During the tour of Lesvos we made a few stops. After church, we headed to Olive Wood, a shop that sells handmade olive wood goods. We were happy to visit and support a local business— even though most of the team members had never met the owners of Olive Wood, we were greeted with love. They were very hospitable, giving us iced tea, candies, and fresh pastries as we shopped.
The next stop of the tour was a bit more sobering— we stopped at the Lifejacket Graveyard, a landfill where all of the lifejackets used by refugees are dumped. There are also random articles of clothing and deflated raft boats. When we visited the graveyard, we prayed for each person represented by a lifejacket. It’s sobering to think that the locals call it a dump, but we look at it and see thousands of life jackets representing thousands of people, each with their own story.
We will be meeting with Danielle from All4Aid in the morning to get our schedule for the week and learn more about the center. Tomorrow the real work begins!
