…. Americans are good-hearted people, but I would like to see where this family is one year from now!

From My San Antonio (emphasis mine):

SEGUIN — Leonia Espe, a Congolese* woman who fled her village in Africa five years ago after Hutu rebels destroyed her home, imprisoned her husband and raped and murdered her two teen daughters, is finally catching a break.

She and her eight surviving children were brought to San Antonio last September by Catholic Charities, but recently the agency’s assistance ran out. Espe, who has chronic health problems, was about to be evicted from her shabby apartment, along with her kids. The situation looked dire.

More than 20 readers responded to a story in last Sunday’s San Antonio Express-News with offers of help — food, money, clothing.

But Nancy and Scott Hagerup, empty nesters and devout Christians who live in Seguin, took things a step further.

They looked at the three empty bedrooms — each with its own bath — that have stood vacant since their four grown kids moved on to lives and families of their own, and made what seemed like the only decision their faith directed them to make.

They invited the Espes to move in with them.

Abandoned by their refugee resettlement agency?

“I was so surprised,” said Leonia in her native Swahili. “The people who I had known seemed to have abandoned us, and people I didn’t know at all opened their home to us. I have such a sense of joy and peace now. This seems like a miracle.”

They won’t stay with the Hagerups forever.   Some people are working now to get them a Habitat for Humanity house (because we have run out of poor Americans needing homes), and they need to get Social Services lined up because no one is going to take care of the large family’s medical needs, housing needs, food needs, education needs, etc. except the Texas and US taxpayer.  In Seguin, TX, 17% of the population is below the poverty line.

Akhahenda [a minister] said he and his wife, Margaret, a nurse, will help connect the family with social services in Seguin, such as subsidized housing, since they won’t be able to live with the Hagerups forever.

* Check out the numbers here at the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center.  Texas has “welcomed” 1479 refugees from the Dem. Republic of Congo and 222 from the Congo in the last five years.  The article doesn’t tell us from which country this family came from.