Episode 4

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0:00:13 > 0:00:16Chaplains are modern-day disciples.

0:00:16 > 0:00:19- Ta-da!- Yay!

0:00:20 > 0:00:23Excuse me, are you Jewish? Have you got any Jewish pals here?

0:00:23 > 0:00:26They take the word of God out of the church

0:00:26 > 0:00:29and into the places we work and play.

0:00:29 > 0:00:31This is what Christ did,

0:00:31 > 0:00:34he came and walked and talked and lived amongst people.

0:00:36 > 0:00:39They're employed in our hospitals and universities,

0:00:39 > 0:00:42at the football ground, on the street.

0:00:42 > 0:00:46- We are here to help everyone who is vulnerable.- We are very vulnerable!

0:00:46 > 0:00:47LAUGHTER

0:00:48 > 0:00:54All chaplaincy is front-line ministry. You are actually out where it is happening.

0:00:54 > 0:00:58Tonight, how a mother faced her worst nightmare.

0:00:58 > 0:01:01The first thing I did was I went to reception and I asked,

0:01:01 > 0:01:04"Can you please call the chaplain? I need to speak to someone now."

0:01:04 > 0:01:09How a trip abroad changed a Muslim convert's life.

0:01:09 > 0:01:12I came back to the UK with a beard, a wife and a dress on.

0:01:12 > 0:01:14That's the short version.

0:01:14 > 0:01:20And kosher bowling and student matchmaking with Rabbi Shmuli Brown.

0:01:20 > 0:01:21Yes!

0:01:21 > 0:01:26We are following chaplains in the city of Liverpool,

0:01:26 > 0:01:29the work they do and the people's lives they touch.

0:01:42 > 0:01:46Chaplains work with all the faith groups in Liverpool,

0:01:46 > 0:01:49including the city's Muslim population.

0:01:51 > 0:01:54Try and keep it as straight as possible.

0:01:55 > 0:02:01Today, Muslim chaplain Adam Kelwick is moving house to be

0:02:01 > 0:02:03closer to the main mosque where he works.

0:02:03 > 0:02:05What it will mean is, more than anything,

0:02:05 > 0:02:10I will be moving closer to the heart of the Muslim community, as it were,

0:02:10 > 0:02:12than I have been before.

0:02:12 > 0:02:15I will be much closer to the mosque, no excuses now for not praying,

0:02:15 > 0:02:18the morning prayers are at 4 o'clock in the morning.

0:02:23 > 0:02:27Adam's chaplaincy is based in the Toxteth area of the city.

0:02:27 > 0:02:31It's one of these places that the longer you stay,

0:02:31 > 0:02:35the more it is grows on you. It really is, the people are amazing.

0:02:35 > 0:02:39You can't get better than Scousers, you can't, you really can't.

0:02:47 > 0:02:53I think the general image of Islam or Muslims in society today

0:02:53 > 0:02:55can be a negative one, but at the same time,

0:02:55 > 0:02:57I think it's incumbent upon myself

0:02:57 > 0:03:01and other members of the Muslim community to try their hardest

0:03:01 > 0:03:06to be extremists, to be extremely kind, to be extremely polite.

0:03:06 > 0:03:11I think this is going to be the way the negativity can be tackled.

0:03:13 > 0:03:18People are often surprised to discover that Adam is a Muslim convert.

0:03:18 > 0:03:22His birth father is Yemeni, his mother, Mary, is from Rotherham,

0:03:22 > 0:03:25and Adam was raised as a Christian.

0:03:26 > 0:03:30This is Adam wearing his Christmas hat one Christmas.

0:03:30 > 0:03:34Like most white British families,

0:03:34 > 0:03:38we did all the Christmas things, Christmas dinner. Crackers.

0:03:38 > 0:03:42Putting the trimmings up.

0:03:42 > 0:03:45I was introduced to Islam when I was 17.

0:03:45 > 0:03:48I remember picking up a copy of the Koran in English.

0:03:48 > 0:03:52And after getting through the very biblical

0:03:52 > 0:03:56style of the translation, which I was given, I did find,

0:03:56 > 0:03:59without sounding too cheesy, that it did make a lot of sense to me.

0:04:01 > 0:04:02There he is, my Adam there.

0:04:04 > 0:04:08Adam converted to Islam, but his life turned around even more

0:04:08 > 0:04:11during a trip to Yemen to meet his extended family.

0:04:12 > 0:04:16That's really where I started to practise the faith which

0:04:16 > 0:04:19I'd already taken on beforehand anyway.

0:04:19 > 0:04:24And then I came back to the UK with a beard, a wife and a dress on.

0:04:24 > 0:04:25And that's the short version.

0:04:27 > 0:04:29I was a bit shocked, I'll not say I wasn't,

0:04:29 > 0:04:35because it was a big step for my eldest son to take.

0:04:35 > 0:04:39I never expected him to do such a dramatic move.

0:04:40 > 0:04:42To be quite honest with you,

0:04:42 > 0:04:46when he came back from Yemen it was like, it sounds a bit dramatic,

0:04:46 > 0:04:49he'd gone as a boy and come back as a man.

0:04:50 > 0:04:55Now, with his unique understanding of both Christianity and Islam,

0:04:55 > 0:04:58Adam is on a mission to build bridges between Muslims

0:04:58 > 0:04:59and the wider population.

0:05:07 > 0:05:10University Rabbi Shmuli Brown is in Manchester

0:05:10 > 0:05:14buying food for a Jewish student social event.

0:05:14 > 0:05:16Kosher tenpin bowling.

0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's all part of the Rabbi's mission to keep students

0:05:21 > 0:05:22close to the Judaic path.

0:05:24 > 0:05:28Today, we are doing a bowling event where the students will have

0:05:28 > 0:05:31a very, very good time, meeting other students.

0:05:31 > 0:05:34Coming together, boys and girls,

0:05:34 > 0:05:41they are going to be having a nice social event in a Jewish midst.

0:05:41 > 0:05:46Which is crucial for us, to keep the Jews together

0:05:46 > 0:05:48and introduce one to another.

0:05:48 > 0:05:50Jews, whenever we do any events,

0:05:50 > 0:05:53there's always food involved, you have to keep them happy.

0:05:53 > 0:05:56This is what brings the students to most of our events,

0:05:56 > 0:05:57the food, of course, and the booze!

0:06:09 > 0:06:1220% extra free - you've got to be Jewish to take this.

0:06:16 > 0:06:20In keeping with Jewish tradition,

0:06:20 > 0:06:22all the food will be strictly kosher.

0:06:22 > 0:06:27Kosher means "fit". Basically, what's fitting for us to eat.

0:06:27 > 0:06:30The meat has to come from an animal which is kosher,

0:06:30 > 0:06:35a kosher animal has to chew the cud, plus it has to have split hooves.

0:06:35 > 0:06:38Pork, pig, it has split hooves, but it doesn't chew the cud,

0:06:38 > 0:06:41so we're not allowed to eat pork, so Jews don't eat that.

0:06:41 > 0:06:45Fish have to have fins and scales,

0:06:45 > 0:06:50and poultry, it's all laid out

0:06:50 > 0:06:54in the book of Leviticus what is permissible to eat and what not.

0:06:56 > 0:06:58Where now, Rabbi?

0:06:58 > 0:07:01Now we're off to Liverpool, final destination.

0:07:01 > 0:07:03We're going to have a blast tonight.

0:07:03 > 0:07:05It's going to epic for the students, I'm telling you.

0:07:13 > 0:07:17Adam the Muslim chaplain is renovating an old Mosque

0:07:17 > 0:07:20with a group of fellow converts.

0:07:25 > 0:07:28Up to 5,000 people converted to Islam in Britain last year

0:07:28 > 0:07:34and a big part of Adam's chaplaincy work is about giving them help and support.

0:07:34 > 0:07:40People come from all different backgrounds and social classes.

0:07:40 > 0:07:43People will convert to Islam in prison,

0:07:43 > 0:07:46people will convert to Islam in university,

0:07:46 > 0:07:48old people, young people.

0:07:53 > 0:07:57Converts are like a bridge in our community

0:07:57 > 0:08:00between the born Muslims and the British people.

0:08:00 > 0:08:04And hopefully, you know, as time goes on, we can discuss

0:08:04 > 0:08:08and eradicate a lot of, you know, the misconceptions, again,

0:08:08 > 0:08:09about Islam.

0:08:11 > 0:08:15Sometimes people who convert to Islam can be quite isolated,

0:08:15 > 0:08:16and they can sometimes think,

0:08:16 > 0:08:19"Am I the only one who's done this and who is in this predicament?"

0:08:19 > 0:08:23And then, when they do get to meet with other like-minded people,

0:08:23 > 0:08:26they start to realise that it wasn't only them who got a funny look

0:08:26 > 0:08:30in the mosque, because they weren't wearing the headscarf properly,

0:08:30 > 0:08:33or they weren't the only ones who've been having major fall-outs

0:08:33 > 0:08:37with their parents because they don't want a bacon sandwich anymore.

0:08:37 > 0:08:40And it's things like this. So, first and foremost, bringing people together.

0:08:42 > 0:08:45Caroline Gorman became a Muslim after she worked in Africa.

0:08:45 > 0:08:48Like many fellow converts, her friends and family

0:08:48 > 0:08:51have struggled to accept her new identity.

0:08:52 > 0:08:54It is an issue for people.

0:08:54 > 0:08:57That's what I struggle with, because the only things that

0:08:57 > 0:09:00I've left behind are things that aren't...

0:09:00 > 0:09:03that I don't think are anything that I needed in my life.

0:09:03 > 0:09:05I don't drink any more,

0:09:05 > 0:09:10I don't wear make-up, um, I don't go to nightclubs.

0:09:13 > 0:09:19I feel like I'm being more true to myself now than I ever have been.

0:09:20 > 0:09:26I can understand entirely why a person would become concerned

0:09:26 > 0:09:29with one of their relatives becoming Muslim,

0:09:29 > 0:09:32especially if they're reading tabloid newspapers on a daily basis.

0:09:33 > 0:09:36People don't like change in general,

0:09:36 > 0:09:38and I can also see,

0:09:38 > 0:09:41bearing that in mind, why people might feel threatened

0:09:41 > 0:09:45when Paul becomes Abdullah and starts growing a beard

0:09:45 > 0:09:48and starts going to the mosque once a week and starts slipping

0:09:48 > 0:09:51Arabic phrases into what he's saying.

0:09:51 > 0:09:54THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN ARABIC

0:09:54 > 0:09:59At advice sessions down at the mosque, Adam helps converts

0:09:59 > 0:10:04to understand why choosing Islam can upset family and friends.

0:10:04 > 0:10:07Can you try to understand why people around you might feel

0:10:07 > 0:10:10threatened or intimidated or worried about you becoming Muslim?

0:10:10 > 0:10:11Yeah, yeah.

0:10:11 > 0:10:15I think that's an important part - trying to see things from their perspective.

0:10:15 > 0:10:16Yeah, I think it made a difference

0:10:16 > 0:10:19when you said that it doesn't really matter what I'm going through,

0:10:19 > 0:10:21to just be more compassionate,

0:10:21 > 0:10:23especially with people who aren't Muslim.

0:10:23 > 0:10:25And at the end of the day,

0:10:25 > 0:10:28Islam came to perfect the three relationships which we have.

0:10:28 > 0:10:32The first and foremost is the relationship between us and God,

0:10:32 > 0:10:36the second one is between us and ourselves, and the third one is

0:10:36 > 0:10:38between us and the people around us.

0:10:44 > 0:10:48Helping people through times of crisis is all part of a day's work

0:10:48 > 0:10:52for the chaplains at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

0:10:56 > 0:11:02Alder Hey's chaplaincy team is headed up by Anglican priest Dave Williams.

0:11:02 > 0:11:05People do find themselves faced with these situations

0:11:05 > 0:11:06which are crises in their life,

0:11:06 > 0:11:10and they...they sometimes engage with God for the first time, I think.

0:11:10 > 0:11:15You know, most young families haven't engaged with God in school

0:11:15 > 0:11:18as we did in my day, probably not in church,

0:11:18 > 0:11:21and maybe this is the first time they've really had to come

0:11:21 > 0:11:24and come alongside God and say, "Well, where are you in this?"

0:11:28 > 0:11:33Amanda Baylis found God when she faced her worst nightmare,

0:11:33 > 0:11:35hear at Alder Hey.

0:11:36 > 0:11:40Today she's brought her daughter Sophie in for an eye test.

0:11:40 > 0:11:41- Are you Mum?- Yes.

0:11:41 > 0:11:44- I am one of the consultants here. - Hiya.

0:11:44 > 0:11:49But six months ago, she was here in very different circumstances.

0:11:49 > 0:11:55Sophie's heart was failing and Amanda was told to expect the worst.

0:11:55 > 0:11:59Hello, Sophie. How are you? Are you all right?

0:11:59 > 0:12:03'When you love someone so, so much you would lay your life down

0:12:03 > 0:12:10'for them and you are told that they can be taken away from you,

0:12:10 > 0:12:15'it's the worst feeling you can ever experience.'

0:12:15 > 0:12:16Look at this again.

0:12:16 > 0:12:20HE CLICKS AND WHISTLES

0:12:20 > 0:12:21Good girl, Sophie.

0:12:21 > 0:12:25'I remember coming out of ICU'

0:12:25 > 0:12:29with a dry eye. I didn't cry, because it was just pure shock.

0:12:29 > 0:12:33And the first thing I did was I went to reception and I asked,

0:12:33 > 0:12:37"Can you please call the chaplain? I need to speak to someone now."

0:12:43 > 0:12:47'And we went across into the chaplaincy and we literally sat down

0:12:47 > 0:12:54'and we prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for Sophie to survive.'

0:12:59 > 0:13:03I have no doubt at all that sometimes we are called as a last resort,

0:13:03 > 0:13:07and they're just basically looking to you to guide them and to say,

0:13:07 > 0:13:10"Where do we go? What is the hope here?"

0:13:10 > 0:13:14And that's that wonderful situation, that wonderful privilege of being

0:13:14 > 0:13:18in that situation with them to say, "I don't know why this happened,

0:13:18 > 0:13:20"I don't know why this awful thing's happened.

0:13:20 > 0:13:23"I believe your child is absolutely safe with God

0:13:23 > 0:13:25"and I believe God's here weeping with you.

0:13:25 > 0:13:27"And that's the comfort I can offer you.

0:13:27 > 0:13:29"That's the only comfort I can offer you."

0:13:34 > 0:13:37On the day of Sophie's first heart operation,

0:13:37 > 0:13:41Amanda had a religious experience that changed her life.

0:13:43 > 0:13:49I lay her down and I was absolutely mortified to have left her

0:13:49 > 0:13:54on this table, not knowing whether I was going to see her alive again.

0:13:57 > 0:14:01And I came out of the theatre

0:14:01 > 0:14:04and it was like a wave of calmness

0:14:04 > 0:14:10had hit me, a wave of relief that she's actually in the theatre room.

0:14:12 > 0:14:14Um...

0:14:14 > 0:14:17A massive sense that everything was going to be OK.

0:14:17 > 0:14:22I can't describe it. It's like something took over me, almost.

0:14:22 > 0:14:26I've never experienced a feeling like it.

0:14:29 > 0:14:33And I truly believe that that was God saying to me,

0:14:33 > 0:14:35"Amanda, everything will be OK."

0:14:40 > 0:14:43The future is now looking good for Sophie,

0:14:43 > 0:14:46but she still needs regular check-ups at Alder Hey.

0:14:46 > 0:14:50And Amanda always calls in to see Dave and the team.

0:14:50 > 0:14:54To have the chaplains here as an emotional support

0:14:54 > 0:15:00and a spiritual support has been immensely important to me.

0:15:00 > 0:15:04They have acted, in a way, like a surrogate family almost.

0:15:05 > 0:15:09Since I've come to Alder Hey, God did come into my life

0:15:09 > 0:15:11and I've felt him come into my life.

0:15:11 > 0:15:14And I'll NEVER turn my back on him again.

0:15:24 > 0:15:28The Festival of Eid marks the end of Ramadan,

0:15:28 > 0:15:31and Adam's helping with prayers down at the mosque.

0:15:32 > 0:15:35Even though the mosque is quite big as a building,

0:15:35 > 0:15:39there are so many people who come on Eid day that we have to do

0:15:39 > 0:15:42three separate sets of prayers to accommodate for everybody.

0:15:45 > 0:15:46It's a time of great joy.

0:15:46 > 0:15:51All Muslims, let us not follow the path of Shaitan,

0:15:51 > 0:15:54let us heed instead the advice,

0:15:54 > 0:15:57the golden advice from our illustrious master,

0:15:57 > 0:15:59the prophet Muhammad sala Allah alih wa salam.

0:15:59 > 0:16:05Let us enhance these days of Eid with good and beneficial and fruitful...

0:16:05 > 0:16:09Liverpool's Muslim community is diverse and cosmopolitan

0:16:09 > 0:16:12and welcomes converts.

0:16:12 > 0:16:15When you do become Muslim you don't have to change your name.

0:16:15 > 0:16:18You can still be called John and you can still be called Peter

0:16:18 > 0:16:22and you can still be called Daniel and you can still be called Natalie.

0:16:22 > 0:16:26Although you might be required to dress modestly,

0:16:26 > 0:16:30that doesn't necessarily entail that you have to wear black clothes

0:16:30 > 0:16:34from head to toe, especially if it's not part of your culture

0:16:34 > 0:16:35and it's not a part of who you are.

0:16:38 > 0:16:42Thanks to Adam, Caroline's now hopeful she can help her family

0:16:42 > 0:16:45and friends accept her new faith.

0:16:45 > 0:16:49I think that I understand a bit more now why people...

0:16:49 > 0:16:53why people are maybe a little bit upset about my conversion,

0:16:53 > 0:16:55or why people think that I've changed,

0:16:55 > 0:16:57that, like, I'm a completely different person.

0:16:57 > 0:16:59But I'm still...

0:16:59 > 0:17:02like, I'm still the same and I still care about the same things.

0:17:13 > 0:17:17Adam...he was meant to be a Muslim, that's all I can say.

0:17:17 > 0:17:20When I look back on his childhood, y'know,

0:17:20 > 0:17:23he always had such a thirst for knowledge,

0:17:23 > 0:17:26a thirst for everything,

0:17:26 > 0:17:29and I think Islam, ultimately,

0:17:29 > 0:17:33answered all his main questions.

0:17:34 > 0:17:37'The thing is, it worked out wonderful.'

0:17:37 > 0:17:39I've got four beautiful grandchildren

0:17:39 > 0:17:41and my son and his wife, they couldn't be happier.

0:17:43 > 0:17:47People always say they can see a similar look in us

0:17:47 > 0:17:50and I can't see it, and my mum says she can't see it either.

0:17:50 > 0:17:51Similarities.

0:17:51 > 0:17:55He won't admit it, but he's got a silly sense of humour, like me.

0:17:55 > 0:17:57- I'll admit that. - Would you admit that, yeah?

0:17:57 > 0:17:58I've got a sense of humour.

0:17:58 > 0:18:00- Yeah.- I hope!

0:18:00 > 0:18:03He's more grown-up than me, but...

0:18:04 > 0:18:09Yeah, sometimes I wonder whether he's my dad or my son,

0:18:09 > 0:18:11cos he's full of good advice, aren't you, Adam?

0:18:11 > 0:18:14- You are as well. - I know. He's lovely.

0:18:15 > 0:18:19I feel really embarrassed now.

0:18:26 > 0:18:30Rabbi Brown is racing to get things ready for the kosher bowling.

0:18:30 > 0:18:32Let's get cutting.

0:18:35 > 0:18:38My hopes are, basically, that many people should come

0:18:38 > 0:18:41and they should meet new people

0:18:41 > 0:18:44and they will be friendly

0:18:44 > 0:18:48and make new friends and have a fun night.

0:18:53 > 0:18:55On the menu - food and fun.

0:18:55 > 0:18:58And if the rabbi gets his way,

0:18:58 > 0:19:01a spot of Jewish student matchmaking.

0:19:01 > 0:19:04It's very important that they find a Jewish match,

0:19:04 > 0:19:06that they find a Jewish date,

0:19:06 > 0:19:11because that preserves the continuity of the Jewish nation.

0:19:13 > 0:19:16That sounds quite dramatic. Is that what's at stake?

0:19:16 > 0:19:17Of course, of course.

0:19:17 > 0:19:20Unfortunately, many people marry out of the faith.

0:19:20 > 0:19:26And we're trying to... We're trying to promote keeping in the faith,

0:19:26 > 0:19:27and staying within the faith,

0:19:27 > 0:19:30because there's many good Jewish boys and girls out there.

0:19:33 > 0:19:35Ohhhh!

0:19:35 > 0:19:37Oh!

0:19:37 > 0:19:38Yeah!

0:19:42 > 0:19:46The evening kicks off with a bowling-themed life lesson.

0:19:46 > 0:19:51There's a very big life message with bowling, very big life message.

0:19:51 > 0:19:54You see these bowls, these tenpins over here?

0:19:54 > 0:19:57These tenpins over here are standing up.

0:19:57 > 0:20:03They represent the obstacles and the challenges in our lives.

0:20:03 > 0:20:05There are things that are blocking us.

0:20:05 > 0:20:07But we have to knock them down.

0:20:07 > 0:20:09If you go to the side, to the left, or to the right,

0:20:09 > 0:20:11you ain't getting nothing.

0:20:11 > 0:20:14This is the message of bowling tonight.

0:20:14 > 0:20:17Remain centre-focused for the rest of your lives.

0:20:17 > 0:20:20Guys, enjoy the food behind you, enjoy bowling,

0:20:20 > 0:20:23meet one another, make new friends.

0:20:25 > 0:20:27Even at the bowling alley,

0:20:27 > 0:20:30everything is prepared according to kosher law.

0:20:33 > 0:20:36The reason why I'm covering it is because it's a public place.

0:20:36 > 0:20:40And we can only have kosher utensils and kosher items,

0:20:40 > 0:20:42so I don't know what's gone on this table,

0:20:42 > 0:20:44it could be ham or anything like that,

0:20:44 > 0:20:46that's why I'm covering it.

0:20:51 > 0:20:53Yeah!

0:20:53 > 0:20:55Whoa!

0:20:57 > 0:21:00One thing I can definitely say

0:21:00 > 0:21:02is that it's very possible in a few weeks from now,

0:21:02 > 0:21:04I'll get this telephone call,

0:21:04 > 0:21:07"Rabbi Shmuli, thank you ever so much for the bowling,

0:21:07 > 0:21:09"I've just found my soulmate."

0:21:09 > 0:21:11Very possible I'll get this telephone call

0:21:11 > 0:21:13because we have it all the time with different events we do.

0:21:13 > 0:21:15Whoa, whoa, whoa!

0:21:19 > 0:21:21There are only 200 Jewish students in Liverpool.

0:21:21 > 0:21:23But happily for the Rabbi,

0:21:23 > 0:21:27the young people here are hoping to marry within the Jewish faith.

0:21:28 > 0:21:32Jews have always liked to stick together.

0:21:32 > 0:21:35Just as I suppose any other religion, any other culture,

0:21:35 > 0:21:38any other nationality would like to stay together.

0:21:39 > 0:21:42Parents are always happier if you bring a Jewish girl home.

0:21:47 > 0:21:49Another strike!

0:21:49 > 0:21:51There is very much a stigma

0:21:51 > 0:21:53of kind of your parents will be disappointed in you

0:21:53 > 0:21:55or the community will look badly on you,

0:21:55 > 0:21:57or at least it feels like that sometimes.

0:21:57 > 0:22:00On the count of three say "cheese".

0:22:00 > 0:22:02'I will never give up.

0:22:02 > 0:22:04'Giving up is a failure.

0:22:04 > 0:22:06'We've got to keep on trucking,

0:22:06 > 0:22:08'we've got to keep on looking for more Jewish people

0:22:08 > 0:22:11'and bringing them closer to the faith,

0:22:11 > 0:22:13'because this is my heart and soul.'

0:22:13 > 0:22:15Guys, you were great. Great, great, great.

0:22:21 > 0:22:23What's this?

0:22:23 > 0:22:26Oh, she's lost, we've lost her.

0:22:26 > 0:22:29Since their life-changing experience at Alder Hey,

0:22:29 > 0:22:32Amanda Baylis and her daughter Sophie

0:22:32 > 0:22:36have also enjoyed a very special day.

0:22:40 > 0:22:44Amanda and Sophie are now regular churchgoers,

0:22:44 > 0:22:48and they were baptised together.

0:22:48 > 0:22:54Sophie Margaret, I baptise you in the name of the father...

0:22:56 > 0:22:57..and of the son...

0:23:00 > 0:23:04..and of the holy spirit. Amen.

0:23:04 > 0:23:08I baptise you in the name of the Father...

0:23:08 > 0:23:10and of the son...

0:23:10 > 0:23:14and of the holy spirit. Amen.

0:23:14 > 0:23:15OK.

0:23:15 > 0:23:18I want it to be an upbeat atmosphere,

0:23:18 > 0:23:22but the main focus of the day is to move forward

0:23:22 > 0:23:26and to obviously have God formally enter our lives

0:23:26 > 0:23:32and look forward to a really promising future

0:23:32 > 0:23:33with me and my daughter.

0:23:39 > 0:23:40Are you going to sleep?

0:23:40 > 0:23:44There's memories of a special day for another mother and child, too.

0:23:44 > 0:23:45I bet you are tired.

0:23:45 > 0:23:49Carson Hartley has been at Alder Hey Hospital since he was born,

0:23:49 > 0:23:54and has had ten operations to tackle various problems.

0:23:54 > 0:23:57But last summer, he was allowed out for a day,

0:23:57 > 0:23:59to the delight of his mother, Kirsty,

0:23:59 > 0:24:03who has to spend much of her time away from the rest of her family.

0:24:03 > 0:24:05Here we go.

0:24:13 > 0:24:14What are you doing?

0:24:16 > 0:24:19Yeah, it's the first time we've left hospital.

0:24:20 > 0:24:25Panicking now! Every time the alarm goes off I'm, like, "Where's the nurse!"

0:24:27 > 0:24:30On Carson's first day ever out of hospital,

0:24:30 > 0:24:34he was guest of honour at a special fundraising event.

0:24:35 > 0:24:40Just over the moon that we've got to this day eventually.

0:24:40 > 0:24:44It's took so long and such a lot of hard work off everybody

0:24:44 > 0:24:47that I never thought we'd see this day, but it's here.

0:24:47 > 0:24:49And we're out.

0:24:49 > 0:24:50Hey?

0:24:52 > 0:24:55He feels like our baby now.

0:24:55 > 0:24:57It's like, he's ours, we've got a baby!

0:24:57 > 0:24:59Yes.

0:25:12 > 0:25:16Amanda and her daughter Sophie, now baptised,

0:25:16 > 0:25:19can celebrate the start of a new chapter in their lives.

0:25:19 > 0:25:22Sophie, in her short life, has taught me

0:25:22 > 0:25:27so much about life and how special and sacred it is.

0:25:28 > 0:25:32Sophie has taught me the values and meaning of life.

0:25:33 > 0:25:39Sophie has taught me life is too short to waste away.

0:25:40 > 0:25:45Sophie has taught me patience and compassion.

0:25:45 > 0:25:48Sophie, you have changed my life.

0:26:00 > 0:26:02Oh! Where are we?

0:26:04 > 0:26:07Before heading back to the hospital,

0:26:07 > 0:26:12Kirsty showed Carson the home that she hopes he will one day come back to for good.

0:26:15 > 0:26:19This is your home, Carson. Eh?

0:26:19 > 0:26:21This will be your bedroom.

0:26:24 > 0:26:26This is his bed.

0:26:26 > 0:26:30The only bit of equipment we've got at the minute.

0:26:30 > 0:26:33What do you think? Hey?

0:26:33 > 0:26:35Your bedroom.

0:26:35 > 0:26:39It's fab, isn't it? It's fab to have him home.

0:26:43 > 0:26:49Yeah. It would just be nice to have all my children together as a family.

0:26:49 > 0:26:51Because at the minute we're kind of split into two families -

0:26:51 > 0:26:54the hospital family and the family at home.

0:26:55 > 0:26:57Yeah.

0:26:57 > 0:26:59It just feels like he should be here now.

0:26:59 > 0:27:02I don't want to take him back. Keep him here.

0:27:11 > 0:27:14I believe that sometimes, and quite often, good things

0:27:14 > 0:27:16do come out of these bad experiences people have,

0:27:16 > 0:27:19and they change their opinions on suffering

0:27:19 > 0:27:21and their opinions on the world,

0:27:21 > 0:27:24certainly their opinion of the need for God in their lives.

0:27:24 > 0:27:28And will actually say, "I realise now I wasn't on my own in that,

0:27:28 > 0:27:30"and I don't know how I got through it."

0:27:30 > 0:27:35I say, "I think I do know how you got through it," you know.

0:27:40 > 0:27:42Carson is still at Alder Hey.

0:27:43 > 0:27:46But his mother, Kirsty, remains hopeful

0:27:46 > 0:27:49that one day her family will all be able to live together.

0:27:53 > 0:27:54New beginnings,

0:27:54 > 0:27:58and hopefully new beginnings of a journey that goes on for life.

0:27:58 > 0:28:01People do change. People do change here.

0:28:05 > 0:28:06Next time...

0:28:06 > 0:28:11the 999 chaplain on frontline fire duty.

0:28:11 > 0:28:17It's about real life and sometimes real death situations.

0:28:17 > 0:28:18Hello!

0:28:18 > 0:28:19EVERYONE GASPS

0:28:19 > 0:28:23And revealing the delights of Christmas to overseas students.

0:28:24 > 0:28:26Lovely.

0:28:26 > 0:28:28Have you been having fun?

0:28:28 > 0:28:29Yes!

0:28:29 > 0:28:32Does anyone know what these are called?

0:28:32 > 0:28:34Brussels sprouts.

0:28:48 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd