Juanita* (not her real name)

We received a woman and her daughter from immigration the other day. Not too much out of the ordinary. As we filled out the intake paperwork (name, sponsor, where she wants to go, which room we put her in) we found out that she didn’t have any contact information for her sponsor (family). She wanted to get in touch with her husband and her uncle. She kept saying on Facebook. So I offered her a phone that has Facebook on it and found that she didn’t have an account. We got her on and looked up the names. Of course there were many with the same names but she did recognize a couple of pictures and so we sent them messages with our phone number and that she was with us. Then we had to wait for a response. 

The next moment she was walking out the door. Not taking any of the things we had given her (clothes, food). Repeating that she had to go, she didn’t have a house, she had to go. When asked where she said to immigration because they would send her home. We tried to explain that we were waiting responses and would help her get there as soon as we could but she was intent on leaving. And she is free to go, but none of us felt good about letting her go as she didn’t know where she was going and seemed very fragile. I offered to walk with her hoping to keep an eye out and hear that we had heard back from her family but she refused that and didn’t want me to come. 

I watched from the front of our building as she started away and she went to talk to the 3 men at the house across the street fixing their gate. The women of the house came out and sat with her in their yard. Explaining as they could that it was good to stay with us, that we would help. She asked to stay with them but they didn't have the capacity. It took a while but she did come back and then we heard from her family. 

It took some time to get the tickets and figure out where she was headed (there is family in various places) but when she found she could call family when she wanted (now that we had contact) she did stay the 2.5 days until it was time to go. She was often in tears and very sad that she has no home. Theirs was sold to help them get here. 

I have no information now that she has gone but I trust that she and her daughter have been reunited with her husband and father. Now the process of claiming asylum and setting up life here begin for her. Peace, grace and prayers go with them.