Never Wear Sunday Dresses and Flip Flops to Hike a Mountain.

This morning we went to the Second Evangelical Church of Athens. A team member, Austen, had the opportunity to share his testimony in front of the congregation. After each sentence, it must be translated into Greek, so it's somewhat hard to keep your focus. But he did a great job, and we appreciated that he was willing to do what none of us wanted to. We also sang Isaiah 43 for the church while Rachel (another member) played the piano. It was so beautiful even though none of us are professional singers. The words are so awesome because they come straight from scripture:

When You Pass Through The Waters, I Will Be With You

And The Waves, Will Not Overcome You

Do Not Fear, For I Have Redeemed You

I Have Called You By Name, You Are Mine

Chorus:

For I Am The Lord Your God (Girls Repeat)

I Am The Lord Your God

I Am The Holy One Of Israel, Your Savior (2x)

(Guys) I Am The Lord (3x)

(Girls) Do Not Fear (3x)

When You Pass Through The Fire, You'll Not Be Burned

And The Flames Will Not Consume You

Do Not Fear, For I Have Redeemed You

I Have Called You By Name, You Are Mine

Repeat Chorus

After church, the pastor took us to lunch in Plaka at a great restaurant. Then, his son took us around Athens as our personal tour guide. We visited Mars hill again...which somehow was more beautiful than I had even remembered. Then we trecked several miles to the top of this mountain where a tiny church sat. The view was absolutely incredible - even better than Mars Hill! By the time got down the mountain, we had been walking several hours in our church dresses and flip flops. Our feet were killing us!

We then attended a youth worship event held on top of an apartment complex roof. It was really ironic to be singing to the one true God with a clear view of the Parthenon (the classic symbol of the once prevalent pagan culture) within eyesight. And if that weren't enough, it was amazing to see these people, who live across the world, worshipping the Lord in their own language. We may be separated by oceans and language, but we are all united in Christ!

10 Things About Life Greece

10 things I forgot to mention about life in Greece:

1. You can't flush toilet paper down the toilet because the drains are too narrow. Yep, you have to throw it away it the trash can. Sounds gross (and it kind of is), but we are used to it by now.

2. The police carry automatic machine guns. It's sort of unsettling to walk past them on the streets. Oh, and the police are not allowed to enter the universities, so they've had cases of people fleeing to the school after committing a crime.

3. We hang our clothes out to dry on a line. It's awesome! I did it last summer in Africa as well and I really like it. I hope I can have one when I have my own house. They dry really quickly and smell great when they're done!

4. There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE. You can walk down the street and pass as many as 5 stray dogs on your way. And most of them have collars. The people put collars on them so they won't be taken to the pound and then feed them each night.

5. People are crazy, fearless drivers. Between the motorcyclists that drive on the dotted lines and the cars that don't slow down for pedestrians, it's scary traveling anywhere. You can't trust crosswalk signs and you can't be concerned about dents in your car. I've almost been run over twice - once crossing the street when I had a green light and once while running. Seriously, the car came within an inch of my foot.

6. Everyone greets each other with a kiss on each cheek. Boys, girls, everyone.

7. Taxes are included in prices. This is really nice because prices are even and it's much easier to split tabs. Also, you don't tip unless you had extraordinary service.

8. There are only 12,000 Protestant Christians in Greece. Yikes.

9. Gypsies are alive and well. Our leader, Brian, was pickpocketed today moments after telling us all that he suspected there were gypsies nearby. They are so sneaky. He lost about 400 Euro and had to cancel his credit card :(

10. Everyone thinks I am a Spaniard. It's quite fun actually. Natives speak to me in Greek almost everyday assuming I am Greek. If only I knew how to respond. And a side note: Last night at the festival we worked at, one of the Greek teenage boys told me I look like Paris Hilton - ha! Could we look anymore different?!

It's Not Bad, It's Just Different!

The people at the Greek Bible Institute (GrBI) where we stay are amazing! They are always smiling, give credit to God in all things, and genuinely want to help in every way they can. Seriously, I haven't ever met so many people in one place who challenge me to be a better Christian. One of the American students, Courtney, has spent almost her whole week showing us around the bus station and metro, accompanying us into Athens, telling us encouraging stories, and just generally showing us the ropes. She, along with everyone else, has been incredibly welcoming from the moment we came. When we first arrived, it was during their graduation ceremony where everyone was wearing suits and dresses. However, our entire team was dressed in sweat pants and t-shirts and hadn't taken showers in two days. Despite this fact, we were embraced with warm hugs and loud, friendly greetings. Nobody looked down upon us or suggested that we change attire. Instead, they requested that we mingle among the students and join them for some Greek dancing that evening.

From that day until now we have experienced nothing but kindness from our hosts. They repeatedly tell us how much our presence is appreciated. It's funny because in America people are often valued by what they accomplish. Here, you are valued just because you are a person. They are much more relational creatures than we are. And when they ask "how are you?” they actually mean it!

Another interesting thing that goes along with this idea: Christians here are big on giving testimonies. We learned that the hard way. The other day in chapel, we were given an hours notice that someone in our group would be sharing their testimony in front of all the students - who we had barely met. Of course, all the girls were running around frantic trying to figure out who was going to be the one to do this. Thankfully, Thomas volunteered to swallow the bullet for us. We thought that the rest of us were off the hook, but we were sadly mistaken. Another one of us has been requested to give our testimony at church on Sunday (at least this time with some advanced warning). I have a feeling that this will be my fate as well. They love hearing testimonies because they truly care about who we are and what has brought us to our present point.

Oh - random point. Our team has been eating souvlakis almost everyday (sometimes more than once) because they are really inexpensive, easy to find, and convenient to eat on the run. The girls were excited because we thought that we were being really healthy. They are pitas filled with chicken, grilled onions and tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce. I don't why, but they just seemed so fresh. Well, when we were hanging out with university students doing research, we mentioned how much we loved the souvlakis and how we ate them all the time. One girl exclaimed, "oh no, you go home weighing 5 kilos more than when you come!" I think we may have to back off the souvlakis :(

Ok, onto today. We woke up early this morning to attend a three-hour Bible class with the Greek students called The History of the Christological Controversies. We were pumped because we were told we would learn all about the Greek Orthodoxy church from a well-known speaker who was visiting the class that day. Well, in the first five minutes all but one person on my team was completely lost. Between the 5th century history and religious jargon, my head was spinning. I guess you could say we were a little overly confident. Our team bailed after the first hour to have team prayer time.

We headed to the university around 2:00 to do evangelistic research, but when we arrived campus had been closed due to upcoming elections. So, we walked a few blocks to a large Greek Orthodox Church and toured the inside. It was adorned with religious pictures and icons, gold, candles, and more. I seriously felt like I would break something if I breathed the wrong way. We observed the other people and noticed that, when they entered the church, they always kissed these pictures of Christ displayed under glass. After a few minutes, we gathered outside the church and had one of the GrBI students give us a basic lesson on Greek Orthodoxy. It was very interesting and somewhat frightening as well, but that's another story for another day.

We then took the metro to the community center where we were serving that evening. The community centers are owned and operated by the evangelical church and were established to provide children with a place to come and hang out (and hopefully stay out of trouble). They have games, ping pong, Wii, computers and provide pizza and ice-cream for the kids. Their hope is that, by serving their community, they can be a witness for Christ and perhaps have a positive influence on the children.

It was a long day as we didn't get back home until after 11:30 - which is actually pretty normal. Like I said before, the typical day of a Greek looks much different than that of an American. Breakfast almost doesn't exist because most don't wake up until about 10:30ish. Lunch is at 2:00 in the afternoon followed by a long siesta. Dinner isn't until around 9:00 and most don't go to bed until well after midnight. Don’t ask me when they work. It's quite the adjustment, especially since we aren't able to take advantage of the afternoon siestas. But like we've learned to say in so many circumstances, "It's not bad, it's just different!"

Tomorrow we are sleeping in (yay) and then operating a festival that evening held by the community centers. Pray for lots of energy as it's always exhausting spending long periods of time with energetic children.

“I Have Not Come to Call the Righteous, But Sinners”

This morning four of us went into town at about 8:30 am to help out with the Nea Zoi ministry. When we arrived, we sang a few worship songs and prayed specifically for different prostitutes in need of prayer. Then, we split up into groups of five and visited different parts of town with large numbers of brothels. I was astounded by how many there were! On the street I went to, we visited about 8 brothels alone! They’re in unmarked, run-down apartment-like buildings that many businesses occupy. You can easily identify a brothel because they have a bright white light above the door - even during the day. At first, I stayed outside to "keep watch" and pray for those inside, but was soon asked to accompany one of the volunteers, Donna, inside. My heart was pounding when I started walking towards the brothel door as I had no idea what to expect. I silently prayed that God would allow me to share in his broken heart for these women. That I would not see them as prostitutes, but as broken women needing Jesus – just like me. That he would remind me that my sin was just as grievous as theirs.

Inside we walked through a small, dim waiting room where men would sit and wait to view the woman on shift. She comes to the waiting room in between customers and the men decide if they want to pay for her. We then passed by a few bedrooms that were completely bare except a mattress with sheets and a small sink next to it. We entered a small kitchen in the back where the woman on shift and the madam stayed when there were no customers. Sitting in a chair was a woman approximately 35 years old wearing no clothing. We stayed for about 15 minutes and I poured tea and listened while Donna spoke with the woman and madam in Greek. During this time period, the woman got up several times to assist customers coming inside the brothel, but then would rejoin us a minute later when the men decided they were not interested in her. I was so saddened by this. As a woman, I know how much we long to be affirmed and loved...to be called beautiful. It was heart breaking to see this woman rejected over and over again and for her heart to be so hardened that she showed no emotional response. She fooled herself into believing this was only a job. It was a complete perversion of what God created sex for...pleasure void of any kind of love or emotion.

As I looked around the kitchen, I noticed that there were several small photos of Jesus and Mary on the wall accompanied by a cross. I was (and actually still am) quite confused by that. It seems as though they are longing for fulfillment and love - just not seeking it from the right place. I pray that Nea Zoi will continue to visit consistently and offer hope and love to these women. To be a light in these dark places. That God would break down the walls they’ve built around their hearts and draw them close to himself.

I spent several hours of my day visiting brothels, praying for the team and women on shift, and learning more about the prostitution industry in Greece. As I stood outside praying (we have to keep our eyes open), I observed the men walking into the brothels. Some came alone, some in groups with friends. Whereas prostitution is somewhat of a taboo in America, it is not here. It's legal and men frequent them with no shame. There are regulations on the industry, however it’s highly difficult to control so there is almost always illegalities – women without papers, working double shifts, not getting tested, etc.

On a lighter note, the rest of the day was spent doing research at the University of Athens for the church planting mission. We interviewed students and learned a considerable amount of information about Greek student life. The students have a very, very negative view of the church which is disappointing, but understandable when you learn about the history of Greek Orthodoxy.

There is so much more I want to tell you about, but time is limited. Please be praying for our time with these ministries and that God would use us in unexpected ways.

Get Ready to be Jealous

I forgot to mention (not sure how) that our team visited Mars Hill last night. It is the beautiful site where Paul preached the sermon of the unkown god in Acts 17. It is an absolutely incredible view that words can't describe, so I'm not going to try. I have pictures (which don't do it justice) that I will post soon.

"Not Having a Plan is Also a Plan..."

I'm coming to realize that the Greeks really don't enjoy working according to a schedule. It's been really difficult to plan our days because we never know when we are going to be needed until that day. Plans and times constantly change and it's crucial that we're flexible - which tends to be a problem for me because I thrive on order. I have a feeling the Lord is going to use this summer to force me to let go of control and relax. The people generally stay out pretty late and, therefore, sleep in later than Americans (which not being a morning person, I can totally get used to). They also take an afternoon siesta from 3 - 5pm which means our ministry work doesn't start until the evening.

We didn't begin our ministry yesterday until 6 pm! We left Pikermi at 4 pm and took two buses and two metros as means into Omonoia where we had orientation for Nea Zoi (New Life) ministry. Nea Zoi seeks to minister to women and men involved in prostitution and trafficking. They offer many services including psychological, social, and spiritual support; information about where to find legal and medical help; and advice and help for people who want to stop working in prostitution. They assist women in obtaining new jobs and offer life-skills classes. This ministry reaches out to prostitutes by consistently meeting them on the streets and in brothels where they work to develop friendships. They do this by passing out drinks, christian literature, and just engaging them in everyday conversation. It sometimes takes years to get a prostitute to even accept a drink or respond to the ministry workers. Nea Zoi has been around for 10 years and has only seen a handful of women and men come out of the industry, but they believe that they are able to show God's love by just having a consistent presence on the streets.

The way our team will be helping this ministry is primarily through prayer support. When on the streets, there must be teams of at least four people - two people praying and being aware of the surroundings while the other two people talk with the prostitute. Our job will mostly be to pray and keep watch, but we may also have the opportunity to participate in conversation with English speaking prostitutes.

There is so much more we learned about the ministry that I want to share, but I will have to do it another time because lunch is soon and I must not be late. After lunch, we are heading to the university in Athens to conduct research among students to aid in church planting.

Please be praying that everything we do (even the most seemingly insignifcant work) will be done for Christ. Sometimes it's difficult to get excited about work that doesn't particularly interest you or seems nominal in nature, but I know God will use all of our assignments to grow us in him. I pray that I will remember that I am here to serve and that I will be able to easily put aside my selfishishness that feels entitled to participate in certain types of ministry work.

Day 1

Our team finally made it to Greece last night after three days of prefield training and a long plane ride. We are staying about 45 minutes away from Athens at the Greek Bible Institute. Because it is our first day and we are still adjusting to the jetlag, we had a fairly relaxing day. We visited the First Evangelical Church of Athens this morning which is just a few blocks from the Parliament and Acropolis and across the street from the Arch of Hadrian. The service was in Greek (obviously), but we were able to listen to a translator through a headset. After church, we went to the beach with some of the students at the Bible Institute. The Aegean Sea (Mediterranean Sea) is only about a 10 minute drive from the school. It's a rocky beach, but has the most beautiful blue water you've ever seen!

God blessed me with an amazing team including 7 people - 5 girls and 2 boys. We spent a lot of time at prefield training in North Carolina getting to know one another and participating in team building exercises. There are many different personalities on the team, but we get along really well and together we possess a great set of strengths that will serve us well in our ministry areas.

The food is amazing!! That's an understatement. We’ve eaten twice at a local restaurant that’s in walking distance of the school. It’s very inexpensive (we can eat for about $3) because we are not in a touristy city and they have awesome souvlakis (which is just basically a gyro) and Greek salads. The Greek salads consist of fresh tomatoes, olives, onions, and peppers topped with a huge chunk of feta cheese. Yum!

Our first day has been pretty relaxing, but we expect things to pick up fairly soon. They have many different ministry options for us including serving meals to refugees, working with victims of sex trafficking, university ministry, etc. I’m so excited to see what the Lord has planned for this summer and promise to keep you updated!

Meanwhile, here is something you can be praying for…

Greece is a very people-oriented country. They spend a significant amount of time building friendships and talking with each other which means long meals and slow paces. This probably sounds great to most of you, but being a task-oriented person, this will be a struggle for me. It’s often hard for me to feel like I’ve gotten anything accomplished if I’m not “doing” something. I need prayer that I will not become so focused on the assignments that I forget to value to people I meet.

Thanks and love you all!!