While the facts were a bit murky, a young lady arrived from an eastern nation on a student visa. It became clear that she had experienced a great deal of trauma.
Somewhere along the line, her passport was stolen, and the embassy was not easy to work with in order to get it replaced. She was sweet and a hard worker. Those that met her did all they could to help her. They even introduced her to others from her home country hoping to clarify the details of her current situation. It also became apparent that the trauma had caused her mental state to be questionable. But because she was not an American citizen, the local agencies were not able to bill her, so they would not help her. She struggled for over a year while others worked to get her passport reinstated and help her purchase airfare. She also does not need handouts, she needed some friends to be there with her.
Lesson One
All of these men and women have a name and a story. Keep that in mind as you visit with them. They can be difficult to understand and they have to learn to lie to keep themselves safe. Be patient and listen and only ask clarifying questions initially.
