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

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