Destruction

Another day of excruciating pain. I'm on heavy pain killers. It helps me get through the day.

Well I still manage to help Hidri with moving some books in the library. But I needed the help of 3 huge guys, Khalil our cook, Majed our doorman and Firas our kitchen assistant, to move 2 heavy and long rows of bookshelves. Not good for me to strain of course ... doc warned of ruptured spleen if I overwork.

Mamilla cathedral's
foundations are dug up

Don't think that because I'm in pain, I stay put in bed. There's so much to do and no one to help. This afternoon I had to go to Supersol (the local supermarket chain) to buy necessities. Couldn't walk up the 2 kms in 39 degree heat so decided to take a taxi. The traffic was horrendous. 300,000 Palestinians were allowed to enter Israel for ramadan and today is the last day of their permit. They took advantage and flooded Israel ... blocking all the roads in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Had to walk home because the traffic was impossible. I had a heavy knapsack and my pain was too severe to bear but I managed to reach home in one piece. On the way home, I saw municipality workers destroying the foundations of the ancient Mamilla Cathedral in order to lay water and electrical pipes. Destruction of Christian history! Tens of thousands of christians massacred by Persians in the 7th century were buried here. But now all is wiped out by bulldozers. This is more painful than my illness.