Palermo

Palermo has a nice downtown.  Basically a pedestrian street with churches and a theater and shops and restaurants.

This fountain was privately owned when it was first built.  Then is was dis-assembled and put downtown.  I think one of the prettiest fountains I have ever seen, except of course Trevi fountain in Rome.

The Diaconale.  This is where we slept as well.  It's a compound that houses the refugees, it has a school, it has private apartments, the guest housing, offices.  The Federation of Protestant churches owns the complex.  We are having a tour by the director and a German girl who came as translator.

We were invited to tour the home of the boys who lived in this apartment.  The young(er) man lives in the apartment with the boys as the resident manager.

Here is one of the boys who everyone was really proud of his success.  He has gone to school, learned the language, but he was already 18 and about to be 'booted out' because he was no longer a minor.

The boys.  And Dad of course.

This guy was too shy, too scared to say anything to us.  But he has the most lovely smile.  What would you say?  About 15?

The boy on the far right was willing to share his 'story' with us.  I think he was from Gambia.  'They' came and took his father, he didn't know why.  They told everybody to get out of the house.  His mom and sister went one way, and he didn't know which way and he must have gone another way.  He never saw them again.  People told him to run because his life was in danger.  He got a ride and passage to Europe. He worked here and there for money and spent a miserable few weeks in Libya.  When he got here, he called home and found out his father was dead.  He has no news about his mom or sister.  By the time he was done talking to us he was in tears.  He was embarrassed.  The director told him, 'Don't be embarrassed about telling your story.  These people are here to help refugees and your story might help them to help others."

Pop is always a favorite.

This was the entrance to our hostel!  It was late at night.  We had been out all evening with the Elders from Palermo.  (Stupid me forgot to take a picture).  It was with Elder Adepodju (a post earlier about him, he is a refugee and now serving a full time mission in the Rome mission and stationed in Palermo) and a convert named Cynthia, both of whom are from Nigeria.  We hadn't planned to spend the evening together, but Elder Adepodju must have really been in tune with the spirit.  At lunch he called out of the blue.  When we told him we were in Palermo and were free that night, none of us could believe how lucky we were!
The branch in Palermo is practically all refugees.  The branch president is a refugee from Nigeria as well.  Listen to this story:  Elder Adepodju and companion were out walking the streets when they walked past a hairdresser salon.  Elder felt compelled to go inside.  He walks into the salon and says, "We are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ.  Does anybody want to hear our message?"  The owner told them they could come back.  They did and the owner wasn't interested, but Cynthia was eavesdropping on their conversation and she got in touch with the Elders afterwards and investigated and joined.  She has been a member for 5 months.  When we asked about her story, she wouldn't say a word.  Elder Adepodju kept telling her to trust us, but she would just tremble.  I hate to even think what she has endured.