I went down to PCR, and everyone appeared pretty busy making banners for future peace rallies. They didn't need my help, so I came back to Bethlehem.

On the way I picked up three bags of groceries, so my arms were full of cereal and eggs. As I walked to Manger Square, I was suddenly stopped by a large crowd. I couldn't walk home because a parade of boy scouts was walking by. I wanted to take a good photo, but I held a falafel sandwich, a laptop bag, and three bags of groceries. I still managed a few shots, but I won't waste our time by showing them here. Then a little kid shoved a pack of gum into my pocket and asked me for money. Being the good missionary that I am, I ignored him. Well, I didn't actually totally ignore him. I told him "ley ley" or "leh leh" -- meaning as close as I could get to "no, no". He kept tugging on my arms, and I tried to focus on the scout parade. Finally he tired, took his gum from my pocket, and walked off to the next international person he saw. And I felt a little guilty, because I had ignored Jesus' command to "give to all who ask". And there was no doubt about it, this kid was definitely asking -- and it is the season of giving. And I acted like Scrooge. I've often wondered about that scripture. I've got some thoughts about it that I will share another time. And if anyone wants to give a little insight, I'm open for suggestions.

At 5pm the Christmas Lutheran Church had its annual Christmas Eve service. The congregation was mainly internationals. When I arrived pastor Sandra Olewine asked if I could read some English scripture during the service. (There was scripture in German, English and Arabic.) I was happy to do it, but I'll admit I was a little nervous. And all I had to do was to read scripture. It wasn't like I had to deliver a sermon or play music. All I had to do was read. But my mind was working in strange ways. "Look at all of these people who came to have a Christmas service in Bethlehem. I'm sure they will remember it for a long time. And I don't want them to remember that some guy froze and didn't read his scripture." That would have made a real impression.

Sandra gave a good sermon, as always. She spoke about the plight of the Palestinians and how it related to the birth of Christ. Sandra is quite famous around the world for her information about the Palestinian situation. If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, do it.

And we had our very own Christmas Lutheran Church Bell Choir. The youth played a lot of great music.

We were told that Yasser Arafat would not be attending, but a representative was there. The representative sat in a front corner facing the audience. I'm glad I'm not a politician, because I wouldn't have liked facing the crowd all the time. But I think he enjoyed it. He would also later attend the service at the Nativity Church.

After the service I dropped by the Cave gift shop for the English speaking tour of Old Bethlehem, but it was canceled. I was the only one who showed for this time. So I heard about a little get-together nearby. I wasn't exactly invited, but I didn't think they would mind too much if I dropped by for a few minutes. So I went bearing a small gift (makes my imposition a bit more palatable), and the group didn't seem to mind TOO much. We ate delicious spicy pizza. And I apologize if I was out of line.

Then I popped down to Manger Square to hear some music. The square was nearly full. An international group called "Heart to Heart" was performing, and I thought it was great. Most of the crowd was young people, and heart to heart was very entertaining. They sang and danced a good show. It really put me in a happy mood. I met a lot of friends there from PCR. It was fun, but then I had to leave to attend the special midnight mass service at the church of the Nativity.

It was about 11:00, and I was tired. It had been a long day, but I tried to squeeze in as much as possible for my first Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. When I got to the church, it was already full. I stood and listened for about a half hour. The first row of seats was empty. I wanted to sit there, but a little sign said it was reserved for Yasser Arafat. And his kafia head covering was draped over the seat. (You know, like saving a seat for your friends. You might put a coat in the seat. Someone was saving a seat for Arafat, so he put his kafia over the chair.) I knew that he wasn't going to show, but I still decided against sitting there.

Finally a few minutes before midnight, I left. I walked down to my good neighbor's place. He was watching the midnight mass on local TV, so I joined him. On TV I saw a lot more than I could see in the church. And it was being broadcast live on BBC and maybe CNN too. We celebrated Christmas by eating a chocolate Santa and watching the patriarch.

So this was Christmas in Bethlehem. Excellent!