Chapter 5 – Advent’s Way to the House of Bread: Going to Meet Mom!

The Advent journey to the House of Bread begins at dawn – in silence, simplicity, and the readiness of the heart. It is a story of a path that leads through obedience and trust before the warmth of home and the scent of bread appear. Each step of this journey teaches that not everything can be rushed, and that what matters most is born slowly – along the way.

Going to Meet Mom! - Advent’s Way to the House of Bread

Early in the morning, Sara’s mother, Noemi, woke Marcel and Gabi.“Get up! We must go quickly. I will take you to your Mom.”

The children, although still sleepy, jumped to their feet at once, because they very much wanted to return to their parents. They gathered themselves obediently. They said goodbye to the rest of the family, who were also slowly preparing for breakfast and the next stage of the journey.

Despite the heavy dew and the mist hanging low over the ground, their clothes were dry. Someone had watched over them during the night, especially over Gabi, who in her sleep kicked her legs and wriggled her whole body in every direction, often knocking the blanket onto the ground. Marcel did not wake up even once, overheated and sweaty, to throw off his shirt and cool himself down. They slept the whole night under the open sky, exactly as they had fallen asleep. How was that possible?

Noemi had covered them with blankets made of sheep’s wool, which do not absorb dew very quickly. Only the outer layer was damp. When the children were already asleep, a light rain began to fall—for winter in Palestine is the rainy season—and Noemi’s husband jumped up at once. With the help of the servants, they spread a large sheet over the sleeping children, creating a kind of one-blanket tent.

When Gabi plays house with Natalia, they often hang a sheet or a small blanket over chairs to make a roof for themselves, like a little tent. Mom taught her that trick because she herself, as a child, used to organize such playhouses for her siblings. She did not have sheep or goat skins to spread on the ground. She did not need protection from cold or damp.

Here, however, the children did not even notice what was being arranged for the night or where it all happened beyond their awareness.

A servant also made sure the fire did not go out, adding dry branches from time to time. The smoke kept wild animals and birds of prey away, and the fire warmed and dried the air.

Gabi and Marcel threw their backpacks over their shoulders and, after a quick breakfast-- almost on the run - set off behind Noemi and her servant along a dirt path at the edge of the clearing. Several young men from the other families joined them, along with servants and a few donkeys carrying empty baskets on their backs. They wanted to reach the town at the time when craftsmen opened their workshops, and the well was accessible, and when guests could be received and offered some refreshment. They could also do some shopping - not at Lidl or a Super Store or anything like that, but from the local residents: everything organic, straight from home gardens.

Marcel looked at the donkey walking in front of them. On both sides of the animal hung empty wicker baskets, bouncing lightly with each step. Suddenly, the boy burst into laughter, trying to hide it from the others.

It reminded him of his favourite game - a “level one player” in Minecraft, where the character begins the adventure with an empty inventory: no tools, no treasures, just open slots waiting for whatever will be found, setting out ready to loot the whole world. That was exactly what the donkey looked like now: like a game character just before a great treasure-collecting mission. And when one of the baskets bumped against the animal’s side and rattled, Marcel thought that all that was missing was a short “ding!” sound—like the game announcing, “Mission started!”

It was so absurd that he had to pretend to cough even harder as he choked with laughter. He did not want to offend travellers from another world, to whom he would never be able to explain what had amused him so much.

Gabi helped him by interrupting his train of thought with a loud question, “Marcel, why is Noemi, not her husband, going with us, and there are so many other young men? Why, apart from one servant, are there no other women?”

Marcel, still amused by his own imagination, opened his mouth in surprise to say something silly in reply, but he did not get the chance. Noemi, who was holding the girl’s hand, had also heard the question, “For several reasons, my dear. We have an hour of road ahead of us that we do not know, and they are strong and well-trained.”

Here Marcel grimaced skeptically, because he did not see much of that strength hidden under their loose garments. Nor did he notice any “weapons, just in case,” apart from a few shepherd’s staffs. Sometimes he saw people walking in parks with two poles, but he never paid them much attention - it was not within his field of interest. Meanwhile, Noemi continued.

“We use the opportunity to supply ourselves in the city with fresh products and other items for the journey ahead.”

“So… what exactly?” Marcel asked with curiosity.

“So... we can buy fresh, fragrant bread that has risen in warmth throughout the whole night. On the road, there is no way for such fermentation, nor we have ovens to bake bread. Perhaps we will also be able to buy dried fish, dates, and olives… And markets at this hour are usually crowded and loud.”

“Are we going to the market?” Gabi asked eagerly. Just yesterday, she had noticed the original bracelets on Sara’s wrist and had begun to dream of such things herself.

“No." Noemi ended the conversation briefly and firmly.

The Advent journey to the House of Bread is not an easy one. It teaches obedience, patience, and acceptance that not everything happens quickly or comfortably. It is a path on which the heart slowly matures, learning trust and simplicity. To meet Mother! – The Advent journey to the House of Bread leads not only children, but everyone who dares to set out without full baskets, with empty hands ready to receive what will be given.

What happens next? Advent’s Way to the House of Bread reveals it in chapter 6.

Chapter 6 – Advent’s Way to the House of Bread: Adventures Along the Way to Meet Mother!

Prefer to read in Polish? You can find the Polish version here:

Rozdział 5 – Adwentowa droga do Domu Chleba: Na spotkanie z Mamą!