Wow, I don’t even know where to begin, my heart is so full and heavy at the same time. This month we worked on the island of Lesvos, Greece at the refugee camps of Skala and Moria. There is so much I could say, so many rants and raves that I could go off on, but mainly, I want to tell you about some of the most precious people I have ever gotten to work with.
The people I had the privilege to get to know and serve were nothing like what most people think of when they think of middle eastern people. They were so warm and super friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. Our first shift at Moria was a night shift and it was pretty cold and we were outside guarding the gate to the family compound (they try to keep those with young families or women traveling by themselves separate from the rest of the group for safety) and one of the teenage guys that we were hanging out with offered to go get his blanket for me so I would be warm… these people dont have much of anything at all and are always asking for more blankets to stay warm and here Ali was, offering me his. Another guy, we called him John cause it was easier, went and got us a chocolate croissant to snack on while we were there. They are so much like us. At one point John (our squad leader) and I looked down on them all sitting on the ground all on their phones…facebook, pictures, music. They’re just like us.
The day shift is more busy and there are a lot of jobs to get done in a small amount of time. The clothing tent has to go to people’s tents and take clothes orders and then go back to the clothing tent and try to get as close as possible the right sizes that are being requested. We are always running out of men’s shoes and pants because the vast majority of people in the camps are men. There are also tent distributions and reorganizations that have to be done. Due to the fact that so many people are coming in every day, there is a constant need to arrange and rearrange everyone to get everyone from sleeping outside.
I worked primarily in the info tent that was the head over the camp. (Moria is actually a detainment center now and not considered a refugee camp because of the new agreement that was passed on March 19. So the military and the police are actually the ones in charge of the camp but Euro Relief, who we worked under, are the ones that do everything.) I loved working in the info tent because it is basically the heart and brains of the camp, not much goes on that we don’t know about or help with. I loved getting to talk to people and try to help them and get them what they needed as best we could.Basically, I just loved any interactions that I was able to have with these people and friends.
I use the term “friend” because that is exactly what they are, they are my friends and some of them have hearts of gold. They are not a faceless, lifeless term anymore,they are dear to me.Those who speak English are so willing to pitch in and interpret and help in any way. They are bored out of their minds, these are intelligent people that are stuck in this confined camp for weeks now so anyway they can be active is appreciated.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that all of the people in the refugee camps are all nice and friendly and eager to help. Some are rude and frustrated and out right mean at times. Some are easily provoked and get into fights. But this is not the majority, it’s the minority. The world is so afraid of these people because of terrorism, and extreme religious views but what they don’t understand is that these evils are exactly what the refugees are running from themselves. That’s why they picked up their entire lives and left everything and everyone they knew and started this treacherous journey in the first place. Someone said that you only put your kids and wife and yourself on an overcrowded boat (after paying thousands of dollars for the ticket) and face the dangers of the water, if the water is safer than the land. Most of the boats dont have captains, they just pick a refugee that seems intelligent and put him in charge of driving everyone across the stretch of water that seporate Greece and Turkey. A lot of the life jackets that they are given are fake, they don’t actually have flotation devices in them, in fact sometimes what’s in them would make someone drown faster. I’m saying all of this to show that all these dangers that the refugees are willing to take is because they are unsafe where they are and they are trying their hardest to protect and take care of their families. These people wll do anything for family and friends.
Leaving the camp yesterday was harder than I thought it would be. The whole time I’ve been there I haven’t been overly emotional about things, it’s a heartbreaking situation and I know and see that but I’ve been more focused on getting to be a light and showering them with as much love as Christ gives me. We have been getting reports that Muslims in some of the refugee camps later on in the process are coming to know Christ because of all the love and kindness they have received from Christians along the way. That makes me want to shout! To me, that is what it is all about, we are getting to be the love of Christ in extremely real and practical ways and it is making a difference for the Kingdom. That rocks my socks. It was hard to walk away yesterday and know that all of them are still there and will be for the foreseeable future but I have to trust that I did my part in loving and serving and I know that God is working and will continue to work after we leave.
I don’t know what the future holds but I do know that my mind was blown by all of these middle eastern people. I have such a love for them and I don’t think that my work with them is over, in fact I hope it’s just beginning.
