Saturday was different from the other days while on this adventure. It was our last opportunity to meet with a few of our new friends, debrief while the trip was still fresh in our minds, clean The Nest, and Pack.

Before we even left for one last visit to Catania, Shane invited us to meet in the front room and share with one another our thoughts about the unique gifts of each person and what they brought to the team this week. It was a touching time as we laughed and cried together, celebrating the goodness of God in each one.

Continue reading →

We might not look it, but we’re pooped.

We’ve walked many miles on this trip, which can be exhausting of itself, but the real feat is trying to stay focused for hours on end, listening to stories in broken English, pieced together Italian, and even a smattering of French! For instance, Jeff and Sophie sat with a young man for more than 3-hours and during that time he told them as much of his story as he could share. He showed them important locations in the city. He opened up about his pain and his heart’s desire. And when done with their visit, they were thrilled with the exchange, but utterly worn out.

And this is true for the entire group. Thankfully, yesterday was a respite from our constant conversations as we travelled back to Catania from our time in Palermo.

Continue reading →

Palermo is a bustling city where cars and motorcycles race through the streets and the deep bass thumps from stereos of passing cars. And yet, the old world is ever present in marble streets and ancient architecture that is on every corner and piazza.

Stores and restaurants line every street, and we discovered that a grouping of stores might sell the same item, perhaps 3-5 shops in a row. We’ve seen a Hat section, a doorknob section, and especially touristy trinkets section.

But we also encountered more migrants and refugees here than anywhere we’ve walked. There are many opportunities to say “hello” and start a conversation about where the men and women called home.

Continue reading →

Wednesday was a day to travel and explore. One of our goals for this trip is to investigate the city of Palermo and determine a couple of things:

1. Meet as many migrants as possible
2. Find where the migrants and refugees live, work, and hang out
3. Determine if there are programs already in place where we might be able to partner to provide long-lasting care, meet real and felt needs, and continue with long-term follow-up.

Continue reading →

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The team is doing fantastic work! They are doing an excellent job and walking many miles each day to reach refugees and migrants (my phone tracked me at 6.7 miles, more than 10 kilometers yesterday and I’m the lazy one in the group). In all those steps, each team member is meeting people, loving people, caring for people.

In the morning, the women of our group took the Care for Catania women to a Tea. The men didn’t understand this but were supportive, by offering to watch the children. The women truly enjoyed themselves, drinking tea and shopping for trinkets. The men were able to watch The Incredibles and play the card games Uno and Cover your A$$ets (we still don’t understand this last one as instructions were non-existent). Both groups think they had the better time.

Continue reading →