Gratitude was not the first thing that came to my mind.

I had traveled through cold snowy weather to arrive at the Centro di Identificazione ed Espulsione (Center for Identification and Expulsion) in Bologna. It was surrounded by a high concrete wall; I passed through a steel gate to enter. There was nothing joyful, inviting, welcoming, or comforting about this place. It reminded me of a Humane Society building where they house dogs and cats in concrete and steel pens. But in this place, they housed human beings, mostly young African women, arrested for not having proper documents.

I sat in the guard room waiting to be escorted deeper into the center, wondering how I could lead a Christmas service in this place. How could we celebrate the joy and hope of Christmas within these unpainted concrete walls, behind these steel doors, among these forgotten and unwanted captives?

I was taken to the “chapel,” a converted dining hall. Things began to look up. The walls were painted with rich murals celebrating the homelands of the people who had passed through this place—Nigeria, Moldova, Turkey, Morocco. The walls were a testimony to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope.

The women came in, chatting and laughing, animated with the vigor of youth. They were little more than teenagers. We began the service; a young woman gladly volunteered to lead in singing. They sang and danced for more than 20 minutes. As they settled down for a time of prayer, one young woman said: “That feels good.”

In these dreary circumstances, they found release in praising God; it fed their souls. I wondered to myself whether the angels who came to the shepherds in the field that night danced as they praised God.

During our prayer time, they readily shared things for which they were thankful. One woman said: “We are here in Italy. God has blessed by bringing us here. There are worse places to be.” Even in this detention center, she was able to give thanks to God. I was
struck by the resilience of their faith and the enduring nature of their gratitude. It was starting to feel a lot like Christmas in that room. We talked about the Christmas story. We sang and danced some more. We prayed some more, and then our time was up. By the
time we finished, it felt a lot like Christmas in that place.

After the young women left, the social worker, a middle-aged woman from Nigeria, said: “I think they needed that.” For a brief time, in the freedom of worship, they experienced the loving, caring presence of God in an immediate way. We all need that, but they in particular needed it. They went back to their dormitories full of the joy and wonder of God’s coming to us in Jesus Christ.

I left that dismal building having found gratitude, having learned something about the power of faith and the enduring power of hope, the message of the angels ringing in my ears: "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord [Luke 2:1011]. “All people” includes young women in the Centro di Identificazione ed Espulsione in Bologna, Italy.

You, as our partners in ministry, make it possible for young women in a detention center in Bologna to have an opportunity to worship God, to have the message of Christmas fortified in their hearts. You gave a good gift.

During November we received 46% of our monthly support goal. Your faithful giving will enable us to continue our ministry in the next year. By giving $24 a month, you could take care of our support goal for one day in 2010. Please consider this personal commitment.
May God bless throughout this New Year.