family members care for a patient while hospitalized.) With the checkpoint restrictions, it is almost always difficult and sometimes impossible for family members to be with their loved ones who are ill.

Since the Palestinian economy is so depressed and people are fearful of healthcare, they are seeing third-world type maladies, especially cancers that have gone undiagnosed for extended periods. The hospital provides first world cancer care but much of their work is palliative as diseases have often progressed to stage iv by the time patients are seen at Augusta Victoria.

We were in the dialysis center when it was switching over from adult to pediatric dialysis sessions. I don't think any of us will forget the sight of a little five year old boy coming in for dialysis...

Augusta Victoria is atop the Mount of Olives. There are 800+ olive trees on the land. As I stood atop the Mount of Olives, overlooking the valley and the wall surrounding Bethlehem, I broke down and wept.

Bishop Schreiber pointed out the irony that today, we stood in the same place as the disciples did after the ascension wondering, "What do we do now?" and we are wondering the same thing.

My heart is heavy today.

Sue