The harvest is plentiful. That’s what Jesus says. After this the Lord [Jesus] appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly… [Read more…]
September 6, 2010
Our ministry center (Athens Refugee Center – or ARC) has been open for three weeks now. It’s been fantastic to have a central place to invite our refugee friends, to provide a bit of respite from the pressure (and at times, abuse) of the streets. A few snapshots: * Yesterday, at any given time, you… [Read more…]
July 28, 2010
The construction work at our ministry center (the Athens Refugee Center, or ARC) is making progress! Right now, our hope is that we can clean and organize the ARC over the week of August 9th, and be ready to welcome refugees again by the week of August 16th. There is still a lot of work… [Read more…]
June 11, 2010
Happy Friday! The summer is here, and our ministry is changing. Wednesday was the last outreach in our building for at least five weeks. Yesterday and today we’re preparing the building for some major remodeling. The building is in desperate need of a little TLC, so this is a necessary thing. At the same time,… [Read more…]
May 3, 2010
Our building – affectionately called the ARC, or Athens Refugee Center – is in need of a makeover. The building has served us well for over ten years… but now it’s time that we return the favor. It’s time for an intentional season of maintenance. For this to become a reality, our ministry needs some… [Read more…]
April 16, 2010
Happy Friday! It’s been a great week, getting back in the saddle as far as life in Athens is concerned. It’s wonderful to be back in the ministry. Here are some photos from a recent meal and outreach for Afghans and Iranians. Donna cooking for 150 – no easy task. Nader shares the Good News… [Read more…]
April 7, 2010
We’re back in Athens! It’s great to experience the sights and sounds of Athens once again. In fact, Kristin and I were just talking about the smell of the city… yes, we even missed the smell of Athens (at least in the spring). The sidewalks near our house are lined with orange trees, giving the… [Read more…]
February 22, 2010
I don’t beg much, but PLEASE read this eye-opening reflection about the situation in Athens from our friends Tim and Rachel (who are now serving in Rome) after a recent visit to our ministry center. Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within… [Read more…]
October 23, 2009
Happy Friday! Hope everyone is having a great fall. It’s cooling down here in Athens… the rain and 60 degree weather is welcome! Here are a few snapshots from our week. Enjoy! Kristin… 7 months along. Sofia find fun in the kitchen A short skit from our Thursday program Faithful to the end – an… [Read more…]
September 21, 2009
The fact is that God is greater than any man-made prison. Bricks and steel bars cannot thwart His purposes. This fact is well documented in scripture. For example… “But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought [the apostles] out…” – Acts 5:19 “An angel of the Lord stood… [Read more…]
May 4, 2009
Last week at Tea House, a man from Algeria asked if we could talk. “Yes, of course,” I answered. “I want to become a Christian,” he said bluntly. This isn’t an uncommon thing to hear from Afghans and Iranians, but I can only think of one other time an Arab has been so bold. This… [Read more…]
April 17, 2009
It’s Easter weekend here. We’re looking forward to some special time with friends, our church, and together as a family. Yesterday, we had a special Easter program for Arabic-speakers; and today there is something for Farsi-speakers. Here are some pictures from our Arabic program. Enjoying a meal Behind the scenes – a lot of spaghetti… [Read more…]
March 9, 2009
Beginning today, we have a new schedule for our Tea House ministry. This is a direct result of the chaos we experienced a few weeks ago, literally getting overrun with refugees. We are still in the process of tweaking things, but here are a few of the bigger changes: we will operate on a Monday-Friday… [Read more…]
February 16, 2009
Saturday’s Tea House was, indeed, overwhelming. There were far too many people for our staff to handle: too much of a crowd, too much pushing, too much yelling, too many demands. When we opened our doors at 11:45 am, we let in about 200 people before the line collapsed and we were forced to shut… [Read more…]
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September 13, 2010
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