Update From Sderot 10/6/09

Early Friday morning at 7:25, as I awoke from a restful nights sleep I was so rudely awaken by...yes you guessed it Tseva Adom. A Kassam rocket was fired earlier from the Gaza Strip and it landed in the Sha’ar Hanegev region. The one that awoke all of Sderot was the second attack of the morning. I have to admit, the idea of getting into the shower after that did not appeal to me.

On Shabbat, Friday night, a third Kassam rocket was fired by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. It also hit an open area in the Sha’ar Hanegev region. And so the cycle of rocket fire followed by IDF response continues. And of course, the media from outside this area reads, "No injuries reported."

The emotional fallout from the rockets is unseen but nevertheless still exists. With every new rocket fired, the people, the children of Sderot, are once again thrust back into a reality they try so hard to forget. And yet, even with the twelve or thirteen rockets that have been fired upon Sderot and the western Negev since my arrival three weeks ago, most people here still refer to things as being "quiet" now. But the apprehension is clearly seen on their faces. They know things will once again escalate and another war will soon begin.

That is the reason why Hope For Sderot with help from Joel Rosenburg and the Joshua Fund is working toward getting another building in place to store emergency war time supplies. The logistics of getting the basic needs of the people met during war can be a very daunting task. It is for that reason that preparations must be made now. As most of us who have heard Joel speak before, we know that he often reminds his audience that "We pray for peace but prepare for war."

That message is the reality for the people of Sderot. It is heard in their everyday conversations, it is clearly seen in their faces, and it is a tangible emotion that is experienced everyday by all who call Sderot home. Shabbat Shalom.