Island Team - February 2017 Each of our teams volunteering to help refugees in Greece is a bit different. Some are all from the same group or church, others are a smattering of individuals from all over the U.S. Each one ends up doing slightly different things to help refugees. But the stories and experiences [...]
I am so very thankful. Shukraan (that means thank you in Arabic). I am still trying to put into words my thoughts and feelings about last week in Athens. The best summary I have is that it was a beautiful week, for in beauty there can be both joy and sorrow. The stories I heard [...]
I’m a Chicago Cubs fan. Last week was a good week. I saw that over five million people attended the Cubs World Series victory parade. Someone told me it was the 7th largest gathering of people in world history. I have no idea if that’s true, but that IS a lot of people celebrating the [...]
Elizabeth spent two months of her summer break from college teaching English and helping out with various refugee projects in Athens. She was able to form deep friendships and make great friends. She left part of her heart in Athens with her new refugee friends and family. 20 Questions What keeps you up at night? Things I haven't [...]
Elizabeth was part of our team living in Athens for two months this summer. I have been back in America for a week now, and my thoughts are constantly returning to the friends I left in Athens. So many of these moments and relationships are cherished in my heart – many of them in a [...]
One team member recently wrote: "Back in 'Merica today and feeling WEIRD. So very glad to see my people here but aching for the family I left behind. Pretty sure this is just the beginning of a lifetime of having my heart invested all across the map. A part of me hates the tension, the [...]
As humans we spend a lot of time on food. Our team in Greece is no different as they spend a lot of time on food for themselves and others. We've found a few recipes that our teams have really loved. Here's an easy Orzo Salad for you to add to your repertoire! 1. Start with 1lb of [...]
So often we feel helpless and unable to do anything in the face of so much suffering. But you can and do have a role. Prayer is powerful and effective. Pray for refugees to have patience in the slow process. Pray for protection in the camps that are overfull and under supervised. Pray for the [...]
Our work at the center is still going very well. We have had people showing up nearly every day except Friday for English lessons. But today almost no one has appeared because the metro is on strike. I have loved teaching much more than I thought I would, which is good because it is a much larger part [...]
Sometimes the tragedies of the world hit us like a tsunami and we feel so overwhelmed and completely helpless, drowning in the weight of it all. Even our greatest efforts, our most skillful attempts to keep our heads above water seem deeply, gloriously inadequate. It feels like the last scene of Schindler’s List, where Oskar [...]
