Greece- Part 1

So, we went to Greece. We decided to go in 24 hours, left two weeks later, were gone for 10 days, and have been home two weeks. I've tried a couple times to sit and write about our experience... but it has taken me quite a while to even begin to wrap my mind around everything we experienced. On most mission focused trips I've been on there's a way to come back and report what kind of work we did with some sort of order because you do something similar every day. But in Athens, it wasn't like that. When we left, Joe and I hoped we would get to work with refugees, and learn more about what their journey looks like before they get to the U.S. We wanted to grow in our ability to empathize, and accurately describe their situation to our church. And thats exactly what happened- and we are so thankful. But...the trip was just so much more than that- so much more than expected- that theres just no way to limit telling you about our experience to describing just our work with refugees.
I am an emotional person and my heart has had to deal with each different section of the trip like processing chapters of book- so thats how I'll organize it for you--- in the chapters of my heart. This post will include the first few chapters which are focused on the tasks we had before us on our trip; the second half is information we learned about Greece, and the amazingly encouraging people we met and their faithful stories.

Introduction: 

Joe and I traveled with an MTW disaster response team that was working in partnership with the First Greek Evangelical Church. This church, and her church plants and people are how we got connected to every part of our trip. Their pastor asked MTW to send teams to help relieve the members of the church of the exhausting amount of work they are faced with- so we went. And we were present. Ready to help work when they wanted to be helped, and ready to just sit and have coffee if that was better too. 

Chapter 1- Refugee Resource Center

The refugee situation in Greece is that in general many Iranis, Iraqis, Syrians, Afghanis, etc are moving from the middle east, through Turkey, taking a rubber boat (the dinky ones all over the news) to a Greek Island, and a great big ferry from the islands to mainland Athens, Greece. Once they get to Athens some of them go straight north, and some stay for a little while (a day or two) but almost all of them are headed to northern Europe. There is a city square in Athens called Victoria Square. Its nothing to write home about- there seemed to be 100's of "city squares" in Athens so Im not really sure what made this one a hub other then location but its where many of the refugees would gather once they got to Athens if they were going to spend a little more time there. Many of them just need a day to wait for their family to wire them money etc. So the church started a resource center right off the square to help meet the immediate needs of the refugees. Our role was to create a system for them to organize their donations, and volunteer in the greeting area of the center. So, when we went to the center we would go into the square (with our Farsi speaking translators) and ask the women and children if they wanted to come inside. Once inside they would do what any traveler wants to do- wash up, change clothes, go to a clean bathroom, charge their phones, use the wifi, have a cup of tea- and just rest a while. Most of the people were wearing nice clothes- they were just so dirty by the time they got to the center that many times they would just throw them away and take the new clothes. There was a kids room adjacent to where the mothers sat where the kids had a safe, clean, calm (ish) place to play. 

I love working with children- and was very much looking forward to working in this little room with the kiddos. The most important thing I learned is that my suspicions were correct- all kids everywhere love bubbles, and Mickey Mouse. Another fun aspect for me was that some of the kids were older, and could understand that I couldn't understand them- and they had a grand time listening to me try and pronounce their colors. They were smart, they were educated, and very well behaved. A few of them knew some English. Their smiles were bright; so resilient, so admirable. There are few things sweeter then getting to hold a baby that you know has just been to hell and back- give her a bottle, and pray for her precious heart and treacherous journey ahead. Some things in life remind us that all humans are the same- and one of them is babies. Everyone ever was a baby at one point and needed to completely be taken care of 100% of the time. They all need love, and they all receive love- no matter what they look like, what their family believes, or what they have experienced. These kids are just innocent bi-standers of the horror taking over their homes. And there they were, in a strange room in ancient Greece, having a grand time with crayons. Glory to God for crayons.
    

The sitting area in the Resource  Center: 

These are the bags the refugee women were carrying. This is all their possessions now: 

Kids Room:

Clothes Donation Room Before:

And After: 

And this is right across from the drop in center; refugees trying to stay warm over night sleeping on the square:

Chapter 2 - Red light District

When I was in college as Social Work student I spent hours and hours and hours reading, watching, and listening to any piece of credible information I could get my hands on regarding sex trafficking in Atlanta. After some time interning at a domestic violence shelter, the Lord led me to work with kids in my hometown- and the prayer and motivation to somehow help protect them from the risk of being trafficked never left my heart. 

I feel really deeply- about everything- and I consider my emotions and ability to empathize deeply a gift from God. So when I heard that our team was going to walk through and learn about the red light district in Athens tons of things went through my mind. To say I was excited sounds a little weird... Disney World is exciting, not brothels. However, I have spent so much screen time and book time learning about what so many men, women, and children experience in human trafficking I feel like I had maxed out my ability to grow in empathy and compassion for trafficking victims without actually seeing it. Smelling it. Feeling the spiritual darkness. I knew my experience would help me better understand what they go through- and that felt like a privilege. A terrifying privilege. 

And... it was awful. So nauseating to see and to smell. Heart crushing to learn the details of cost, time spent, years lost, lives lost, lies believed.... I will not put the details here because not everyone wants to know. And I understand that. If you want to hear more about it- let me know. I'd be happy to share. 

The most impactful thing personally for my heart is that while we were walking and praying I sincerely was able to pray for the traffickers, pimps, and johns ("clients"). Previously I had a hard time praying anything other then I hope hot coals get dumped on their heads from now until forever. But God has been teaching me a lot about my sin. And my capacity to sin- my ability to engage, love, and pursue evil. So when I saw the men walking in and out, in and out, for the first time in my life I felt compassion towards them too. I am not better then they are. I have my own addictions, my own secrets, my shadows I try and keep hidden forever. So who am I to judge them. We are not different. We are the same. Just as in need of Savior. This was a healing step for my heart to take. Glory to God, and may the hurting and broken  of all people involved in  trafficking - victims and perpetrators- experience the freedom and peace that only comes with Christ. 

Chapter 3  - The Port

The refugees that are coming into Athens are arriving via massive ferry at the ports- just normal big city ports - nothing unique about that part. So a handful of the team decided we wanted to go down to the port to be present as the refugees got off the boats and headed either via train, bus, taxi, or by foot to wherever they were going. We had literally no clue what we would find when we got there so we just kinda wandered up in the freezing cold dark of early morning, and we heard an English Speaker talking who was loaded down with baby carriers- so obviously we followed her. Long story short we ended up joining a group of people that had taken over an abandoned building at the port, were from all over the world, and different non profits and NGO's and they said- here, take this bag of stuff and wait for the boat. So, thats what we did. Loaded down with socks, hats, water bottles etc we posted up along the side walk and waited for the current of people to come. There are no words to describe all the feelings that came next. It felt a little like being a palm tree in a hurricane. They just kept coming, and coming, and coming. 2500 refugees on one ferry. And that was one boat of four that day. It was undoubtedly one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life.

When people come visit us in Clarkston, or we are having conversations about refugees I often have said things like, "They don't need your pity, they just need help getting used to this new country." And I meant it as much as a I could... but standing in the waves of refugees coming of the boat the most distinct thing I felt was admiration. The people were so resilient, and brave. And I was surprised that they were so so so much like me. They looked like me, were dressed like me, and just wanted a place to charge their phones, get a snack, and use wifi like me. They weren't helpless, destroyed people- just their presence and determination to take their family to a better life demanded the respect and admiration of any onlooker, including myself. It was a whole new experience being with refugees in a country that was foreign to me too because when they asked how to get somewhere or what they should do- I was absolutely no help. Because I was completely lost too. It was such a humbling reminder of how easy it is, and necessary it is just to offer a sojourner basic help getting from one place to another.

I chose this picture to show you how large the boats are they are coming in on- this one had 2500 refugees on it:

And this is what it looked like when they opened the door:

One more thing I would like to add about my experience with the refugees in Greece is that there was absolutely zero negative reaction when we told them we were from America. At most they said, "America? Ohhh Los Angeles?"... Not exactly. Because of the stereotypes of middle eastern people I was nervous they would have a negative reaction towards us. I very quickly realized how self centered that was- they are crossing a huge part of the world for the sake of survival. They certainly aren't loosing any sleep thinking about me or America.

These experiences were life changing for me because they immediately changed they way I view everyone in my city.... when I got home to Clarkston and saw the only Syrian refugee I know I wanted to hug him and cry with him and ask him if he had traveled through Greece. He  now has so much more of my respect because I have seen a teeny tiny little part of what he might have experienced.

Please pray for refugees, for Greece, and for peace in the world.

TBC.... Part two coming soon