November 4, 2001

St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland in West Jerusalem, just outside the Old City.

Marthame preached at St. Andrew's Church of Scotland in Jerusalem this morning - Pastor Clarence had been called to Cyprus for a meeting of the Church of Scotland's Middle East folks, and Marthame was happy to get the chance to preach again. The text was Habakkuk's personification of "Vision". It's a fun text.

Afterwards, he joined several members of the church for lunch, hearing stories about life for Palestinians in West Jerusalem after 1948 (there were some who were not forced/scared away). One person recounted how they used to have to sneak to church to avoid the Jordanian snipers in the Old City. Apparently many Jews had been moving into the no man's land established between Jordanian East Jerusalem and Israeli West Jerusalem, in violation of armistice agreements. The Jordanians didn't take too kindly to this (nor did the former Arab residents of that area who are still not allowed to return).

Back in Zababdeh, Elizabeth went to church at St. Matthew's Anglican Church, and joined friends of ours for a delicious lunch of malfouf - steamed cabbage leaves wrapped around yummy rice and meat filling (malfouf means wrapped and also cabbage, since cabbage leaves wrap over each other on the plant. It also means the meal Elizabeth ate). Elizabeth also tried for the first time a calcium-rich snack this family prepares a few times a year - sesame seeds broken up a bit in the blender and mixed with a little sugar. Interesting and tasty.