It’s hard to believe that it is already Tuesday. We have five working days remaining left for this trip, with one travel day. The time is flying!

A quick side note might be helpful for you. As a group, we agree to avoid posting any pictures of the faces of the people we meet in the camps or on the street. We want to protect their privacy. I’m sure you understand; however, this means that many of our interactions will go “unrecorded” and we are all okay with that.

We started our Monday by traveling to the Nessima camp and playing a rousing game of Whiffle Ball. Several of the boys found it to be similar to Cricket and enjoyed it quite a bit. There was lots of laughter and fun.

The word, “camp” often conjures images of tents surrounded by a fence located in a desolate location; however, in Italy, the camps can be anything from old hotels, dormitory-style housing, or even single-family dwellings. The camps can hold as few as a single family, like an apartment or thousands, like Mineo. The Nessima camp fits into the dorm category, with a simple eating room, a kitchen, and half-a-dozen rooms that sleep between two and four boys. It is true that Nessima has a rod-iron fence and a gate, but this is more for show and less about full security. This home can house as many as 32 boys, ages 11 – 18 at any given time.

From the courtyard, we went back to the dining room to play Uno, color in coloring books, and review more Soularium cards. While the coloring and Uno are enjoyable, it appears that the Soularium brings out some of the best conversations. We heard stories from boys concerning their travels and their families. For instance, one young man discussed his mother who had died years before and as the discussion continued, looked longingly at the card. Another boy told of an entire day spent in a tunnel, hiding for his safety during his travels to Sicily.

You can only imagine how painful it was for the team to say goodbye at the end of our time together. We exchanged contact information, gave hugs, and slowly walked to the van. The boys came into the courtyard to say farewell. One person in the team said, “If we only did this, it would all be worth it.”

We had no break during the traditional reposo period during the mid-day, but instead, drove downtown to eat lunch, walk the streets, and see if we can find additional men or women who might be in need of compassion and love.

Our break came in the late afternoon as we prepared for dinner at our hosts’ home. Ryan and Gina Hale invited our group, another four-person group staying at The Nest, and members from the Care for Catania team for dinner. We enjoyed a Gambian favorite, Domoda. It is a stew that’s primary thickening agent is peanut butter, and it is delicious. And the evening was a great success.

No trip to Sicily is complete without a wandering accordion player following you in the back allies. I shed a small tear when he started playing the theme from The Godfather.

Domoda over rice = Amazing!!

Grace and Jo are much too excited about hanging laundry to dry. I’m concerned they are beginning to crack up.

Sophie and Anita at Rice Production Central. They cooked enough rice to feed 29 people, many of whom went back for seconds.

We’ve had a few espresso shots while on the Island.

When we returned from the party, many in our group quickly turned in for the night, but because we are from Indiana, several stayed up to play Euchre. We might be tired. We might be sad to have left Nessima for this trip. We might be full of Domoda, but at least we have our priorities straight!