July 22, 2003

National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, has a partnership with the Latin Church of Birzeit.

After classes we went out, we caught the shared taxi down to Birzeit to have lunch at the Latin Convent with Fr. Iyad and his American visitors. Camp is finishing up, and this Sunday is Fr. Iyad's last as Birzeit's parish priest. After some vacation time, he will be moving on to the Latin Seminary in Beit Jala. He will be missed here, but we look forward to seeing him there.

Afterwards, Marthame went off to Ramallah with Jonathan, our friend from the Arab-American University of Jenin. The two walked through Surda, stopped and questioned by soldiers while on their way. After a look at Jonathan's passport and a quick glance in his bags, the two continued on for a chocolate milkshake at Rukab's ice cream - one of Ramallah's two parlors that make their own ice cream. Ramallah has its rewards.