Jerusalem! It’s this tiny place on the planet where you can fully express your religion from a very young age and feel the presence of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in every aspect of daily life. It’s overwhelming to be living just few meters away from the birthplace of Jesus and to grow up around the biblical sites where He lived and served. When I used to see how many pilgrims came during Christmas or throughout the year, I just think of how lucky I am to be in a country where I really feel God’s presence in so many different ways. Being in a land characterized by miracles is more than I could ever ask for. I always had the opportunity to deepen my faith and love of our Lord Jesus Christ by visiting and praying at the sites made sacred by His life and ministry. For a long time, I’ve observed millions of guests visiting the birthplace of Jesus and other religious sites but I realized that many of them left without meeting the living stones. That’s when I decided to join the tourism industry-to offer visitors an authentic experience through a real pilgrimage in which they can engage with the locals and make a contribution to the community.

Two thousand years ago, there was “no place in the inn” for the Holy Family in Bethlehem. This continues to be true nowadays. Since Bethlehem is a number one destination for pilgrims, many of the hotels in the city are overbooked during the year, so families of Bethlehem started hosting guests in their homes. For many, it was a great experience meeting people from different backgrounds, enjoying conversations with them about different matters, getting to know their families through the pictures they hold with them, joining them at Sunday worship service at their churches, sharing a meal together every night and exchanging recipes. I have witnessed the building of bridges between people, as if a miracle was happening! They created wonderful friendships. These are the moments that make me do what I do.