On October 6 through 15, a group of six women from Calvary Church are traveling to Lesvos, Greece, to serve with All4Aid, a faith-based organization from Germany that serves refugees. This will be Calvary’s first short-term missions trip back to Lesvos since 2019, when five different teams went to serve with this organization. All4Aid hosts The All4Women Centre on the island of Lesvos, where refugee women and children can access clean showers, wash laundry, utilize the foodbank, and enjoy a moment of respite from life inside the refugee camp.
During this 10-day trip, the team will serve refugee women and children who are among thousands to have fled their countries due to war and persecution and are living in Lesvos as they seek asylum to other parts of the world. The team will be there to serve them, spend time with them, and share the love of Jesus with them.
Whether it’s engaging in crafts, painting nails, or assisting the All4Aid staff, these six women are committed to fulfilling the scripture’s call to offer “a cold cup of water” (Matthew 10:42) to those who are thirsty for comfort and care.
All4Aid initiated its work on Lesvos, a small Greek island off the coast of Turkey, in 2018, with the help of short-term teams that served inside the former Moria Camp, which burned down in 2020. However, since February 2019, All4Aid manages its own community centers and programs on Lesvos. Since 2015, nearly one million refugees have come through Lesvos as they make their way to Athens and other part of Europe. The crisis has been laden with danger, unrest and uncertainty for refugees and locals alike. Organizations like All4Aid exist to fill the gap of meeting dire needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
We are grateful for the opportunity to return to Lesvos, thanks to the generous support of so many who have faithfully funded this trip. The women look forward to supporting All4Aid and caring for women and children deeply impacted by the refugee crisis in Europe.
Please pray!
- For the team – Pray for our hearts and minds to be clear and ready, renewed energy from travel, and a spirit of peace as we place this week in God’s hands.
- For our hosts – Pray for those who work tirelessly at the Center, that they would be encouraged, filled and blessed by all the work they do daily for the refugees.
Please follow along on this blog for continuous updates of the team’s experiences as well as additional ways you can participate through prayer.
Caption: Olga VanderLeest, Cathy Oosse, Lana Duoibes, Paula Kerr, Angela Klinske, and Dianne Bowman are traveling to Lesvos, Greece, October 6-16, 2023, to serve with All4Aid. Follow along with us on the blog for continuous updates!