One project that has been very exciting is an email pen-pal project where he has linked up youth at the school with youth in the States.
Read MoreElizabeth managed to explain everything in Arabic (six hours of prep for ten minutes of talking)! English classes start on Wednesday, so we'll see.
Read MoreMost of the Muslim families in Zababdeh seem to be descendants of refugees from 1948 Haifa who managed to scrape together enough to buy land. Our host works at the Latin School, and treated us to some homemade Arabic bread.
Read MorePeople are celebrating in a much more muted way. There's music, but no dancing. People are still in a nation-wide mourning.
Read MoreOur ecumenical drive continues. We spent an evening with the Anglican priest of St. Matthew's Church in Zababdeh, Father Hosam Na'oum.
Read MoreOur West Bank is landmarked by Palestinian cities and villages, connected (now) by windy roads, whereas hers is marked by Jewish settlements connected by highways. It was as if we were talking about two totally different countries.
Read MoreFor all of the talk of opening roads and lifting closures, our experience today belied the political rhetoric.
Read MoreNow is a wonderful time to see the land, if a bit nippy. Not unlike our impression of Ireland - green, wet, and rocky.
Read MoreOur muse must be the vocal bovine neighbor who has been serenading us day and night for the past week.
Read MoreThe word for "rain" in Arabic is the word they use for the season of "winter."
Read MoreThe lush new growth on nearby rocky hills reminds us more of Ireland than John the Baptist.
Read MoreIt seems that Zababdeh has no running water (except for that stored in rooftop tanks) because of a broken water pump. The pump for the town is under Israeli control, and the Israelis have thusfar failed - or refused - to fix it.
Read MoreViruses aren't good. Elizabeth's been in bed with one, and Marthame managed to give one to our computer.
Read MoreWe realized that we haven't talked much about our new, expanded pad!
Read MoreSchool is back in session. A memorial tree was planted today on the Patriarchate lands in Tayasir nearby.
Read MoreToday was the third day (the traditional Arab day for visitation) after the death of fourth grader Annas.
Read MoreWords will have to suffice for today, as the camera just didn't seem appropriate.
Read MoreOnce the shooting stopped, we paused to watch the beautiful moon disappear slowly from view. One of our neighbors said it looked like it was sad for Palestine.
Read MoreWe gathered with a crowd of folks along the road to see what can be seen - sometimes the red lights of Israeli tracer bullets (we think) can be seen disappearing into the hills. Suddenly, we saw one of these lovely red lights headed in the direction of our gathered crowd - thirty feet in the air and to the left (it wouldn't be a field goal), but in our general direction. Everyone scattered - Marthame went one way, Elizabeth another. Five or ten more followed suit afterwards, no one was really sure what was happening.
Read MoreElizabeth and Mom spent much of the day checking out the rugs for sale all around our hostel.
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