“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
Hi, my name is Taylor, you’ll be reading a lot from me over the next couple of weeks. I am in charge of this blog for the upcoming missions trip to Lesvos, Greece.
Beginning on March 15, Dawn Snedeker, Courtney Hoekwater, and I will be travelling to Lesvos, Greece to work with refugees in a newly opened women and children’s center! We have been working diligently the past month and a half planning, raising support, and praying for this trip. Before we go, we wanted to let you in on what we will be doing and take an opportunity to introduce ourselves and put out some prayer requests.
While on the island of Lesvos we will be working with women and children in a new center where they can do laundry and be entertained outside of the refugee camp. The center provides the women with the opportunity to have tea, meet other women, and share their stories with the new people who enter the center each week. The children at the center are entertained with crafts, games, and stories by volunteers. During our week at the center, we will make tea, do crafts, and try our best to provide a cup of cold water to those in need. We will also be using this trip as an opportunity to explore areas where future teams can come to work on the island.
This trip does have a smaller team than most trips at Calvary, however, we are confident that God will still use us in incredible ways. This trip is being led by Dawn Snedeker. Dawn has been on many, many trips with Calvary and has been to Lesvos a handful of times. She is very excited to get back on the island and explore this new avenue of aide. Courtney Hoekwater is the logistics leader for the trip, she has been maintaining our funds and planning our travel. Courtney is currently serving as an intern in the Mercy & Hospitality department at Calvary and has been working closely with Lee Content in the planning of this trip. Finally, Taylor Snedeker is serving as our blogger and an extra pair of hands in case of problems. I have also been working on the crafts that we will be doing with the children at the center.
As we enter the final week before our trip, we ask that you join us in fervent prayer. Pray for our travel, that flights and trains would be on time and that we would make it to the island safely. Pray for our hosts on the island, Tim and Sandy Stamper, that they would be prepared for our arrival and ready to put us to work in whatever ways we can! Pray for our interactions with those living on the island, that we would be able to make meaningful connections and that those we work with will be willing to let us into their lives for a moment or two. We also ask that you pray for God to present us with a small group of people that we can make deeper connections with, perhaps even maintaining contact after we return home. Finally, we ask that you would pray for our own health. The best way we can serve God is if we are healthy and present in our work.
Eleven days until we leave for Lesvos, Greece. Eleven days until we leave on the trip of a lifetime. Eleven days until we encounter the oppressed, the fatherless, the widow.