Tomorrow we leave for Camp Kalamos where we will be spending the week with 150 teenage campers. I won't have internet access, so I wanted to give an update before I left. Also, please pray that God would supply us with energy to finish the race strong. I can't believe this is our last week in Greece! We will need lots of energy this week, but will be getting little sleep. Pray that we would be the hands and feet of Christ and that the teenagers would be receptive to the Gospel. Finally, pray that our focus would be on serving this camp whole-heartedly and that our gaze would not turn to home.
We had a great time with E**** on Sunday. She was very reserved and seemed almost nervous when we first met, but by the end of the night she had completely warmed to us. She is 21 years old and it was obvious from our conversations that she's led a difficult life. When we took a photo with her, she became very nervous and fidgety. It broke my heart when she explained to us that she didn't know how to smile! We tried teaching her, but she looked embarrassed. She wants to go to the Greek Bible Institute next year, but lacks the resources to do so. Please pray that God provides the necessary funds for her to attend and that he would continue to grow in her a desire to know Him.
Wednesday was our last time to participate in the Nea Zoi ministry. It was an emotional morning for several reasons. First, I met a 21 year old prostitute, C*****, who is engaged to be married to her madam's son. The son fell in love with C***** and is helping her escape prostitution by sending her back to her home in Romania in August. He will then fly her back into Greece a couple months later and they will try to stay hidden from the Mafia. Please pray for C*****'s protection from the traffickers who have enslaved her to this work. Second, Chelsea and Sylvia (a Nea Zoi volunteer) were chased out of a brothel after sharing the Gospel with the madam and prostitute. They were accused of being heretics and Jehovah's Witnesses after attempting to explain the difference between Greek Orthodoxy and Protestantism. In Greece they have a saying that goes "To be Greek is to be Orthodox" and it's a precise statement! If you associate with any other denomination or religion, you are considered a heretic and a second-class citizen in Greece. I'm praying that God would soften these women's hearts to the Gospel. Needless to say, we're struggling with the idea of leaving here in a week and returning to our privileged lives while these women stay trapped in this prison. Third, I watched as a young boy about the age of 10 walked into a brothel with an older (but also young) boy. Although he was thrown out, it saddened me that a child would ever be exposed to this evil. Last week, Austen observed a father escort his son into a brothel for his first sexual experience. Unfortunately, this is not too unusual in Greece. Furthermore, it's quite common for married men to seek sexual fulfillment from prostitutes driving their wives to commit adultery in return. This perpetual cycle has created much cynicism from the younger generation towards love and marriage. Society is getting married later and later and many don't marry at all (although most are living with partners). We have been faithfully praying that God would do great things in Greece. We have seen his work and are confident that his spirit will continue to work in this country.
There is so much more I want to say, but it's time for us to leave for Kalamos. My deepest gratitude to those praying. God has truly blessed my time in Greece and I could never repay you for your prayer and financial support which has allowed me this opportunity.
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