Rev. Jerry Zawada, OFM
Voices in The Wilderness
Baghdad

Dear Loved Ones:
Two days now till Christmas. May all good be with you as we celebrate the Birth of Christ. I’m desperate to connect with you and sorry it’s taken this long.

We arrived at our home in Baghdad yesterday afternoon about 1:30 P.M. It took less than 12 hours, quite remarkable for these times. Cynthia Banas suggested that we sing traditional Christmas carols along the way, which lifted our spirits. The four of us, Kathy Kelly, Cynthia Banas, Claudia Lefko and I and our dedicated driver, Sattar, chimed in and helped speed up the journey.

After crossing the border into Iraq there were extremely long lines of cars waiting for gas, more than 500 cars, more than 12 hours wait, in a country with enough petroleum to last 300 years! One of many a new phenomena since the occupation, effecting incredible suffering upon practically all the populace of this beautiful country.

I wish I could share much more. I keep making mistakes on the computer and need help at every turn. I may have to save stories for my return. Despite bitter cold, little elctricity, little opportunity for light or heat, things are much worse for the growing numbers of homeless and those cruelly detained by the occupation forces.

Two special events colored these past 24 hours with hope. A visit from Abdullah, friend of Cynthia, related how he was able to bring a peaceful resolution to a potentially dangerous situation. Last night while we traded stories around our kitchen table, we asked Abdullah: “Don’t people give in to rage when they have to wait 12 hours for gas? when they have to put up with dozens of other inconveniences and the many tragic incidences because of enormous delays. Abdullah related how the day before he encountered a policewoman and driver who got into a quarrel and pulled a gun on each other. Abdullah placed himself between the two and asked them gently to calm down. He mentioned that he was connected to a peace team. The two parted on amicable terms… a moment of potential tragedy turned about.

This morning we vistied a children’s school. Childhood’s Voice it is called. A remarkable place where children are happily engaged in art and music, a delightful, well kept school for preschool children and sponsored by an international non-governmental organization.

Signs of hope at a time when we least expect it. Beautiful, good Iraqis. How much to learn from them. We’re scheduled to leave here on Jan. 6th arriving back in Chicago on the 8th, presumably with little accomplished for such a short visit. My prayer is that the effect of these days may somehow impress upon our hearts and minds to share the stories with you and that soon, please God, that permanent relief and freedom may return to our deserving sisters and brothers of Iraq.

Tomorrow night we plan to attend midnight Mass, remebering you with love and asking God to usher in a new age for us all bringing awareness that we are one family, each one of us from whatever country, whatever circumstances, are embraced by the One whose birthday we celebrate.

Solidarity and much love,
Jerry