Sabbath

Sabbath…

What a beautiful day!  The sun was shining and there was much less wind.  We had a later start to the day since church didn’t start until 11.  It was nice to get up at our leisure and I was able to enjoy another run along the coast.  So much beauty!  And…I found some sea glass to add to my collection!  That was a treat!  Thankful for this Sabbath day of rest.

  

The table outside our front door                                        Our front door to our room

We went to The Oasis, a church run by I-58 (group of volunteers here).  A van brings refugees from the camp to this church if they are interested.  Some refugees walk to the camp.  It was a nice service, very seeker-oriented (which would be appropriate for the refugees).  I always enjoy experiencing church in other cultures too.  We sat on the floor, sang many familiar worship songs (in English) and the message was then given and translated into Farsi. 

Once church was over, we took a road trip to the North Shore.  This is where all of the boats of refugees arrived originally from Turkey in 2015.  We had a delicious lunch in a beautiful little town.

 

 

 

 

                             Before                                                       After (lamb stew)

Kim was an awesome tour guide, giving us much of the history and showing us all of the areas where there were bus stops and camps set up as temporary spots before getting the refugees to the camp in town. 

The most overwhelming thing I’ve experienced this week was the “life jacket graveyard.”  Just piles and piles of life jackets and beat up and broken boats from the original thousands of refugees that came in 2015 and 2016.  (Some boats still arrive at the North Shore, but more are arriving in Athens now.)  This pile of life jackets is a hole 20’ deep and 20’ high above ground, probably 400,000 life jackets.  These jackets represent all of the people who have come from Turkey and survived.  It was still a very sobering and overwhelming thing to see.  We could see the coast of Turkey, where they would have started their 4-mile ride in a rubber boat, seeking a better and safer life in Europe. 

 

 

                                          (See the coastline of Turkey across the water)

We left the North Shore and traveled to Scala to a small fishing town.  We enjoyed some tea in the village before continuing on back to Panagiouda.  On our way we stopped at a local pottery shop.  The owner was inside making some pieces.  And, I have to tell you, I have a much greater appreciation for pottery since I have taken a class to make it myself!

 

 

 

As I reflect on the day, the sad reality is that many continue to leave Turkey for Europe, but they don’t know that they won’t be able to get any further than Greece.  Many are placed in the camp and may be there for several months or years until they are able to get asylum.  Once they have that, they are able to go to Athens, but cannot go any further.  In the week I’ve been here, 300 people have arrived.  We did learn of one death this week in arrivals, a child, drowned.  What a sad, sad story.  It’s reality.  It happens.  My heart just breaks for the pain, sadness and grief these people have all experienced. 

When we arrived back in Panagiouda, we met up with some other team members who had just arrived.  We will be with them the remainder of the trip as we go on to Athens and Germany. 

Tomorrow will be my last day at camp.  I wish I could stay longer.  I wish I could do more.  I wish…