Today is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year feast, so the curfews around Palestinian cities are extra-tight.
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As much of the chanted liturgy is taking place among the congregation, the priest is busy preparing the eucharist.
Read MoreNothing new except the shifting curfews in Jenin.
Read MoreIn the evening, we did an interview with the Diocese of Sioux Falls' radio program Catholic Views.
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One of the people the group visited with, who has a military background, talked about the battle here from that perspective. The military part of the Israeli action he had no problem with - cornering the resistance fighters into an area bounded by four main streets was good military strategy. It was after that, in his view, that the Israeli army broke all rules of combat, bulldozing and collapsing the area, denying emergency services and relief agencies into the area.
Read MoreOne of our teachers in Tubas was near the place where the car was blown up. "Our house shook like an earthquake," he told us. The two children who were killed were his cousins. "They were on their way to buy ice cream."
Read MoreAt church, Deacon Firas joined in worship leadership as well, fresh off his ordination yesterday.
Read MoreThe day we have waited for for two years, and the day our friend Firas has waited for for eight years: his ordination as a deacon (the step before priesthood) in the Melkite Church of Zababdeh.
Read MoreThey estimate that, for the 60 Christians living in Tubas, there are 300-some living outside Palestine.
Read MoreThe University has so far done a valiant job of staying open amid a hopeless time - we hope they are able to stay open and attract the needed faculty to keep this lifeline of education and employment open.
Read MoreIn Nablus, Hebron, and other towns, curfew means it is forbidden to leave home at all - for days on end, often lifted for a few hours and reinstated for however long the military wants. It means no school, no work, no hospital, no food.
Read MoreAs the American sabre rattles against Iraq, people here grow nervous. Reports have appeared in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz that Sharon will use an attack on Iraq to begin his not-so-secret project of "transfer" - the ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians from the West Bank. Blessed are the peacemakers...
Read MoreA church re-opened, a military camp evacuated, could it be that good things are happening here?
Read MoreFr. Aktham announced Firas' upcoming ordination. The service will be next Saturday in the Latin Church because the Melkite church, abandoned for seventeen years, is in no shape for services.
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"You know," she said, "I used to think that all Americans hated us. Thank you for showing us that not all Americans think the same." What's amazing is to realize that there are probably others who think and feel the same, especially when we've known nothing but unconditional welcome here. Humbling to say the least.
Read MoreSoldier: "But you know, life is like a box of chocolates. Forrest Gump. Did you see it? What do you think?" Surreal is just the tip of the iceberg here.
Read MoreOur biggest problem was the giggling security girls who pulled us aside and asked us a few questions - they spent most of those few minutes being embarrassed about their halting English.
Read MoreWe leave this morning, via Chicago (today), Amsterdam (arriving tomorrow), then Amman (day after), Jerusalem (later that same day), and finally Zababdeh (the next day) - three days of travel ahead.
Read MoreOversimplifying doesn't get anybody anywhere.
Read MoreA visit to a local sculpture artist and his creations - he supports his art habit by selling homemade jams and the like.
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