Everyone has a story to tell...

Asylum-seekers see Greece as a gateway to Europe,
but the reality is quite different.

Another Tuesday, another day serving at the refugee centre. I had the pleasure today of once again meeting various people who had given up their time to volunteer with 'Helping Hands'. One of these people is a man who works for an international missions organisation. We spent a good deal of time chatting about various things, and in one brief sentence as we leaned back on the wall looking out at the vast numbers of refugees, he said "Just imagine how many stories there are in this room". This is something I'm often quick to forget, that the people we serve each week are people. So often we can speak of refugees as statistics on a page, or just merge them all into one big category, but the truth is each of the people who walk through the door has a story to tell. Each of the people who walk through the door, have reached this point in their life probably having experienced more in one year than I have in my twenty-nine. It was a poignant moment and one I hope will not escape my attention any time soon.

After the gospel message, I got chatting with a refugee who thankfully was able to speak some English. He shared with me his story. It was a story filled with much sadness as he explained to me how both his parents were killed when he was 16 causing him to flee his country. Six years on and he is still searching for a place where he can settle and move on with his life. I was encouraged to hear of how over that time he had come to hear of Jesus Christ, and although not a believer, could see that there was something different about this man who lived 2000 years ago. I invited him to consider reading more about Jesus in one of the gospels and will be praying that he comes to see that Jesus is not just a good man, but that he would see that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

The 'Helping Hands' centre welcomes over 130 refugees
from Afghanistan every Tuesday. 

Albanian fellowship...

Now my teaching job at the school is finished, I've been thankful to have more free time in the evenings. As well as seeing friends, and taking things a little easier, it has allowed me to spend more time with some of the ministries I've become involved with in Greece. On Tuesday, I was able to stay at 'Helping Hands' for the entire refugee program. It was great to be a part of the whole time and to serve in different ways. There are many practical tasks to be done over the day, in addition to talking with the refugees when possible. Over the next two weeks, the team from 'Helping Hands' are away on the annual summer camp, but I hope to have similar opportunities to serve once they're back in Athens.

Over the past months, I've had the pleasure of getting to know a group of Albanians who attend a new church in Athens. It has been a real delight and it is always a special treat to have the opportunity to play in the music band, and help serve in other ways when needed. On Wednesday evening, a group from the church gather at the pastors house for a time of singing, Bible study and prayer.

Now that my classes are finished, I was able to come along, and also be introduced to this amazing Albanian dessert called 'milky'. It's kind of like a Crème brûlée without the blow torched sugar on top. All in all, it was a fun time, and I was thankful for a friend who translated in English. Please do pray for this church as they meet together to worship God, grow in their love for the Lord Jesus, and seek to make him known.