Some closing thoughts...

So, we didn’t get to our hotel in Athens until 3 am.  We crashed and slept until about 9:30.  We didn’t want to miss breakfast at the hotel!  What a nice treat when we saw this view from our hotel while we ate! 

Carbs, carbs and more carbs...

 

Good thing it's really only my silhouette you see...looking a little rough...

  

This trip is winding down.  All of my service and appointments are complete.  I’m sitting in the Athens airport for my final flight of the trip.  I’ve seen much.  I’ve experienced much.  I’ve met many pretty amazing people.

What do I do with it all now?

I’m still trying to wrap my head around all that I have seen, smelled and experienced.  Some of my thoughts?  (Bear with me, because they will probably be jumbled)

Why am I one of the “lucky ones” to have been born in America with so many freedoms?  I didn’t have a choice in where I was born.  Why am I able to avoid severe tragedy, trauma, war, loss, and persecution?  Sure, I’ve had hard stuff in my life to deal with.  But nothing can compare with the refugees I met and interacted with who have fled for their lives and many have been separated from their families.

How do you reconcile that?

I have no idea.  I know after the experiences I have had on this trip, I am even more aware of needs in Europe but it also causes an awakening in my heart for the needs at home.  The refugees are not limited to Europe or outside the US.  They are at our back door.

I will always remember my first day, walking into camp in Lesvos.  Our senses play into our memories so much.  There is nothing quite like walking into camp, through raw sewage that is running down the hill at camp.  The smell hits you first.  The camp is just overcrowded, but, honestly, I expected much worse conditions.  As you walk up the hill to “base” (the info center where we started each day), you pass people milling about, some laughing and smiling, just like in any neighborhood, and you could almost (not really) forget you were in a camp.

A few of the refugees have “set up shop” outside of their homes—selling coffee, or shoe shining, or a barber.  These things aren’t “legal” in the camp, but the police/government lets it go.  How could they take away such a small thing that has such an impact on the refugee’s life?  We all need to have a purpose.  The struggle for the refugees to find purpose in this place just breaks my heart.

I believe I have already mentioned in a previous blog, all of these refugees are just ordinary people stuck in a bad, temporary situation.  I cannot even begin to imagine how they feel or how they go on every day.  How would I be in a situation like this?  How would YOU be in a situation like this?

When we spent some time with the two ministries in Athens, and needed to be sensitive with photos we shared…that’s because if any of the refugees families in their home country would see their photos and that they were tied to Christianity, the refugee could be killed if they would return home!  We cannot even imaging having to live that way.  Do YOU have to fear for your life because of religious choices?  Hearing the stories of many refugees coming to know Jesus was such a joy and so encouraging!

All of this work in all of the ministries, with all of the people we met…it all takes so much time.  There are years of investment here with many of the workers.  Think about that when you catch yourself wondering “what are those missionaries doing over there anyway?”  They are on the front lines.  Hearing the stories of trauma.  Carrying burdens that nobody is meant to carry.  Plugging along day in and day out, building friendships and relationships, trying to build the trust so they can even begin having a conversation about faith.  It takes time.

I’m not trying to place a guilt trip on anyone.  My hope is that maybe I can present a better picture to you of these refugees.  Put yourself in their shoes.  Walk a day in their lives.  Show some love, kindness and grace. 

This trip was a great experience of tying the full circle together.  Starting in Lesvos and traveling in Athens and Germany put the entire picture together.  Basically, I followed the journey that many of the refugees would have gone.

When the refugee crisis hit Europe in 2015, many fled Turkey to Lesvos.  Many were given passes to go on to Athens and Germany.  Now, however, the borders have been closed in surrounding countries and many refugees cannot go any further than Athens.  Many cannot find jobs.

Where is the hope in all of this?  Jesus.  That’s where.  Many are coming to know Jesus (who was a refugee himself!).  Many are finding true freedom in Him.  Many lives are being touched.  Many more lives need to be touched.  What can you do?

Pray.  Listen to what God asks of you.

Go. Take a risk.

Support others who go.

Find ways to get involved with local refugee work.

Stop judging.

What will I do?

Pray. Listen to what God asks of me.

Go. Take a risk.

Support others who go.

Find ways to get involved with local refugee work.

Stop judging.

May God direct all of our steps.

A bit of shopping...

Saturday morning started with my final run in Europe for this trip.  It was a beautiful, crisp morning for a run.  The sun was so pretty peaking over the horizon, hitting the water.  It really was a treat to have another runner with me during the second half of my trip.  C was kind with putting up with me taking all of the photos during our runs.  

After another tasty breakfast at the hotel, Winnie and I left with B's wife, C, for a bit of shopping before flying back to Athens.  We said our goodbyes to J and C--our travel plans all go on differently from here.  We ended up downtown again, did a lot of window shopping, as well as some souvenir shopping.

 

these colored eggs are used to decorate for Christmas

 

shopping for chocolates

 

thought the ceiling looked cool

grocery shop

bakery -- the bread....so good

a tea shop

We sat down for a light lunch with C and listened to more of her story and how her and B were called to work in Germany.

C dropped us off at the train station and said to get on the S1 train to the airport.  Once on the train, she told us it was critical to be sure we were in one of the first 3 cars, because at one point, the train separates and only those 3 cars go on to the airport!

First we had to get our tickets.  That was easy.  We entered the elevator to go down to the track level.  Every time the elevator got to the level where we needed to exit, the doors wouldn't open!  So, we had to ride it back up.  Someone else would join us, we would ride down, and the door wouldn't open!  This happened 4 times!!  The door only opened at the bottom level when someone else was trying to get ON the elevator there!?  So weird.  None of us had seen anything like that before, haha!

When we finally get to the track level, we hustle over to the train and are rushing to get in...but we have to be sure to get in one of the first 3 cars!  Of course, we are starting at the back of the train.  We finally reach what we believe is a correct car and we get on.  I was a bit wary, thinking it was the fourth car.  Thankfully, I was wrong and we were okay--in the second car.

We made it to the airport in plenty of time.  I'm writing this as we wait to board our flight.  We fly from Hamburg through Munich and then on to Athens.  We get in to Athens around 2 am.  We will crash in a hotel there and then we fly back to the US on Sunday, late in the day.  Why are we doing all of that flying?  Best prices.

the sun setting on the day

We will see what the day holds for us in Athens.  I'm sure it will be low key and slow paced.  We are tuckered out.  Tired brains.  Tired feet. 

So thankful for the opportunity to have taken this trip. 

A day in Hamburg

Friday was another full day.  Started out with a run in the morning again with C.  Hamburg is not what I expected it would be.  I thought it was a big city (which it is) – what surprised me is all of the green space available with running trails.  I just love seeing the cities and towns this way! 

This is an awful selfie...but I'm including it anyway

Same with this one...another blurry selfie...

 

 

We ran through a cute little neighborhood of "summer or weekend" homes

 

 

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we met with B who took us all over the city today—by car, then train, then lots of walking.  B and his wife are here serving among refugees.  We saw three different areas of refugee camps.  This warehouse-like building is where the refugees had first arrived in the major crisis in 2015 when hundreds were showing up every day.  They were housed here, all given cots and it was just a warehouse full of people.  This was considered short-term, emergency housing.  B knows of some who ended up staying here for 6 months.  Nobody is in the building now.

Then, the refugees were moved to one of these two camps.  These homes are multiple “shipping containers” stacked together to make the house.  There are many refugees living here now.  Some of these refugees are now working.

 

 This last camp we visited is really in the middle of nowhere.  It’s considered “temporary permanent” (whatever that means).  Many refugees have been here longer and many have work.  This is more or less their permanent home.  As we were walking through the neighborhood, we saw some sort of distribution happening.  B thought it could be another non-profit organization or something.  I discreetly took a photo as I was talking to B.

On the train..

 

Photo shows the "weekend homes" and how close they are to the refugee camp

Whatever distribution taking place...

It is estimated that there are at least 90,000 Afghans and 70,000 Iranians living in Hamburg.  As we walked to lunch, B pointed out some "plaques" in the sidewalk that are in memory of Jews who died in the war.  These plaques were placed in front of the buildings where the people would have worked.  

Some other sights on our walk to lunch.

We enjoyed lunch together as B continued to share with us about his ministry.  He and his family are here building relationships among refugees with the ultimate goal of bringing them to Christ.  They are helping refugees with their German homework, having small groups, and spending time listening and encouraging many of the refugees, which, of course, have all had many traumatic experiences.

 

After lunch, we walked through one of the “Central Parks” of Hamburg.  B said that many refugee families come to the park for picnics and gatherings in nice weather.  He and his family will often go to the park with a frisbee and picnic and visit and play with many of the refugee families.  It’s all about building relationships so you can have deeper conversations later.

 

More sights on our way to a cafe to meet with T.

 

Mid-afternoon, we met up with T, another worker in the area.  We learned off his work among the diaspora community in Europe.  T’s work is to build relationships with international ministries and pastors in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. 

As we met with T, B met with Ruallah, a new believer from Afghanistan.  At one point, B invited me to sit with he and Ruallah and I was able to hear his story.  What an encouragement to my heart to hear his journey.  He is 27, and has been a believer now for about five years.  He was born in Iran.  At 19, he left Iran for Turkey.  While there, he lived with an Afghan family.  A man from Turkey visited that family one day and gave the family a New Testament.  The husband permitted the family to keep it and the family eventually chose to follow Jesus.  After 6 months or so, this family lead Ruallah to the Lord! 

B meeting with Ruallah (took the photo this way to protect Ruallah)

Ruallah’s family is in Afghanistan.  His brother is in Turkey.  His family is saved now, except for his brother.  His brother’s wife, is a believer.  Ruallah is very involved in a German church here.  He is hungry for the gospel.  He is also living in a “halfway house,” ministering to those coming out of prison.  When B met with Ruallah today, it was because Ruallah asked B for a Farsi/German Bible so he could give it to one of his friends.   Ruallah’s name means “spirit of God.”  Please pray for Ruallah’s brother to come to know Jesus.  Please pray for strength and courage for Ruallah.  Please pray that God’s spirit will shine brightly from Ruallah.

After leaving the coffee shop, we strolled through the city.  We ended up walking down the “immigrant” street – it’s really the street that has a lot of ethnicity represented and where many refugees eat and shop.  Sights on this stroll:

 

The largest mosque in Hamburg

We headed back to the train station. B wanted us to try Franzbrotchen.  It was a tasty cinnamon sugar type of pastry.

After a short rest at the hotel, we joined B and his family for dinner.  We spent some time listening to them and learning of ways to encourage them and pray for them.

 

Dinner

It’s hard to believe that this trip is soon coming to an end.  On Saturday morning, we will spend a bit of time shopping with B’s wife before heading to the train station to head to the airport.  Seriously, my brain is so full right now.  It’s challenging to process all of this.