Br SANDRO TOMAŠEVIĆ, ofm Director – Franciscan Boys Home The story that moved me the most was that of a young man who, when I arrived, had been here for eight years. He did not want to talk to his mom. I asked him why and said, "Mine is in heaven and I'm thankful I had her in my life, but yours is alive, she's here in Bethlehem. Why don't you want to make peace with her? The saddest thing is to see a child running away from his mother. He thought about it and came to me one day and said, "I want to go to her and apologize." When she saw him, she hugged him, and then together they cried. This is the purpose of the house: to bring peace to these families. A story that tells very well the importance of Franciscan support to the local community in the Holy Land. "The Franciscan Boys Home," in 15 years, has taken in about 150 children from troubled families. Br PETER VASKO, ofm President Franciscan Foudation for the Holy Land We have several programs for young people, teenagers, high school and college students, all aimed at helping them with the problems they face and experience in the Holy Land. For the young people in the Boys Home, we have created a school to help them grow both spiritually and intellectually, so they can experience an atmosphere of peace, serenity and love. We provide them with psychological and spiritual help in an atmosphere of love and forgiveness, where they learn to live with one another. We are very proud as Franciscan Foundation to support the Children's Home for 15 years. Br PETER VASKO, ofm President Franciscan Foudation for the Holy Land When you see the innocence of these children joy springs up inside you. You see them happy, joyful, having fun, being cared for... the feeling inside is unexplainable, it's wonderful! Thank God we are able to help these young people. The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land-thanks to its many projects-has always been a pillar in supporting and serving the Christian community of the Holy Land, and for several years has been offering young people various opportunities to grow, improve and overcome challenges. Franciscan care is not only limited to the social aspect, but is also concerned with education through programs that aim to provide young people with the skills they need to create a professional future for themselves. Br PETER VASKO, ofm President Franciscan Foudation for the Holy Land We have about 11 programs in the humanitarian field, but the biggest problem is university education. We have given access to free university education to more than 600 Palestinian Christian young people. It is a real joy to see them graduate and become doctors, accountants, bankers, nurses! It is a great joy to see how the outreach and fundraising we do in the United States is paying off. We continue to see the progress and thank God for everyone's generosity-it is a concrete help for our Christian young people here in the Holy Land. The Custody of the Holy Land, with its works and spirit, is a real light in the lives of many young people in this Land. Read More