I went to church today for the first time – bar weddings and Christenings – since I left home 11 years ago. And today’s service, at an African pentecostal church in Manchester, was somewhat different to the grey and sombre Roman Catholic masses of my childhood.
For a start it lasted for four hours, although thankfully, we got there an hour late. But aside from that it was a noisy, joyful affair full of music and dancing in the aisle. Unfortunately my haul of pictures was disappointing as I was told pretty quickly that my camera wasn’t allowed. That is a shame, as faith and religion seem to be the key thing that helps asylum seekers like Sofia get through the difficult times. No matter what their background, the ones I’ve met have all been very religious.
Yesterday we met a Nigerian Muslim lady whose house has been raided by immigration last week and who everyone expects to be deported any day now. She is beside herself with worry but is still keeping her Ramadan fast. That’s the norm rather than the exception.
To have that kind of faith must be a wonderful thing.

More on my destitution project:
http://ciaraleeming.blogspot.com/2009/08/love-on-margins.html
http://ciaraleeming.blogspot.com/2009/08/supermarket-sweep.html
http://ciaraleeming.blogspot.com/2009/08/definitely-not-sponger.html
http://ciaraleeming.blogspot.com/2009/06/no-recourse.html