3 The whole family worked hard to re-establish ourselves in our new country. Six months later, I started work in a fruit shop in Melbourne. My wages dropped to three pounds ten shillings (equal to seven dollars) per week. However, I was happy, because it gave me the opportunity to listen to people talking English. That was the way I learned to speak the English language. Because of my long working hours, school was out of the question so, again, I missed out on my English education. My Italian and English language is therefore ‘home-made, self-taught‘, so the poor knowledge of the English language has been the biggest problem of my life. Fortunately, my Faith in God has been my number one priority and saviour, and will continue to be as long as I live. I feel that God has been alongside me every time I have needed help to get my message across when I have needed to speak more recently in public. These two pages give only a small insight into the story of my difficult years at a tender age. However, I believe they have been the best years because, if I had not experienced poverty, lack of education, war and, worst of all, hunger, I would not have appreciated God’s Gift of Faith as much during my long and blessed life. www.patlamanna.info