From: Deb Kleber

Subject: Portugal Prays for America

Friday morning, I joined Drex at his elementary school as all the little
children came silently out to stand around the Portuguese flag at half-mast.
At 11am, the school bell began to ring, continuously, for three minutes.
The main church bell in Braga also rang at 11am. The children were asked to
pray for America, for the losses, and for peace. The prayers of children
are mighty.

Our Portuguese friends have been supportive and horrified. Their reaction,
as well as the reaction of the Portuguese media, was immediate: World War
III. It was very interesting to see the difference between the Portuguese
and USA media.

We met a wonderful Australian family a few weeks ago and their reaction, as
we invaded their home on Tuesday and Wednesday to watch cable CNN in
English, was also immediate: horror and resolve.

These terrorists, while preparing such an intricately designed plan, could
not have failed to notice that in attacking the WORLD Trade Center they were
attacking the World. Britain may have lost 500+ lives, Russia over 100, and
Mexico, Australia, and Japan estimate as many apiece. China had over 13
businesses in the WTC. Portugual has confirmed at least six dead. These
numbers pale in comparison to the US lives lost but they are still losses,
deeply felt.

In preparation for counter-attacks, the State Department has been issuing
warnings to all Americans living abroad: maintain a low profile, be
vigilant, vary all daily routes and routines, etc. Thanks to CNN.com and
other internet sites, we are probably as up-to-date as anyone inside the USA
about this event. For me, the world feels very small.

Here’s one of our small personal dilemmas: On Wednesday, I put an American
flag in our front window in honor of the victims. Now, to maintain a low
profile, must we take it down?

On other fronts, we are all fine. Jordan is still busy trying to locate
resources to finish the 12 Habitat houses before the winter rains begin in
earnest. Drex has recovered from his scratched cornea and just finished his
first week at school. Praise GOD and thanks to your faithful prayers, the
difficulties (crying for 20 minutes Friday morning before being able to
muster the resolve to walk into his classroom) have been matched by the
successes (telling me that same Friday afternoon that, when he finally
marched into the classroom, he felt like "a REAL schoolboy!" and then he
declared that he could walk to class alone for his afternoon session—and
took off excitedly across the schoolyard). Thank you for your many, many
prayers. Please keep praying. With Drex in school, Austin and I have begun
studying Portuguese again, a necessity driven home by my recent emergency
hospital experience for Drexel’s eye injury. Early last week I was
finishing our August website update, but that will have to wait for now.

Also, please let me say "I’m sorry" to everyone who is awaiting a personal
email from me… I’ve copied you all on this note by way of response and
apology. We read each and every note with anticipation. But after
receiving our first telephone bill in late July, we have had to drastically
reduce our internet time.

Finally, for those who are still with me, I’d like to add a very preachy
closing to this note. I’ve received emails with some great suggestions for
showing the resolve of America: fly your flag, light a candle, buy stock
until it hurts.

Let me add one of my own: do something to express another American
sentiment. Show the world that we believe all people are created equal…
that they should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the
content of their character. Invite your Arab-American neighbor to dinner.
Call a local mosque and apologize for the death threats. Let’s out-number
the Americans whose justifiable anger is nonetheless attacking one of
America’s greatest strengths: democracy.

To quote my brother-in-law, Drexel, a former Air Force pilot and current
United Airlines pilot (whose neighbor/co-worker Jason Dahl piloted the
United plane which crashed in PA): "As I watch the Palestinians celebrate
the success of the bombing in our country, I am of course sickened. But let
us not for one second think that we are any better than they are. After we
bomb some nation in response to this we will be able to see many instances
of Americans celebrating our success in retaliating. This too should sicken
us. There will be no joy for me in that. I don't deny the need for such
activity, but I do acknowledge that it will simply be another reason to shed
tears as the consequences of this horrendous atrocity spread around the
world. We as a nation should grieve our need to respond. And we should
grieve for those who are caught in the crossfire. They are as much the
vicitims of terrorism as those here in the US. I would sincerely hope that
the image sent out over the airwaves to the world would be of us mourning
for the world (thankful that our troops are unharmed, and supportive of
them) and for the individual losses that are being experienced as a result
of our actions. Let us not be swayed in any way from our necessary course of
action. But let us carry out our responsibilities with the dignity and
sadness befitting the most powerful nation on earth."

We love you all. God bless,
Debbie, Jordan, Austin and Drex
PS -- Attached is an email from Tanya Weaver who is working for Habitat for
Humanity in Kyrgyzstan (one country away from Afghanistan) with her husband,
Eric. Tanya and Eric worked with HFH here in Braga last year. God called
Tanya and Eric to Kyrgyzstan, thereby creating the opening here in Portugal
for our family.
====================================================================
Tanya Weaver, 15 September 2001
I am not only an American living and working in a foreign land. I am also an
American living and working in a Muslim country.

In light of the horrors that happened in the United States this week, we
didn’t really know how affected we would be. We heard reports from other
Muslim countries where people were actually dancing in the streets and
celebrating because America had been attacked. But, it was hard to
consolidate that image with Kyrgyzstan, as it is a peaceful country that has
done nothing but make us feel at home. Of course, we took precautions
because there is a small pocket of people who might wish Americans harm. So,
we don’t speak English on the streets, we go from home to the office and
back and we go to the site together, not alone. If Eric needs to go on site
alone, Marat will take him in his car.

We have received emails suggesting that Americans around the world should
light a candle and place it in front of their door in memory of those who
died. Another email suggested that we wear red, white and blue colored
clothes to show our solidarity. Yet another one suggested we wear a red,
white and blue ribbon on our clothes. These ideas are fine and quite nice,
but probably not smart for Americans living in a Muslim part of the world.
Instead of making ourselves stand out as Americans, we are trying to blend
in as much as possible.
This morning we arrived on site and I worked with the first group of
university teachers to ever work on the Habitat site in Bishkek. We were
working away when I was made aware that today was the memorial service for
the brother of one of our homeowners who died this week. The family invited
Eric and I to attend this service, but only I could attend because a second
group of volunteers was scheduled to arrive on site and Eric was to work
with them.
With my hair covered in dust and with me wearing my dirty sweatpants and
shirt, I felt that I should probably not attend. The family would not hear
of it and insisted that I go. Knowing how important it is to celebrate the
life of those who have died, I decided to go, no matter how grungy I looked.
Upon arrival at the gathering, I immediately stood out. I was the only
foreigner amongst a huge group of Muslim Kyrgyz people. I quietly sat in a
corner, trying to disappear and not intrude on their memorial service.

The man whose brother died, Kubat, would have nothing of it and invited me
to sit in one of the tables, surrounded by women in mourning. In spite of
their pain, each one of those women gave me their sympathies for what
happened in NYC and Washington. They put aside their own feelings of grief
to ask for my family and friends, telling me that they are so sorry that in
the name of Islam, such a barbarity could be carried out. We chatted
throughout the dinner, which consisted mainly of horse entrails and large
chunks of lamb.

Then, suddenly, a chant was heard from behind me. It was the mullah (Muslim
priest) and he was reading from the Koran in memory of Kubat’s brother.
Then, a prayer was said. With the ceremony almost over, Kubat stood up, red
eyed and unable to speak very strongly. But what he said was amazing. He
asked the mullah to read from the Koran in memory of those who died in
America and to pray for peace.

As I sat with my eyes closed listening to the Arab words from the Koran
being chanted in a most haunting way, I had a hard time controlling the fall
of tears. I could not believe that I, Tanya Weaver, was sitting amongst a
large group of Muslims who were praying for my countrymen. Then, the mullah
said prayer as we held our hand out in a cupping motion in front of our
faces. The prayer was one of asking God for forgiveness for evil, for mercy
over those who lost loved ones and for peace in our world. It was beautiful
and touching and when the prayer was over, in unison, the Christian American
and my old and new Muslim Kyrgyz friends, said the Omin. This is equal to
the Christian "Amen" and as one says the word, hands are passed over one’s
face as though one is washing it. The ceremony being over, I stood up to
offer my condolences to Kubat and to leave.

I was walking towards Kubat when I felt a tap on my shoulder. There was a
woman I don’t know, telling me how sorry she is for the loss of life in my
country and for the senseless killings. Every person followed her in that
room and each one expressed horror and sadness for the terroristic events
that took place in the USA.

So while there are people in this world that actually celebrated what
happened, the Kyrgyz people I know have taken the time and effort to make
Eric and I feel even more comfortable in their country. They have expressed
their sorrow in the most touching way possible…sharing the memorial service
held for a loved family member with the expression of sorrow for Americans
who died and for those who will live to remember and grieve.