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SJA's Messages to Sami and Iraq

To the people who call Iraq their home: I and my family wish you a life of peace and prosperity. Our hearts are with you in your journey through life. Sharon Frees Close your eyes and envision peace. Congratulations on your election. We pray this brings you the peace you so richly deserve. Nada te turbe, Nada te espante, la pacieucia todo wi alcapiza. Aquen dios tiene nada e falta solo dios basta….Sanla Teresa deJesus 1/30/05. Peace will come Peace will come! I am sorry for the pain we have caused to you and your people. God be with you. Dear Sami: I hope you are safe. I think of you often and wonder if Najaf (your town?) is safe. Please know our prayers and thoughts are with you. Tell your friends, most Americans are against U.S. interference in your lives. Bless you. Even though we are miles apart you are in our thoughts and in our hearts. Please know we are praying for you and we hope for peace throughout your country. Please know that there are many many people in the United States who do not agree with the decisions our President and his administration have made and are against the war. We know you love your children as we love ours. We know you only seek peace and happiness as we do. Please keep the faith. Also know that many of us respect all religions. Dear Sami: I think every day of you and your people and pray that the time will come when the Iraqi people. Will be able to choose their own destiny and live in peace. We will continue our work here to end the occupation and to change the agenda of the current administration from empire building to relationship building. Love and best wishes, Marie Braun My thoughts and prayers are with the Iraqi people. I wish you peace and the knowledge that many many Americans feel deeply for the losses you have experienced. Sami bless your good work. Mary McGurron Sami, your people are in our thoughts, our hearts and our prayers. May the violence in your country end soon so that people can rebuild their lives and their futures. With love and peace, Julie Sami we hope and pray that all is well with you and all of your friends in Iraq. We also pray that Iraq’s first elections today will pave the way for peace and self-rule in your tortured country. You may not remember our name but we met you at a dinner you served (and hosted with us) at our friend Gordy Peterson’s long ago and have been to both your store on Central and your restaurant on Nicollet Ave. Our best wishes and prayers for you. Beatrice and Harlan Clark Peace be with you Sami I miss you on the bridge but our efforts don’t diminish. We’ll stay loyal til all our troops are home. Peace…Bob Heberle Dear Sami and friends: I pray for you in this difficult time. I hope you can find peace in your heart and your family and neighborhood and soon your country. Susan S. We are praying for you all! Will and Todd Greetings and Peace/love! We pray you know the freedom soon to live and be one with yourself, your family and your creator. Ben and Rita We wish you peace. I pray our government has the wisdom to treat Iraq in a way that peace and justice rein in your land. God Bless you. Sami many blessings and prayers for your safety. Julie Kerr Berry Know that we here in America send our best wishes, love and support. Greetings to you from St. Paul Minnesota. We care greatly about the terrible suffering and devastation and continue to pray for you. We pray that the United Nations comes to assist you. Lisa Carlson Let your voices be heard in Iraq, and in our country too. Speak for justice and peace. Salaam Dear people of Iraq: We cannot fathom the pain and suffering you have endured and are enduring. Please persevere. We care for you and pray for you daily that you will truly have peace again. I am an American woman and mother of 2 from Minnesota. I wish you strength, courage and safety in the terrible time. I want you to have courage, and faith in we Americans that we will fix this problem in our government. I believe in our democracy and our ability to join our voices together to affect the change in our country that will bring peace. Not all Americans believe that Mr. Bush knows what he’s doing. We do believe in you, in peace and in democracy. I send my love and hope. Pamela Sami: We are all thinking of you and admire the courage and commitment you have made to your people. God Bless. Bill and Susan My prayers and loving support are with all the Iraqi people. Peace always! Marie Thielen May you find peace and love. Anne W I want you to know I think of you. I pray for your safety during the election. I hope it brings good for your people. Barb Erickson We are thinking of you. Hope your election worked for you. Life will be going the way you want. Danielle Dear people of Iraq: May you find the peace you so clearly deserve, a peace based on justice. We will work on our American leaders so that they will promote a foreign policy that will help your people to achieve justice and peace. Salaam. J. Braun Blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the earth. You are loved To each and every Iraqi person: I am so sorry for everything our government has done to you. Almost half of us Americans tried to get rid of the idiot we have as president and his evil advisors. We think of you and your suffering every day. Hope that some good can come of the chaos being caused. Pat Ryan Greene, Champlin, MN Sami and the people of Iraq: We will pray for you and hope that the elections will bring peace and prosperity to the country and people of Iraq. Mike and Kathy I cannot fully understand your suffering but I pray for you and hope life will be easier and peace will come to your country. We pray to different gods but each are supreme beings of peace and love. Mary I pray for the day when our soldiers will come back to America and leave the Iraqi people to determine their own future and find peace in their own way. We are all part of the same human family. I pray that by working together we will create a world of justice and peace for all…where all children will be safe. Shalom, Salaam. Mindy Ahler Olmstead, St. Joan of Arc Church, Mpls, MN Sami: Your courage and dedication is amazing. We are praying for you at Joan of Arc. We are praying for peace in Iraq and in the whole world. Rhonda, St. Joans I wish you peace and freedom Sami: Hang in there. We are praying for our friends in Iraq!! Marietta Jacobs, St. Joan of Arc Best wishes and prayers to you as you help your war torn country. We are disturbed by the current administration’s views and are working for change. God Bless. Pat Radecke The election is just the beginning. God willing, our efforts will focus on supporting you in your work with the schools and other important projects. Know of our prayers. Susan Sell I weep in shame. Ellen Boroughf To all the people of Iraq: Please know that many of the people of the United States wish you peace and security for your future. We are deeply sorry for our part in increasing your suffering. Dear Sami: I’ve never met you but I do want to share my concern for your safety, health and success in the rebuilding of your country. I am ashamed of my country’s involvement and invasion of Iraq. May our troops leave soon. Peace. Rita Speltz Dear friends: My husband and I visited your beautiful country in 2001 and have carried you in our hearts since. Please know we are working here to end the war. Blessings. Gene and Mary Lou Ott Dear Sami: We are inspired by your willingness to walk and journey for peace. We hold you in our hearts and prayers. We are grateful for your presence. Patty and Jim Schoeller I apologize to you for invading your country. Most of our people do not agree with our government’s actions of war. I will continue to speak and act for peace. I see you all as global brothers and sisters. Mike K. Dear sisters and brothers: I see your pictures and you are in my heart. I pray that peace comes soon for if some people are not living in peace, non of us should be peaceful. God hold you in his/her hand. Mary E. Wollmar I continue to join you in prayers for peace and withdrawal of U.S. troops, soon, very soon. In love and spirit and peace! Patty Phelan, St. Joan of Arc Parish I send you a message of strength, hope and comfort; and the belief that all can be well and good. Our support is with you and the struggling people of Iraq. Our prayers will continue for a peaceful outcome. Pat Wuest Hello, It’s Sunday here today. I just attended a prayer service The focus was on peace and hope for an end to all wars. Here’s wishing you a peaceful and joyful day. Warm regards. Elizabeth Terrell I wish for peace and an end to war. We pray with you. Fred Wuest Congratulations! I am proud of your courage and hope for the future and I hope things will be smoother soon. All of my best wishes and prayers to my brothers and sisters of Iraq. Annie I would like to wish you and your country of Iraq hope & peace in the coming years. After the devastation your country has endured peace be with you and yours. Julianne Spargo, St. Joan of Arc, Mpls, MN You and your country men are in our prayers and thoughts. Mary and Tom Gorzycki Hi Sami: I watch the news and always think I might see you. I wish you well and pray you stay safe. Thinking of you. Your friend in peace, Sharon D’Amico My wish for you and all the people of Iraq is peace and justice for all of you. God’s Blessings…Doris K Please know that my family and I think of you daily and hope you will be healthy, happy and safe and will enjoy a life of peace someday. Lee Ann Murphy Wishing you all the love and peace that my heart can hold. Nancy A To people in Iraq…we know you. We care about you and we always remember you. Sending love and peace to you. You are blessed and always in our prayers. I am sad and sorry for the pain you have endured. May God bless you and may your heart be filled with peace and love. I send you wishes of peace. Sami, there are millions of Americans praying for Iraq. We want you to have peace and safety. We want you to govern your own country. We hope for the end of this war. We want an end to the killing. Ann, Emma, Jack and Claire January 30, 2005: Message of love and very deep compassion to whomever this reaches in Iraq (most especially today your election day). I truly think of you, your family, your friends and your neighbors everyday. Though it is very distressing to watch day after day what the US, British invasion has done to you and your people. The total sacrifice of their life, home, family members and on and on my distress is nothing in comparison to your life of fear, frustration and the filth of war every moment…beyond my comprehension. With love and my daily prayer for peace and progress in your land…the cradle of civilization. Mary Donovan, St. Joan of Arc Church, Minneapolis To the people of Iraq: Hope and blessings to you from a parish member of St. Joan of Arc in Mpls Minnesota. We are praying that you will elect an honorable leader for the country of Iraq. God bless you all. Jean Stevens, 1/30/05 I still believe…Peace to you and all your family. Margaret Sami, I am reading your e-mails and keeping you in my prayers. Love to you and your family. Maxine Dear Sami, Much love to you. Know we are praying for you and all in Iraq. I love you. Gabe Herbert People of Iraq: Many many people oppose what our government is doing and are trying to help you. We are saddened and will fight to help you. You are not alone and our prayers are with you. God bless you. Donna Dear Sami, Blessings and prayers and hopes for peace to you and your family. Jane Salam A’liakum, Shalom, Peace, friends in peace. Renee B Dearest people of Iraq, know that many of us here in the U.S. are working and praying for peace in your land. We profoundly apologize for the actions of our govern ent, and ask your forgiveness. Anne, Megan, Carolyn, Joseph and Kate To all Iraqis we prayed for peace this morning of your election. What you are doing today – voting in spite of danger – is not in vain. It matters! Signed, a loving American Please forgive us for all the harm our government is doing. We pray for peace and a withdrawal. Polly Mann We pray for you every evening in our family prayers; for your health, for your well-being, for your peace. We are sorry for the devastation caused by the U.S. invasion and occupation of your country. We are committed to working for and praying for peace for you and your families. In solidarity, Bridgette & Monica Peace to all of you! May you and your family soon experience not only freedom from dictatorship, but more importantly freedom from fear and violence. We are with you in the spirit of love. We ache with you, we love you, we are in prayer for you! Peace and Blessings! A sister in pain Peace to you. We have you in our hearts and prayers. Mona This U.S. citizen doesn’t believe in war and wants peace for you and your loved ones. In the name of Allah, may peace be with each of you. Paul N. Feack To my sisters and brothers in Iraq. I pray for peace for you all. With love…Audrey C. Peace be with all of you. Bless you. Blessed are you and your once beautiful country. We here on the other side of the not so big ocean wish you (stand with you) peace and hope in the near future. Peace, Kathleen Exel Dear friends in Iraq, this war is so painful for so many of us here in the U.S. Please let us know what we can do here at St. Joan to help the suffering people. Carolyn Thinking of you and the people of Iraq. May you find the peace and prosperity that we have here in Minnesota. Yours truly, A Teacher of the World We walk on the Lake Street Bridge every Wednesday to remind people of a peaceful way to resolve world differences. Please know there are peaceful people here hoping you will know peace soon. Dear friends, I have watched as you went to the polls to choose your own government. May you emerge from this terrible conflict a free nation; We ask for your forgiveness. Julie D. Sami, We think of you and your people of Iraq today and pray for you. We will not abandon you. God be with you, Anna and Fred Vagle Wishing you and all of Iraq are the best. Katharine M. and Ross S. Dear Sami, I hope you are with your family and friends again. I’m happy that you decided to go back to be with your family. May God be with you. Leyla There are many people here in the U.S. who are in solidarity with you; praying, working for peace and sending your love and light. Dear Sami, We miss your spirit here at St. Joan’s. Thank you for your updates and the work you are doing. Please let the people there know that we are praying and working for peace and an end to their struggles. Our hearts are with you. Peace and Blessings. Janet, Mike, Nancy & Kevin Brown We are with you. Our dreams are the same dreams as yours. We both want peace for everyone. We feel your heartbeats and match them with ours. We are praying for peace and to an end to all of the violence, separation and tremendous loss and destruction. I am not in support of the U.S. pre-emptive strike or of President Bush. May we all one day experience a world which shares the values of peace, justice, acceptance and compassion. Peace be with you, Karen Sami, I met you in your restaurant where we met to work for our peace candidate, Dennis Kucinich, in the 2004 Democratic race. Please tell your countrymen that I, a 67 year old American, have committed the rest of my life to reduce our USA militarism and create a NON-VIOLENT presence for the world. Also I beg forgiveness from Iraqis for all the harm our USA military and government has done and is doing. Benton Randolph We are with you in hope and spirit. We are so very sorry about the death and destruction our government has caused. We wish we could do more to help, but mostly what we have is our contined prayers for peace. We see you as a very brave people and we lift you up in prayer. Saalem, peace be with you! Julie Lentz We are praying for all of you and we hope that the days will come soon that there will be no bullets but only bullets on the wind to bring you peace. Julie W., St. Joan of Arc Parish, Mpls I want you to know that we believe we are people who in spite of governments and warlords want peace on this planet for all people. We regret the war and the hardship and fears it has caused you. But know that we care and are working for better solutions. Dear Sami, we send our regards to you, your family and your people. We want you to know that your parish family in MN are thinking of you and praying for peace in Iraq. Thank you for keeping us informed. We pray for your health and safety. God Bless! Yours in peace, John and Luann Jassam Have you started an EAT STREET there yet? Peace To the people of Iraq: My prayers are with all of you that the violence will end now and that the occupation will end, now and that you will enjoy peace and freedom. Ric Rosow Know how we are praying and supporting you in your guest for peace and justice. Love, Cathy Eilers All of my thoughts are with you. We are trying at our end to do everything we can to ensure peace for you. Mary Booth Our hearts are with you. We are not our governments. We are all people in one world. Sue W. Sami, We are thinking of the people of Iraq. We pray that the war will end soon and that very soon people will feel safe and secure. We pray especially for the children. Peace. Angela