Birzeit University was our home two years ago when we first studied Arabic formally. Now we've returned to do more study, this time digging into standard written Arabic. We've done well at colloquial, but remain close to illiterate when it comes to reading and writing.

Abu Qash, a village just next to Birzeit, will be our home. Star Mountain is a rehabilitation center on the edge of Abu Qash run by the Moravian Church.

We've made it "home," arriving in Tel Aviv this afternoon before catching the shared taxi to Jerusalem.

A few photos from our vacation to visit with friends and family in Chicago (by way of Spain).

It was a fine way to put the absurdities of this place behind us for a while.

It's always nice to worship in English.

The line at the Tayasir checkpoint was backed up for nearly half a mile, taking us two and a half hours to pass.

Today we are trying to tie up all our loose ends before we embark on our summer.

In the early evening we took a short break to meet and show around three new teachers at the Arab American University.

Along the way, a car coming from the other direction slowed down and stopped next to him. A little Israeli flag fluttered on the dash board. The woman driving asked in English, "Did the soldier let you in?" "Yeah." She drove off in a storm.

Elizabeth joined a handful of teachers and two busloads of students for a trip to Beidan. At Beidan, natural springs support agriculture and recreation.

After worship, we walked down to the Melkite Church for fellowship.

This morning, the school was full of teachers frantically trying to finish their marks and report cards, and the playground full of kids nervously playing or sitting and chatting waiting for their marks.

"But you let Jerusalemites travel here all the time - the rules are not consistent! If they were, we'd work within them. Who do you want to drive the car? You won't let a West Banker do it, you won't let a Jerusalemite or an Israeli pass. Who will drive? You?"

Elizabeth worked with the art teacher to prepare an exhibit for graduation. The school is celebrating its 120th anniversary, so images of the school through the years will be displayed along with art, English, and science projects done by the kids this year.

One of the school's teachers had been held up at the checkpoint the previous day. When he asked the other young men being held there, he discovered they had one thing in common: they were all named 'Ammar (a name as common as David in the States).

The soldier clearly didn't want to talk about it - usually an indication that they're not fully buying the "for security" argument.

CNN's latest update on the Middle East says that Israel had "opened the West Bank and Gaza, after closing them on May 18th." Since Marthame travels every week in and out of the West Bank, such assertions seemed odd indeed.

This morning we worshiped at the Melkite church, and enjoyed the especially familial "coffee hour"' afterwards, in the still-being-renovated church.