October 16, 2002

Deacon Homam in religion class.

After some extended absences, the Jenin students were able to arrive today. Fr. Aktham had worked out details directly with the Israeli military authorities, and the bus passed from the main road by way of the tanks to school. Everyone was abuzz with Marthame's high-level delegation travels.

In the evening, he stopped by to visit with a friend who has been working in Nazareth for five years. His travel permission had expired a few days before, and he is not going to risk traveling without it. His employer has now accused him of not wanting to come to work. He has begun to look to opportunities to travel and work abroad - sometimes a land across an ocean is closer than the nearest village. The drain on this land, and particularly on this church, is life-threatening.