July 15, 2002

We get to share the good and bad of life in Palestine these days.

We were invited to Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago. Through our relationship with their new co-pastor Joanna Adams, as well as our connection with this part of the world (having been here for seven years), it was natural for us to visit this large downtown church. We were surprised to find that all the tables set out were filled, especially this being a summer evening in Chicago with many other things competing for attention. Our program was well-received, and we were able to introduce a couple of other folks with shared passions for the area. One had just returned from Ramallah where she had been teaching violin to young children and had been living under curfew, watching homes being shelled as families ran for safety. It was a reminder of how fortunate we've been to live in Zababdeh, given the absolute chaos of other parts of the West Bank. Small reasons for thanks...

We have not been able to check our email for the last few days, which we've learn was a result of the Israeli army's invasion of our internet service provider's offices in Ramallah. Seems like a strange target.