How Did We Get Here?

There have been times on this trip where I just sit and think to myself...all of this is crazy. How did we end up here? I don't mean here like in Lesvos, Greece or here in Moria or even here for a 24-hour shift in Skala which is where we are now. I mean here in a deeper sense. How did we get to a place where there are millions upon millions of people running from their homes for their lives and the sake of their children? How did we get to a place where a good part of the world decides to say it's not really their problem? How did we get to a place where it all seems too grave a problem to actually be able to affect change and impact our fellow humans' lives? I mean other than fear and doubt and sin, I'm not sure how we got to these places, but for sure the fear, the doubt, and the sin play a prevalent part in it all. Sin drives us to devalue others and seek our own interests, doubt stops us from realizing that with God all things are possible so worry takes up the throne of decision making, and fear inhibits us to act and to care and to open up, to know and hear. So I guess I've answered my own question. This is how we ended up here. Oh and throw on the cold side dish of apathy and you've got yourself conditions that are ripe with hopelessness. I know how all of this sounds...

Justice-y. Call to arms-y. Jaded. Angry.

Believe me, those are all things I've felt on this trip and continue to feel to be sure. But you know what else I want to convey even more strongly, what I want to highlight to give you a more complete picture? I want to tell you that many of the people I've met are beautiful. They have souls that would make Jesus proud. They have stories that could rip your heart right out due to the desperation and yet they decide to smile, to welcome in, and to share. Some may not even know Jesus yet, but with His help and His time and a ton of prayer on our part, they will. God has drawn all of these different groups and personalities and people together for a huge purpose, I can feel it. Not just the refugees and migrants but the volunteers and Greeks as well. It feels big. It feels like something God would do, pull people out from their lands, bring them together with people who are different from them, gather the nations to bring aid and to help even in the midst of opposition...God can do all that. He has done all that. I just continue to pray that this is what God wants. This is where He has us right now. I'm confident that by us serving and seeing Jesus in each of the people we meet, there is eternal and lasting significance in all of this. There's a thread of hope woven into the fabric of this dark situation and I, for one, am so beyond thankful and humbled by the chance to see it.

I'm thankful for the women who sit with me with incredible patience, this foreigner unable to speak with them, toothily, awkwardly grinning hoping to catch a word of understanding. These women are incredibly kind and generous. They offer me food and drink, though, I am absolutely in no need. Their hospitality is astounding and the kind that all of us should learn from.

I am thankful to the men of all ages and abilities who when they see volunteers carrying heavy things up the steepest hill in camp, they make it their mission to lighten the load and to aid in the carrying of the burden. It's remarkable and whether it's born out of boredom or a genuine sense of wanting to help, they do it. They're willing to make the sacrifice in order to help out someone else.

I am thankful for the children in camp. The ones who are still children. The ones who by all standards and measures shouldn't have to grow up in a place like Moria and yet they run, they jump, they blow bubbles, they eat, they play school or doctor, they cry, they laugh, they're mischievous, they have bumps and bruises on their knees and snot on their noses. They are children. They are making their circumstances tolerable by playing.

Lastly, I am thankful to the many who have gone out of their way to befriend volunteers, the translators, not by choice as much as necessity, who hang out at the info tent. These, mostly, young men have aligned themselves with the volunteers for better or worse. Many would step in the way of danger to help save a volunteer. This isn't fair, this isn't the way it's supposed to be, but the plain fact of the matter is that it is the way it is. And that, for sure, is a picture of Christ.

We couldn't be more blessed here. We are doing some hard work and pulling some long days but wow, it's worth it. God is alive. He is active. He is doing big things. May we all be resigned to His will, to His call, whenever and wherever He asks.

Lessons and the Day Off

After a few days of hard work between a couple more shifts at Moria and a 24-hour at Skala we have a day off. We are planning to go and explore the nearby city, enjoy some local delicacies, maybe snorkel, etc. It'll be nice to just relax a little and spend some time enjoying this awesome island.

 This trip has been harder and different in so many ways from the last time I was here. Here are a few of those ways...

• The. Heat. Wow has it been warm! Warm might be an understatement. It's been right around the 100s each day and one day I even had salt stains on the back of one of my tank tops. It's been a whole new level of hot and our team is having a GREAT attitude considering. It's a huge perspective-giver when we realize we get to come back to air conditioned rooms while the refugees for the most part must just sweat it out in their many layers of clothes. 
• Relationally "Draining". It's been a lot, relationally, which has been interesting. Sean and I were talking at breakfast yesterday and he said, "this has been the simplest yet hardest thing to go into Moria each day." It's so true. It's easy since there's not always an agenda of things that need to get done, but just sitting and hearing the stories and experiencing life with these people who are so misunderstood, so pigeon-holed, all but forgotten if not for the media and sheer numbers, is taxing on your soul. How do you carry the weight of these peoples' worlds on your shoulders to help them know you care and are willing to help carry the burden!? Well, in a couple words, you can't. We must be vigilant in prayer each day in order to make it through. 
• Busy. Our days are long. We are pulling 3:30-11s at Moria where we play with kids, talk with adults, hang tarps, serve food and tea, give out info, check in with people, etc. At Skala, we pull 24s. 7 am to 7 pm. We pretty much man the camp. Sometimes there are tasks to complete but for the most part it's just sitting and being ready for whatever and whoever may show up. You are pretty much alone and isolated up there in the mountain, but for the trips down to the little port town. Yesterday we were able to help with some beach cleanup with another camp down by the beach. A boat load of trash came in and we helped unload it. That was a nice time-passer. We don't sleep well on those cots, but they are something and again, it helps to put everything in perspective as to what the refugees go through on a very regular basis. 
• God is Absolutely at Work. God is so good. I saw Him last time for sure but this time He is showing just a few more glimpses of His intricate plans.He brought the nations to one place and has allowed us to work with them, especially nations we wouldn't previously be able to reach. WHAT A PRIVILEGE. The way that God works is so mysterious, but all of what we are experiencing either points us to how refugees may be feeling to give us deeper sympathy or shows us a little glimpse of what God is doing. I can't even believe that this is all happening and how many times you can see that sliver of silver lining in such hopeless situations. It's all because of our powerful God who knows and sees and cares about all things.

Keep on praying for us as we enjoy a little time off now. We are eager to recharge and explore a little. We love you all, miss you all, but are so thankful to you all for your continued support and love. 

- Liz on behalf of the June Greece Team 

(Sorry if there are a million errors, I'm typing this on my phone's tiny screen)

Also I'm so sorry I am unable to upload pictures well on the devices I am using. I will do a big picture post once I figure it out!! 

The Eyes.

It's the eyes that get me. They house the emotions that people can't speak of or won't speak of. They hide the stories and the pain and the life that was lived up to the point that you see them. It was in the eyes today for me.

An Afghani man who just wants opportunity and safety for his children. An Afghani woman fanning her baby due to the overwhelmingly still and oppressive heat and willingly, kindly speaking to an American who can't even pretend to know her language and yet she still pulls out every English word she's ever picked up along the way. A Syrian man who knows more languages than he has fingers on his hand. All of their eyes tell a small piece of their stories. Behind the smiles and the excitement of meeting new American friends, with whom they are truly and genuinely excited to meet, their eyes give their true feelings away. Tired. Defeated. Full of regret. Each of these new friends are just a small number represented in camp.

Today we went to Moria and I, for one, have been struggling to capture just exactly how I'm feeling. It's somewhere between the extreme ends of sadness, justice, and joy, but overall it's a complex blend of all the emotions a human could feel. It's no doubt that our April team has been changed forever and I know that will be just as true for those of us who are here now...God is doing some crazy things.

We aren't allowed to take pictures inside the camp at all so I'll do what I can in this and subsequent posts to explain a little bit more in depth what we do if I don't have correlating photos.

Besides playing with kids, laughing, and sweating - oh so much sweating - we talked with people. Hardly knowing any of the many languages represented in camp, you learn a lot about patience and nonverbal cues. Of course there are a good handful of people who do know English and can converse clearly, but for a large part of the time you just sit and you just listen and you just smile and be present. I had the opportunity to chat with some of the women in the unit I was assigned, which houses primarily Afghanis. It was awkward at first. I had no idea what I was supposed to do and if there might be a plan that I should stick to more closely than I was but once the Lord brought me through all of that, He made it very clear that I needed to just be there and present with people. So I talked with the women and some of the children. I learned new names and faces and how many kids each woman had and, of course, got to play with many of their children around the unit. I had a blast, but I also saw or, maybe just felt, the pain that threatened to crack the exteriors of their kind and absolutely generous smiles.

These women are truly some of the bravest people I have been privileged to know, no matter how short it will end up being in the grand scheme of life. To make the choice, or at the very least, to obey the choice to move from the place you call home due to circumstances you did not cause and into a future riddled with unknowns is incredibly heartbreaking and unbelievably brave. I am beyond thankful that God saw it fit for me to be on this island at this particular time with these special people hearing and seeing stories from around the world. It's humbling, to almost a state of paralyzation, to be called by the Lord to serve Him in this way, but I fully intend to do my best and when I can do nothing more, to allow Him to pour in His Holy Spirit to help with it all.

I am wrecked for good. I will see people's stories forever through their eyes. And it's only day two....


- Liz
June Greece Team

Made it to Lesvos!

After some long flights, a night at a hotel and one little flight this morning, we have made it to Lesvos! It's as beautiful as ever and we are just excited to be here! Thank you for your prayers for safety and good flights and connections. Those were all answered! God is good and we are so excited to get started.

Here are a few more prayer requests:

• It's supposed to be 105 degrees today - what!!! Surface of the sun!! So pray for us as we navigate the heat with our Michigan blood 
• For our flexible attitudes - that whatever we do we would be ready and excited no matter what 
• For those in camp that we come in contact with - especially with the heat and Ramadan going on, that we would be sensitive to all of that
• That God would be present and working in the lives of those around us while on the trip 

Thank you for your prayers!! 

Calvary June Team

Pray for Us!

Satan is already at work trying to make this not happen or at least cause confusion! Please be in prayer for us as we leave today! We are so excited to go, but we will still have a bit of time until our departure. God is always good so whatever happens, we will be serving Him the best we can!!

Other things to pray for:

Team unity
Flexible spirits
Readiness of hearts
Great attitudes
Welcoming smiles
Safety in travel
Ease of boarding and connections while flying
That we will be filled by the Word in order to do good works for the Lord!

Thank you for following along and praying with and for us!

Love.

The June Team

Prayer Calendar

Here's the prayer calendar for our trip to Greece NEXT WEEK, Wednesday! 

Follow along and be in prayer for us as we go. 

Thank you so much and have a blessed day!

Liz on behalf of the June Greece Team

Calvary Church - June 2016

The team is set. 

Preparations are being made. 

Flights booked. 

Prayers prayed and answered. 

Calvary is sending out another team in just over a month to the island of Lesvos to be, first Christ's then Calvary's, representatives in a global crisis. We are excited at the ever-changing opportunities to share Christ's love and hope to those who need it most. When the media dies down and there's nothing left, but the same old, day in and day out stories of thousands and thousands of displaced people, when the sheen and the shine of this tragedy has left our eyes and minds for the next, the shards and pieces that are left are the lives of the people caught in the middle. The people who have turned from their homes due to the dangers and war raging around them and have sought a better, safer life, even one that requires them to be homeless and marginalized by the world around them. This is when Christ's people must really step up, go, and be. When it's no longer glamorous, when it's no longer front-page worthy.

Each trip that has gone and come back has experienced something different due to the tenuous nature of what's going on, but some things remain constant;

• Christ's faithfulness to go before each team and to ordain conversations and situations where HIS light gets to shine the brightest. 
• Christ's call to keep being His hands, His feet, to serve and to bring hope. 
• Christ's presence in keeping each group safe
• The need for faithful prayer warriors to lift each team up 
• The financial support to keep doing as God calls, to partner in the global crisis from right where you are and where the Lord has you, to positively affect the thousands of refugees who have no place to call home, but an open field, a razor-wired courtyard, or a makeshift tent. 

Would you pray as how the Lord may lead you to get involved? We are still looking for donations and financial support for the teams called to go and do. If God calls, please consider donating to the Refugee Relief Fund through Calvary Church. This fund helps offset the costs for the team members heading to Lesvos, Greece as well as local efforts in resettling and integrating. 

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. We could not do any of this without the love and support of the Body of Christ. 

--Calvary's June Team