Security in the city was unbelievable in preparation for morning prayers at Al-Aqsa. This Friday, as the last few, Israeli security did not allow any Palestinian under the age of forty-five to enter Jerusalem.
Read MoreOur Journey to Jerusalem - the long-awaited saga. Our automatic you're-an-American-so-shalom-for three-months tourist visas were near their expiration, and so we were in contact with the Latin Patriarchate to acquire work visas.
Read MoreIn recent days we've detected the odor of olives everywhere we go - when farmers take their olives to the press, they not only get the oil - they also get the solid and liquid waste matter.
Read MoreHe shared tragic stories of Christian families losing their homes and savings to Israeli rockets.
Read MoreReverse culture shock. Tonight we had a "surprise birthday party" and "potluck" for one of the American girls who lives next door.
Read MoreThe olive harvest continues, of course, and will likely do so in some way, shape, or form for another couple of weeks.
Read MoreDay one of our foray into the olive harvest! We left early in the morning with one of the families of the village to attend to their thirty or so trees up on the hill.
Read MoreIt was built on the site of an ancient grotto that dates back many, many centuries. They're not sure how old - there's a stone with either Greek or Roman letters carved into it (it's hard to tell because it's so weathered) that no one has been able to date to give some evidence of its age.
Read MoreDay two of the conference, sponsored by Schools on Line. There's much too much to tell of these three days, but it is a capsule of life with the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Read MoreThere are three or four Christian villages left in Palestine/Israel, and Zababdeh is one of them. The only one that is all Christian is Taybeh, near Ramallah.
Read MoreThe daily life and folks of Zababdeh are becoming more and more familiar to us. Here's one of the families (one of several) that has adopted us.
Read MoreOur first week of school has ended.
Read MoreWe have found our luggage! Marthame can change clothes! Elizabeth can get near him again!
Read MoreMarthame assisted in a wedding tonight (good thing the non-missing bags contained a shirt with collar!). Father Louis has begun calling him "Deacon" to translate this oddity of this married American performing pastoral functions in a Roman Catholic church.
Read MoreAfter managing to make all of our connecting flights, we have arrived in Zababdeh, Palestine!
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