Beached Refugees

I spent yesterday at Helping Hands - it's another ministry in downtown Athens that's associated with Nea Zoi . . . both are organizations associated with International Teams, a Christian missions organization based in Illinois with teams all over the world (i.e. international).

Helping Hands is actually the original ITeams organization in Athens - Nea Zoi sprouted 10 years ago out of work that had already begun at Helping Hands . . . which has been around for I think somewhere between 20 or 30 years. It's a refugee center - similar in a few ways to New Horizons (but it offers more simple services because it serves such a huge - and even more transient - population), in that it's basically a drop-in center that provides showers, tea, and sometimes meals for refugee families. They share the Gospel regularly and see many people - particularly Muslims - come to Jesus, and they also provide simple services helping some individuals get medical attention, get papers for work, etc. The work they do is powerful . . . and obviously, needs continue to remain unmet . . . I don't think ministry will ever be sufficient to meet all the needs of people. Thank You, Jesus, that Your Kingdom is near . . . we ache for Your fullness!

Some background: Athens, obviously, is a HUGE port for refugees . . . because Greece is surrounded by the Mediterannean. The European Union has created a law that whichever nation a refugee first sets foot on, that will be his/her nation of residence. Obvisouly, then, people coming from the Middle East and North Africa hit Greece first - either one of her islands or the mainland. Meanwhile, Greece has some kind of law that they refuse to deport immigrants - legal or illegal. However, they also make it ridiculously difficult (and expensive) to obtain papers - so most cannot find work, and those who do are often working illegally/under-handedly. It works out cheaper for the owners, who can pay their workers less because they don't have to worry about taxes. (Similar to dish-washing and kitchen jobs at most restaurants in the US - at least the ones I worked at.) All that to say, refugees ABOUND throughout the city. Literally - they're everywhere. Lots of Farsi.

Up until a few weeks ago, when some new gov't officials were elected, and, to somehow prove their power or something, decided that they would sweep the city scouting out refugees and illegal immigrants. And so they filled up trucks with them and literally just trucked them off to the coast. So they cleared the streets of Athens (somewhat) . . . and now they've basically got refugee camps living on the beaches. Hmm.

Regardless, Helping Hands is still busy - though many of the refugees are too far away from Athens to receive services right now. While there yesterday, I met several wonderful women - some missionaries from America (one woman in particular who is in her 50's and came with her husband from Oregon last year after selling their business and their home SERIOUSLY encouraged me about God's provision), and some beautiful refugee women from varoius places . . . Eastern Europe and the Middle East primarily. Farsi speakers are in HUGE DEMAND . . . most of the missionaries speak English, little Greek, and very little Farsi. Languages are like gold in this city.

One woman in particular stood out to me yesterday - I have no idea how to spell her name, but it's pronounced Bighnose . . . kind of like Big Nose but with a more ghuttoral sounding "g." Ironically, she was a very beautiful woman and she didn't have a big nose at all. She looked like she was in her 20's . . . she had a young daughter and a husband . . . and her face beamed when we spoke. She was from Afghanistan - she had run from the Taliban, but she had been a teacher there before. She taught Elementary school - mostly 6-8 year olds, and she held a tattered photo book with pictures of her students that she shared with me. Her English was very good - better than most; she was intelligent and stable and seemed to still hold hope. But her story was devastating . . .

She left in January of this year. While teaching, men from the Taliban came in and tied her with ropes. They demanded that she pay them a large fee with threats - but she had no money. They slit the throats of four of her students (6-8 years old) in front of her eyes. In front of her eyes.

How do you recover from that trauma - and smile the way she smiled? You know, in National Geographic, they make it seem that Afghani women who have been through that sort of trauma wear eyes that are misted with sorrow . . . faces clouded with despair. None of that was true of Bighnose. She was easy to laugh with . . . I would have loved to spend time at her home and invite her into mine. Of course, she doesn't have a home. She's a refugee - a sojourner - a wanderer without a home.

It is good to be reminded that these transient comforts - a house, security, comfort - they are good, but they are not the only things that can give us hope and joy. It is good to be reminded that we are all sojourners here . . . Jesus, we long for Your Kingdom . . .

Do I write that in every post?

I find it interesting that I've only been here 8 days . . . and yet I've found in one city a place where so many of my passions all through the years collide . . . African women, refugees from all corners of the earth, women who have been trafficked and enslaved - by a soul-bondage deeper than human injustice, an inner-city seeping with despair and hungry for community, racial tension, a church that is crippled but longing to grow, a missionary community full of life and love and passion - but tired and needing help.

I dreamed last night that I was living in Athens . . . and I woke up scared.

Lord Jesus, I surrender - make me Yours. In Your will, there is peace. In obedience, there is rest. In Your sovereignty, there is freedom.

I choose to be led and Lorded by only You.