We continued our visits today, going down to Tubas to visit with the Christians there. It was also a chance to see the church - we haven't been in a while. They have just finished a new office, moving the children's library upstairs for more access. This small community has done an amazing job of strengthening with little help from the outside.

Palestinian custom is that, following the large feasts, the families go to visit one another.

The Orthodox service began at 4:00 am. We rolled out of bed and joined the hearty faithful for the service.

We got in our Catholic car, carrying our Orthodox lanterns, with Marthame wearing an Anglican robe loaned to him by the Melkite priest, and headed to Jerusalem.

This morning, it was the Latin Church and their weekly Stations of the Cross service.

Today the busy liturgical schedule starts full on. Since our ministry is so ecumenical here, we will have to find a way to celebrate with each of the communities.

"Why would you name a church after a peach tree?" he asked. An olive tree was at least Biblical, he reasoned.

The plan (that word has become somewhat obsolete here) was to meet up with the demonstrators in Tulkarem, then travel back to Zababdeh with about eight of them.

The tradition has been for many years to have an ecumenical procession around town, stopping at each of the churches so that they will worship together.

Folks from throughout the community - Christians and Muslims alike - stopped by to visit.

Marthame was back at the church, this time in the church hall for a supper along with the church bazaar.

The youth group at the Latin Church was making final preparations for the church bazaar.

It was the first eucharist service held in the church since Fr. Firas' grandfather died in 1985, and as such, it was moving to be a part of.

Tonight's subject was Calvin, and the non-Protestant students are beginning to chafe a bit under the weight of the Reformation.

We worshiped this morning at the Latin Church of Visitation, Marthame leading along with Fr. Aktham, Fr. Firas, and an Italian priest who has been staying in town this past week.

News came late of another ISM (International Solidarity Movement) casualty, this time a British national in Gaza. Tom Hurndall has been declared brain dead. That brings the total to four casualties (three in short succession, two of them fatal), and has caused some to claim that these international activists are being intentionally targeted: Rachel Corrie killed by a bulldozer in Gaza, an Irish national shot in the legs this Fall, and an American shot in the face in Jenin last week.

Meanwhile, Boutros Ma'alim, the Melkite Bishop of Haifa, arrived today to see the progress on the Melkite Church.

The cross on top of the church is lit up with new lights, too, in celebration of Lent.

They figured that going with a priest, and an American at that, might help their chances. After some negotiating with the soldiers, it did, and all arrived back in Zababdeh safe and sound.

The checkpoint at the border was tighter than usual, with a soldier asking Marthame to open his bags. He was quite friendly, though, and joked. After Marthame had opened a bunch of the smaller pockets on the backpack, the soldier quipped, "Do you have any other secret compartments?" He then apologized (!) for the thorough check.

After yesterday afternoon's incident, in the early evening an American activist had part of his face sheered off by tank fire.

We followed Fr. Aktham past the lines of students as the national anthem played. A ripple of whispers, then spontaneous applause. Cool. This is why it's good to be back, to be welcomed back. We were missed.

And even when we heard the tanks coming over the hills, as we have become used to, we still knew we were in the right place.

At school, the Zababdeh teachers and students came in for a scaled-back day. At 9:00, a jeep passed by the school announcing the curfew. When they passed by again, Fr. Aktham went out to meet them and to explain to them that there were 500 students in the school who needed to get home. The captain agreed to allow half an hour grace period for the kids to get home.

In the evening, we got a call from the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Louisville. They met and agreed that it would be reasonable for us to return. We are elated!

We were all so enthusiastic that as the first eggs were drying we all tried our hands at another one, some more freestyle than others.