Also, John Piper – via Desiring God – is offering his new book “Bloodlines” for FREE (here).  I don’t know if this is a short-term deal or not, so don’t wait.  Download the e-book now.  ”Bloodlines” is Piper’s very personal (the first section is entirely autobiographical) examination of the gospel and race: unpacking and applying “the power of the gospel” to “the roots of racial strife.”  I haven’t read it yet, but I look forward to diving in.

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Today we remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. I am always inspired by Dr. King’s speeches. I’ve posted the end of his famous “I Have A Dream” speech below. Read the entire speech HERE (the audio version is also available via the link).

Reading this speech (his passion for justice and reconciliation) brings one set of questions to my mind: What is my dream? What am I willing to fight for, to be jailed for, or even to give my life for? And then… What am I doing to see this dream out?

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

What is your dream?

First, I’ve added a “sermons” page, where I can add audio from messages at churches here in Greece or back in the States.  Right now there are just four sermons up, but I hope to keep adding.  Click HERE to check out the “sermons” page.

Second, you can now subscribe to the blog via email.  How does it work?  When we post something new on the blog, you’ll automatically receive it (text, pictures, and all) in your inbox!  What could be better?!  Well, okay, we could all probably think of a few things that are better… but if you don’t find the idea offensive, simply enter your email address in “email subscription” box to the right —–>

Third, in case you missed them, here are a few popular posts from Oct-Dec.

• Christmas Outreach Parties 2011!  Intro – Update 1 – Update 2 – Update 3
• Sleeping Bag Project.  Part 1 – Part 2
• Kingdom Beyond Borders Book.  Part 1 – Part 2
• Newsletters. October – November

Finally, this is a great time for year-end gifts.  With another baby on the way, your support is MUCH APPRECIATED!!  There are several ways to give:

By Mail: Send your gift to “International Teams; 411 W. River Rd.; Elgin, IL 60123.”  Make checks payable to “International Teams,” but attach a note indicating that you wish the gift to be designated “towards the ministry of Brett & Kristin Sanner in Athens.”  Also include your address, phone/email, and whether this is a monthly or occasional gift.

Online: Follow this link to give a one-time gift by means of credit card (Master Card/Visa).  Simply designate your gift “towards the ministry of Brett & Kristin in Athens” in the box labeled “Where to give.”

Automatic Withdrawal: Follow this link to learn more about giving by Electronic Funds Transfer, a monthly withdrawal from a checking or savings account.

Many thanks, much love, and merry Christmas!!  

Whether you’re new to the blog or just as a review, here are a few posts that summarize that last few months of ministry:

June 9 – Songs for the Oppressed – You can still help out our ministry by downloading some great music!

June 21 – To Die is Gain – Kristin’s father passed away this summer; away from the body, with the Lord.

July 18 – Mid-Summer Rundown – Some of our special summer outreaches and ministries.

July 28 – Christ: My Treasure, Reward, and Legacy – Learning to revel in Christ.

August 4 – Sanner News – Our summer newsletter.

August 15 – Europe Conference – News and pictures from a week-long conference in Switzerland.

September 9 – Friday Photos – Praying for some of the faces at our ministry center.

Thanks for your love, support, encouragement, and prayers.  We need every ounce of it!  Really, if you’re upholding us with your prayers, notes of encouragement, or financial support… you are an essential part of our team here!  We can’t be here without you.  Thanks for your love and faithfulness – a reminder of God’s own provision.

Whether you’re new to the blog or just as a review, here are a few posts that summarize that last few months of ministry:

September 6 – Any Given Day – A day at our ministry center

September 8 – Greece: Far From Home – Two videos that tell the story of asylum-seekers in Greece

September 13 – Low-Hanging Fruit – The beginnings of life-change in Jesus

September 20 – Faith Like Noah – The challenges of faith

October 8 – Friday Photos - Pictures of refugee friends living in the park

October 11 – Overwhelmed – A humanitarian crisis in Greece

October 25 – Assorted Notes – An update and a praise

Thanks for your love, support, encouragement, and prayers.  We need every ounce of it!  Also, if you haven’t already seen it, let me recommend (again) a short documentary on the immigration tensions here in Greece.  The video is called “The Battle for Attica Square” - click here to watch on YouTube.  I actually hate the video - it haunts me – but it’s an accurate portrayal of what we see here.  Please continue to pray.

Until then, you can still connect with us via…

EMAIL:
- To email Brett, click here – or brett.sanner@iteams.org

- To email Kristin, click here – or kristin.sanner@iteams.org

FACEBOOK:
Brett Sanner | Create Your Badge

Kristin ‘Jorna’ Sanner | Create Your Badge

TWITTER:  @BrettSanner

And, of course, if words just aren’t enough… you can always show your love by giving online!

Who are these refugees?  See HERE and HERE and HERE

Here are a few more personal stories from refugee friends – One, Two, Three

What’s happening at our Nest (a housing and discipleship ministry)?  Part 1 and Part 2

God is opening prison doors and human hearts – God is Greater

News from our Timothy House (a discipleship and ministry training program) – Part 1 and Part 2

As a team, we’ve been talking about our ministry vision.

Thanks for your prayers, support and love!

1 – You’ll see six tabs at the top of the page (just under the title): “home” is the main blog page; “about us” offers a short introduction to our family; “the ministry” gives an overview about what we do here in Athens; “news” is an archive of our ministry newsletters; “give” provides information for supporting our ministry; and “contact” offers a few means of getting in touch with us.

2 – Under these tabs, you’ll see a personalized banner; the current one shows Sofia and I getting around in the rainy season.  This will be updated periodically, whenever the blog needs a fresh look.

3 – On the right hand column, you’ll find a number of features: “pages,” where you can connect to our personal ministry pages (the same as the tabbed pages described above); “recent comments” updates where to find the latest comments; “category cloud” lets you search blog posts by themes (e.g. testimonies or videos); “Flickr Photos” displays the six most recent photos we have uploaded onto Flickr; “archives” provides a month by month archive of the blog; and the “blogroll” gives links to our friends in other refugee ministries around the world.

So, make yourself at home here and enjoy! We will continue with our current Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting schedule.  Thanks for following our ministry!