A large lawn covered in lush green grass, surrounded by apple trees. Young children, teens, and adults take advantage of the warm, sunny day in this relaxed atmosphere, lying on the lawns, playing football, talking, smiling, laughing. Brick buildings protecting this beautiful haven from the outside world. One building, more recognisable than the others, the dominant steeple rising high. What is this place? You may ask. This is a place where Bermudian teens and adults alike had an opportunity they've never encountered before...the opportunity to bridge religious and national differences with Kosovo Albanian refugees.

On august 6, 76 Bermudians traveled to the Gilmary Catholic Retreat Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was the Bermudian Catholic Teen Crew's third annual trip to a Christian teen conference in Steubenville, Ohio. A few days of relaxation and prayer at the retreat centre had been set aside before and after the three-day conference. The bus loads of teens and chaperones drove up to the retreat centre, never expecting what the few days ahead would hold for them.

When Mike Manhardt, the Bermudian youth minister, arrived he realised that Gilmary Catholic Retreat Center had been the home of 16 Kosovo Albanian refugees for the past six weeks. During the next few days the Bermudians would share sleeping quarters, showers, grounds, and facilities with the Albanians.

Mike broke the news to the bus loads of teens and chaperones. After explaining the situation, he told them: "We speak different languages, but they still know what love is.'' Mike soon found out the backgrounds of the two refugee families at the centre.

These two Kosovo Albanian families of the Moslem religion had arrived at New Jersey's McGuire Air Force base along with 4,000 other ethnic Albanian refugees earlier this year. One family was composed of a mother, father and six boys and the other related family had two parents and six girls. They remained six weeks at the Air Force base and then were moved to Pittsburgh.

Here the families were able to board at the Gilmary Catholic Retreat Center, where they were provided housing and food. This opportunity, made possible by The Catholic Charities association, was a wonderful example of love and charity that is blind to religious differences.

For almost three days and two nights the Bermudian teens and adults interacted with the Albanian refugees. Half of the Bermudians shared sleeping quarters with the Albanian refugees. Together, the two groups of children and teens with totally different backgrounds, nationalities, and religions bonded through playing soccer together, splashing around in the retreat centre pool, and simply spending time around each other.

They exchanged greetings and smiles. The teens learned how much can be said simply through facial expressions and body language, as they could not communicate in any other way. When the Bermudians went to Kenywood Amusement Park they returned with many stuffed animals and toys they had won. All of these were given as presents to the young Albanian refugees. At K-Mart some of the chaperones bought the refugee children items of clothing as it was obvious they did not have much. The Kosovo Albanian refugees were also given Bermuda T-shirts. It was plain to see that kindness and love can be expressed through so many other ways than simple speech.

One night, Mike stayed up late into the night trying to communicate with the refugees. By means of photos, maps, and an English/Albanian picture dictionary, a lot of information was revealed. Mike discovered that three of the teenage boys staying at the retreat centre were forced to watch 45 male members of their village, some of whom were their relatives, have their ears and noses removed and throats slit. Then these three young boys watched their village burn to the ground. During these late hours a lot of emotion was expressed, with some of the refugees crying while sharing their stories of devastation.

The Bermudians left the retreat centre for Steubenville, Ohio. The Kosovo Albanian refugees ran up to the hill to wave goodbye to the departing buses.

After a weekend full of testimonies, speeches, emotion, singing, reconciliation, mass, and prayer the Bermudians returned to Gilmary Retreat Center. It was empty. The Kosovo Albanian refugees had wanted to go back to Kosovo even though they knew that they might find nothing when they returned.

One teenage refugee, Azin, remained in Pittsburgh with a relative but even he had left the retreat centre. The Bermudians would probably never see them again.

The trip was a very humbling experience for the entire Bermudian group. They were privileged enough to hop on a plane with close friends and mentors to go to a religious conference in the US, yet the Kosovo Albanian refugees had to fight to get out of a country where they were tortured for their religion. The Bermudians would return home to a beautiful island, with friends and family eagerly awaiting them, while the refugees had only devastation awaiting them at home. The Bermudians had so much love surrounding them from fellow members of the Youth Group who accepted them for who they are and helped them to grow closer to God this weekend, yet the refugees had lost almost everything they ever loved. In spite of their hardships the Albanians had not lost their strength, courage and determination.

As a result of interacting with the Albanians, the Bermudians' eyes were opened to how fortunate they truly are. They also came to realise how courageous and determined people can remain in spite of what might appear to be insurmountable obstacles. Most importantly the teens learned something many of us unfortunately may never realise...It doesn't matter if we have different nationalities, backgrounds, or religions, "We all still know what love is''.

By Christie Hunter, 14 Member of Catholic Teen Crew and participant in Steubenville, Ohio, trip '99