March 24, 2003 — Mudeif Productions

Determined to make the most of our car rental (now four times what we had originally thought - at least we didn't buy the car!), we awoke "early" and drove north into the Troodos Mountains. Sounding like a character from The Hobbit, Troodos is the winter skiing center for Cyprus. That would explain the snow we encountered through the winding mountain roads. We had hoped to take a couple of nature walks, and had come prepared for cold - but not snow! We satisfied ourselves with looks over the valley at spectacular turnouts.

*Just one of the multitude of frescoes decorating Panagia Tou Araka church.*

We stopped at Panagia Tou Araka church, originally decorated with frescoes in 1192. Every surface in the church was covered with detailed paintings, and to this day, the colors remain vivid. It was quite a contrast with the undecorated whitewashed church we attended on Sunday. The old parish priest ushered us into the church. "German?"

"American."

"Oh! Good."

He brought out the guestbook, searching in vain for a pen. We produced one. He then pulled out a wad of bills, signaling that we should contribute to it. "Mister. Turkey. Boom Boom! Refugee." We discerned that his village was destroyed or at least damaged (and surely depopulated of Greeks) in the Turkish occupation of the northern part of the island. Apparently our donation wasn't enough. "Mister. Book. English. Icons! Nine pounds." Now knowing the currency conversion, we declined. He lost interest and began splattering water on the stones of the old floor to sweep without raising dust.

We also stopped by a monastery along the way, but were only met by an open, not as astounding church. It would be nice to come back here in the summertime and take the nature walks and visit some of the other frescoed churches. Perhaps eleven of them (and the mosaics in Pafos) are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so you know they've gotta be good.

Messages continue to come from Zababdeh. The weather's similar to here, "cold and rainning here and life is normal and going on."

We arrived back in Limassol at the offices of the Middle East Council of Churches, meeting up with some of their employees as well as some of the Presbyterian Church's Egypt volunteers who have also been relocated like us to Cyprus for the time being. We had lunch at a nearby pizza place, hearing about their various ministries, particularly those among the refugee populations coming from the Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.

News of the war and its growing chaos in Iraq was on everyone's mind. The last communiqué to come to the Middle East Council of Churches' office from Baghdad was that the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate was damaged during one of the bombardments. We can't imagine the destruction that'll face Baghdad when troops enter. Lord have mercy.