to visit a couple Refugee homes.
We travelled south west to Salemi, the landscape is rugged rocks and hills steep, very dry & barren in some places but lush & green in others!
(Deane got to drive, Daniel has a vehicle from his ministry supporters but is hamstrung because he doesn't have a drivers license, so even tho he may have fuel money he needs someone to help drive him to the refugees camps/houses.
A hour after heading out of Palermo we arrived at the first Refugee home, around 100 people living in this place, 90% women & children, we got to meet 20 or so. talking with one lady, she came on the boat from Nigeria, 13 hours in the rough sea, I could actually see the fear in her eyes as they welled up with tears, so traumatised by it that she couldn't give any details. left her family, her mother is looking after her 15 year old son in Nigeria until her documents are completed and she can leave the Refugee home - hopefully to find work and send for her son. She has been in the same house coming up 3 years in September !!! Nothing to do but sit around. The house was clean and lunch smelled good, they get a bedroom to themselves if they are lucky or else they sleep in dorms with others. Sitting around waiting for papers to be completed, they get an allowance, some of them are fortunate to get €75 per month allowance, others can get only €20 depending where you live.
Deane got to share about us and our lives, our time in Uganda and why we are here in Sicily looking for opportunities to minister with the African people. the great thing is that they all speak some English, of course some better than others, amazing really, they also have to do Italian lessons so that when they leave the houses they are able to speak & survive somehow locally.
We stayed and chatted for a couple of hours, Deane & Daniel both shared a message of God's love & hope even amongst the trials & tribulations of life - some of the women are already believers and are so thankful for the journey God has brought them on and the opportunity to leave their countries & families, none of them would go back even!!!