Atambua

Mercy Home

In September 1999 over 250,000 refugees arrived here from East Timor, after their vote for independence and the following violence. While the vast majority have returned, many have not. In the refugee camps were children who had either lost their parents due to the fighting or had become separated from.

These were brought into the Atambua Mercy home where they received the love and nurture every child needs to survive. While many children were eventually reunited with their parent(s) or relatives, some were not.

The survivors of the violence that engulfed East Timor have a new life here in the Atambua home. Each morning all the children gather and pray together for one hour

before breakfast.

Some of the children go to school in the morning and some in the afternoon. The children help with household chores before dinner. In the evenings the children study their lessons. They close the day with singing and worshiping and praying together.