Imagine a little girl and baby brother that's swaddled by his mothers grasp standing with their father at waters edge. Darkness growing, wind blowing, waves crashing, water splattering through the crisp air as this small family along with a crowd of other people being lead by gun point to board a boat.
(Mind you most have never seen a large body of water let alone enter it)
The labored choices and actions that lead up to this scenario propel them all to submit than to attempt to stop the smugglers demands. They paid around $5,000 to $8,000 per person to traverse this forced escape. If the smuggler allows this group to not leave right now they will be out all their money. The Turkish midis would not allow that to happen.
With limited or no information about what awaits them on the other shore, let alone in the water, they are pushed off shore. Before the smugglers jump off the boat to swim back to shore, they show the refugees how to steer.
Abandoned to journey alone they are pointed in the direction to head for. No understanding of water currents, or aware of the stony dangers the approaching shore will provide they navigate forward. Many barking out commands because of fear--"Turn this way, no this way-do this, no do that, confusion ensues an already cold, wet stress filled journey.
They arrive ashore soaked and frozen, immediately attended to by people with whom they have been taught to hate--more confusion. Children, babies and adults alike vibrating from the cold but they arrived where some will never because they drowned when their boat capsized.
Upon leaving stage 1 camp they move on to stage 2 camp where they receive food, shelter and dry clothing if they haven't already received it from stage 1.
By ticket number, 50 to 70 refugees line up to board a bus only to arrive at another camp to await a 10+ hour ferry ride to Athens. Once ashore in Athens a final bus ride to yet another camp outside the city to eventually be allowed to journey to a refugee safe country.
In one of our team meetings, we talked about the passage in Matthew 25:31-46, which shows that whatever we do to the least we do to Jesus. I want to thank you, thank you, thank you all for helping to provide water, food, clothing and shelter to Jesus Himself!
The work is not finished, refugees will continue to come by the 1000's. Would you pray with me to seek God's wisdom how you and I (His sheep) can be a light in their darkness?
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