It's Friday?!

It's hard to believe it is Friday. Tomorrow will be one week that we are here.

View from my balcony

View from my balcony

As we were heading to camp this morning, Kevin told us that Barb was really not feeling well, and had no voice. She called off of her shift to be able to get lots of rest. Her sore throat has gotten worse. Please pray for healing and a good night of rest. She plans to go in for her shift on Saturday night.

The rest of us were at the camp from 8-5 today. All of us were doing different jobs.  Kevin and I started out on the gravel team--shoveling, wheel-barrowing, and spreading 4 truckloads of gravel. It was hard work, but just what I needed.  Some of you will get it...others will not. It was good to relieve some stress and do some hard physical labor. We were putting gravel down on a muddy walkway in the women's area, as well as some near the minor boys and at the Info Center in camp. After lunch, Kevin and I were off doing similar jobs, just not together--guarding structures when families were moving/transferring to another location in camp, preparing tents and tarps for new arrivals, giving food to new arrivals and walking out in the "jungle" of camp to try to locate some tents to actually be able to label them on the camp map.

 

Sarah went to serve in the warehouse today. She was helping to sort clothes. Eric did some census work and helped with moving some families. Perry also was paired up with someone to gather various information in the camp, so he got to walk around quite a bit and see much of the camp. LH did the Info Desk again--seriously, she's amazing.

It was a long, hard day for all of us...in different ways. It is very emotionally taxing to be here and do this type of work. There is so much need. There is so much loss. There is so much trauma. There is so much pain. Yet, there is also joy in some places.

Our team went in to Mytilene again for dinner tonight. It is so good to be able to have the time in the evenings for the team to process and debrief the emotions and feelings experienced during the day.

(LH was also with us)

Sites in Mytilene

Mytilene

Saturday, the guys will be serving at camp from 8-5. The ladies will be serving at the Ephraim Center (operated by GEM) just outside the camp. We will be helping with a "women's day." We are looking forward to the day to be able to interact with many of the women refugees. We will go to camp later in the afternoon when women's day is over.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for good health and strength for everyone on the team. Pray that Barb's cold/sore throat is short-lived. Pray for good rest for everyone. Again, continue to pray for healthy processing of all that we see and hear and experience.