January 3, 2003

Heading down to breakfast, we ran into Fr. Maroun, the director of the Latin Patriarchate Seminary in Beit Jala. He was sharing the table with several of the seminarians, all Jordanians whose visas have expired and are staying in the country (even though the seminary had to close this year) to avoid the risk of not being permitted to return. While we were able to renew our visas the same day, as have other Western priests working with the Latin Patriarchate, the Arab (mostly Jordanians and Egyptians) clergy have faced unprecedented waits for theirs. Two years ago, it was a same-day process.

Last year, priests were spared the hassle while seminarians waited a little longer for their legal status to come through. Now, it has been a six-month process for some. Many are in limbo, having filed their papers months ago with the Israeli Ministry of Interior but still have had no success. The Patriarch has filed official complaints, as has the Vatican, all to no avail.

As we pondered our luck at having valid paperwork, we pondered our options. We have errands to take care of here, things we can't accomplish in Zababdeh, and hurtling back across the border sounds less appealing after soaking in the extravagance of the Sinai Peninsula.

After deciding to delay our departure until tomorrow morning, we met up with friends at Nazareth Village, a reconstruction of parts of first century Nazareth to give visitors a sense of Jesus' surroundings. Marthame had visited here before, but it was Elizabeth's first time. Every aspect of the place is meticulously researched and carefully constructed. Jewish, Muslim, and Christian visitors do come, mostly locals and especially school groups. But to keep afloat, the project, like so much else in this land, needs the return of tourism and pilgrimage. The olive press is in progress, and much more is in the works. We hope folks will be willing to come here again soon.

Elizabeth admires the hostel grounds of the Nazareth Sisters.

After having lunch, we were taken on a shopping extravaganza, going to the Russian grocery store in nearby Nazareth Illit (Upper Nazareth), where we found all kinds of wonderful cheeses and sausages. We've got another early morning tomorrow, so an early evening wandering the hostel's lovely courtyard was about all the excitement we could manage.