May 28, 2012
I’ve got two new friends. And they have a blog. Ryan and Andrew will spend the next 15 months visiting locations around the world where International Teams is seeing “lives and communities transformed by the power of God.” Ryan writes the stories, and Andrew snaps the pictures (the photo in the header of this post is… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe that Joy is only 9 days old, or that tomorrow is one week since we brought her home from the hospital! She’s been a sweet baby though – a good eater, a good sleeper, and – overall – a pretty chill little one. We have no complaints! … [Read more…]
I love camp. As a kid, camp had a huge impact in my spiritual growth. And I’ve seen the same positive fruit in the lives of refugees here in Athens through these summer camps. Would you pray for the kids’ camp, men’s camp and family camp that we’re partnering in this summer? Would you prayerfully… [Read more…]
Kristin started feeling contractions around 9pm Tuesday night; we were at the movies, trying to squeeze in one last date night before the baby’s arrival! We cut our date short and headed to the hospital (Anyone know how The Avengers ends? I think that it’s safe to assume that everything turned out okay.). After a… [Read more…]
Praying Friends, We’d appreciate your prayers in the coming weeks… 1 - Sanner Baby #3 is due in two weeks. We’re very excited to welcome her! Pray for Kristin and the baby’s health and safety. Brett’s mom is coming to Athens next week, to help as we prepare for the baby’s arrival. She has been having… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! We spent yesterday with 11 families (nearly 40 refugees) at a retreat center just outside of Athens. It was something of a health fair. Three doctors volunteered their time to provide free check-ups for the refugee kids. We talked about healthy eating and lifestyles with the parents. We even had the opportunity to… [Read more…]
I love Easter. As a kid, Easter seemed dull compared to the toys and glitter of Christmas. But now, each year my love and appreciation of Easter grows – especially as I’ve been able to experience Easter in Greece, where Easter is remembered with a depth that puts that silly Bunny to shame! Although we… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! A birthday, a road trip, and Easter – it’s been a busy two weeks! I think that I’ll save our Easter pics for next week. Kristin turned 31 on April 7th! T-H-I-R-T-Y-O-N-E. Wow! We celebrated with an overnight trip to Nafplio, a beautiful seaside town a couple of hours outside of… [Read more…]
Greece’s economic crisis has been on every news station in the world. However, another – lesser known – crisis is simultaneously haunting the Greek psyche: a crisis of identity. In the current milieu of deep austerity and uncontrolled immigration, the political far-right has offered an alternative to the political parties that lead Greece into this… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! Actually, happy Good Friday to many of you. Here in Greece, we’ll celebrate Holy Week and Easter next week… but if you’re celebrating this weekend, we pray that this Easter is a powerful reminder of the gospel! As we enjoy the first signs of Spring, here are some pictures of the girls at… [Read more…]
Here are a few refugee-related stories from Kathimerini - a local Greek newspaper. Please continue to pray for the city, the ministry, and the refugees. Many refugees are afraid; many locals are frustrated. Hope is in short supply. The city of Athens – Greeks, refugees, and everyone else – needs to see the God who… [Read more…]
Europe’s system for reviewing asylum claims (Dublin II), tensions in Europe, and despair for refugees on the streets of Athens… This 50-minute documentary on the current situation in Athens and Europe tells the story well, a story that we see played out in the lives of our refugee friends everyday at our ministry center in… [Read more…]
Happy Friday. Thanks for your support, encouragement, and love! Last week I was able to travel to the port city of Patra (about 2.5 hrs west of Athens) with a teammate. We met together with a group from the Free Evangelical Church and visited several refugee camping sites (literally, places on the edge of the city… [Read more…]
The UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) recently posted this report from Petrou Ralli – the street name of the police station where asylum-seekers are given an opportunity to apply for refugee protection once a week. Unfortunately, of the hundreds who must wait outside overnight, the police select just twenty to make an application – forcing… [Read more…]
May 27, 2012
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