Morley Update 2010 #15

Everyone,

Kent and I actually went out of town for a couple of days after Easter for a MUCH needed break. Things have been pretty hectic and we found out our Greek classes were canceled for the week after Easter so decided to take a couple of days off. We had a long weekend for Easter but had filled it up with Easter activities. Here are a few "snapshots" of Easter.

1) We had two Easter outreaches for refugees. One for Farsi Speakers and one for Arabic. I headed up a puppet show about a caterpillar that becomes a butterfly. There is always something magical about kids and puppets and although the little faces looking up at the stage were a little browner than they might be in America - there was that same sense of wonder in their eyes.

2) "F" an older Libyan man was here when we came four years ago and is still here, minus a few more teeth. He can be a bit abrasive at times and has a temper but he loves any kind of drama or puppets. He will mouth along the words if it is one he has seen before and "shushes" people if they aren't paying attention. After the Easter outreach he was leaving and he put his hand over his heart, smiled his big toothless smile and said to us "Thank you so much. I love you my brother, my sister. Kalo paska (happy Easter). Thank you, thank you."

3) At 15 minutes before midnight on Easter Eve we are gathered with a huge crowd of people holding unlit candles. Out of the church comes a procession of people with their candles lit and the light flows out through the Platia as person after person lights their candle. Then over the loudspeaker the priest begins to tell the Easter story. (I could understand more of it this year.) Just before midnight there are a series of loud booms and flashes (to me it seems like the power of God coming down) Then at the stoke of midnight the church bells begin to ring wildly and the fireworks light up the sky. Everyone is kissing and saying "Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!" (Christ is risen! Truly He has risen!) It's a WONDERFUL way to celebrate Easter.

4) Quintessential Greek moment. The fire we have just lit our candles with is fire which was flown in from Jerusalem and is supposed to have miraculously come down from heaven. I watch a Greek man standing on the church steps using his candle to light his ever present cigarette!

5) It's six o'clock in the morning and we are walking up a cobblestone path that winds up a hill through the Olive trees. The birds are beginning to awaken with sleepy little chirps. As we make our way through the dim morning light I think that it must have been something like this for the women who went to the tomb that first Easter morning. The difference is that they thought they were going to say goodbye to their murdered Master whereas I know I am going to worship my living Lord!

6) We are up on Filapappou hill at 6:30am Easter morning. After hearing prayers and scripture in many languages we are listening to an Indonesian woman beautifully singing "I know my Redeemer Lives" as the sun breaks over the Acropolis. It's a WONDERFUL way to celebrate Easter.

7) We go to church at International Christian Fellowship where the worship team is made up of four different nationalities. We normally go to a Greek Church and it is a real joy to sing in English so many of the songs that we know you, our "home team", will be singing a few hours later. It's a WONDERFUL way to celebrate Easter.

We hope that you had a WONDERFUL Easter as well. We had a good rest and are ready to get back to work again. As always we are blessed to be involved in the work here in Greece and are grateful for the unfailing support we receive from you, our larger team. 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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