Jesus, when I prayed to be your hands and feet – I didn’t think that it was going to happen so suddenly. I didnt think I was going to abrubtly travel to an island to share your love. I didn’t know I was literally going to be wiping off the feet of refugees, then putting socks and shoes on them. Kneeling in front of them, as You did the disciples when you washed their feet.
My squad and I got an incredible opportunity. We got the chance to say yes to flexibility. Yes to change. And yes to some discomfort.
It was worth it – and I am so glad we said yes.
“You are an answer to our prayers” – was the greeting we received from multiple of the volunteers running the Sykaminia Refugee Transition Point that my squad and I are helping with this month.
These volunteers are running the second point on the island that the refugees reach. The first is the very publicized beach check point – where the refugees are received off of the rafts. The second is our transition point, Sykaminia. A twenty five minute drive, or a four mile walk for the refugees, and there we are. Waiting to give them bus tickets, food, water, hot tea, and dry clothes before they depart to the third camp on the island and then onto Athens. Most of them hoping to find Asylum in Germany.
Sykaminia was made to hold maybe 300 refugees at a time – but as the refugees flood to Europe, the transition point becomes more hectic. Last week the transition point had two thousand refugees trying to funnel through.
“The numbers don’t add up” one of the volunteers said about the number of refugees versus the volunteers. They had 35 volunteers, but 20 departed. Leaving 15 very burnt out, tired, and committed volunteers to run this transition point.
The volunteer went on to say “the numbers didn’t add up for Jesus either”. Jesus did still feed thousands – just Him and his 12 disciples.
What these volunteers are doing may not be publicized – but they don’t care. They are here to help the cold, wet, sick, scared refugees that are fighting for a better life. These volunteers are amazing – and I am so excited that God brought me to this island. Not only to play a part in the lives of the refugees – but to hopefully bring lift to some of these volunteers.
It was a sudden transition. It was a lot of travel. And I still can’t fully wrap my head around it. But I am here, and I am willing.
It isn’t glamorous… Yes, I am in Greece. Yes, God blessed my squad and I with great last minute accommodations. Yes, the sunsets are absolutely stunning.
But – we are working 60 hour work weeks. We are surrounded by a grieving situation. We are in the middle of people who have abandoned everything – some losing their families, children… We are working with a lot of broken people, in a broken situation, and we are dealing with the broken things inside of ourselves.
It is a roller coaster of emotions working with the refugees, and then resting in a place that is absolutely comfortable.
We need prayer. The refugees need prayer. The other volunteers need prayer.
The sound of babies crying seems to be a constant sound in the background of the transition point. Probably at every refugee camp.
Yesterday the wind had picked up – making the crossing a lot harder. Some may have stepped out in the wind, not noticing the huge difference it made in the lives of hundreds. But, yesterday a boat capsized. Hundreds thrown into the water. The coast guard couldn’t save them all… Some refugees died yesterday.
I can’t imagine working on the beach while the refugees come in on boats. Working at the second point is difficult enough.
Yesterday as I was changing children and babies DRENCHED head to toe because they were thrown into the water, or splashed by the strong waves – I had a scare of a lifetime. A family brought in their “sleeping child”, and set her down on the cot to be changed. The mother mentioned that the child had been thrown into the water. I went over to asses the six year old girls clothing and realized that it was just damp – this not being good since it didn’t add up with the mother’s story. The thought going through my head was that this girl must have been in soaking wet clothes for hours to only be this damp now.
I started taking off the child’s shoes and realized that she wasn’t moving. Her eyes slightly open, and looking a little glazed over. I quickly called over Anna, another girl on my team. She sat down on the cot and picked up the girl. The girl still not responding or moving at all, I quickly ran to find a doctor – then realized to my dismay that they were now off duty because it was so late in the evening.
I ran over to Nicole Bryant, another girl on my team and asked her if any doctors were around. She said no, but we can call them back if needed. I ran back into the tent to asses the little girls situation. She still wasn’t moving. I was more frightened now. Asking my other teammates what we should do – Shrena started walking me through steps – I told her I would just switch her so that she could try and wake the girl up.
I went and finished changing a tiny infant while Shrena assessed the girl. Shrena told us that we definitely needed to call the doctors back – Anna ran out of the clothing tent and got the site coordinator to call the doctors, he came into the tent while on the phone with the doctor – talked with Shrena and then left. Shrena continued to try to get the little girl to wake up and was rubbing the little girls arms and legs to create heat.
As I was holding the tiny infant, waiting for the mother to finish changing – I was silently praying for the little girl who was still unconscious – I finally heard the cry of the six year old girl. I don’t think I have ever felt so happy in my life.
Shrena talked the Mom through how she couldn’t let the girl go back to sleep for a while – and asked the mother how much the girl had eaten that day – a few bites of apple and some water was all she had. Many of the refugees are living off of crackers and fruit, while they try and make their long journey as quickly as possible.
When you see the numbers of refugees on the news, don’t just quickly change the channel because you are tired of hearing about a situation that doesn’t apply to you back in America. Realize that every number is a living, breathing human being – and say a prayer for their health and safety.
More than anything these organizations need volunteers to help them with the influx of people. My squad of 45 people and I were literally answered prayers – I don’t say this to boast about our willingness to serve. I say this to make you realize that God does answer prayers, and God hears. So, if you can’t personally give enough time to travel to Europe to help, please spare a couple minutes and pray.
The day before yesterday, during the morning shift a couple of the teams and I were working (7am-5pm) – we got 1300 refugees through the transition point and onto busses to the next camp. We showed up at 7am and 700 refugees were already there (the transition point is ment to handle around 300 refugees at a time)… We aren’t a “camp” so we have no beds and no heated rooms for these people to stay in. Hundreds of blankets surrounding the camp, trash everywhere. The busses stopped running late in the evening and left these people practically stranded with us.
Before we got out of the van, we prayed. We prayed hard. The site coordinator Emmanuel knew that this was going to make for a very long day. We got out of the van and got to work. In short, the crowd ended up completely overtaking the gate and all order in the transition point dissipated. Thankfully God’d protection and peace surrounded us. No fights broke out, and no volunteers were hurt. it was a very long day, and a long process getting the huge crowd to listen to direction BUT we did it! We eventually got the people out on busses and to the next camp.
I can’t imagine the volunteers handling that crowd without us racers being here. I know that God sent us here, even if it was for that one day of chaos and that little girl. I don’t think I have ever been so joyful to pick up trash in my life, but after that huge crowd of refugees were gone – I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face.
If you are moved by this situation at all, please pray. If you aren’t moved by this situation, please pray even harder. God loves. God died for you, he died for me, and he died for these refugees.
They need our prayer. Lord knows I need your prayer, and my squad needs your prayer.
Since my squad and I were re-routed from Albania to Greece to help with this refugee crisis, Adventures and Missions (the organization the World Race is under) had to pay extra money to get us here. If you feel led to donate to help offset the cost for them, click this link http://aim.gift/1147bcab.
I am also still $3,219 away from being fully funded. I would love to reach the December 31st deadline to continue to see what God has in store for me on this race. With how much God has already taught me, I can’t begin to fathom what the next nine months has in store. If you feel led click the “support me” tab and it will walk you through the donating process!
Thank you all so much for reading this, and for your prayers and the support you have already donated. Thank you for taking this crisis seriously, and all your prayers you are sending towards the refugees.
