March, 2003
It's hard to be somewhere as beautiful as Cyprus when you don't want to, but we're doing our best to make the best of it.
We joined up with the other Presbyterian exiles at St. Barnabas' Anglican Church, which is known by its much more quaint (and British) name: Mission to Seafarers.
Cyprus is known as the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love, so we had to oblige the Cyprus Aphrodite tour.
An American family who works with the Middle East Council of Churches took pity on us poor Presbyterians and brought us all - those from Palestine, those from Egypt - up to their home for a little relaxation time, a home-cooked meal, and just a general good time.
We're doing our best to make the most of our time here. This morning we caught the bus up to the capital city, Nicosia.
We've tried to contact our friends throughout Iraq, but haven't heard from any of them. Reports of water shortages in Basra are particularly fretful.
We had hoped to take a couple of nature walks, and had come prepared for cold - but not snow!
The scenes were of various Greek and Roman gods and myths - Theseus, Aphrodite, Dionysius, Scylla - remarkably well-preserved. Their colors were still quite evident in some cases.
Cyprus, being an old British colony, has its British quirks: using the pound, driving on the left side of the road, and - perhaps most advantageous - the pubs.
He waved his M-16 towards a concrete barricade. "Where are you from? The United States? Sh**." He then spat on the ground - not sure how to read that one.
At school, the children celebrated Mother's Day three days early because the war was likely to intervene on celebrations on the 21st.
Elizabeth and another teacher went with her 8th graders on a picnic in the nearby hills. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining on the very green blooming hills.
An International Solidarity Movement volunteer had been killed, crushed by an Israeli bulldozer as she stood in front of a house in a Gaza refugee camp. The journalist was calling to see if we happened to know her - we didn't, but when Marthame repeated her name, Rachel Corrie, one of the group gasped. "I know her. I was standing with her in front of a bulldozer a couple of weeks ago."
The news from the States is dire and the drive towards war depressing. We haven't felt this helpless in a long time.
Her husband was coming with her father and brother from just outside the western side of town when an Israeli sniper shot him in the head.
This afternoon we got a call from one of the University students who participated in the exchange program back in April. He's from the village of Saida, near Tulkarem, which the Israelis have been occupying since yesterday and are not letting anyone in or out. Such events used to make the news, but they've become so ordinary, no one pays attention. His older brothers and father were rounded up with the men and taken to the school. His mother had to be taken to the hospital because of the stress. So his little brother is at home alone with his sisters.
Today is Ash Wednesday here. In ecumenical compromise, Christmas is celebrated on the Western calendar while Easter is celebrated on the Eastern calendar.
Marthame visited with Fr. Firas for breakfast before going to the church to check on the progress.
What's amazing, though, is that Marthame is teaching Reformation history in a Catholic institution!
We are often amazed by how separate religious communities can remain, even when they live and work and study together.
Fr. Aktham went down to negotiate. Even though the orders from above were that they be allowed to pass, the soldiers were unmovable. This gets old. Real old.
We spent the evening with the rest of Zababdeh in a special day of prayer, as the Pope had requested (it's Western Lent as of today), for peace.
As Marthame told Fr. Firas, we remember when this church was closed and was an absolute mess inside. Now, it's simply an absolute mess!
It's the questions - Where have you been? What were you doing? Whom did you see? - which not only seem to take precedence over the searches, but also annoy, as though it is the very exchange of ideas and human interaction which is more threatening to the State of Israel than any weapons.
Today were the elections for the Church Council, made up of seven folks who will work with Fr. Aktham on various issues concerning the life of the parish.
Marthame walked towards the other side, stepping in mud up to his ankles, turning his once black shoes to brown. In Jenin, the combination of destruction and excessive rains left rivers of ankle-high running down the middle of the street, perfect for cleaning Marthame's shoes. When Marthame arrived at the bank, someone noticed his shoes (people notice shoes here) and said, "Have you been four-wheeling?"