Thank you for your prayers. The interview for the repatriation committee went well. I had no trouble getting there. I met with a woman from Africa who was duped into coming to Moscow by an organization that promised to take her to France. Her family gave them a lot of money so she could go. When she arrived in Moscow they took her passport, visa and other papers under the guise they would be getting the documents for her trip to France. Someone was supposed to meet with her in a few days; they never showed and they kept her documents. She has been here two years without papers. She lives with “friends” moving from one place to another but is lucky not to be living on the street. She has not been able to get suitable work because she does not have papers. She works odd jobs, under the table, such as handing out fliers at the metro. Sometimes she receives pay for this, most times not. I will be giving her info, for review, to the rest of the committee and we will decide if we can help her get home. Her situation is better than most.
The Repatriation Committee is a ministry through MPC (Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy). The committee regrouped in January. It was disbanded a year ago when they stopped receiving financial help through the American Embassy. Prior to the regrouping they were dealing with mostly Africans seeking political asylum in the U.S. This time the group came back together to help Africans return to their home countries because of the growing need in the African community here. They were looking for women to serve on the committee and that is when I joined. Many of the women are victims of human trafficking, placed into the sex slave industry (my client was lucky) and the men are mostly brought here under the guise that they are being scouted for a Russian football (soccer) league where they can make lots of money. Their families, sometimes their entire village, help raise huge sums of money to get them here so they can be famous and send money home. They, like my client, discover the hoax once they arrive and loose all their money and their papers. Some are arrested and face fines and prison, they sleep on the street and when they do work for construction jobs or passing out flyers many times the pay is withheld. Moscow is a very harsh environment, there is a lot of prejudice and persecution. They have no rights and the skin heads here have no conscience about beating or killing.
Since January the committee has sent 9 people home to Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Senegal and Cameroon. The committee is working to connect these people to outreach ministries, once home, to help them get readjusted. The MPC also runs a program here known as the Parrish Center. I went there today to do the interview. It is a unique place set up for fellowship and worship; it has a large room with 4 computers connected to the internet so they can contact people at home, bookshelves filled with books they can check out to read or study, 2 comfortable couches, chairs and a TV to enjoy. There are 2 rooms off to one side designated as a free clinic. The first room is for consultation and the second is both an examination room and a used clothing center. There is also a bath with a shower. The Parrish Center is a safe place and they will help provide temporary housing for those who are homeless.
Please keep this ministry in your prayers. Pray for wisdom as we have to make decisions that will affect people’s lives. Pray for the Africans here and their situations. Pray for the Parrish Center and Daniel who runs it, as they reach out to show the love of Christ.
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