After serving with a missions agency in Brazil, Jaki and her husband moved to Italia to work with OM. One of the first things she did was learn Italian. In addition to it being a practical preparation, learning the language turned out to be spiritual preparation and an opportunity to be an instrument in the hands of God.
Jaki enrolled at an Italian language school, immersing herself not only in the language but also in a multicultural environment where she had direct contact with people from other cultures, especially those from Muslim countries.
“Even more than learning a new language or adapting to new habits, this path has allowed me to share a greater love than all the struggles and difficulties,” she shared. “I’ve listened to stories of people who have left everything behind, faced the impossible and have come all the way here in search of a better life. I have met immigrants from countries devastated by war and misery, dreaming of a new beginning. And, even before they got here, many of them have faced experiences that few of us can even imagine.”
A survivor’s story
One woman Jaki met, B, spent 15 days at sea, fighting hunger, fear and uncertainty before reaching Italia. During the crossing, she saw the people next to her lose their lives. She survived, but when she arrived in Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island, she encountered a new challenge — the lack of welcome and the difficulty of rebuilding her own existence in a land that often did not see her as an equal.
Jaki shared, “In these conversations, in these exchanges of stories, I understood how small we are in the face of the pains of the world, but also how much we can be instruments of welcome and love. I discovered cultures different from mine, rich traditions and ways of seeing life I never imagined. Above all, I discovered that, even in the most difficult moments, there is a God who sees, who listens and who takes care. A God who was with B at sea and who is with each of these immigrants on their hard path and who is with me, teaching me through these experiences.
“By building friendships with small gestures and a few words, I can present this wonderful God, the only One capable of bringing light into the deepest darkness and hope in the battles of life. He welcomes, He forgives and He loves.”
