On Sunday I decided to attend the East Jerusalem Baptist Church again. Like last time we loaded up in a van leaving from Bethlehem. We went to the same checkpoint as last time. This time the young Israeli soldier told us we couldn't go through this way from Bethlehem. She said we would have to turn around and go the other way into Jerusalem. It took us much longer to get there and the roads were not as good. We arrived at church a few minutes late and missed a few of the worship songs at the beginning.

It was a special treat to gather together after church for a little picnic in the yard under the olive trees. Everyone is always so generous at meals, making sure every has enough, and sharing food with others. Even though Americans eat together individually at the same table, they don't eat together as a group in the same way as Arabs do.

I've been spending time studying Arabic and reading books about Palestine, including learning some more about Islam. It's fun to see who might show up at tea time or lunch during the week. Christians from around the world stop by to visit the college. One group was with the organization Sat7 , a ministry of broadcasting Arabic Christian programming to the Middle East. Another group was Jerusalem Gateway Partnership . Another couple represents a ministry of giving low-interest loans for start-up businesses aiming at economic and community development.

I decided to return to Ramallah on Wednesday. I walked down to the bus stop. A number 21 bus was sitting there. It wasn't a large bus like I had traveled on last time. After waiting awhile for the bus to fill up (and the driver, since he was eating a sandwich from the outdoor falafel stand about three feet from his door), we set off for Jerusalem. After winding our way through Beit Jala, we came to the checkpoint. We sat for a long time just waiting for a bus ahead of us to be cleared. Once it was our turn, the process was quick and everyone loaded back in. When we arrived in Jerusalem, I knew this time exactly where to go to catch the 18 bus to Ramallah. I tried to watch the signs on buildings to see when their location would change from saying Jerusalem (Al Quds) to Ramallah. I did finally notice El Bireh, the sister city of Ramallah. Before I knew it, we were there. A block or so away from where the bus drops people along the street is the center of Ramallah. I walked down there to try to figure out which street to take to get to the Friends School. I knew the name of the street and had drawn myself a map in my notebook. I tried to ask someone about which street was Al Nadha. I decided to go ahead and have an early lunch at Stars & Bucks cafe. I had read that it was upstairs in the building. It wasn't readily apparent where to go to get upstairs. I found an entrance along the side of the building on the right. There were some elevators, so I decided to get in the elevator and ask people how to get to Stars & Bucks . No one knew, but one guy tried to help me. He would ask everyone, but no one seemed to know. I rode the elevator up with people and then back down again. My elevator friend got off at a lower level, looked down the stairs, and then pointed to it. So I found where I was going.

Stars & Bucks is a very nice cafe. They imitate the Starbucks look. It's sort of a satirical homage to Starbucks. I was hoping to get a good cup of coffee. On the menu was black coffee and a double black coffee. I ordered the double black coffee and ended up with a nice mug of rich, black coffee. I think I ordered a Shawerma sandwich, but I'm not sure what I ended up with. I expected something with a lot of turkey. It was good anyway. I also ordered the Turkish Salad. That was very tasty.

I had an excellent view out the window. I was able to ask a waiter which street as Al Nadha. He didn't know either. Then I said I was going to the Friends School . That he knew. He pointed to the street I had just been on. After eating my lunch, I made my way back to the right street. A few blocks down I came to the Friends School. The director, Joyce Ajlouny, made some time for me in her busy schedule. I had tried to arrange a time to visit on Wednesday but was only told to give myself a couple of hours and the school closes at 3pm. I tried to call the school once I arrived in Ramallah, but I can't figure out how to dial phone numbers on my cell phone. Dialing all of the numbers didn't work and dialing any subset of the numbers didn't work. I still don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Finally we were able to find someone who could spare a little time to walk me around the campus of the upper school, what was originally the boys school.

It is certainly a highly respected elementary and high school. The buildings and grounds are very nice and are continuing to expand and improve. The students were welcoming, kind, and helpful. The Friends United Meeting, which is located in my hometown of Richmond, Indiana, oversees – if that's the right word – the work of the school. A new book published by Friends United Press, Enduring Hope: The Impact of the Ramallah Friends Schools ,  by Patricia Edwards-Konic, tells more about the school.

I originally planned to attend a public lecture at the Friends Meetinghouse at 6 pm. By the time I finished at the Friends School, I was tired. I had gotten up early to watch the news about the election. Traveling by bus, being a stranger in the midst of masses of people, going through Israeli checkpoints, is all very taxing. I knew if I left Ramallah I would arrive back in Bethlehem just before dark, which happens by about 6pm. I had thought about visiting Birzeit University . There were other things I would like to have seen, but I decided to find my way to the bus station and head back to Bethlehem.

When I got on the 18 bus, I was trying to give the driver the right change. I think what I thought was a 5 shekel coin was actually a 1/2 shekel coin. He was exasperated with me and took what he needed from my hand. I just couldn't figure out what was wrong. It was dark in the lower level of the garage and I couldn't see what was written on the coin.

What a mess it was at the checkpoint. Vehicles were parked every which way trying to nose into line. We had to go up the curb and onto the center of the little plaza of the round-about. These little mini-buses were backing up and moving forward with just inches to spare between each other. But no one was getting angry or cutting in front of anyone else. They all seemed to work together to get everyone through as quickly as possible. Of course, while I was sitting on the bus with the elderly and mothers with children, everyone else had to walk into the building and go through security. The Israeli soldier just came on the bus and glanced around at our passports and papers. After driving through the checkpoint, we went into the parking lot and picked up our passengers. I'm not even sure whether it was the same passengers or not. This time I took the same bus, the 21, back into Bethlehem. I didn't want to go to the Bethlehem checkpoint, walk through, and then walk the half mile or so into Bethlehem.

My class on Friday went about as well as can be expected. Since I will be at the Sabeel Conference next Friday, I decided to give a mid-term exam on that day. I spent at least a half an hour talking about the exam and then spent another half hour talking about the main narrative of the book of Hebrews. After the tea break, I spent the remaining hour finishing chapter six of Hebrews.

Next week I will be attending the first part of the Sabeel Conference in Nazareth. I'm looking forward to this. It will be a great time of listening to speakers and touring sites that are a witness to the Palestinian catastrophe in which many of them were forced to leave their homes and land, many of whom are stilling living in refugee ghettos.