The other day I went down to the shore where the boats carrying the refugees land, and for the first time I looked out onto a body of water and didn’t find it beautiful. I looked out and saw death, pain and fear.
The first night we worked at the refugee transit point was a night I won’t forget. My team and I were assigned to work in the clothing tent, which meant handing out dry clothes to the refugees. We are there first stop on the island after coming off the boats so they are often wet and freezing. I had no idea what I was about to walk into that first night, it was down pouring and the clothing tent was flooded, we stood in about 3 inches of water that entire night.
The refugees were coming to the tent begging for dry clothes, and mothers were handing me their naked, crying children hoping I could get them warm. That task seemed nearly impossible because we would search for clothes that could fit and then asking them to change in a tent were they were standing in inches of water. The desperation on the faces of the refugees that night is an image I won’t forget.
Working with the refugees hasn’t been easy for me, the work is difficult and you hear about death almost everyday. With that I started questioning my purpose of being there often and wondered where God was during all of this.
As the days went on, I meet more refugees and got to hear a few of their stories. I meet a group of friends traveling together to Finland, and when I asked them why Finland they said “Because no one else is going there.” I hung out with a little boy who’s favorite color was pink. And a young woman who kissed me on the check three times thanking me for the warm jacket I gave her.
Photo by: AnnaKate Auten
Now I don’t have answers on why this crisis is happening but I’ve seen how God is working through it. We are some of the first faces the refugees see after surviving the “death grip,” the journey across the Aegean Sea, and we can give them hope. I’ve seen Jesus through my entire squad and volunteers working at the transit point, Jesus is giving these people hope for a better life, giving them strength that they can continue this journey, and introducing himself to them. I finally saw my purpose working at the transit point and I saw Gods work being done.
Looking to the Aegean sea, I may still see, death, pain and fear but I also see a new hope for the people that take the risk to cross the sea.
My heart is heavy has my team prepares to leave in the next couple days but I am satisfied in knowing that God is doing work here on the island of Lesvos. With the great volunteers and the two teams from my squad staying here for month three I know God’s work will continue.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
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Continue to pray for the refugees has their journey has just begun, pray for their safety, strength and that the hope we may have given them stays strong. Also pray for the volunteers, site coordinators, and the teams staying here that they are filled with the Lords patience, strength and love, and that they continue to have that to pour out to the refugees. But also be praying that they continue to get rejuvenated and that they stay physically, spiritually and emotionally healthy!
