One week from today, my team will have wrapped up our time here in Greece and started our travel to Turkey.
Time is going by WAY too fast.
So far, the ministry opportunities, families I’ve met, and the children who have forever touched my heart, have, by far, exceeded any expectations that I had for the first two months of my race.
In Morocco, I learned the importance of prayer. And a specific prayer that I prayed daily was for God to “break my heart for what breaks His”. I had the chance to serve in an orphanage my entire month there and I became very attached to two of the children specifically. A month full of soccer, learning Arabic, watching Narnia, coloring, feeding the babies, singing the sweet name of Jesus in their ears, and even watching one of the them be adopted – my month was so joyful. But saying goodbye to them on our last day was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever felt. Leaving nothing but my love and a letter of encouragement behind, something that I hope that sweet boy will hold on to forever.
My heart broke. My tears fell. And God slowly started to put that daily prayer into effect.
Now in Greece –
I had the pleasure of being a tourist my first few days and I experienced so many beautiful parts of the city. However, we are staying in a drug rehab facilitation in the Red Light District of Athens. It’s not full of white stucco houses with cute little blue roofs – but it is full of many people that are in desperate need of the Lord’s love.
We have a full schedule:
We serve food and hand out clothing to the refugees.
We work with children in the refugee camps – with programs that teach English, art, and music.
We feed and minister to extreme drug addicts and offer them options for rehabilitation.
We have also participate in prayer walks through the Red Light District, and even down the most notorious Brothel alley in Athens. We pray for the victims of the sex trafficking industry and for the men enslaved with lust and evil desires.
The first week here felt like a blur – being so busy with debriefing, figuring out a schedule, and participating in all of these ministries – I was in the mindset of “Lord, just get me through this week”. Then God spoke to me through the words of one of our squad leaders:
“Don’t be in the mentality to SURVIVE. Be in the mentality to THRIVE.”
Thrive. Don’t just survive.
That turned the remainder of my time here in Greece into something so much more beautiful.
I go into each ministry with such an open heart to love. My goal is to embrace every single second that God has given me to further His kingdom. To be thankful for each opportunity that I get to tell people about Jesus. But with the willingness in my heart, God has had the perfect opportunity to put that daily Moroccan prayer into full effect – and I ain’t mad about it.
Through many of my ministries God has exposed me to a new emotion- sadness. But for the sake of not making this blog a book, I’ll share with you one specific ministry that has crushed me – in such a good way.
Hearing the stories of each refugee I meet. Not just giving them food. Not just giving them clothes. Not just teaching them English. Not just handing out pamphlets or singing them old hymns. But actually hearing their stories.
Where they are from.
Why they are here.
How they got here.
Where they are trying to go.
I hear God through these refugees. I hear his voice so clearly. I feel his presence on the town squares they sleep at, the tents they are enslaved to, and at each ministry site I meet them at. My heart feels for them deeply, but the hurt that I feel for these people doesn’t even begin to compare the hurt that our Lord has for each one of them.
After each story, I immediately begin to think of any way I could personally help them – and the American way has warped me so much. It’s not always material things that these people need.
It may just be genuine love and care that they are longing for.
I’m going to tell one story and then I’ll wrap it up!
It was our first day as a full team that we went to serve at the Piraeus Port Refugee Camp. I had been there before and I met a group of people who were involved in a volunteer project who had a huge heart for the refugee children. This organization offered the children shade in the scorching hot parking lot, played games with them, taught them English and music. It was basically a daycare for the Gate E1 camp. However, it was not a religious-based organization, just strictly volunteer work. So when I brought back my entire team with me, I sensed a concern from some of their workers. After talking to one of them I then learned why they were so concerned.
They were still upset about the day before- A huge, fancy, coach bus pulled into the camp and out poured the members of a church. They had food, bags of toiletries, and a few toys. This sounds great, right? However, while a few handed out the food and supplies, the rest of the “church” walked around taking pictures and videos of refugees in their tents, not ever interacting with or speaking to a single one. After spending less than a full hour at the camp, they got back in their bus and they left.
This infuriated the volunteers from this organization and left them with such a bad impression of the “church”. As one of my team members was talking with an middle-aged, English-speaking refugee, he said to her,
“People come in here to walk around just to look at us (the refugees) like we are animals at a ZOO.”
Wow.
Is this how we, the church, want people to feel after we go to “serve” them?
Is this how we want other volunteer organizations to perceive us?
Are we the church more concerned about the image and reaction of serving, or genuinely serving, interacting with, and hearing the stories of the people? People that need, not only our supplies, but our love and sincere care as well. And I’ll admit, I found myself struggling with this quite a few times on this race. But the second I stopped worrying about having to prove something to the people back home, I was able to put so much more into each person that I served. I was able to serve them wholeheartedly.
Are we the church willing to step out of our comfort zones to spread God’s word and comfort to the people who truly need it? Are we willing to do this for His glory, not our own?
For the refugee woman holding her newborn and missing her husband that was murdered by the Taliban 4 months ago, it may mean simply sitting in front of her bench being all ears so that she can feel heard and feel important.
For the child that’s been living in a tent for months, with filthy clothes and lice crawling through her hair, it may mean accepting her affection and mighty bear hugs fearlessly so that she can feel the love that God knows she needs.
For the refugee man fighting to keep his sanity because it’s killing him that he can’t provide for his wife and three children, it may mean bringing pizza, sandwiches, snack foods, and chocolate to fill their bellies, so they can experience a good meal and happiness together as a family.
It’s our job, as the church, as God’s people, to step out of our own comfort zones so that people, may receive Gods comfort, importance, love, and happiness. It’s our job to be all ears – to listen to their stories so we can love each one of them on a personal level. It’s our job to be the hands and feet of Jesus – so that everywhere we go we leave the lasting impression of His love for His people.
I challenge you to a few things:
THRIVE.
Be all ears.
Step out of your comfort zone so you can better serve the Lord.
Serve with a genuine heart for God’s people.
Please keep the refugee crisis in your prayers. The need is real. These people are in unimaginable circumstances. These people need the genuine love and prayers of God’s people.
By His Grace & For His Glory,
Erin
Thank you SO much again to all of my supporters. I’m still in awe that I have this opportunity! I am so grateful for each and every donation and prayer! I’ll never be able to thank you enough!
