How many more traditions can we visit?

Thursday evening:
Philip and I visited the largest church in the Middle East, the towering Basilica. Every Thursday evening there is an hour of Eucharistic Adoration. We had been wanting to visit for months and finally did. About 60 people gathered on the lower level of the Basilica around an excavated bit of 1st century house/grotto believed by some to be Mary's home. As people read scripture and prayers in several languages, there was also a lot of time to meditate. Monks, nuns, tourists, bored young people as well as two Mennonite travelers meditated on the beautiful songs played on guitar and ringing through the cavernous room "Emmanuel, God is with us."

I also enjoyed watching a Ken Wettig look-alike (with a ponytail!) monk help the priest bring the host and shake the incense.

Friday evening:
We stopped at our favorite falafal place after working at NV. As we waited for them to make four falafals (two for Dave and Anna who were just returning after a week in Palestine), we watched the Egyptian protest on the big screen tv in the restaurant. We felt so safe and uncertain and wondering as a falafal maker matter-of-factly told us "Revolution."

Saturday:
Arriving at NV, we discovered there wasn't much to do with the slow season. We began talking to two young women who work there and they began telling us all about weddings in general, expectations, their lives as women in this culture, their lives as Arabs in this country, their upcoming weddings, family ties, shame, and cultural stereotypes and differences we all face as we travel between countries. One of them will soon marry an Arab who grew up in the US and one of them a man from Ireland. They were excited to teach and we were excited to learn. A couple hours later we had another long, unexpected conversation with a Brethren lady who works at the village. She told us so many stories about her passionate Christian father who is no longer living on earth, and the long years she has taken care of both her father and mother. She shared her great love of Jesus with us.

In the evening we visited Daniel's messianic Jewish youth group. His two daughters are 16 and 18 and they, as well as other youth we know from the church, had been inviting us. We finally were able to go. The young, charismatic leader led worship in English and Hebrew and gave a long talk about our place in the Kingdom. A delightful picture we took from the talk was an example the speaker gave of our need to put on God's righteousness. He reminded us of little children who like to dress up in their parent's large clothes. They don't think they look odd; they think they look like their parent. We should also not wait to "grow" into God's righteousness before we accept his grace. We never will. He wants us to delight in putting on his righteousness now, as we are.

Sunday evening:
We were invited to supper at Gosayna's house. She is the interim director at the village. Gosayna and her husband have four wonderful children (4-16 years of age). She and her husband and family lived in the US for many years and have now lived in Nazareth for 10 or so. So, they all speak English and Arabic simultaneously, it seems. We had a delightful evening saying Our Father before supper, eating a delicious home cooked meal, playing games, and in very interesting, educational conversation about their deep Catholic faith.

On our way home tonight Philip and I were laughing as we named off our best friends here: a Muslim couple, a Messianic Jewish family, a Roman Catholic family, and a Baptist family. We have much to learn. And we are so full. Rejoicing.