Today at the Center, we served in many of the same ways as Monday: lice checks, showers, laundry, school, and craft activities. We also deep cleaned parts of the Center and organized items for their new store (we might share more about the store later in the week).
We finished at the Center a bit early due to a scheduled power outage and used the opportunity to visit the “Life Jacket Graveyard.” This space is a dump for the remnants of a refugee’s journey to Lesvos, such as their life jackets and boats. Let me tell you, it was piled high. The space felt heavy, and left us with more questions than answers: Should we celebrate, as each life jacket represents someone safe at shore? Should we be angry, as people were forced to flee from their homes? Should we be unsettled, as this could just as easily be us? Should we be outraged, as there aren’t enough spaces of welcome for these people to find refuge?
“Hello, my friend,” is a phrase women and children use at the Center in order to gain our attention. It is a reminder that we are all connected. We are united as people made by God in His image. You and I will not ever know the names and faces of the people who wore those life jackets, but we all share space in God’s creation and are equally loved by Him.
As we continue to serve throughout the week, our prayer is that we will bear well the title of “my friend.” Pray that we will be a place of welcome and love, extenders of friendship and belonging, and humble learners of truth.