The Crusades are alive in the popular memory here, and also are deep-seated in the Western consciousness as something to be commended (selfless people are called "crusaders," our most precious social causes are our "crusades"). Somehow we can decry “jihad” without despising “crusade”.
Read MoreSo there the students sat, adorable first graders, side by side, Muslim and Christian, sharing their coloring pencils as they wrote “Thank You” and “Merry Christmas” notes to sponsors of the school.
Read MoreHe called his wife at that point, to tell her that something was amiss, at which point the Israeli soldiers forced him to turn off his cellphone. No one has heard from him since, and no one knows where he may be held.
Read MoreIn the evening, the school hosted a ftuur, the sundown breaking of the fast for Muslims during the month of Ramadan.
Read MoreMarthame quoted the Scripture: "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16) In other words, trust God's healing power, but don't be glib about it. Unfortunately, when Marthame translated the Bible verse into Arabic, it came out: "Be as clever as a big worm and as simple as a pigeon."
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In the evening we went to visit our good friends, taking advantage of a lighter work load to make good on some social obligations.
Read More"These were my sons, too." She went on to tell Elizabeth how her sons were killed last year in an Israeli attack on a building in Nablus. They were playing on the street next to the building.
Read MoreTo be included in such an intimate gathering is grace itself - and in our time here, our intentional inclusion in such meaningful moments has been one of the most powerful blessings we have received.
Read MoreThe Jenin students came! It's hard to describe our elation.
Read MoreWe ventured out for lunch at a friend's house overlooking Zababdeh with Fr. Aktham and Deacon Homam, featuring delicious msakhan and the ubiquitous olives.
Read MoreMarthame went with Fr. Thomas to the church in Burqin.
Read MoreShe and another of the village's faithful shared stories and memories, all colored by sweetness and sadness. That contradiction defines life here.
Read MoreIn short, anyone who wanted to leave or enter could, just as long as they didn't travel the main road. Being frustrated by such arbitrariness is par for the course.
Read MoreToday is the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.
Read MoreAfter school, as we hustled home under our umbrella, we passed a number of umbrella-less kids waiting under the school awning for the deluge to abate.
Read MoreThe car arrived to the outskirts of Nablus, where a soldier made the mother and four kids get out of the car and then riddled the car with bullets. Like many kids in this battered land, the ten-year-old brother is still suffering psychologically from the trauma.
Read MoreToday in particular, thanks was given for the oil of this year's harvest.
Read MoreElizabeth also worked with the first grade religion class on a penpal project.
Read MoreMarthame and one of our friends from the University went with Deacon Firas to visit the Christians of Jalame.
Read MoreThree tanks left the edge of Qabatia by way of the military/settler bypass road, but by 10:00 it was too late to bring kids to school. Ugh.
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