Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #27

Everyone,

God is moving in Greece - especially among the Afghan women! For some time we have had a group of women who have not only become friends but seekers of truth. Five of these women now meet weekly with three of our team mates for Bible Study. They not only study each week but read at home and call with questions about what they have read. One of these women has accepted Jesus but is still very shy about it not knowing what women outside the group will think. Recently we participated in a family camp put on by Hellenic Ministries. Our friend Sahar, a former Iranian refugee, who is a strong Christian and worker in the kingdom led the discussion times at the camp. The women were asked to write down their questions about the Bible or about Jesus and turn them in so no one would feel frightened to ask whatever they wanted. They had some great discussions and at the end of the camp TEN women said they would like to continue to study the Bible! We will have the first of those weekly studies next Tuesday with Sahar leading. Please pray for these two groups of women. Pray that God will complete the work He has started.

We had a good three days of meetings with Erik Olson. Erik is the director of Muslim Ministries for International Teams and he gave us a lot of good information. He lived in worked in Iraq with the Kurdish people and has a real heart for this ministry. We talked about Muslim's world view, their values, their culture and how all of that fits into the way we share Jesus with them.

Thursday night we had one of those special evenings where different cultures were gathered around our table. This was especially sweet because we brought our Pakistani friend Dr. "S" together with our Greek friends Fotis and Mary. Fotis is one of the guiding/preaching elders in our church. Erik Olson also joined us. Dr. "S" was able to share with Fotis and Mary the trials he has gone through and his anguish at being separated from his family. Fotis assured him of his love and support and that we would pray with him. Fotis also asked Dr. "S" to share a bit of his story with the church next week so the church can also pray. Dr. "S" talked about how he came to faith in Jesus Christ and his desire to be baptized. We will have a day soon where the church will gather either at the sea or at Kosmo Vision Center's pool and baptize Dr. "S" and then have a meal together. We are so thankful for the body of believers God has led to to be a part of and how they have welcomed our friend with open arms.

Saturday was a special day for our team. We saw our team mate Carolyn join her life together with "E" our Iranian brother in Christ. Their wedding was a sweet blend of cultures as the whole service was in English and Farsi. Most of the wedding was in the western style but they also included the Iranian "Honey Ceremony". The bride and groom dip their little finger into the honey and feed it to each other to symbolize their sweet and happy life together. Iranian couples also give a gift of sweets to the guests, so we were given little boxes with a piece of Iranian Candy and a Maple Sugar Leaf from Canada.

I wish all of you could experience the richness of culture that we see as our lives cross paths with people from all over the world. On our dining room wall it says "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations..."Psalm 46:10 God is truly being exalted among the nations here in Greece - thank you for being a part of that. 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 ;}

Monday, June 21, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #26

Everyone,

This will be short because I have a busy week and not much time this morning. You would think with the ARC closed I would have more time but instead we seem to be busier. It stayed hot all week and there were several bus/metro strikes which continue to disrupt our plans.

Tuesday we spent the day with our team mate Carolyn and her fiance doing their pre marriage counseling. It was a good time together and we talked into the late evening. On Wednesday Carolyn's parents flew in for the wedding so Kent spent part of the day picking them up at the airport and getting them to Carolyn's since there was a strike and no metro to the airport that day.

Wednesday morning Kent went down to the ARC and helped haul the old kitchen cupboard and bags of the tiles they had torn out down to the garbage. Then they needed to pack bags of sand up the stairs. Not the most fun on a hot day. The demolition part of the ARC went very quickly - tearing down is easy. Now we have started the process of waiting on plumbers, materials etc. We are still hoping to be done by the end of July but know in Greece things go at a different pace. The metro is being extended and was slated to finish in 2007. It is still far from being done. Siga Siga (slowly slowly).

Thursday we had planned to take a few of the younger girls and go up to visit the family camp that was being held last week. At the last minute our plans had to be canceled. There was a transportation strike that day and it was not a day we could drive in to town so we spent the day working on some lesson plans and getting caught up on paper work.

Friday morning Kent met with Dr. "S" in the morning and then came home bringing a refugee friend with him. Kent and Brett were taking a group of six refugee men to the beach and then coming back here for a BBQ. I was not planning on feeding anyone lunch so I quickly tried to fix something since Kent and "N" needed to leave again. They ended up with yogurt with a nectarine cut up in it with honey drizzled on top, a banana and some village bread and more honey. "N" wanted me to sit with them while they ate - so I did. He speaks some English and some Greek so we were able to converse a little. When he and Kent went to go he said "Thank you so much. It has been two years since I have seen my mother" I said "Well, I can be your mother in Athens". It is still amazing to me what a difference the small things we take for granted can mean in these people's lives. Kent seems to "collect" young men who are about our kids age and I enjoy getting to mother them a little.

Brent's wife Kristin and their two little ones spent the afternoon with me while the guys to the beach. At 6:30 they arrived back here happy and hungry. The hamburgers, chips and salad I made disappeared quickly and they had plenty of room for brownies and ice cream. The party broke up fairly early because "A" one of the men wanted Kent to help him move a washing machine someone was giving to his family. Kent didn't get home until late because of course you can't just walk in a get a washing machine but must politely make conversation for a while.

Saturday Kent went to the ARC to help move a refrigerator we were donating to a refugee family and then went to an outreach at the park sponsored by one of the local churches. Sunday we went to church and then played games with friends. This week is shaping up to be another busy one and the team will be arriving here soon for a prayer day.

I said this would be short but should have known it wouldn't happen. Thanks for taking the time to read all my ramblings and for all the encouragement and support you are to us. We love your 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, June 15, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #25

Everyone,

It is HOT and expected to get HOTTER. The temperatures have been close to or in the low 100s during the day and our thermometer on the porch read 90 when we went to bed and still read almost that this morning. This winds have died down so the only breeze is created by the ceiling fans we have in every room. We have resisted getting an air conditioner both because of the expense of getting it and running it and because there is usually only a relatively short time that we would really use one. It seems like the heatwave is starting early this year so we'll see how the summer goes. Kent is not bothered much by the heat except at night when we are trying to sleep but I find myself entering what I call "trudge mode". I just trudge around getting done the bare necessities and then collapsing in a chair as soon as possible. We need to get down to the sea and snorkel!

It was a busy week at the ARC. Monday we had our last tea house until we reopen after the renovations. Tuesday we gave away 400 pairs of new women's shoes that had been donated by a local business. Wednesday we had our last Farsi meal before we close. Although we will see many of these people while we are closed - at beach days and visits to the parks, we also knew that this was the last time we would see some of them. Summer is the season when many people leave and especially with the economic crisis in Greece, everyone wants to go. The sad thing is that many of them will finally scrape together enough money to pay a smuggler or buy tickets somewhere but will either get caught as they leave or when they arrive at their destinations. If they make it through there is still no guarantee. We know many people who had been in another country for over a year and were doing well with a job, housing etc. They were picked up for not having the proper papers and back they came to Greece only to be denied asylum once again and told to leave the country within 90 days. The system is definitely broken and needs to be fixed.

On Thursday we dismantled the ARC taking things out of all the cupboards, off the walls and out of the office. It was hot, heavy work and we were all tired by the end of the day. Friday some of the guys went back and tore out the cupboards in the kitchen, moved the appliances etc. The renovations will be carried out for the most part by a local christian contractor who is donating his time and using his own crew. We are hoping to only be closed for about 5 weeks but are prepared that it may be longer. While we are closed we plan to do a family beach day each Friday. We will do a team park visit once a week and we have a couple of events planned at a local christian sports center. We may do some meals in a local church and we will use a lot of this time to just get together with refugees that we often don't have time to see outside of regular events. The whole team will be having a three day seminar on reaching Muslims, taught by one of the men from International Teams Headquarters who has a lot of experience and knowledge in this area. Kent and I along with a couple team mates will also be doing a ten day intensive Greek Class taught by a woman who is volunteering her time.

Last week Kent was gone all week to a men's retreat about 2 1/2 hours from here. Another local group, Hellenic Ministries has a camp and they invited our team to join them in a couple of week long outings this summer. This retreat was for men who wanted to learn more about Jesus so Kent invited a couple of men he has been talking to. The camp sits right on the sea and all the men said they felt like they had spent 5 days in Paradise. The part of Athens where the refugees live and where we have the ARC is a dark place. There are drugs, prostitution and streets teeming with people who have nothing to do. They live in old run down or abandoned buildings or sleep in the parks. They move from place to place getting food, or clothes or showers or whatever other small necessities they can find. For most of them this is the only part of Greece they see. Having a chance to get away from that for even an afternoon is such a gift to these people.

Each day at the camp the staff met early for prayer and planning. Twice a day they divided into 2-4 groups depending on the number of translators they had. Usually there were two Farsi groups and one Arabic group. Kent led one of the Farsi groups. Some days they just allowed them to ask any questions they had about Jesus, the Bible or Christianity. A couple of days they showed parts of the Jesus film and asked if there was anything in it they wanted to know more about or didn't understand. Kent said they had great discussions and even those who were strong Muslims were respectful and willing to listen. The rest of the day they played sports, swam in the sea, had canoe races or just hung out. At the end of the time "Y" one of the men Kent took said "This is the first time I have met 'real' Christians." Kent looks forward to having more conversations with "Y" in the near future. Pray for him and for "N" the other man that Kent took with him.

I will close now because Kent and I need to prepare for an afternoon pre-marriage counseling session. One of our team mates in getting married next week to an Iranian believer she met here. They have been dating for the last couple of years and engaged for about 6 months. Their pastor is marrying them but because of some family obligations he was not able to do their counseling so they asked if we would do it. We always enjoy getting to use some of the things we have gathered over the years on marriage. Pray for this couple as they begin life together. Pray for them this week as they finish preparing for their wedding and as their two families from very different cultures come together for the first time. Also please pray for ongoing issues they have with "E's" papers and for him to find regular work.

We think of you our team back home often and are so grateful for the support you give us. Thank you not only for the financial support but the little notes of encouragement and the prayers that go up on our behalf. 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, June 8, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #24

Everyone,

It has been rather an odd week for me. We got home from retreat on Monday, Kent did men's showers on Tuesday and on Wednesday we had small group meetings at the ARC. Our team is divided into "IDEA GROUPS". These groups oversee different areas of ministry. Kent and I are on the REACH group which oversees evangelistic outreaches, gospel presentations, bible studies, discipling etc. We also both joined the SPEAK group which oversees helping refugees with practical needs (papers, housing, jobs etc), networking with other ministries and agencies, English classes, plus women and children's events. After these two meetings I went home and Kent stayed for a leadership meeting. On Thursday there was a metro/bus strike and it was not a day we could drive in the downtown area. We decided to go ahead with our Arabic Meal but Kent was only able to drive within about 1/2 hour walking distance of the ARC. Since it would have been hard for me to walk that far and then work all day we decided I would stay home and he would take as many other team mates as he could fit in the car. Since for the last three weeks I had not been to the ARC much, first with my sister here and then with team retreat, I felt a bit out of the loop.

On Friday Kent met with Dr. "S" for bible study in the morning. In the afternoon he went to meet with his friend "G". You may remember that "G" is one of Kent first Kurdish English students. He is a great guy and Kent has grown very fond of him. As with most of our friends, "G" is without proper papers and because of this he has been thrown in jail a couple of times, the last time for four months. The jails are a bad place to be. There is not adequate food, they are put in a room with 15-20 other men and they are not well supervised. We had learned a few weeks ago that "G" was in jail again but we had not been able to find out where. Then we heard he was out but he doesn't have a cell phone so we had not been able to contact him. On Thursday he called Kent and said something about being hurt but Kent had trouble understanding him so arranged to meet him at noon the next day.

When he met "G" he found that while in jail he had been beaten severely by a group of Arabic men who were in the same cell. They beat him and when he fell they started kicking him in the face. The guards did nothing for about 15 minutes and by the time they stopped it "G" had to be taken to the hospital. There was extensive damage to his mouth, teeth and jaw. At the hospital they worked on it and after 10 days sent him away saying he was okay now. This was a week later and Kent said he was in extreme pain and could barely open his mouth. He said he went back to the doctor and said something was wrong but they dismissed him because he had no money to pay and they said he was fine. Kent went with him first to Doctors of the World, a non profit group that works near the ARC. They said they couldn't help him and that he should go back to the first doctor. They went to that hospital and talked with a social worker. She agreed that something was most likely wrong but said since the doctor there had dismissed him she thought it was unlikely he would help and she recommended going to another hospital. They went to the red cross hospital and a dentist examined him and said there was definitely something wrong but he could not fix it and he needed to go back to the first doctor. The dentist wrote a note saying what he thought needed to be done. Back they went to the first hospital where the doctor again dismissed them and refused to see "G". Kent went back and talked to the social worker and she called upstairs and talked to the doctor and then told them to go back up. This time the doctor examined "G" but Kent said he was very rough with him and he could tell "G" was in agony. The doctor finally agreed that there was something wrong but said he would have to come back on Monday and see his original doctor who wasn't in that day.

All of this took 6 hours of riding the metro, walking and waiting. "G" was exhausted and needed to go home. Kent was frustrated because he was going to a men's retreat with some refugee guys on Monday and would not be able to go with "G" back to the doctor. He told "G" he would find someone to go with him and arranged to meet him on Monday morning. When Kent got home he was feeling very bad about what was going on with "G" and powerless to help him. We talked about the different options of people who might go with him and Kent decided to ask a man who is one of the elders in our church. He is a retired doctor and a former head of one of the hospitals. We had no idea if he would even be open to the idea but on Sunday we talked to him. He immediately said, Yes, he would meet Kent and "G" on Monday morning and then would go with "G" to the doctor. Kent and I were both in tears because we were just so thankful that finally someone who might be able to help cared enough to try. So often refugees just need someone to speak for them and as a foreigner we don't carry much weight. That is why we are seeing more and more the need to be involved in the Greek churches because there are people there that do have the contacts and the knowledge to help.

Please pray for "G". Pray for healing and good care. Pray for our Doctor friend as he helps him. "G" has been very open to spiritual things, pray that he will come to an acceptance of the the truth about Jesus.

Pray for Kent as he is at retreat this week for refugee men who are seekers. This retreat is put on by another ministry but we were invited to join them. Kent took two refugee men he has been speaking with and will be gone all week.

Please continue to pray for our friend Dr. "S", his family is still in Pakistan and still in danger. He has been doing a bible study with Kent and attending church with us. He continues to grow in his faith and wants to be baptized so when Kent gets back we will arrange to have some people from our church and some people from our team get together to do that.

Pray for our refugees friends in the coming months when we will be closed for repairs to the building. Many of them will be trying to leave the country during this time as happens every summer so we may not see some of them again.

Pray for Greece as they struggle with their economic crisis and civil unrest.

Pray for us as we find creative ways to minister in the weeks ahead while the building is closed.

Today is Kent and my 37th wedding anniversary. We went out to lunch Sunday since he would be gone. We talked about the journey our marriage has been and Kent said "I wonder what our lives would be like if we hadn't come here". I asked if he ever regretted it and he said "I was just thinking the other day that even if we had to go home suddenly I would be so thankful that we came". We hope to be here for a long time to come but we know that wherever God leads us our lives are forever changed by what we have experienced in these last two years. In Greek there is a word that sounds phonetically like s'efkharisto which is a way of saying Thank You that carries more emotion with it than Thank You alone. That is what we say to you. Thank you SO much for being a part of changing our lives and the lives of refugees here in Greece. 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, June 1, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #23

Everyone,

We got back yesterday from our spring retreat. Our fall retreat was a marathon of all day meetings done locally. This retreat was at a hotel about 2 1/2 hours away on the island of Evia which is connected to the mainland of Greece by a bridge. The main purpose of this retreat was to rest and refresh us. We spent the mornings in a teaching time by George Adam, a local greek pastor who challenged, convicted and encouraged us. We had some meeting times with the team to talk about what we were learning but for the most part left "business" behind. Our afternoons were free and we spent the evenings playing games and enjoying each others company. We said "goodbye" to the two families who are leaving and "welcome" to a new teammate, Wendy, who just arrived. We sat around the pool or around tables and talked about everything from what books we are reading to "how can we really let the Spirit of God lead in our lives". We ate wonderful food (that we didn't have to cook), we took naps and wandered the grounds taking photos. We reconnected with people that we see almost every day but never really spend time with. We chatted with the moms who have little ones or home school their older ones and can't be down at the ARC during the week. Families, who are often running different directions, swam together and played with their kids. We laughed (often) we cried (occasionally) and we grew closer. We came home sun drenched, relaxed and ready to get back to work.


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 ;}