Everyone,
It seems like I just sent an update and here it is Tuesday again already. We continue to do our Greek classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It is going well and I am happy with how much we have learned.
I have found though that when I try to have a conversation in Greek with someone, I can form halting and probably poorly composed sentences but as soon as they begin to speak I realize how much I don't know. Oh well, as they say here "Siga, siga" (slowly, slowly).
Wednesday was prayer day at our home and then a laid back Team Fellowship of just hanging out together. Our team was small that day. We have several people on furlough and then we have had a lot of sickness going around. There is a bad bronchial bug that has been hitting people and seems to last for at least a week. Of course we are constantly re-exposed. It seems like I am always hugging someone who then tells me they have a fever or I pick up a child with a snotty nose and bad cough. I try to wash my hands a lot and we almost all carry germicide. The other day I came in the kitchen and one of my team mates was rubbing germicide all over her phone. She had dropped it on the bathroom floor - ewwww.
Thursday was Farsi day and our friend Peshraw spoke so I had a day off from planning a skit. We served our usual spaghetti lunch and since we have begun serving meat sauce with it (thanks to the generosity of some Greek friends) the shallow bowls we serve it in are very greasy. I have sort of become the official prewash person which means I stand at the kitchen door where they stack the dirty plates. I scrape them and then wash them off a bit in a dishpan of soapy water. I have to change the water many times before I have the 120 or so dishes finished. I don't mind doing it but this Thursday I was tired by the time I finished so rather than go in the kitchen to dry dishes like I often do I sat down at one of the tables with the women. I talked my friend "Z" and then leaned forward and laid my head on the table. One of the other refugee ladies came over and started giving me a VIGOROUS back rub. Because of my arthritis it was a bit painful at times but I didn't want to say anything. When she stopped she said something to "Z" in Farsi. "Z" said to me "She say, 'you do so much for us she want to do something for you'." I said "Tashacur" which is thank you in Farsi. The woman put her hand on her heart and said in English "I love you." I gave her a hug and told her I loved her too.
On Friday, Kent spent the morning preparing a sermon for Persian Fellowship and then went and picked up our friend Dr. "S" and took him for a drive down the coast for a few hours. On the way home he picked up Peshraw and "D", another refugee man who is a Christian. After serving them the usual cup of tea we sat down to dinner. Dr. "S" and Peshraw speak VERY good English and "D" does quite well so we had a fun dinner laughing and joking. Afterward we moved to the living room with the intention of watching a movie but ended up just visiting. I was talking with Dr. "S" and he said "Many days I feel as if I am losing my mind but when I am here with you or with Brother Kent, I have hope." It has been a year since he came here and he worries constantly about his wife and 4 year old daughter and 3 year old son. Please continue to pray for him for courage and peace and that a solution will be found to move his case through the system so he can be granted asylum.
Friday and Saturday the air was filled with dust blowing in from the Sahara desert. It was warm so Kent and I walked to do our errands Saturday morning. When we got back he took our neighbor girl out for driving practice on a stick shift. She did fine but will probably need another session. I am getting better about my driving and am venturing out more and more. I drove when we went to Greek church Sunday morning. We came home ate some lunch and I took a nap in the sun while Kent worked on his Greek lesson. That night we went Persian Fellowship which is in Farsi. Kent preached with a translator and did a good job.
Monday was a long day. Kent had to be at the ARC at 8:00am for a leadership meeting and I got there at 9:00 for a team meeting. There were a couple of issues that we needed to work through and it was a long meeting. By the time we were ready to start the day for tea house it seemed that we were all tired and wishing we could call it a day. After a time of prayer we opened the doors. I was in the kitchen for the first part of the day but in the afternoon I went to sit with the women for a bit. Let me tell you a little about a woman named "C". When we first came she and her husband "A K" had a little boy and she was pregnant with their second child. "A K" was a Christian but "C" was not. She came to Persian Fellowship but she sat with her head covered was VERY quiet and solemn. She does not speak any English but once in a while I would sit with her and she would always take my hand and hold it. Eventually "C" became a Christian and was baptized. She removed the head covering but was still quiet and reserved. One day some women began to harass her for not wearing a head covering. They said she was unclean. She responded that Jesus had made her clean and that she did not need to cover her head any more. Gradually "C" began to blossom. She began to bring her little boy and baby girl and sit in the baby room and visit with the other women. She began to witness about her faith and share openly with the other women. On Monday I was sitting with her and a group of women and I was telling a story which "S" was translating for me. "C" got tickled and began to laugh and tell her own story. As I looked at this beautiful woman with her smiling face and warm personality I was struck by the transformation that has happened over the last year and a half. This is what it is all about! Our newly revised Vision Statement read - "LIVES TRANSFORMED- to see gospel SEEDS planted across Greece, take ROOT in the lives of refugees, and bear the FRUIT of life transformation." That is what is happening here in Greece and YOU are a part of that. Thank you will all our hearts for allowing God to use you to support this ministry. We love you all.
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Morley Update 2010#8
Everyone -
We had a short work week this week. On Tuesday Kent did men's showers. When he got there an hour early there were already enough men waiting to fill up the day. This means that there were men who wanted and NEEDED a shower and were not able to get one. Here's an excerpt from a friend's newsletter.
Tuesday night we had Greek class. We enjoy it and are beginning to make sense of how to conjugate the different verbs and how you tell if a table or door or water bottle is male or female. I could make all kinds of jokes here but will refrain. It's not as easy as you would think. For instance you would think that the words for "girl" and "boy" would be a cinch - NOT. Children are not considered male or female they are neuter. Whereas "juice" is obviously male while "salad" is female!
Wednesday we had a grocery give away. We met at the ARC and packed 50 bags of groceries. My job was unwrapping and bagging 50 2kilo bricks of cheese. My hands smelled like Feta for the rest of the day. We gave the food away down at the lower gate because we were having a new front door installed upstairs. I was standing among the milling women and children, greeting those I knew and getting lots of hugs from kids when a friend asked me to watch her cart while she took her ticket up to get her bag of groceries. I was standing there with the cart when one of the women I know came up and as a joke said to me in Farsi. "Do you have a ticket?" I said "No, please I need one." She said "Here" and laughingly reached into her pocket and gave me an old bus ticket. I love it that in the midst of this place of darkness and need we can share a smile, a hug and a laugh with our friends. Something as simple as a few groceries and a smile is a way for us to show Jesus' love to these women.
Thursday was Farsi day and as usual we had a packed house. The day before during the grocery give away a man with a toddler had asked if we could give him money for medicine because the baby was sick. I had to say "No, I'm sorry." We keep a few basic medications and first aid items at the ARC but we do not have money to give out for medicine. Sometimes we as individuals will take someone to a pharmacy and buy them medicine but I was busy and did not have time that day. I thought about them later and wondered if I should have stopped what I was doing and taken them but God had other plans. The same couple came in on Thursday. The woman does not speak English but she told one of my teammates who speaks a little Farsi that the baby had been very sick and she had prayed to Jesus. Now the baby was well. They are a Muslim couple so we will see where this leads. We did the doctor skit again. Kent was the doctor and the whole audience but especially the children laughed appreciatively as he pulled various items out of the man on whom he was doing surgery. Of course at the end the heart filled with sin is revealed and Kent shared once again that even though the result of sin is death through Jesus we can live. Something as simple as sharing the gospel through a skit is a way for us to show Jesus' love to these people.
Friday Kent went to meet with his friend Dr. "S". He comes home so frustrated with the system after one of these meetings. Dr. "S" is close to despair as he worries about his wife and family and yet even though he has a documented case of persecution and a death sentence on his head there seems to be no way to move his case through the system so he can bring his family to safety. Please pray for him. Kent just tries to be there for him. Something as simple as sharing a cup of coffee and caring enough to listen and pray together is a way for us to show Jesus' love to this man.
We had a three day weekend. Saturday we drove down the coast with friends, stopping to walk along the beach, exploring little roads and ending with a Taverna dinner as we watched the sun set over the sea. Sunday we went to church at Nea Zoi and came home to a lazy afternoon. Monday was a Greek holiday. "Clean Monday" is a day when Greeks "clean" their homes of items banned for Lent and then take the day off to go out a fly a kite. We drove around, stopping in to listen to the music and watch some of the kites and then spending some time dumpster diving. It was good to have an extra day to relax and we feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. I am closing by giving you a link to a blog post written by a friend of ours who works with refugees in Rome and recently visited the Athens Refugee Center. It is a stark look at the very dark corner of the world where we work and yet in the midst of this darkness we see rays of light and hope in the eyes and faces of the people we serve. Thank you for being a part of that. Here is the link:
http://fifthfloor.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/within-a-yard-of-hell/
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
We had a short work week this week. On Tuesday Kent did men's showers. When he got there an hour early there were already enough men waiting to fill up the day. This means that there were men who wanted and NEEDED a shower and were not able to get one. Here's an excerpt from a friend's newsletter.
This past Tuesday morning, when the male teammates arrived at the ARC … there were already 120 guys waiting for a shower. Only 74 were able to get one … the guys get an 8 minute hot shower and then the timer cuts the hot water off and it runs cold … REALLY cold … sometimes even that is not enough incentive for them to leave the water that is slowly … ever so slowly … rinsing out the dirt that has crept into their very pores, wrinkles, and creases in their skin. The dirt that covers them when they sleep in the park, under (or on) a bench, in a tunnel, on the sidewalk, in a doorway, wherever they can put their body down for a couple of hours before the shopkeepers, police, neighbors, whoever, kick them awake and shoo them away.Something as simple as a hot shower is a way for us to show Jesus' love to these men.
Tuesday night we had Greek class. We enjoy it and are beginning to make sense of how to conjugate the different verbs and how you tell if a table or door or water bottle is male or female. I could make all kinds of jokes here but will refrain. It's not as easy as you would think. For instance you would think that the words for "girl" and "boy" would be a cinch - NOT. Children are not considered male or female they are neuter. Whereas "juice" is obviously male while "salad" is female!
Wednesday we had a grocery give away. We met at the ARC and packed 50 bags of groceries. My job was unwrapping and bagging 50 2kilo bricks of cheese. My hands smelled like Feta for the rest of the day. We gave the food away down at the lower gate because we were having a new front door installed upstairs. I was standing among the milling women and children, greeting those I knew and getting lots of hugs from kids when a friend asked me to watch her cart while she took her ticket up to get her bag of groceries. I was standing there with the cart when one of the women I know came up and as a joke said to me in Farsi. "Do you have a ticket?" I said "No, please I need one." She said "Here" and laughingly reached into her pocket and gave me an old bus ticket. I love it that in the midst of this place of darkness and need we can share a smile, a hug and a laugh with our friends. Something as simple as a few groceries and a smile is a way for us to show Jesus' love to these women.
Thursday was Farsi day and as usual we had a packed house. The day before during the grocery give away a man with a toddler had asked if we could give him money for medicine because the baby was sick. I had to say "No, I'm sorry." We keep a few basic medications and first aid items at the ARC but we do not have money to give out for medicine. Sometimes we as individuals will take someone to a pharmacy and buy them medicine but I was busy and did not have time that day. I thought about them later and wondered if I should have stopped what I was doing and taken them but God had other plans. The same couple came in on Thursday. The woman does not speak English but she told one of my teammates who speaks a little Farsi that the baby had been very sick and she had prayed to Jesus. Now the baby was well. They are a Muslim couple so we will see where this leads. We did the doctor skit again. Kent was the doctor and the whole audience but especially the children laughed appreciatively as he pulled various items out of the man on whom he was doing surgery. Of course at the end the heart filled with sin is revealed and Kent shared once again that even though the result of sin is death through Jesus we can live. Something as simple as sharing the gospel through a skit is a way for us to show Jesus' love to these people.
Friday Kent went to meet with his friend Dr. "S". He comes home so frustrated with the system after one of these meetings. Dr. "S" is close to despair as he worries about his wife and family and yet even though he has a documented case of persecution and a death sentence on his head there seems to be no way to move his case through the system so he can bring his family to safety. Please pray for him. Kent just tries to be there for him. Something as simple as sharing a cup of coffee and caring enough to listen and pray together is a way for us to show Jesus' love to this man.
We had a three day weekend. Saturday we drove down the coast with friends, stopping to walk along the beach, exploring little roads and ending with a Taverna dinner as we watched the sun set over the sea. Sunday we went to church at Nea Zoi and came home to a lazy afternoon. Monday was a Greek holiday. "Clean Monday" is a day when Greeks "clean" their homes of items banned for Lent and then take the day off to go out a fly a kite. We drove around, stopping in to listen to the music and watch some of the kites and then spending some time dumpster diving. It was good to have an extra day to relax and we feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. I am closing by giving you a link to a blog post written by a friend of ours who works with refugees in Rome and recently visited the Athens Refugee Center. It is a stark look at the very dark corner of the world where we work and yet in the midst of this darkness we see rays of light and hope in the eyes and faces of the people we serve. Thank you for being a part of that. Here is the link:
http://fifthfloor.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/within-a-yard-of-hell/
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Update 2010#7
Everyone,
Another good but jam packed week. Tuesday night was our third Greek class. We got a new student, a Canadian college student, who is very quick at picking things up and will be a nice addition. I am pleased with the amount we are learning in such a short time.
Wednesday Ilir (our team leader while Brett is on furlough) told us not to come in to the ARC (they were doing an inventory of food in preparation for a give away) but to stay home and get our prep work done. Right now Kent and I are responsible for preparing our gospel presentations on Thursdays. That means figuring out a skit and/or getting someone who can speak or translate. We are also responsible for the teaching time at our team fellowships twice a month. Add to that our Greek homework and Kent's prep time for his English class and Men's Bible study and it takes quite a chunk of time.
Wednesday night at Team Fellowship we did a skit called the stool. I give Jesus (Kent) a stool to sit on. He makes sure that I know that when He sits there he gets to make the decisions. I agree. However as issues come up I keep pushing him off the stool and making my own decisions. I think one of the best lines in the skit is when Jesus asks if I really want him to sit there and I say yes. "Then why do you keep taking back the stool" he asks. My answer is "This is just SO much more difficult than I thought it would be. I thought YOUR decisions would be a lot like MY decisions." Isn't that often the struggle we have? We are glad to let Jesus make the decisions as long as they are the decisions we would make anyway. We spent some time after the skit sharing why we take back the stool and what we can do to do a better job of letting Him sit there.
Thursday was Arabic day. "Y" our moroccan friend who is living with us right now, did a skit where he was a doctor preforming surgery. Behind a sheet that is back lit so you can only see shadows he pulls many crazy things out of the man's abdomen. (a teddy bear, a shoe, a hanger etc) Finally he pulls out a large heart with many sins written on it in Arabic. He then shows it to the people and says "I cannot do anything about this man's heart. He will die" He removes the screen and then covers the man with a sheet. Then he talks about how we will die in our sin unless we allow Jesus to raise us up. The dead man raises up and everyone clapped. Once again since it was Arabic day we had many men and few women. Several good conversations happened between men on our team and refugee men after the meal.
Friday Kent met again with his friend Dr. "S" the pakistani new believer. I prepared dinner for one of our team mate's birthday. We had Stacie (the birthday girl) and her roommate Jo plus Sam and Fran over that night. Sam and Fran are the couple who's home we lived in when we came over the first time for our three month short term visit. They have been ministering here in Greece for some time but are now making a move to Iraq to work in Kurdistan. Please pray for them in this transition. It was good to get to see them once more before they leave. After dinner we played Scattergories with some hilarious results. The biggest laugh came when Jo had to give an "A" answer to Cosmetics/Toiletries. She said "Aroma Therapy Gel" and my somewhat hard of hearing husband said "What is Aerobic Energy Gel?" We all envisioned this cream that you smeared on for a major energy boost. Okay, I admit it was late and we were tired which I'm sure made it MUCH more funny!
Saturday we did our major grocery shopping since I didn't have a chance to do it during the week. Kent spent time getting ready for a couple of classes and I mostly just "chilled out". Actually I took a nap by the fire which I guess is the opposite of "chilling".
Sunday we went to church again at Nea Zoi (New Life). We love this church more every time we go. Afterward there was a pot luck at Cosmo Vision Center, a Christian Sports Facility run by one of the church leaders. Before the potluck we went home with a couple we met at church who work with another group ministering to refugees. We enjoyed getting to know them a bit and I think we were able to be an encouragement to them. At the potluck we had a nice time visiting with one of the elders and his wife. She doesn't speak English so this was a chance for us to use some of our Greek and it was very satisfying to be able to actually say a few things in their language. I also visited with this couple's daughter in law who is an English teacher at a local college. She was very interested in the work we do and expressed an interest in coming to see it sometime. She also invited me to a once a month ladies group. Kent visited with a couple of the other men as well.
On our way home we stopped at Donna and Themis (team mates) house since we really hadn't spent any time with them since they got back from furlough. They are dear friends and we always enjoy our time with them.
Monday morning we got up and dressed but I was just not feeling well. I finally decided to stay home and Kent went on without me. I thought maybe I would feel like going in later but after about an hour I changed back into my pjs and settled in. I think maybe I am overdoing it a bit and may have just needed a day of rest. It seems like even on our days home we have things we need to do and there is not much down time. I spent the morning reading a book called The Prodigal God that our team leader had given us. In the afternoon I napped in the sun on the porch. Kent came home about 8pm since he has his men's Bible study on Mondays after tea house. He said he was in the kitchen at tea house and was really hopping just to keep enough cups washed to serve everyone.
The weather here has been crazy. As I mentioned, yesterday I napped in the sun but by the time Kent came home we were having lightening and torrential rains. It has been raining like that off and on for the past few days. It is sunny this morning so I think I will close and walk up to the grocery store before it decides to rain again. Kent is at men's showers and then we will be going to Greek class this evening. We love you and are always thankful for your faithfulness to the Lord and to the work here.
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
Another good but jam packed week. Tuesday night was our third Greek class. We got a new student, a Canadian college student, who is very quick at picking things up and will be a nice addition. I am pleased with the amount we are learning in such a short time.
Wednesday Ilir (our team leader while Brett is on furlough) told us not to come in to the ARC (they were doing an inventory of food in preparation for a give away) but to stay home and get our prep work done. Right now Kent and I are responsible for preparing our gospel presentations on Thursdays. That means figuring out a skit and/or getting someone who can speak or translate. We are also responsible for the teaching time at our team fellowships twice a month. Add to that our Greek homework and Kent's prep time for his English class and Men's Bible study and it takes quite a chunk of time.
Wednesday night at Team Fellowship we did a skit called the stool. I give Jesus (Kent) a stool to sit on. He makes sure that I know that when He sits there he gets to make the decisions. I agree. However as issues come up I keep pushing him off the stool and making my own decisions. I think one of the best lines in the skit is when Jesus asks if I really want him to sit there and I say yes. "Then why do you keep taking back the stool" he asks. My answer is "This is just SO much more difficult than I thought it would be. I thought YOUR decisions would be a lot like MY decisions." Isn't that often the struggle we have? We are glad to let Jesus make the decisions as long as they are the decisions we would make anyway. We spent some time after the skit sharing why we take back the stool and what we can do to do a better job of letting Him sit there.
Thursday was Arabic day. "Y" our moroccan friend who is living with us right now, did a skit where he was a doctor preforming surgery. Behind a sheet that is back lit so you can only see shadows he pulls many crazy things out of the man's abdomen. (a teddy bear, a shoe, a hanger etc) Finally he pulls out a large heart with many sins written on it in Arabic. He then shows it to the people and says "I cannot do anything about this man's heart. He will die" He removes the screen and then covers the man with a sheet. Then he talks about how we will die in our sin unless we allow Jesus to raise us up. The dead man raises up and everyone clapped. Once again since it was Arabic day we had many men and few women. Several good conversations happened between men on our team and refugee men after the meal.
Friday Kent met again with his friend Dr. "S" the pakistani new believer. I prepared dinner for one of our team mate's birthday. We had Stacie (the birthday girl) and her roommate Jo plus Sam and Fran over that night. Sam and Fran are the couple who's home we lived in when we came over the first time for our three month short term visit. They have been ministering here in Greece for some time but are now making a move to Iraq to work in Kurdistan. Please pray for them in this transition. It was good to get to see them once more before they leave. After dinner we played Scattergories with some hilarious results. The biggest laugh came when Jo had to give an "A" answer to Cosmetics/Toiletries. She said "Aroma Therapy Gel" and my somewhat hard of hearing husband said "What is Aerobic Energy Gel?" We all envisioned this cream that you smeared on for a major energy boost. Okay, I admit it was late and we were tired which I'm sure made it MUCH more funny!
Saturday we did our major grocery shopping since I didn't have a chance to do it during the week. Kent spent time getting ready for a couple of classes and I mostly just "chilled out". Actually I took a nap by the fire which I guess is the opposite of "chilling".
Sunday we went to church again at Nea Zoi (New Life). We love this church more every time we go. Afterward there was a pot luck at Cosmo Vision Center, a Christian Sports Facility run by one of the church leaders. Before the potluck we went home with a couple we met at church who work with another group ministering to refugees. We enjoyed getting to know them a bit and I think we were able to be an encouragement to them. At the potluck we had a nice time visiting with one of the elders and his wife. She doesn't speak English so this was a chance for us to use some of our Greek and it was very satisfying to be able to actually say a few things in their language. I also visited with this couple's daughter in law who is an English teacher at a local college. She was very interested in the work we do and expressed an interest in coming to see it sometime. She also invited me to a once a month ladies group. Kent visited with a couple of the other men as well.
On our way home we stopped at Donna and Themis (team mates) house since we really hadn't spent any time with them since they got back from furlough. They are dear friends and we always enjoy our time with them.
Monday morning we got up and dressed but I was just not feeling well. I finally decided to stay home and Kent went on without me. I thought maybe I would feel like going in later but after about an hour I changed back into my pjs and settled in. I think maybe I am overdoing it a bit and may have just needed a day of rest. It seems like even on our days home we have things we need to do and there is not much down time. I spent the morning reading a book called The Prodigal God that our team leader had given us. In the afternoon I napped in the sun on the porch. Kent came home about 8pm since he has his men's Bible study on Mondays after tea house. He said he was in the kitchen at tea house and was really hopping just to keep enough cups washed to serve everyone.
The weather here has been crazy. As I mentioned, yesterday I napped in the sun but by the time Kent came home we were having lightening and torrential rains. It has been raining like that off and on for the past few days. It is sunny this morning so I think I will close and walk up to the grocery store before it decides to rain again. Kent is at men's showers and then we will be going to Greek class this evening. We love you and are always thankful for your faithfulness to the Lord and to the work here.
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Morley Update 2010 #6
Everyone,
It has been a busy couple of weeks. The last two weekends we have been at the ARC on Saturday as well as our regular schedule. Then Kent and I have started taking Greek classes which are on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Our Greek classes are at the Athens Center downtown. Our teacher will only speak Greek to us but if we get too confused she will (once in a great while) write a word on the board in English. We really have learned a lot in the last two days and at least recognize more of what we are hearing although we have trouble remembering the words when we try to speak. It is harder for Kent than it is for me because our teacher takes sort of the "shot gun" approach. She asks a question - we answer -she jumps to something else and gives little explanation as to the "whys" and "hows". Kent's mind works in a very orderly fashion and he needs to see things written out so it makes it difficult. Maria (Nikos wife) helped us some yesterday with a few "rules" for endings etc. We will just continue on and see how it goes. We will be in class until April and then can decide whether to take the second course or do something with a tutor on our own. Pray for us that we can understand, retain what we learn and be able to use it.
Kent and I are both finally feeling better but this "bug" is going around the team. I know of two teammates who just got sick yesterday with very sore throats which is how we started.
Wednesday was a prayer day for the team. Once a month we spend about 4-5 hours together as a team praying. We pray for one another, we pray for refugees, we pray for direction and wisdom and we pray for YOU as our partners in this work. It is always a good day of worship and sharing together.
Thursday was an Arabic day. Arabic days look very different than Farsi days. On Farsi days we are packed out with many women, lots of children and quite a few men. On Arabic days we are still full but it is almost exclusively men. There are a few Egyptian families who have been here for years. Sometimes a few of the women come but most of their children are in Greek school so we will only have one or two smaller children. Since the women on the team do not interact with the refugee men it is a day where we are mostly in the kitchen while the men sit with the refugees and talk. We did the sower and the seed puppet skit again and our friend "Y" who is staying with us spoke afterward.
Friday Kent met with our friend Dr "S". This is the man from Pakistan who has become a Christian. Please pray for him. He has been ill and his family who is still in Pakistan has been threatened and he is very fearful for their lives. Kent also met with another friend "P" who is one of the leaders in Persian Fellowship. I spent the day doing household chores and then in the evening went to our friend Sahar's house to help decorate a cake for an Iranian Engagement party the next night.
Saturday we had the annual meeting for the Helping Hands. As you may know we are here with International Teams but we work under Helping Hands which is a Greek non-profit organization. More and more the Greek churches are wanting to get involved with helping refugees and this is the real future of the ministry here. Our team can not even begin to meet the tremendous needs and reach out to the many thousands of refugees just in the Athens area, let alone spread throughout Greece. As Greek Christians and Greek Churches begin to step out in refugee ministry it provides a much broader base of resources and interaction with refugees. We look forward to partnering with these churches to "reach the nations".
Saturday night we attended an Iranian Engagement party. One of our team mates is marrying an Iranian man in October. In the Iranian culture the Engagement is an event. We all dressed up and went to Sahar's house. For the first couple of hours we just sat around the edges of the living room while LOUD Persian music was played. The engaged couple would go around and choose people to come out and dance with them - the man choosing men and the woman choosing women. Persian dancing for both men and women is a lot of hip action and graceful movements with the hands. Kent and I each took our turn on the floor much to the delight (and perhaps amusement) of some of our teammates and refugee friends. After this we were all invited upstairs where a wonderful Persian dinner was laid out. There was Persian saffron rice with berries, chicken, and several types of salad. The engaged couple went first and ate together off one plate to symbolize their union. When we had all eaten, we went back downstairs. The couple sat on a couch and to the accompaniment of more music, the rings were brought out on a tray with flowers and it was carried around the room so everyone could admire them. Then the couple put on the rings and shared a kiss. After this their pastor had a prayer of blessing on them. Then it was time for the cake. It to was brought out to be admired and sat in front of the couple. Another team mate brought out the knife and made quite a show of dancing around the room with it before handing it to the couple. They cut the cake and then fed each other a piece. After that we were all invited to have dessert from a table which was covered with wonderful things. Then more music and dancing. Kent and I went on home leaving some of the younger crowd to "party on". It was a fun evening. One of the things I love about living here is learning other cultures and participating in them.
Monday at tea house I met with "Sh" an Afghan woman I met last week. Last Monday she was doing some English homework and was having trouble with it so I helped her. This Monday I was working in the kitchen and one of my other refugee friends came and said "Your student here". I didn't know what she was talking about but then she brought "Sh" and said "Your student". I got someone to take over dishes and went out to sit with "Sh". She had more homework so I helped her with that. Then when we finished she said "I have question". And she had written out in English and Farsi "Why Afghan women wear veil" Then under it she had a list of words in Farsi and English like "Shy, Modest, Fear," etc. "What you think?" she asked. I said I thought they wore them because they thought that to be modest God wanted them to wear them. She said "No, is fear. In Afghanistan woman no veil - Taliban kill". I asked why she didn't wear a veil. She said "My husband very democratic. Good man." I asked if she was a Muslim. She said "no". I asked if she was a Christian she said "no". I said "just nothing?" She said "yes". I asked if she had children - she said "Two boys. I have three boys but one boy very beautiful, 22 years, doctor, Taliban kill." I asked if that is why they left and she nodded. Please pray that as I continue to meet with her and help her with English that God will guide our conversations. Kent spent quite a bit of time talking to his friends "G" and "H" and then a long time with another man. I didn't have a chance to ask him about their conversations. Kent also taught English class. He still really enjoys that and sees it as a good way to find out who speaks a little English and to build relationships as well as teaching them English. After tea house Kent had a leadership meeting and was supposed to have a Bible study with a few guys but several of them couldn't make it that night so they will begin next week.
Today Kent is at showers and I am doing my update and insurance reports. We have Greek class tonight. Thank you again for all the prayers and support you offer. We are always thankful for our partners who have stayed behind in order to send us. We love you all.
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
It has been a busy couple of weeks. The last two weekends we have been at the ARC on Saturday as well as our regular schedule. Then Kent and I have started taking Greek classes which are on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Our Greek classes are at the Athens Center downtown. Our teacher will only speak Greek to us but if we get too confused she will (once in a great while) write a word on the board in English. We really have learned a lot in the last two days and at least recognize more of what we are hearing although we have trouble remembering the words when we try to speak. It is harder for Kent than it is for me because our teacher takes sort of the "shot gun" approach. She asks a question - we answer -she jumps to something else and gives little explanation as to the "whys" and "hows". Kent's mind works in a very orderly fashion and he needs to see things written out so it makes it difficult. Maria (Nikos wife) helped us some yesterday with a few "rules" for endings etc. We will just continue on and see how it goes. We will be in class until April and then can decide whether to take the second course or do something with a tutor on our own. Pray for us that we can understand, retain what we learn and be able to use it.
Kent and I are both finally feeling better but this "bug" is going around the team. I know of two teammates who just got sick yesterday with very sore throats which is how we started.
Wednesday was a prayer day for the team. Once a month we spend about 4-5 hours together as a team praying. We pray for one another, we pray for refugees, we pray for direction and wisdom and we pray for YOU as our partners in this work. It is always a good day of worship and sharing together.
Thursday was an Arabic day. Arabic days look very different than Farsi days. On Farsi days we are packed out with many women, lots of children and quite a few men. On Arabic days we are still full but it is almost exclusively men. There are a few Egyptian families who have been here for years. Sometimes a few of the women come but most of their children are in Greek school so we will only have one or two smaller children. Since the women on the team do not interact with the refugee men it is a day where we are mostly in the kitchen while the men sit with the refugees and talk. We did the sower and the seed puppet skit again and our friend "Y" who is staying with us spoke afterward.
Friday Kent met with our friend Dr "S". This is the man from Pakistan who has become a Christian. Please pray for him. He has been ill and his family who is still in Pakistan has been threatened and he is very fearful for their lives. Kent also met with another friend "P" who is one of the leaders in Persian Fellowship. I spent the day doing household chores and then in the evening went to our friend Sahar's house to help decorate a cake for an Iranian Engagement party the next night.
Saturday we had the annual meeting for the Helping Hands. As you may know we are here with International Teams but we work under Helping Hands which is a Greek non-profit organization. More and more the Greek churches are wanting to get involved with helping refugees and this is the real future of the ministry here. Our team can not even begin to meet the tremendous needs and reach out to the many thousands of refugees just in the Athens area, let alone spread throughout Greece. As Greek Christians and Greek Churches begin to step out in refugee ministry it provides a much broader base of resources and interaction with refugees. We look forward to partnering with these churches to "reach the nations".
Saturday night we attended an Iranian Engagement party. One of our team mates is marrying an Iranian man in October. In the Iranian culture the Engagement is an event. We all dressed up and went to Sahar's house. For the first couple of hours we just sat around the edges of the living room while LOUD Persian music was played. The engaged couple would go around and choose people to come out and dance with them - the man choosing men and the woman choosing women. Persian dancing for both men and women is a lot of hip action and graceful movements with the hands. Kent and I each took our turn on the floor much to the delight (and perhaps amusement) of some of our teammates and refugee friends. After this we were all invited upstairs where a wonderful Persian dinner was laid out. There was Persian saffron rice with berries, chicken, and several types of salad. The engaged couple went first and ate together off one plate to symbolize their union. When we had all eaten, we went back downstairs. The couple sat on a couch and to the accompaniment of more music, the rings were brought out on a tray with flowers and it was carried around the room so everyone could admire them. Then the couple put on the rings and shared a kiss. After this their pastor had a prayer of blessing on them. Then it was time for the cake. It to was brought out to be admired and sat in front of the couple. Another team mate brought out the knife and made quite a show of dancing around the room with it before handing it to the couple. They cut the cake and then fed each other a piece. After that we were all invited to have dessert from a table which was covered with wonderful things. Then more music and dancing. Kent and I went on home leaving some of the younger crowd to "party on". It was a fun evening. One of the things I love about living here is learning other cultures and participating in them.
Monday at tea house I met with "Sh" an Afghan woman I met last week. Last Monday she was doing some English homework and was having trouble with it so I helped her. This Monday I was working in the kitchen and one of my other refugee friends came and said "Your student here". I didn't know what she was talking about but then she brought "Sh" and said "Your student". I got someone to take over dishes and went out to sit with "Sh". She had more homework so I helped her with that. Then when we finished she said "I have question". And she had written out in English and Farsi "Why Afghan women wear veil" Then under it she had a list of words in Farsi and English like "Shy, Modest, Fear," etc. "What you think?" she asked. I said I thought they wore them because they thought that to be modest God wanted them to wear them. She said "No, is fear. In Afghanistan woman no veil - Taliban kill". I asked why she didn't wear a veil. She said "My husband very democratic. Good man." I asked if she was a Muslim. She said "no". I asked if she was a Christian she said "no". I said "just nothing?" She said "yes". I asked if she had children - she said "Two boys. I have three boys but one boy very beautiful, 22 years, doctor, Taliban kill." I asked if that is why they left and she nodded. Please pray that as I continue to meet with her and help her with English that God will guide our conversations. Kent spent quite a bit of time talking to his friends "G" and "H" and then a long time with another man. I didn't have a chance to ask him about their conversations. Kent also taught English class. He still really enjoys that and sees it as a good way to find out who speaks a little English and to build relationships as well as teaching them English. After tea house Kent had a leadership meeting and was supposed to have a Bible study with a few guys but several of them couldn't make it that night so they will begin next week.
Today Kent is at showers and I am doing my update and insurance reports. We have Greek class tonight. Thank you again for all the prayers and support you offer. We are always thankful for our partners who have stayed behind in order to send us. We love you all.
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
Morley Update 2010 #5
Everyone,
Cali Mera - Kent and I start taking Greek classes tonight so I thought I had better get in practice. It was a busy and productive week. Our usual schedule is Tea House on Monday, Men's Showers on Tuesday, Give Aways, Team Projects, Prayer Days and Team Fellowships on Wednesday, Language Specific Meal on Thursday, Women's showers and Refugee Hospitality in our home on Friday. We then have Saturday off and Sunday attend Greek church in the morning and Kent usually attends Persian Fellowship in the evening. Because more Greek churches are wanting to get involved and because most Greeks can only volunteer on Saturdays we decided that once a month we would take Wednesday as our day off and do another event on Saturday so we could use Greek volunteers. This was our week to have Wednesday off.
Thursday was a Farsi speaking meal and we were a bit lower in numbers for adults although it seemed like we had LOTS of kids. "S" one of the refugee men who is a Christian spoke. He talked about the story in Luke where there is a storm and Jesus is sleeping and the disciples are afraid but when they wake Jesus he calms the storm. He related this to how refugees face many problems and are even afraid but that Jesus is there and if we call on Him, He can calm our fears.
Friday we had "Z" and "S" and their families over for dinner. "Z" is a single mom with twin girls a year and a half and two boys 8 and 11. "S" has three children two girls about 8 and 5 and a boy about 3. Her husband "M" is kind of shy and doesn't come to many events so I was very happy that he joined us for dinner. Both "Z" and "S" are getting better at English so it was a fun evening. Mom, I gave the twin girls two of the hats you knitted and they were a big hit. I also had two pairs of shoes that I could not wear, one that was new and the other in really good shape. I had mentioned them to "Z" the other day and she said to Tasha that morning "My shoes hurt - I am going to ask Myrna about those shoes she has" I got them out and they both fit her. I also had some new socks and gave her and "S" each a couple of pairs. "S" has very small feet and she put on three pairs of socks and then put on one of the pairs of shoes and said - "Look very good" We all started laughing because she looked like she had these very fat legs. When they left three hours later my house looked like a cyclone had hit it with toys and crumbs and dishes everywhere. I love it!
Saturday we had another Farsi meal but this time we had about 10 Greek teenagers from a youth group to help. We were filled to overflowing that day with people and kids everywhere. We did a puppet show on The Sower and The Seed and Kent spoke afterward with our friend Sahar translating. The kids loved the puppet show and even sat quietly while Kent talked (I think they were waiting for more puppets to come out).
On Saturday night we welcomed a new roommate into our home for the time being. One of our team mates is dating a Moroccan man named "Y". They would like to get married but there are several complicating circumstances. "Y" doesn't have proper papers and has the further complication of having aplastic anemia. He is responding well to medication but may need a bone marrow transplant. Because of this their lawyer has advised them not to "rock the boat" and try to change his papers because it might mean that Greece would no longer cover his medical expenses. "Y" is a great guy and helps out, especially with Arabic speaking events as he is one of the few Christian Arabic speakers we know. He and several other Christian men had been living in our Nest in the "Timothy House" but when the Nest closed they needed to find other places to live. He has been unable to find work recently (a BIG problem for most refugees) and his temporary housing was coming to an end. His plan was to just find a place in an abandoned building for a while until he could find work and afford to get into something better. We decided to have him live with us for a month or so until he could find something. Please pray for "Y". Pray for his health. He is trying to see if his sister in Morocco would be a match for the transplant and if so if the government would give her permission to travel here for the procedure. Also pray for him to find work and a long term place to live. Pray that the Lord will provide a way for our team mate and him to be married when the time is right. This is also a good time to mention again that if you would like to contribute to getting our Nest (housing) ministry started again you can donate by the same method you would use to give to us designating it "For the Nest - Athens" - see instructions at the bottom of the page.
I would also ask you to pray for Kent's health. As you know he was sick last week and missed several days of work. He had a bad sore throat, a cough and was very tired. He went back to work on Thursday but began having a sharp pain in his side whenever he took a deep breath or coughed. That lasted a day or so. He is still going to work but is tired all the time - Sunday he took two naps and still went to bed at the usual time. He said his chest just feels kind of heavy. I believe that he most likely has walking pneumonia as it matches his symptoms and on the internet it says that most people get over it without antibiotics but that he may be quite tired for some time. Please pray that he will shake whatever it is or that if he needs to see a doctor we will know that. I am also having quite a bit of lower back pain so would appreciate prayers for that. As I mentioned at the first of my letter we are starting Greek classes tonight. We will attend class on Tuesday and Thursday nights until mid April. This may mean cutting back on some ministry for the time being in order to study but in the long run it will make our ministry much more effective. Please pray that our "old" minds will pick up and retain what we are learning and that we will be wise in the use of our time and not get overwhelmed.
Thank you for your partnership with us. It is so nice to know that many of you will faithfully lift up these prayer requests to the Lord. Just a reminder that Kent and I each now have a blog - mine so far is mostly just my update but if you haven't checked out Kent's you should. He had done some wonderful and creative things with his photography and some of his poems. He has a gift and is enjoying this creative outlet. To go to his blog click on this link http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
Cali Mera - Kent and I start taking Greek classes tonight so I thought I had better get in practice. It was a busy and productive week. Our usual schedule is Tea House on Monday, Men's Showers on Tuesday, Give Aways, Team Projects, Prayer Days and Team Fellowships on Wednesday, Language Specific Meal on Thursday, Women's showers and Refugee Hospitality in our home on Friday. We then have Saturday off and Sunday attend Greek church in the morning and Kent usually attends Persian Fellowship in the evening. Because more Greek churches are wanting to get involved and because most Greeks can only volunteer on Saturdays we decided that once a month we would take Wednesday as our day off and do another event on Saturday so we could use Greek volunteers. This was our week to have Wednesday off.
Thursday was a Farsi speaking meal and we were a bit lower in numbers for adults although it seemed like we had LOTS of kids. "S" one of the refugee men who is a Christian spoke. He talked about the story in Luke where there is a storm and Jesus is sleeping and the disciples are afraid but when they wake Jesus he calms the storm. He related this to how refugees face many problems and are even afraid but that Jesus is there and if we call on Him, He can calm our fears.
Friday we had "Z" and "S" and their families over for dinner. "Z" is a single mom with twin girls a year and a half and two boys 8 and 11. "S" has three children two girls about 8 and 5 and a boy about 3. Her husband "M" is kind of shy and doesn't come to many events so I was very happy that he joined us for dinner. Both "Z" and "S" are getting better at English so it was a fun evening. Mom, I gave the twin girls two of the hats you knitted and they were a big hit. I also had two pairs of shoes that I could not wear, one that was new and the other in really good shape. I had mentioned them to "Z" the other day and she said to Tasha that morning "My shoes hurt - I am going to ask Myrna about those shoes she has" I got them out and they both fit her. I also had some new socks and gave her and "S" each a couple of pairs. "S" has very small feet and she put on three pairs of socks and then put on one of the pairs of shoes and said - "Look very good" We all started laughing because she looked like she had these very fat legs. When they left three hours later my house looked like a cyclone had hit it with toys and crumbs and dishes everywhere. I love it!
Saturday we had another Farsi meal but this time we had about 10 Greek teenagers from a youth group to help. We were filled to overflowing that day with people and kids everywhere. We did a puppet show on The Sower and The Seed and Kent spoke afterward with our friend Sahar translating. The kids loved the puppet show and even sat quietly while Kent talked (I think they were waiting for more puppets to come out).
On Saturday night we welcomed a new roommate into our home for the time being. One of our team mates is dating a Moroccan man named "Y". They would like to get married but there are several complicating circumstances. "Y" doesn't have proper papers and has the further complication of having aplastic anemia. He is responding well to medication but may need a bone marrow transplant. Because of this their lawyer has advised them not to "rock the boat" and try to change his papers because it might mean that Greece would no longer cover his medical expenses. "Y" is a great guy and helps out, especially with Arabic speaking events as he is one of the few Christian Arabic speakers we know. He and several other Christian men had been living in our Nest in the "Timothy House" but when the Nest closed they needed to find other places to live. He has been unable to find work recently (a BIG problem for most refugees) and his temporary housing was coming to an end. His plan was to just find a place in an abandoned building for a while until he could find work and afford to get into something better. We decided to have him live with us for a month or so until he could find something. Please pray for "Y". Pray for his health. He is trying to see if his sister in Morocco would be a match for the transplant and if so if the government would give her permission to travel here for the procedure. Also pray for him to find work and a long term place to live. Pray that the Lord will provide a way for our team mate and him to be married when the time is right. This is also a good time to mention again that if you would like to contribute to getting our Nest (housing) ministry started again you can donate by the same method you would use to give to us designating it "For the Nest - Athens" - see instructions at the bottom of the page.
I would also ask you to pray for Kent's health. As you know he was sick last week and missed several days of work. He had a bad sore throat, a cough and was very tired. He went back to work on Thursday but began having a sharp pain in his side whenever he took a deep breath or coughed. That lasted a day or so. He is still going to work but is tired all the time - Sunday he took two naps and still went to bed at the usual time. He said his chest just feels kind of heavy. I believe that he most likely has walking pneumonia as it matches his symptoms and on the internet it says that most people get over it without antibiotics but that he may be quite tired for some time. Please pray that he will shake whatever it is or that if he needs to see a doctor we will know that. I am also having quite a bit of lower back pain so would appreciate prayers for that. As I mentioned at the first of my letter we are starting Greek classes tonight. We will attend class on Tuesday and Thursday nights until mid April. This may mean cutting back on some ministry for the time being in order to study but in the long run it will make our ministry much more effective. Please pray that our "old" minds will pick up and retain what we are learning and that we will be wise in the use of our time and not get overwhelmed.
Thank you for your partnership with us. It is so nice to know that many of you will faithfully lift up these prayer requests to the Lord. Just a reminder that Kent and I each now have a blog - mine so far is mostly just my update but if you haven't checked out Kent's you should. He had done some wonderful and creative things with his photography and some of his poems. He has a gift and is enjoying this creative outlet. To go to his blog click on this link http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@juno.com
To Support:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/give
Or Send to:
International Teams
411 W. River Rd.
Elgin IL 60123
Please designate for the ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley and indicate whether this is a one time gift or monthly support. Thanks ;}
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