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Beth DeLap, No More Victims volunteer, friend, and author from Asheville, North Carolina has written this wonderful and entertaining parody on CS Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”. DeLap’s book takes place in modern-day Iraq and provides an insightful read as we view the human tragedy of the war in Iraq through the eyes of American children. Adults will love the satire, the political innuendo, and the beauty, tragedy and humor in this book. Everyone will fall in love with the characters, both American and Iraqi, the heroes and heroines. The imagery, imagination and message will stay with you long after you put this one down (and you won’t put it down ’til you finish reading!) The author has taken the beauty of CS Lewis’ words, made the story her own, and given us a book that will make us laugh, cry, THINK, and hopefully, move us to act toward a world of Peace.
All proceeds from the purchase of Beth’s book will go to the work of No More Victims. So please, go tohttp://www.lulu.com/content/4758717 and buy your copy today!
Thank you for helping the war-injured children of Iraq and Afghanistan.
We survived. Just barely (for me at least) - it was freakin HOT!!!! The first photo is of the nuclear reactors (no longer in use) that were just on the other side of the lake we swam in (more on that later). I was obsessed with taking pictures of them - popping up out of the fields of grapes. It’s been so long since I’ve seen one that they were kind of like an exhibit. Photo 2 is Sarah flying past Mike on her way back for the run. Photo 3 of me on my bike looks like I am barely moving - which I guess at that point I was… Photo 4 is the kids and Sarah helping me get to the finish line. This was after Sarah had finished 10 minutes prior and came back to boost me up! It was so nice to see her come back on the trail. And it was really fun to run with the kids - they were quite the inspiration in the final throes of the day. And the final photo is the happy women who now get to relax and refuel!
Me too. Green with envy as I watched her practically fly up the hill (she got ‘clip on’s’) while I could almost count the pebbles in the black top under me. Seriously, I had NO idea what a difference those silly shoes could make. Now I’m regretting my decision not to sweat in my friend Anne’s shoes (she also let me borrow her clip on’s - and even though they are a ½ size too small, I am now wishing I would have at least tried them out and discovered that they KICK ASS and I needed to buy a pair). It is now 5 days from the race and definitely NOT the time to go searching for shoes, let alone trying to get used to mounting and dismounting. That part, I hear, is NOT like “riding a bike”.
So, I mentioned that it’s 5 (holy cr*p) days until the race. Really?!? Uh… I am definitely NOT feeling ready at this point. I haven’t run in 6 weeks due to injuries, wrong shoes, the flu, and more injuries. I think I will be walking that part a fair amount. I just have to come to terms that I will be finishing much behind my training partner. She’s one of the sweetest people I have met, but man, when she puts her mind to something - you just gotta get out of the way. Right on, Sarah!
If you haven’t yet contributed, please try to give something, anything, to help Naba recover from her tragedy. We still have t-shirts left and the WOMEN’S CHOCOLATE BROWN LARGE AND EXTRA LARGE are ON SALE for $10 (e-mail me at abiagi@hotmail.com for details). If you would like to donate online, go to this link: http://nomorevictims.org/communities/author/mariposa/ . If you do choose to donate online, please put ‘Mariposa/Naba Race’ in the Comment Box on that link so that it will get allocated to Naba and I will add it to our count. If you want to write a check, e-mail me and I can get you details. Thank you SO much!!!
We have raised a little over $500 so far. When I first had the idea to make this race a fundraiser, my personal goal was $2,500. I realize that this is a hard time for most of us, but I have also realized that fundraising is not my best skill. I have to talk to my friend Julie about how she raised $3,000 for breast cancer. Of course, breast cancer is a more wide-reaching issue, but man, I’m feeling a bit inadequate at the moment. It’s also hard to really ‘hit it’ with two kids, but really, I can do better. Look for ‘new and improved’ next year :).
THANKS everyone and I’ll let you know how it goes!!!
Just wanted to fill you in on how Noora and Afef are adjusting now that they’re back home. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to “webcam” with them yet, due to a combination of electricity and computer problems in Iraq, but we’re not giving up hope. We have been able to speak with them numerous times on the phone, however, the most recent time yesterday afternoon.
We are racing for Naba. There is a handful of women from the Merced and Mariposa County communities that have joined together to raise funds for this wonderful little girl. She has such a struggle to face every single day that is hard to fathom, but we want her to know that there are people in the world – in America of all places – that care for her and wish her nothing but peace.
What Motivates You? The Little Purple Dot.
My training partner, Sarah, and I, have been riding our road bikes (mine is borrowed from my very generous friend Anne) for 2 months now, and have seen great improvements in our ability to ‘go the distance’. This last Sunday, we rode 20.5 miles! This includes 3 ‘holy moly!’ hills that I never thought I could do.
As I was pedaling along, quite far behind Sarah (I don’t know how she just keeps going!), I was thinking about what motivates me. The first, of course, was Naba. She is an innocent, and I wish nothing more than for her to have happiness in this life. Quite a feat at this point, I am sure. (more…)
The weekend of May 16 and 17th, Lexi sold her bracelets during her sister’s surfing competition. Younger brother Tristan helped out by showing people the photo of Salee and helping to collect the donations. Lexi raised over $100 for Salee selling her bracelets for $2 each, and said that there were a lot of people who wanted to help with her project, which is wonderful! Lexi’s planning further fundraisers and has ideas for a bigger fundraiser when Salee and her father are in the States. Great job, Lexi and Tristan!!!
Recovery of war-injured three-year-old Iraqi child compromised by State Department delays in issuing visas.
The public is urged to CALL AND / OR SEND LETTERS to the State Department urging that visas be issued immediately for Mustafa and his father.
San Francisco, CA: Three-year-old Mustafa Ghazwan suffered complete hearing loss when a US missile struck near his home in Baquba, Iraq. Today he is deaf, unable to hear sounds at 130 decibels. Before the attack, he could say simple words like mama and memma (baby bottle in Arabic), but has not been able to speak since his devastating hearing loss. It is imperative that he receive a cochlear implant and rehabilitative treatment as soon as possible in order to improve his prospects of recovery and a more normal life.
Doctors and community organizers in the Bay Area have made arrangements for Mustafa to receive this treatment at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center. Surgery, post-operative speech and hearing therapy, and daily care for Mustafa and his father have all been scheduled. “From our perspective,” said Dan Lowenstein, Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology at UCSF, “everything is completely in place for Mustafa to receive the medical care he needs. It’s critical that Mustafa and his father’s visas be granted immediately so he can begin treatment.”
Dr. Lawrence Lustig, the surgeon who will implant Mustafa’s cochlear device, says: “Proceeding with Mustafa’s cochlear implant as soon as possible is of critical importance,” said Dr. Lustig. “He is at a crucial age for language acquisition, and continued delay may prove highly detrimental to his future development. The medical science is very clear on this point: the sooner the implant can be placed, the better speech and language skills we can expect Mustafa to develop. Waiting too long will jeopardize his ability to effectively use his cochlear implant.”
Mustafa Ghazwan and his father, Ghazwan Al-Nidawi, have been stranded in Amman for the last twelve weeks. Visas for Mustafa and his father continue to be delayed, which could have dire consequences for Mustafa’s prospects of recovery. The public is urged to write letters to the State Department urging that Mustafa and his father’s visas be issued immediately so they can travel to San Francisco and Mustafa can begin receiving the care he so urgently needs.
Please Write Today!
Letters should be directed to:
Janice L. Jacobs
Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
2201 C Street, NW
Washington DC 20520
(202) 647-9576
AND:
Stephen A. Edson
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services
2201 C Street, NW
Washington DC 20520
(202) 647-9584
Please help us with this campaign to help this little Iraqi boy by writing or phoning today!
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
—Mahatama Ghandi
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead
Just to let you know that Noora is doing wonderfully. She has now had two post-op check-ups and is progressing along just as they had hoped. This past Thursday, her suture line had healed enough that they were able to begin the balloon expansion process, which will eventually create the skin that will cover the new prosthetic skull. Dr. Atwood will be expanding the balloon every 5-7 days for the next 6(+) weeks. Thankfully, the procedure is essentially painless!
Noora and Afef were honored to attend a lovely Sunday afternoon picnic, hosted by the Woodford’s Congregational Church in Portland, a couple of weeks ago (Woodford’s Church was one of the first organizations to sponsor a fundraising event for this project months before Noora’s arrival). Noora’s face lit up like a lightbulb when she saw that dalmas (grape leaves stuffed with rice, raisins, etc.) were on the menu! It’s one of her favorite foods, and one that she frequently talks her mom into making for her (per Afef). And, last week, Aynne Doil (a volunteer at RMH) kindly put on a delicious Middle Eastern dinner at the Ronald McDonald House, which Afef and Noora said “tasted just like home”. In anticipation of Ramadan, which began last Monday and continues throughout the month of Sept., Afef said he ate with fasting in mind. He will be abstaining from both food and fluid from sunup to sundown. Also during this time, both he and Noora will be attending nightly prayers and meals at the mosque.
San Francisco, CA: Three-year-old Mustafa Ghazwan suffered complete hearing loss when a US missile struck near his home in Baquba, Iraq. Today he is deaf, unable to hear sounds at 130 decibels. Before the attack, he could say simple words like mama and memma (baby bottle in Arabic), but has not been able to speak since his devastating hearing loss. It is imperative that he receive a cochlear implant and rehabilitative treatment as soon as possible in order to improve his prospects of recovery and a more normal life.
