Well it’s been a few days now and please accept m apologies for the silence!
First, our last two days on the island were overwhelming! The highs of the Woman’s Centre work of our ladies, connecting with the women and children POC’s (Persons of Concern. The work of new classrooms and children’s amazing resilience in the joy of learning and activity time , smiling, laughing, having fun together causes our hearts to smile. The All4Aid Centre is definitely a ray of light in this very dark place both spiritually and humanitarian based. As the women shared the love of Jesus at the Centre, the guys walked through the heartbreak of the camp, to say overcrowded, is a vast understatement! We sorted tents, packed clothing, winterized tents, counted people, mapped tent placement in the overflowing olive groves and walked/talked with people from many countries and cultures! Lots of interaction with refugees and volunteers from all over the world! We were also overcome with joy as we passed out transfer tickets to some who had been selected to leave the camp for Greece! This has been a week filled with the highs and lows of human life and tragedy. However always tempered with the strength and sustenance of our faithful God and everpresent Holy Spirit! Thank you for partnering with us is prayer for these souls! Please continue to pray for all caught in this tragic refugee crisis that each act of love and prayer of hope, gesture of help, will be kept in their hearts and grow in transforming lives to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Second, we arrived in Athens for our debrief and the privilege of worshiping with our partner church in Glyfada, it was a wonderful day of seeing sights and reacquainted friendships with the Greek interns from their summer at Calvary! Today we join them in worship at their church! God as been so good and we praise his holy name each day and throughout the day!
Tomorrow we leave for home where the impact of this time away will be carried out in our daily interactions with each other! God has not necessarily “changed” our hearts, but he has enlarged our hearts and our vision of love for all peoples of this world! May we be always be ready to impact the lives of those God brings into our journey, impacting with love and the blessed hope of Jesus!