Bethlehem is the city of David where Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. But it is also a difficult place for Christian mothers today. We try to understand the great challenges they live with, and so we meet Julien, a 29-year-old mother who works for the Latin parish. JULEEN Mother of Bethlehem I have a seven-month-old daughter, her name is Ayla. She is my first daughter and my first experience as a mother. I love my land. I love being here in the holy places. But I am thinking about my daughter's future. What will become of us? What will happen? The economic situation here is very hard. And my husband stopped working because of the war. His brother and sister live in America. They keep inviting us to go abroad. But for the moment I haven't agreed to leave my homeland. For the time being. Sr. ANNA SALWA Daughters of St Anne Young people have an enormous difficulty, especially in the situation we are in now. Unfortunately, young people in Palestine cannot see a clear future. They try to live for the day and do not know what awaits them next, because they cannot plan anything. Every day there is something new. And for the mothers it is even worse, because in the current situation they can only think: ‘I say goodbye to my son in the morning and I have no idea if he will come back or get involved in some unpleasant situation’, so to speak. JULEEN Mother of Bethlehem It is not easy to leave your family and go abroad. But then this is the place where Jesus was born. We Christians must stay here. Yet we are distressed by the question of how our children will live in this situation. Sr. ANNA SALWA Daughters of St Anne Hence, an uncertain future, constant worrying and therefore not being able to guarantee safety, shelter and protection for their children. But how do you see the situation of the girls, in Bethlehem and Palestine, especially the Christian girls? Sr. ANNA SALWA Daughters of St Anne As far as the girls are concerned, you know, they are always used to thinking of a family future, of creating their own family. And in the situation we are in, they all have the difficulties of being in a family project that has failed, because with all the difficulties they have they can no longer live it in serenity and peace. Sister Anna is a great pastoral animator, engaged on various social and educational fronts. She accompanies young people above all, and does so with great intelligence. She develops work projects with them and for them that make them autonomous, but more importantly, she offers them a testimony of life and faith: this is the secret of her inexhaustible energy. Sr. ANNA SALWA Daughters of St Anne Speaking of the Palestinian girls, I speak on behalf of the entire youth group that we follow, which are the 150 young people in the parish group. This year we really wanted, in order for them to find the source of security, to emphasise that God is faithful, that it is God who gives serenity and peace. We have taken as our motto for all our meetings: ‘In your Word I find my peace’. Sr. ANNA SALWA Daughters of St Anne Because, it is true, all that is around us is darkness, disorder and gives us turmoil, war and insecurity. Then in the Word of God we find peace, so we are trying to help young people to orient themselves in God as the anchor of their lives. So to believe in Providence, in God's faithfulness, in his Word, in his presence. Although the current situation is very difficult, God can write straight on the crooked lines. Read More