I don’t really have the words to accurately describe the crisis here in Lesvos. We are surrounded by heartache, desperation, death, and brokenness. Sometimes I feel like I’m stepping into a history book, knowing that in future years we will wonder how it got to this point. The reality is that the people who are trying to flee from death and danger are still finding it on their journey out.
The other night I held a baby girl in the clothing tent. She was sopping wet and wrapped in an emergency blanket when her father placed her in my arms. Her eyes were closed and she was very, very still. I didn’t know if she was even alive. Jesus, Jesus may she just be sleeping.
I called over to my teammate Kayla who unwrapped the blanket and confirmed that she was breathing. We peeled off her soaking clothes as she leaned against us in a daze.
The world seems to stop in these moments between life and death.
Last week at the refugee camp, I was in the parking lot picking up trash. I came across a single red rose wrapped carefully in a plastic bag. Most refugees bring literally nothing besides the clothes on their backs. Yet someone carried that rose over the “death grip,” a dangerous four-mile boat ride from Turkey to Greece. I was reminded that even in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, there is still hope.
There is hope when a squad of 45 World Racers joins efforts with the ten volunteers who are on the verge of burnout. There is hope when more tents are being built at the camp providing shelter for more people. There is hope when a host of believers are the first contacts the refugees have when they land on the island. There is hope when hundreds of sleeping bags are delivered to the camp. There is hope when flooring is built in the tents to prevent flooding. There is hope in a smile and a hug and a prayer.
After I found the rose, I waved to a bus full of refugees departing to the next camp. Their faces were exhausted, but there was still a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They made it through this camp and they are onto the next leg of their journey. They still have a long, weary road ahead of them, but there is hope.
“To them God has chosen to make known the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
PC: Anna Kate
