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…]
January 27, 2012
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!
January 20, 2012
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…]
January 12, 2012
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…]
December 12, 2011
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…]
December 6, 2011
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…]
November 28, 2011
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…]
November 21, 2011
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…]
November 3, 2011
As new migration crises emerge in the Mediterranean basin and as Frontex’s responsibilities expand, there is an urgent need for a shift in EU asylum and migration policy from an enforcement-first policy to a protection-first policy. This is not only legally required but is a worthy and achievable approach for the EU, its agencies, and… [Read more…]
October 12, 2011
After talking about the quiet desperation of refugees earlier this month, I thought that it would be appropriate to share more hopeful stories. Here is an update from my teammate Tasha: Hello from Greece! The past few weeks have been crazy here with the increasing numbers of refugee families needing help. It has been overwhelming seeing… [Read more…]
October 10, 2011
It’s a cold, raining day. The sky has been gray all day, the rain falls constantly – alternating between a drizzle and downpour. While Athens doesn’t get nearly as cold as more northerly place, the fall is wet and cool – a miserable mix for anyone without a home. Unfortunately, many of our refugee friends… [Read more…]
October 3, 2011
I really appreciated this update from our teammates Kent & Myrna. Please read: The definition for despair is: 1) To lose all hope; 2) To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat… More and more we are seeing refugees who are “living lives of quiet desperation” (Henry David Thoreau). A few days… [Read more…]
September 26, 2011
Well, it’s late September and starting to feel like Fall (I realize that it has felt like Autumn in some places for several weeks… but here in Athens, Fall is just beginning to show up). It seems like a great time to review some of the happenings of the summer months. Whether you’re new to… [Read more…]
September 16, 2011
Happy Friday! Today’s theme is an afternoon at the park. On Wednesday our team invited about 5 or 6 refugee families to join us for an afternoon of play and relationship building. Everyone had a good time. One boy even said that it was his best day in Athens ever! Here are a few photos… [Read more…]
September 12, 2011
As we all already know, yesterday was the ten year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. There have been countless articles, books, radio programs, and TV shows on how 9/11 has changed our world. It’s impact has been profound in every way. This includes the world of missions. Marking the anniversary of 9/11, Christianity… [Read more…]
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January 30, 2012
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