Thousands of tents, nervous tension, police in riot gear and 13 world racers with neon yellow vests standing in amazement. They call this site Idomeni camp. A camp that was built to house 1,500 people, but in fact houses about 13,000.
The camp is not a permanent camp, which means that it is not ran by the government. People are free to come and go as they please. The Macedonian border has been closed for months and yet the people still believe there is a chance that the border could reopen and if they leave, then they could miss the opportunity to cross. Many people outside of the situation understand that the probability of the Macedonian border opening is very slim; however, rumors continue to go around the camp saying that there is a chance of the border being opened.
These are some pictures of the camp and the incredible people inside of the camp that made our experiences even richer.
This is a gas station that we would pass on the way to Idomeni camp that has Syrian refugees living there. There were at least 100 hundred tents there.
This is the clothing distribution trailer. The poles and fences help to keep some sense of order as the volunteers try to hand out clothing to many of the people living in Idomeni camp. There are many people and not enough clothing, but the workers try to give as much as they can. The left window is where the children’s clothing is sorted into different sizes, the middle window is where the women’s clothing is sorted and the right window is where the men’s clothing is sorted.
This is a little boy that we met and got to hold after working one day at the clothing distribution trailer. The mother saw us admiring her little boy because he is so cute and allowed us to hold him and play with him for a little bit.
There are tents that as far as you can see. These aren’t just tents, but homes that people have lived in for months with the few belongings they were able to bring with them.
The tents line the railway for as far as you can see. The rocks are not easy to walk on and may of the refugees do not have shoes that properly fit them.
Refugees lined up for food. The sun is beating down on them as they wait for hours sometimes to receive the food.
My friends I met in the camp a couple days after the riot at the Macedonia border. Even after all of the tear gas and rubber bullets, these children are still able to smile and laugh with me.
This is the desperation the refugees have felt for far too long. They are willing to throw blankets and jackets on top of barbed wire to be able to climb over in a safer method only to see a Macedonian tank on the other side. During the riot, men, women and children were all trying to cross the border while tear gas and rubber bullets are flying around them in the hopes of finding a better life.
This is one of the Macedonian tanks that now occupy the Macedonian/Greece border. These men are following orders and refugees continue to try and cross the border knowing the risks.
This a picture of the rubber bullets that were shot at the refugees during the riot and some tear gas cans. These were picked up by a refugee. He showed all of these things that he found laying around to me and one of my squadmates. Many refugees who were not apart of the riot had to run from their tents because bullets were hitting their tents.
Many of the people in the camp were educated professionals in their homelands. I was excited to see this man receiving a shave from one of the refugees. These people had lives before they came to the camp and in this moment, I hope this refugee was able to feel some semblance of who he was before he had to leave.
This is a family that I became very close with. The father, Iman, was a lawyer in Syria and the mother, Nadia, was a teacher of art. They were a beautiful family that offered my team and I coffee, tea and snacks whenever we visited, which was on a daily basis. They were so loving and open to us. Iman came to the church we served with in Thessaloniki on Palm Sunday and accepted communion. Please be in prayer for Jesus’ truth to be known and that the seed that was planted will flourish.
Her name is Ysra (spoken as “Isra”). Ysra wanted nothing to do with me the first couple of days that we visited, but I was able to get her to first play peek-a-boo with me and then she would sit next to me. The last day at the camp she fell asleep on me. It was the most beautiful moment for me. This little girl that has been through so much felt safe enough to fall asleep on me. I pray for her innocence and childhood to be preserved.
Ysra and her family share a UNHCR tent with Iman and his family. These two families met, while en route to Greece. Ysra’s family were welcoming and I enjoyed the time I was able to spend with them, while at the camp.
My teammates and I wanted to see what our names would look like in Arabic. Iman began writing our names on our forearms for us. We then decided to write their names in English on their arms, so they would see it too. In the smallest of moments trust and love can be built.
Athena, a shift manager with Praxsis, who became a good friend of mine. Athena was one of the people I worked with at the food distribution trailer in Idomeni camp. Athena knows how to get order at the food distribution trailer and show love to the refugees that come through the line.
Iro is another shift manager for Praxsis that I became good friends with. Iro is a social worker like I am, she helps families in the refugee camp with more than food when she has a chance. Iro is a compassionate, loving person. We took this picture as we were enjoying our falafels made by a Syrian refugee. They were delicious!
This is one of my favorite photos from Idomeni camp because this picture was taken after my last shift with Praxsis. I worked with Praxsis most of my ministry time and it was hard work. You have to on alert at all times because kids like to try and grab the food and sometimes the line gets out of order and people begin to skip and you have to watch for this. This day the kids were out of control, with trying to grab food over the fence, grabbing boxes and giving me a run for my money. My teammate Sean decided to be funny and snap a picture after asking us “how much do you love children?” This was the look he got from us. We both love children, but that was a rough day.
As you can see, my time at Idomeni camp was incredible! The people I was able to meet workers and refugees alike were a blessing to me. I had a revelation from God during my time in Greece. I was wondering why God would allow something as horrible as this situation to happen. I felt God tell me that He allowed this to happen because this was a way for these people to come to know Him. Many of the refugees come from the Middle East where Islam is deeply rooted in their culture and their family values. By bringing these people out of the Middle East, they have an opportunity to hear about the Good News in an environment, where they may be more open to hearing about it. Please continue to pray for the refugees and the workers at Idomeni camp. God’s love is powerful.
