22 December.  Read, reflect, share, pray. As the time for the pilgrimage grew closer other people began to take an interest, especially as war in Israel had again been so much in the news and everyone had their opinions. Some politicians and business people and those from TV stations wanted to know what was going on. But this wasn’t meant to be a media circus for TV but a children’s pilgrimage and Brother Francis and his team did all they could to control the media and to protect the children and keep the simplicity and the personal human closeness alive for them.

By the 20th December everything was ready and the children had been prepared. Busi and his mom were so excited they could hardly wait. They were leaving on 22nd December, but some of the children with parents or other companions had left earlier or later, depending on where in the world they were coming from and how they had to travel, by car, bus, train, plane, or ship.

Scripture:  In those days Hannah took Samuel up with her and she brought him to the house of the Lord. She brought the child to Eili and said, “As you live my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence praying for this child and the Lord granted me my petition. I have lent him to the Lord. Pope Francis: We should not think of the mission of sharing Christ as something only between Jesus and me. Mission is experienced in fellowship with our communities and with the whole church.