She was 14 years old. It was her first time in a church and she had joined in with the carol singers. After a church service, she came very shyly and said: "I want to be baptised." We met with young people in the church. We shared very personal experiences of faith in various places in the church. She listened in silence. Her face showed what was happening in her heart. As part of the 72-hour campaign, we renovated a peace memorial in the pouring rain and placed a new one in front of a kindergarten the following day. We then celebrated a party with over a hundred children and their parents. The next day was the baptism. She came in a beautiful dress. The atmosphere was - as on all those days - very familiar. Everyone present marked her with a small cross, the sign of faith, on her forehead - even those who had said they could not believe. Deep, intimate moments. The 14-year-old then walked bravely to the baptismal font and let everything happen. She lit her baptismal candle on the Easter candle and then passed the light on to all those who were present. A holy silence filled the room. When I was allowed to look into the eyes of this teenager at the end of the ceremony and saw this deep, quiet joy, I had the impression that heaven was opening up - our hearts are in heaven and our feet are on earth.
