Lifegate

Today visiting Lifegate, an excellent facility in Beit Jala which looks after young people with a variety of disabilities. Daniel, a young man I have worked with over the past few years leaves school this week and starts training as a chef at Lifegate next Monday. Together we had a good look round Lifegate with one of the senior teachers, Khalil. I am very happy that Daniel is able to move straight from school into training which will better secure his future.

lifegate-reha.de/en/start/

Graduation

Today I was privileged to be at the Graduation Ceremony at Talitha Kumi School in Beit Jala. I have worked with some of these students over the past years and again, I am delighted for them and so proud that they have arrived, with much hard work from them and their very dedicated teachers, at the end of their school career in such a good way.

To continue to help the helpless and those who are in real need is, I believe what we are all called to. To love and give freely and not to expect anything in return. To understand and forgive those who reject you.

Today in Bethlehem

A very happy day today for some of the students of Hope School who held their graduation ceremony in Beit Jala. I was so proud to see the young people I have known for the past few years receiving their certificates. My hope is now that they will use the knowledge and experience they have gained to move forward to the next step and then go on to make a great and positive difference in the world. I was also so proud today of Mohammed Ja’affreh who, at the same ceremony, was awarded ‘best student’ certificate for Hope School.

Great news for another youngster today, the first to be sponsored by ACIC, has been accepted into her school of choice having passed her interviews. I look forward to seeing her at her graduation in a few years.

Let's hope!

We look forward to the visit of Pope Francis this week to the Holy Land. The hope is, that he will, alongside a Rabbi and an Imam from Argentina bring some light to this troubled area. From what I have seen, albeit from a distance, Pope Francis appears, like his namesake, to be a man of humility and a man of compassion. I watched with great admiration when, shortly after his inauguration, he knelt with such love to wash and kiss the feet of prisoners; young men, young women, regardless of their faith.

The desire of ACIC is to seek to be alongside and to assist those young people who find themselves in crisis. To care for their education, health and welfare and to help them achieve their full potential. To be dedicated to helping children solely on the basis of need and not the faith of the child.