February 24, 2002

A long overdue trip took place today. One of our friends from Zababdeh has been trying to get out to Haifa to meet with the Melkite Bishop there. A few weeks ago, Marthame was able to secure his Vatican Laissez-Passer, but between the roads and the changing nature of checkpoints (just because a Palestinian has official permission to travel doesn't mean it will be accepted by soldiers at a particular checkpoint at a particular time), we had to reschedule about five or six times.

We drove our rental car down to the Jalame checkpoint, and walked across to meet him at the Jalame gas station - or at the Jenin checkpoint, depending on the mood of various military officials and taxi drivers. We met one of the St. Anne sisters from Jenin on her way out in her car - she stopped to pick us up, and we found our friend (at the gas station) together. Riding in a car driven by an Italian nun makes border crossings easier, and it was Marthame's passport that was scrutinized, not our friend's. Sister Maria, our angel!

We dropped our friend off at the Archbishopric and another Zababdeh friend at a salon in Haifa where he hopes to work (being Jordanian, he, too, has permission, and he, too, traveled with Sister Maria). Before the current siege, he would commute everyday from Zababdeh to Haifa to the salon. Now, it has been months since he has gone, and he's trying to find a way to spend months at a time there (and unfortunately away from his family).

The beautiful German cemetery in Haifa, Israel.

While they were attending to their various appointments, we happened upon an old German cemetery in the nearby German colony. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful cemetery we had ever seen. The grounds were well-kept, but not so that you'd mistake it for a golf course. Instead, it was a beautiful garden full of palm trees, cacti, and other plants which together conveyed a real sense of awe. Hard to describe.

Arab-Israeli clientele at the Hammat Ghader hot springs.

We picked our friend up at the Archbishopric and took him to Ibillin, where work awaited him at Mar Elias College. Father Chacour was out at meetings, so we said goodbye to our friend and headed off to Hammat Ghader, the hot springs near the Sea of Galilee. The place was packed with vacationers for the 'Eid, but we squeezed into the pools and relaxed. Most of the bathers were men, though there were a few women - some in hijab head covering, some in knee-length pants, very few in bathing suits. There were even separate pools for the more religiously-minded.

On our way back, we were able to find the well-hidden movie theater in Tiberias to catch Ocean's Eleven. No one sat near us - perhaps the smell of sulfur from the baths kept them away...