En route to the border at Rafah

We are going to Rafah border early this morning and we were expecting that we have security clearance. Now the news is that the European convoy has not been given
clearance and they are staging a sit in inside the terminal building at Rafah border. This means we may not get very far today.

We are prepared for whatever happens. The students delegation will arrive this morning. The New York group I think will be tomorrow.

Mohammed in Gaza has called several times -- he has confirmed the hotel, several meetings with NGO's, hospitals and more. He has arranged a press conference for today in Gaza. The contact from the news agency called me around midnight last night but the connection was horrible.

We left the border around noon yesterday and spent some free time in Al Arish. We had a meeting last night with a local organization and the French group again.

These six people cannot get a police escort to Rafah and they are being turned back at the first check point. We don't know why. We have been able to keep our police escort so far. Ali from the student delegation was here yesterday and spent most of the afternoon with us. It seems my phone never stops ringing and there is always one more thing to do. Jacqueline Paul from UNRWA tried to help us yesterday but was not able to do anything. She gave me government contacts but they were on the Gaza side -- they can only help once we are in.

Yesterday the Europeans gave us a name of a man who gave them the clearance to go in. I called Tighe (from Codepink). He met with our contact in Cairo from Red
Crescent -- she connected us. He assures us that all names will be cleared for all four groups -- it is about 130 names.

I have to go -- we will leave soon. We are well, we are positive and we are strong.......keep us in light and love.

peace,
Sandra