Thoughts from Steve

So let's set things up. 

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?

Thoughts from Doug

Words can't express how much I appreciate all your prayers while we were in Greece working on the island of Lesvos. Each day we went out to the camp I felt those prayers as God surrounded me with his love and peace. I'm going to try and sum up my thoughts and feelings of what has gone on the past nine days. 

I went on this trip to serve, by being the hands and feet of Jesus. I asked God to use me in anyway he wanted as I'm going to do HIS will, not my desires. I can say that what I did was not easy, it was at times very emotional. The camp we worked at was the first place refugees go when they come ashore. Most come from Turkey to Greece on rubber Zodiac style rubber boats, some on larger boats, crossing 6 1/2 miles across the Aegean Sea, day and night.  Rescue workers help them ashore, assist any immediate critical needs, and then load them in waiting vans to bring them to camps like the one we worked in. They enter a gated camp and are given water and a banana. Then the processing begins. They are carrying their earthly possessions in a back pack or plastic bags. Families with children and babies, some with grandparents, and younger single men. Almost all of them come wet. Some wet to the bone with the rescue thermo blanket still around them. They get staged in a huge tent and then given blankets, hot tea and an oatmeal type meal. It is here where we are able to wrap them in a cloth blanket, smile at them and the little children. The universal language, a smile. Some see hope for the first time in months with that smile. Then they go to the clothing tent to get dry clothes and shoes. Then the UN personnel start the paperwork to process them out of this stage one camp and onto the next camp on the island. (It is in that processing camp that they get registered in Europe and are able to continue the journey to freedom.)

They are at our camp for about 4-6 hours before they are loaded on a 52 passanger bus that leaves with as many as 72 aboard as the little children sit on parents' laps. 

I hope to be able to share more in detail when I see you all in person. The whole process is very interesting to see other volunteers coming from all over the world to show love and compassion to people that are fleeing their countries to find hope for a new future. I asked myself many times, how bad did they have it that they are willing to risk their lives crossing a Sea to get to the next step in their journey to freedom. 

To sum it up, again I'm thankful for all of you for supporting us in prayer. I say again it was prayer that gave me strength and kept the evil one away. God used our team to show the love of Jesus by our actions and deeds. We served not only the refugees, but the workers that have been on the island for months working 7 days a week. We served other organizations in the camp like Samaritan's purse, WAHA which is the doctor's tent on site, and the people from the UN. Many of these people are locals that were hired because of their compassion for people. None of them look at race and pick which ones to love on. They look at them as people in need. They're not looking to solve a world of political problems, they are looking to show compassion and work as hard as they can to respond to an emergency situation. 

Isn't that what Jesus did when he walked this earth? He healed people, he made the blind man see, he gave living water to those that chose to listen to him. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. 

In Matthew 25 it says-“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

I will forever remember the many lives we were able to touch. I thank God that he chose me and our team to be a light in a dark place!!

Love all you guys. 

Thoughts from Marv

It is 7AM in Greece and we are in the air to Zurich. A two hour layover there then off to Chicago. The time has gone by quickly yet slowly as I have been able to see God so clearly through the events of the past week. He showed up in travel ease and on time flights. He showed up in the beauty and majesty of the land we visited. He showed up in the lives of the extremely dedicated individuals who went before us as long term missionaries and remain behind us as we return home. He showed up in the eyes of grateful/hopeful Islamic refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria who thanked us for the little we did. Parents and singles alike, PEOPLE, whom my GOD loves and has moved in a mass exodus of fear and hope to a land of freedom. People whom I pray, one day, will have the ability to understand the depth of the love of the one, true God who gave His only begotten son for their redemption! He showed up God in the hugs and smiles of the children. He showed up in the long, gripping handshake of a tall, proud mid eastern father with his family as he pronounced an Arabic blessing on me! He showed up in the hearts of several young people, both in our group and the group we joined, as they served alongside this "old man" with joy and dedication, desperately wanting to be "obedient" to our Savior's call and searching for that direction, open to elderly guidance! What a privilege to touch and be touched. 

I came on the trip, looking to break from my routine and be close to my God! And this my family, my friends, my faithful prayer warriors is what happened. My God, who promised to never leave me not forsake me, reached down from heaven this past week and wrapped His loving arms around me and whispered in my ear, 

"Do you love me? Yes Lord, I love you!, 

Do you love me? Yes Lord, you know I love you! 

And then a third time, Do you love me? Yes Lord, and I will follow you WHEREVER you lead me!
Thank you Jesus!  

Thoughts from Liz

Hello all! 
I know this is late in coming and I'm sorry I haven't done too much to update lately. Wifi is existent but semi-spotty and it's been such a good, strange, tiring, different, yet wonderful trip. It's hard to sum up everything that has happened!! 

First off I want to say thank you for your prayers. I honestly know that we couldn't have gotten through without your faithfulness and your kindness in lifting all of us up in prayer...man what a week this has been....I think I'm going to try a bit of a journaling exercise that you will all be privy to as I process this out called "what I thought vs reality vs how I saw God" - long, cumbersome title. I know.  

Here we go!

What I thought: 
Refugees by the multitudes banging down our doors with inexplicable hurts and needs 
Reality: 
Slow days, organizing, prayer time, team unity time, encouragement of others time, some refugees
How I saw God:
God answered our prayers for team unity in INCREDIBLE ways. He brought two teams together comprised of so many different people and personalities. Not only was there seriously NO DRAMA there was a love and connection that could only come by the Holy Spirit's work. 

What I thought: 
We would be the hands and feet for the refugees
Reality: 
We were...but also, 
How I saw God: 
The ministry God called us to was MUCH more far reaching than we could have possibly imagined. Not only did we get to serve some refugees but it was a distinct privilege to bolster and encourage the longer term missionaries and leaders and workers and Greek people who have been at this work for MONTHS ON END WITH NO BREAK. Who are we to come in and think it's all about us and how many "refugees" we can effect when there are so so many who have been steadfastly serving all around the island. Our team leader said to think of this as a three-legged stool...the refugees, the volunteers, and the Greek people. If it weren't for one of these groups the whole thing would collapse and so our efforts really were toward serving and encouraging these three sectors of people. It's crazy how God did this. I even had an amazing talk on the plane with a woman who had been serving for a month and was just now heading home to Switzerland!  Servant leadership is at the heart of all of this. It's not the glamorous jobs where cameras follow you around documenting your every move, but the behind the scenes, dirty work that needed to be done. The entering in and listening to the stories of everyone on the island not just the refugees who came for a better life. 

What I thought: 
I would meet a tooooon of Syrian, Iraqi, and Pakistani families. 
Reality: 
I met some Syrian, Iraqi, and Pakistani families, but also people from around the world. England, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Hungary, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealand. Everyone from everywhere!!! 
How I saw God: 
He is literally bringing together the nations in one place. Seriously. How incredible is that??! All on this tiny island off the coast of Greece/Turkey. Everyone needs Jesus and may we always remember that. 

All in all this trip has exceeded all my expectations and broadened my view of God. He is shaking the world up with this crisis and working in big ways! God's plans are always bigger than our own and we are happy partners with anything He would allow us to do in His name for His people. 

Thank you so so much again for praying. I know there will be more processing as we reflect and settle back into our regular schedules! I will attempt to get a word from everyone up on here in the coming days. 

Thank you thank you thank you! 


Liz 

Beautiful Lesvos. 

Thoughts from Marv

It's Friday night and we have left the island and have begun our journey home! We are in Athens as I write this and are settling in to a "de-brief" period together. We spend a day here tomorrow and then leave for the states on Sunday morning! 

As I reflect on the week, I find myself in "process overload". Over the past week I have experienced the full gambit of emotions the human psyche has to experience! I have been way up high and way down low! God was very active in the lives of our entire team and I really believe it will take some time to reach "normal" again. But then again, I am not sure any of us want to reach normal again. 

This trip included ministry opportunities from the grass roots outreach of Christianity to Islam to intercession for fellow believers to encouragement for "feet on the ground" missionaries and young Christian singles and young marrieds! What an incredible time as a team we spent together. 

The refugee work on Lesvos is "triage" work. The work is an ever changing work as governments and politics meddle with human lives. But in it all, is a God who loves and cares for us all irregardless of who we are. "For God so loved the world.........." We experienced a moving target where flexibility is key.  God touched our lives this past week. He is alive! Thank you so much for your prayer support. God is soooo good!

I could go on and on but need to wrap this up! Thank you again, your prayers were answered! 

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

This is Greece

This trip has been awesome in so many ways. We are seeing Jesus in the unexpected places...today it was in rest. God gave us a day of rest in the midst of all we are doing. This gave us a chance to be in Skala Sikamenia with not much "to do", but also a chance to build relationships, pray over the camp and all the people who will be visiting, and for God to speak to us. He is changing us. Some in big ways, some in smaller, but all the same he's bringing us closer to himself and showing himself to be faithful to the obedient. We just can't thank him enough for who he is and for how close he is to us in these uncertain times and days where we must remain vigilant in our flexibility as well as our prayer and praise to him. We are praying that the Lord gives us more and more opportunities to share his love to the people of Lesvos, other volunteers, and those fleeing from their home countries for safety as refugees. Thank you for covering us in prayers. We couldn't do this without you. 

Now I am going to share quite a few pictures of the days spent on Lesvos. 

Orientation Day  

Marv with a lovely thistle?? Ha! 

Where all the life jackets and boats end up...the graveyard. 

Part of a thermal blanket that got caught in the fence. 

Some of the lovely ladies on our trip. These gals are great! 

A shipwrecked boat against the harbor rocks. 

Doug atop the roman aqueduct! 

Saying hello from one of many Greek hills/mountains. 

Second Day at Skala: 

Sobering picture of what some of the refugees feel like they need to leave behind...

Cat. Land. Loving all these cats! 

A beautiful little picture:  Skala Sikamenia's beach town.

Sheep Stampede!!! 

Our group on a beautiful lookout point on our daily drive. 

Our silly picture! 

Most of our group including some of the fun people we met up with here in Greece. God is knitting us together! 

Beautiful lookout on the castle mountain near sunset. 

Rob + the cat at the castle 

Molivos!! 

Panorama of Molivos from the castle! 

Panorama of sunset in Molivos. 

An evening stroll to the castle.