Ali and I met at our “office” this morning (at a Stewart’s convenience store, in the village of Schaghitcoke, we sat at our usual table. One of the soccer team members, Eh-Thaw from Thailand came along, he wanted to see our office and say hello to me.

He is one of the nicest people, and also one of the most polite. Eh-Thaw was hungry, and hadn’t eaten today, so I bought him a slice of pizza with enough stuff on it to kill me in minutes, but he wouldn’t eat it at the table with us.

I asked Ali why and he said it was a common thing among the players, they thought it rude to eat if no one else at the table was eating. Since we weren’t eating, Eh-Thaw ate his pizza at another table and then joined us. We talked a lot about the Thai soccer team trapped in the cavve, Eh-That said he and the team couldn’t stop watching the coverage and praying for safe ending.

“It could have been me, couldn’t it, Mr. Ali,” he asked of Ali, who said no, they would not be going into a cave like that, because of the Army of Good, he said, “we only go to safe places.” Eh-That is from Thailand, he said it could easily have been him in that cave.

Ali and I had some business to do. I had to write a check for $750 to Hawah’s landlord, the county housing agency approved the rent subsidy for her, but they haven’t sent a check yet, and the landlord needs to pay his mortgage. I promised at the time that if there was any trouble, I would back up his agreement to give Hawah, our friend from Libya,  a large, very clean,  three bedroom apartment before he had the government payment in his hands.

So I had to keep my word, he is a good man who has helped us find housing for several  refugees. He said I will get the money back once he starts getting the monthly payments.

That leaves our fund a bit low, but I gave Ali a check for $300 so he can get the team some equipment and take them Kayaking this weekend on a nearby lake. They love Kayaking, they went for the first time a few months ago.

I told Ali it was perhaps best for me to skip going to Albany this week, it seems there is enough on my plate right now, and I don’t care to burnout, which will help no one. I also need to replenish our fund.

I’m go again next Monday or Tuesday to meet an Afghan man who had both legs blown off by a bomb there and who needs some help.We don’t know precisely what help he will need.

I also want to check in on Lisa, and see how she and her two sons are doing.

We are very comfortable at our office, and the people there are quite comfortable with us, we feel quite welcome there. It was g reat having Eh-Thaw there, I urged Ali to bring a player each week if he can.

Our office meeting lasted about 45 minutes, we talked about our plans for the soccer team during the August summer school break. I have two afternoon retreats lined up for the Powell House Quaker Youth Retreat Center, and am talking to Scott Carrino about a two-night camping trek to the Pompanuck Farm Yirt in late August. We are also hoping to get the team to the Great Escape Adventure Park sometime in August.

The boys are doing extraordinarily well, the whole team was on the honor roll and one player, Sakler Moo, graduated from his junior high school with the highest grades in the school. None of these players have been in trouble and the team has given them great focus and cohesion during a difficult time for them.

If you wish to contribute to our work with the Albany Warriors, the refugee soccer team coached by Ali, and sponsored by me, you can contribute by sending a donation to The Gus Fund, c/o Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected].

Thanks.