Returning to Velos does feel like returning to family for us. We are now proudly called the Grandparents of Velos. (We keep reminding staff we could be their parents but not grandparents!) For many young people we do serve the purpose of being grandparently figures, even though many never knew theirs.

One young person told us that most of his family has perished, either by sectarian violence or disease and malnutrition. He hopes to be a grandparent one day.

Most of the young people are curious about these Americans who come all the way to Greece to help people they don't know. They have very few questions about what we have, but more about our families.

Most are quite knowledgable about the America they see on YouTube, TicToc, social media and film. This is a key way they learn the language. They do want to know if these images are true. It makes for good conversation about the vastness of America, the differing points of view, the common American culture and the many ways we differ- by region, by community, by perspective and family.

There are questions about what freedom means in America, and those answers are harder to define. The fact that we have friends who are Jewish and Muslim, Catholic and Athiest, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and head-in-the-sand is fascinating to them.

Of course here at Velos we have at least one Palestinian refugee from Gaza and one Palestinian Jew from the West Bank. They are learning to play UNO together at the same table.

There are Iranians from Tehran and Afghan refugees kicked out of Tehran playing FIFA together. They know we are open to hearing about their past, but only as much as they want to share and when/if they are ready.

They often will share the positive memories and show us photos from the internet. Beautiful beaches in Somalia beckon, but those are only for some. We've learned about mountain villages in Afghanistan and shopping malls in Tehran.

We've learned about the corrupt government in Cameroon that hordes the country's diminishing resources, but stories out of Sudan are still too raw to share.