The following was written after my first three shifts at the Moria Refugee Camp, the largest of camps on the island, during the days of Jan. 9-11th.
The past 3 nights I had the privilege of working at the Moria refugee transition camp here on Lesvos island. In all honesty it has been one of the most difficult things I have done in my life. My team has been given responsibility over the family blocks where mothers and fathers with young children are housed for the night before moving on with their journey. My job has been gatekeeper. I stand by the gate for 8 hours letting people in and out but most of the time my job consists of telling individuals and families that there is no room and that they must sleep in the cold. Due to the mass influx of refugees each day, the camp’s facilities simply cannot sustain the number of people passing through. Each night we find our housing blocks beyond double the capacity, letting mothers with children cram into every square inch of space we can find. It’s a tough job and I never thought I would have to be the one to look into the eyes of exhausted souls and tell them they have to sleep outside in the cold, sometimes rain. When I signed up for this trip I was expecting to inject hope into these people’s lives but instead I find myself doing the opposite.
However, every night I spend at this camp, God sends me some angels and instills hope in what seems to be a hopeless situation. He reminds me that people are people no matter the circumstances. Each night God set up for me divine appointments with His angels and this blog is about those angels.
First, I would like you to meet Muhammad. Muhammad is an adolescent boy from Syria. Him and his family came over by boat from Turkey. I don’t know much else about his story because we don’t speak each other’s languages but that didn’t matter. As I stood at the gate, Muhammad would periodically come by and greet me with smiles and sometimes tea. He would pass the time by giving me simple farsi lessons and teaching me this word and that. Once the dinner food showed up at our block (after a 2 hour delay) he greeted me at the gate with a ration of food. He smiled and proceeded to give me the food but I kindly insisted that he should eat it. After all, he needed it more than I did. After a minute of refusal, he placed his hand on my shoulder and pushed me down into my seat. He then pulled two spoons from his pocket and began to break bread with me. I was speechless. Here was a boy with almost nothing and the little bit that he did have he wanted to share with me. For the next 10 minutes or so we sat there sharing his lentils and exchanging smiles and gratitude of each other’s company. That was my first day at Moria and the hardest day I’ve had on the island so far but because of this boy’s heart, I began to see just how God can use these people to minister to my heart just as easily as I would minister to theirs.
Next, I would like you to meet two individuals that will forever hold a special place in my heart, Nora and her son Samir. Nora is a mother of two from Damascus, Syria. She fled from her home in hopes of finding a safe place and a better life for her children. I met these two on my second shift while attending the gate. When I first greeted Nora she smiled a smile I can only describe as divine and thanked me for my help. She then began to brag about how clever her little boy Samir was. She told Samir to tell me the English words he knew and shortly after a shy smile, he began to recite the English words he knew. “Apple, orange, dog, book.” I couldn’t handle how precious this little child was. It was as if all of the love and joy in the world was contained in this tiny human being. He was adorable and it was certainly evident how dearly loved he was by his mother. Throughout the night Nora would walk Samir around the compound for some fresh air, away from the overcrowded and stuffy room they were staying in for the night. They would always stop by the gate to visit me and each time they did I was overwhelmed with joy. I love these two dearly and pray everyday that they find a safe place to call home. I pray that little Samir will grow up to see a better world, a world not ravaged by war and conflict of the likes seen in the place him and his mother once called home.
This is Noraden. (Norah-dean) My teammates and I saw him and his family at camp Sykaminea the day they first arrived on the island. The next 2 days we saw him in our family block at Moria. He has one of the sweetest hearts I have ever seen in a child. He is only 7 years old and yet he preferred to spend his time helping my teammates distribute food and blankets to all the families. He has a true servant’s heart and a sense of hospitality unmatched by most adults I’ve met in my lifetime. Every so often he would come up to the gate with a nice hot cup of chai, and an enormous smile on his face, just for me. He was precious and whenever I would look at his face I saw my savior looking back at me.
And last but not least, Hong. Hong grew up in Afghanistan but lived in Iran among many other places throughout the middle east. He is a true warrior for the sake of the Gospel. I met him while doing the overnight shift, my third shift at Moria. Hearing this man’s story has encouraged me in such a profound way. He has been beaten, stabbed, and has faced constant persecution because of his faith. His family and closest friends have disowned him and the government of Iran even seized his home, cars, and other possessions simply because he recognizes Jesus Christ as his savior. He has come a long way, crossing over from Turkey into Greece by boat but instead of continuing on in search of a better life, he has chosen to stay at the refugee camp here so that he may serve anyone and everyone in need. He has a true servant’s heart and his perseverance knows no limits. I am forever grateful that God brought this man and his testimony into my life.
I get to meet people like Hong, Muhammad, Nora and Samir, and Noraden here on this island everyday. It’s souls like these that make the unfathomable heartbreak of working here worth it. Please pray for these people and all the other exhausted souls in these camps and those still on the long journey to safety and a better life.
My life has been forever changed due to these divine appointments and I thank God everyday for the crossing of our paths.
This is why I came to Lesvos.
Thank you God for sending me and thank you for these precious souls you claim as your children.
Con Amor y Compasión
Joshua
