Hi Friends, Greetings from cold and raining Athens! Life continues to march onward here: Sofia and Emma are growing up so quickly; the ministry is busy and constantly changing; each day is full of great challenges and great celebrations. Life doesn’t slow down, but neither does God’s care and provision. Thanks so much for being… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! Wow, it’s been three weeks since we’ve posted any Friday photos. After the holidays, I think that we just needed some camera detox. Anyhow, I managed to snap some shots in the kids room this week. Thanks for praying for these precious little ones!
There are always people making profit out of misery. This is the case with refugees. While some suffer, others profit: while refugees decided to leave Afghanistan (or not to return after spending the last 10, 20, 30 years in Iran or Pakistan), smugglers are experiencing a boom. As a crossroads between Europe and Asia, Greece… [Read more…]
One of the most difficult parts of refugee ministry is that we’re constantly saying goodbye to people we’ve come to love dearly. That’s the case again this week, as another good friend moves on from Athens. “A” is a strong woman. She came to Athens from Afghanistan with five children and a drug addicted husband… [Read more…]
Hi all - We hope everyone had a great Christmas: full of joy, laughter, and – most of all – Jesus! Hot off the press – you can download our latest newsletter here! A text-only version is available below. Thanks so much for your love, support, and prayers! By God’s Grace - Brett, Kristin, Sofia… [Read more…]
Hate crime is an ugly, ugly thing. And while it is certainly not the norm in Greece, hate crimes against foreigners (including asylum seekers) have escalated in 2011. Human Rights Watch is documenting some of the difficulties here in Greece. In a report released on Monday, Human Rights Watch found… Victims of racist violence… [Read more…]
We had a great week of Christmas outreach parties (see Christmas update part 1 and part 2 for more pictures). We shared a great meal – salad, chicken, huge piles of rice, and dessert. A huge thank you to the local church groups that sponsored meals: the Evangelical Youth Movement, Nea Zoi Church, Egaleo Evangelical,… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! On Tuesday I shared some pictures from our first two Christmas parties. Here are some photos from Wednesday’s Christmas outreach. Enjoy!
It may not be December 25… but it’s Christmas week here in Athens! Over the week we’re hosting five Christmas outreach parties for refugees. We’ve invited 130 refugees for each party – which includes a Christmas song, a Christmas puppet show, and a Christmas message (in Farsi or Arabic depending on the party)… plus a… [Read more…]
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News! (Romans 10.15) (HT: Justin Taylor)
Hi Friends, We hope that your Thanksgiving was full of joy, laughter, and gratitude! We had a fun time here in Athens, gathering with teammates and remembering God’s grace in our lives. We are incredibly thankful for each of you – our support team around the world! Your partnership in this ministry is vital. So… [Read more…]
Since Thursday is a regular workday here in Greece, this afternoon (Monday) we’ll join together with a group of our teammates to celebrate Thanksgiving – expatriate style. Yes, we’ll have turkey and cranberries (both imported from the US), stuffing and even pumpkin pie! Of course, I’m thankful for a lot: God’s grace and faithfulness, an… [Read more…]
Happy Friday! Wow – what a week here! It’s been a very busy work week. Tomorrow our friends Susie and Yousef get married (I’m the best man; Sofia is a flower girl). Sunday I’ll run the Athens Classic Marathon. I think that I’ll be ready for an IV drip and 24 hours of sleep by… [Read more…]
As I shared last week, a book full of stories and testimonies from the ministry here was recently published. You can order the book directly Amazon here. If you need reminded that God is still in the business of changing lives, this is an encouraging read. I’ve nearly finished reading through my copy. It’s been… [Read more…]
I don’t mean to stress you out… but Christmas is just around the corner! Christmas is a strategic time of ministry here, as many, many refugees are asking questions about the holiday: Why do you celebrate Christmas? Who is Jesus? How can you believe that God would become a man, even a baby? Why would… [Read more…]
January 30, 2012
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