May 1, 2001

Happy May Day! No school today, though no official announcement was made - there was no formal letter from the Ministry of Education announcing a holiday, but May Day has been a holiday in Palestine for years. If no teachers or students show up, though, that probably settles it. Marthame took the opportunity to catch up on words beginning with "z" (for example: "zzzzzzzz").

One of Zababdeh’s Rosary Sisters at the Sisters of Charity Convent in Nablus.

The natural beauty of Fr. Dominick’s gardens.

Elizabeth went with the Latin Church's youth group on a trip to Nablus to visit Abuna Dominick and the Sisters of Charity. Their convent is also a home for the elderly and for severely handicapped children. The Zababdeh group (for whom most it was their first visit) helped feed the children and visited with the elderly before lending a hand in the garden.

Heading back to Zababdeh, they stopped in Beidan for some ice cream. We have yet to explore Beidan properly ourselves, a bit of an oasis around here. People go there to swim, and many restaurants have set up shop there because of the abundance - relatively speaking - of water, making a rather lush, green stopping place.