Everyone,
It was a big day Saturday. We reopened the ARC for the first time in two months. We saw many familiar faces - some of whom we hadn't seen during this time some of whom we have seen at other events or the park. We also had new faces. Several new families were there and quite a few new single men. Already the changes in the ARC are making a difference. I told you about the new turkish toilet (hole in floor with places for your feet on both sides - we also call it a "sqatty potty") in the ladies rest room. We still have a western toilet but are keeping that stall locked and it is for staff use only. The women on the team were very excited to know we had a place to go to the toilet that was clean and no one had been standing on the seat. I was feeling a bit guilty though because it seemed like we were keeping the best toilet for ourselves and making the refugees use the other. I was showing my friend "Z" around and when she saw the turkish toilet she clapped her hands and said "Finally". I realized that to them this was the "nice" toilet and the other was just something they had been putting up with. No more guilt.
We only served tea on Saturday but already the kitchen made a big difference. Instead of standing bending over a sink for hours washing cups we just threw them in the dishwasher. This will mean we need less people in the kitchen freeing up more people to be spending time with refugees. I know it will be such a help when we serve food. I used to stand for a couple of hours by the door of the kitchen rinsing greasy spaghetti plates in a dishpan before they went into the kitchen to be washed. This meant going out on the back balcony to empty my pan and then running back and forth into the kitchen to refill it when it got too greasy. It meant carrying stacks of dripping plates through the kitchen where people were working to the sink. All those plates (about 120) then had to be hand washed, double rinsed - once in bleach water, and hand dried. Now they will be stacked on our rolling cart and wheeled into the kitchen. They will be scraped into the under the counter garbage can and rinsed in the sink. After that they will run through the dishwasher and come out ready to be put away in the cupboard.
I asked for prayer for our friend Doctor "S" who has taken the name "Joseph". His wife and children have been in hiding in Pakistan under threats of death from the Taliban. They were caught in the floods and he had not been in contact with them. He was able to talk with his wife this week and they are safe. Joseph said he knows it is because God protected them and he wanted to thank everyone who prayed for them. Please continue to pray that his family will be able to leave Pakistan and join him.
Please also pray for "G" Kent's kurdish friend who was beaten so severely while he was in jail. Kent had not been able to find him but recently heard that he is living near the hills of Athens. He is hoping to go to see him this week. He is very concerned because when a mutual friend found him he refused to let him in and seemed in a very bad way. "G" has always been such a great guy that it is very hard to hear of him being in such a state. Please pray that he will see Kent and that we can know how to help him.
Please also pray for the many refugees who are once again living in the parks. Many of them had been living in abandoned buildings but recently the police have been making sweeps through these areas and arresting people or just sending them out. They have no where to go so they end up with their families in the parks. New families continue to arrive and they squeeze into already overcrowded apartments just to be off the streets.
Along with all the new families, we are also missing many faces - some of them people whom we have come to love. During the months of July and August many refugees leave during the rush of tourists. Often we don't even get a chance to say goodbye. This is the nature of refugee ministry and we rejoice in those who have gone on and taken a faith in Jesus Christ with them. "C" and her husband "A" along with their two small children became Christians here and we watched "C" blossom from a shy, sad and fearful woman into a confident, laughing woman who openly shared her faith with others. They moved on to Italy and hope to move on from there. For others it may be only seeds of faith that we hope will be watered and tended by someone else along the Refugee Highway. "T" and her mother and sisters had become a good friends but were just beginning to open their hearts to ask questions about Jesus. They have moved on to Germany.
We will miss these people and carry them in our hearts but we turn our attention to the new families as well. Our goal is that when people come through our doors they will find not only food for their bellies but food for their souls. Jesus said "I am the bread of life". When they get a drink of cold water or hot tea we hope they will also find what their hearts are thirsting for. Jesus said "I am the living water". When we give them clean clothes or laundry soap or a shower, we hope they will look to the one who can truly make them clean. "The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin". And as we help them on their way down the Refugee Highway we point them to the one who said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life".
Thank you for being a part of this. 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, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Morley Update 2010 #34
Everyone,
We spent the rest of the week doing clean up after the construction. It was a HOT, DUSTY, EXHAUSTING job. We hope to be open for our first tea house this Saturday. At the left of this entry under Archives you will see a heading "ARC Remodel" if you click on that it will take you to an albumn of pictures of some of the newly redone areas. Click where it says "view in a larger size" then click "view albumn". If you look to the left of each picture as it comes up there is a heading telling you what you are looking at. Pictures can't do it justice - it is AWESOME!
Myrna and Kent
We spent the rest of the week doing clean up after the construction. It was a HOT, DUSTY, EXHAUSTING job. We hope to be open for our first tea house this Saturday. At the left of this entry under Archives you will see a heading "ARC Remodel" if you click on that it will take you to an albumn of pictures of some of the newly redone areas. Click where it says "view in a larger size" then click "view albumn". If you look to the left of each picture as it comes up there is a heading telling you what you are looking at. Pictures can't do it justice - it is AWESOME!
Myrna and Kent
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Morley Update 2010 #33
Everyone,
It has been an interesting summer. As you know because the ARC has been closed for renovations we have been doing ministry "outside the box" for the last two months. It has been good and has allowed us to try new things and be more creative. On the other hand it has been hard because the schedule changes from week to week and sometimes from day to day making it hard to plan ahead. I know I am looking forward to have a more "normal" schedule soon.
Today the team had our team meeting at the ARC for the first time since mid June. The contractors are finished except for a few little things and now the clean up begins. If I had one word to describe today it would be DUST. There is a thick layer of dust covering almost every inch of the ARC. Walls must be washed. Hundreds of chairs must be washed. Cupboards must be washed. Appliances and counter tops have to be washed. Every piece of clothing in the clothing room needs to be shaken out and rehung. When I walked in the door at home today I went to the shower before even sitting down. My hair and clothes were covered with dust and I had dirty trails down my face where the sweat ran down through the dust. We will spend the rest of the week cleaning and putting things away and hope to be open for tea house by the end of next week.
Once everything is cleaned I know we will all be basking in the new things that will make our lives easier. We have a completely new kitchen with everything you could want. It has a dishwasher and a big sink for washing pots. No more standing endlessly washing hundreds of plastic cups or greasy plates. No more back breaking work of washing the pots with a hose out on the balcony. Not only do we have a new stove top but we have an oven and two deep fryers. We have under the counter refrigerators and stainless steel work areas. It is AMAZING.
Our women's bathroom has all the women on the team rejoicing. It was hard to use the bathroom during the day because someone was always in it and when you did get in you had to clean the toilet before you could sit down. This was because since refugees are used to Turkish Toilets (which are a hole in the floor you stand over) they stood and balanced themselves on the seat of the toilet which of course made for quite a mess. Our new bathroom has two stalls with doors. One with a Turkish Toilet for refugees and one with a Western Toilet and a lock on the door for staff. Since both stalls have doors people can go in and out to use the sink even if someone is using the toilet.
The men's bathroom was also renovated with new tile and a new configuration for the showers as well as a second sink. This should make shower days go a little more smoothly.
We have a new office with cubby holes for our things and a cupboard for hanging coats and storing purses and backpacks. It has two work stations plus a table in the middle for meetings.
The walls throughout the ARC have been patched and repainted and some leakage and other structural issues have been taken care of. I know our refugee friends will be as excited as we are to see their home away from home looking so clean and nice. We have been storing everything in the kid's activity room which didn't need repainting thanks to the Central Christian team that came two years ago!
We had a little scare today but thank goodness nothing serious. I was working in the bathroom when I heard a crash in the kitchen. I didn't hear anything afterward so thought someone had dropped something. In a minute or two a team mate stuck her head in and said "Did you know Morley (Kent) just fell in the kitchen?" I said, "Is he hurt?" and she said "I don't know he's still laying on the floor." I rushed in and found him laying on his back on the floor with Kenn (our resident EMT) beside him. As soon as I walked in they said "He didn't hit his head, his back is okay - he landed on his tailbone." Kent lay there for a minute or two more and then they helped him to his feet. He said he thought he was okay and we all went back to work. We finished the tasks we were on and then Kent said he thought we should go home as his tailbone was pretty sore. Of course we had to make a stop at a friend's house and load up a a carload of things to take to another friends new house since we had said we would help him move that day. Fortunately he had some other people to help too so we just had to drop off one carload. After some Ibuprofen Kent said his tailbone is feeling some better and he is asleep in the recliner but we will see how he does tomorrow.
It seems like this letter is too long already but I wanted to tell you about two other blessings in our personal lives. We have not had air conditioning for the two years we have lived here but a local store was having a great sale where if you bought one on sale you could get a second one for half price. We bought two and we now have air conditioning in our living room and bedroom. The temperatures have often been in the high 90s low 100s and staying in the 90s around the clock so neither of us were getting good sleep. The last few nights have been wonderful! Another big blessing is a new (to us) motor scooter. Last fall we began to think that a motor scooter would make a big difference in our lives as Kent does a lot of running back and forth down town to meet with guys etc. Kent's cousin Linda and her husband Jim generously donated enough money for us to get a bike. Since then we have been praying about it and asking the Lord to bring just the right bike for just the right price. Recently we found out that a lady we had a connection with through Helping Hands was wanting to sell her bike. It was just what we wanted and only had 2000 kilometers on it. It was also in our price range. We made the deal and already it has been great to have. Kent will start having more meetings with team mates as well as refugee friends with his new pastoral duties so I know it will make a big difference. It will also be a big help when there are strikes because I can ride with him downtown rather than having to stay home on days we can't drive the car downtown. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful support system of family and friends who care about us and make it possible for us not only to be here but who help make our lives easier by their generosity. Thank you so much for all you do for 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 an interesting summer. As you know because the ARC has been closed for renovations we have been doing ministry "outside the box" for the last two months. It has been good and has allowed us to try new things and be more creative. On the other hand it has been hard because the schedule changes from week to week and sometimes from day to day making it hard to plan ahead. I know I am looking forward to have a more "normal" schedule soon.
Today the team had our team meeting at the ARC for the first time since mid June. The contractors are finished except for a few little things and now the clean up begins. If I had one word to describe today it would be DUST. There is a thick layer of dust covering almost every inch of the ARC. Walls must be washed. Hundreds of chairs must be washed. Cupboards must be washed. Appliances and counter tops have to be washed. Every piece of clothing in the clothing room needs to be shaken out and rehung. When I walked in the door at home today I went to the shower before even sitting down. My hair and clothes were covered with dust and I had dirty trails down my face where the sweat ran down through the dust. We will spend the rest of the week cleaning and putting things away and hope to be open for tea house by the end of next week.
Once everything is cleaned I know we will all be basking in the new things that will make our lives easier. We have a completely new kitchen with everything you could want. It has a dishwasher and a big sink for washing pots. No more standing endlessly washing hundreds of plastic cups or greasy plates. No more back breaking work of washing the pots with a hose out on the balcony. Not only do we have a new stove top but we have an oven and two deep fryers. We have under the counter refrigerators and stainless steel work areas. It is AMAZING.
Our women's bathroom has all the women on the team rejoicing. It was hard to use the bathroom during the day because someone was always in it and when you did get in you had to clean the toilet before you could sit down. This was because since refugees are used to Turkish Toilets (which are a hole in the floor you stand over) they stood and balanced themselves on the seat of the toilet which of course made for quite a mess. Our new bathroom has two stalls with doors. One with a Turkish Toilet for refugees and one with a Western Toilet and a lock on the door for staff. Since both stalls have doors people can go in and out to use the sink even if someone is using the toilet.
The men's bathroom was also renovated with new tile and a new configuration for the showers as well as a second sink. This should make shower days go a little more smoothly.
We have a new office with cubby holes for our things and a cupboard for hanging coats and storing purses and backpacks. It has two work stations plus a table in the middle for meetings.
The walls throughout the ARC have been patched and repainted and some leakage and other structural issues have been taken care of. I know our refugee friends will be as excited as we are to see their home away from home looking so clean and nice. We have been storing everything in the kid's activity room which didn't need repainting thanks to the Central Christian team that came two years ago!
We had a little scare today but thank goodness nothing serious. I was working in the bathroom when I heard a crash in the kitchen. I didn't hear anything afterward so thought someone had dropped something. In a minute or two a team mate stuck her head in and said "Did you know Morley (Kent) just fell in the kitchen?" I said, "Is he hurt?" and she said "I don't know he's still laying on the floor." I rushed in and found him laying on his back on the floor with Kenn (our resident EMT) beside him. As soon as I walked in they said "He didn't hit his head, his back is okay - he landed on his tailbone." Kent lay there for a minute or two more and then they helped him to his feet. He said he thought he was okay and we all went back to work. We finished the tasks we were on and then Kent said he thought we should go home as his tailbone was pretty sore. Of course we had to make a stop at a friend's house and load up a a carload of things to take to another friends new house since we had said we would help him move that day. Fortunately he had some other people to help too so we just had to drop off one carload. After some Ibuprofen Kent said his tailbone is feeling some better and he is asleep in the recliner but we will see how he does tomorrow.
It seems like this letter is too long already but I wanted to tell you about two other blessings in our personal lives. We have not had air conditioning for the two years we have lived here but a local store was having a great sale where if you bought one on sale you could get a second one for half price. We bought two and we now have air conditioning in our living room and bedroom. The temperatures have often been in the high 90s low 100s and staying in the 90s around the clock so neither of us were getting good sleep. The last few nights have been wonderful! Another big blessing is a new (to us) motor scooter. Last fall we began to think that a motor scooter would make a big difference in our lives as Kent does a lot of running back and forth down town to meet with guys etc. Kent's cousin Linda and her husband Jim generously donated enough money for us to get a bike. Since then we have been praying about it and asking the Lord to bring just the right bike for just the right price. Recently we found out that a lady we had a connection with through Helping Hands was wanting to sell her bike. It was just what we wanted and only had 2000 kilometers on it. It was also in our price range. We made the deal and already it has been great to have. Kent will start having more meetings with team mates as well as refugee friends with his new pastoral duties so I know it will make a big difference. It will also be a big help when there are strikes because I can ride with him downtown rather than having to stay home on days we can't drive the car downtown. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful support system of family and friends who care about us and make it possible for us not only to be here but who help make our lives easier by their generosity. Thank you so much for all you do for 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 ;}
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
morley update 2010 #32
Everyone,
We had a great mini vacation away. As you know we took Tuesday and Wednesday off last week giving us a 4 day weekend - we work on Saturday so our weekend is Sunday, Monday. We went to the island of Kythnos with two women on the team who have become our adopted "daughters" here. Kythnos is very dry and rocky - not the paradise with white sands and long beaches of some of the islands. We chose it because it is close (about 2 hours by ferry), off the beaten path and because of the rocky coastline which we thought would be good for snorkeling. We were right. We rented an two bedroom with kitchen and deck overlooking the sea. With four of us sharing the cost and because we could do our own cooking it was pretty reasonable. The view was beautiful, the sea was clear and the snorkeling was great. We saw a lot of new interesting sea creatures and dove down for some nice shells. One day Kent and I spent 8 hours in the water with only a couple of short breaks. It was a restful and renewing time but by the end of Wednesday we were all water logged and ready to head home.
Our first day home - we had a family beach day. Somehow that sea didn't hold the allure that it does sometimes but we had a fun day swimming with our refugee friends. We invited a couple of newer families and this time two of the husbands came. Kent knew one of them from English class so was able to make conversation. The women were all eager to learn to swim so I did a lot of holding their heads out of the water while they tried to paddle.
Friday and Saturday I spent most of the day on the computer organizing some short term team material and getting a calendar made up. Stacie, the woman who was doing this before me has been a big help and spent some time showing me how to set up a calendar online as well as some other "techie" stuff. For the next week or two I will be spending quite a bit of my time learning different aspects of this job and updating some information we have etc.
Kent spent Friday having Bible Study with our friend Dr. "S" who has taken the name "Joseph". Since publicly expressing his faith in Jesus at church he felt it was best to take a new name for the protection of his family back in Pakistan. Please pray for "Joseph" and his family. He has been out of contact with them for about a week now as they are in the area of Pakistan affected by the major flooding. Please pray that his family is safe and that he will hear from them soon. Also continue to pray for his wife and two small children to be able to leave Pakistan and join him here or wherever God may take him.
Saturday while I was home doing computer work, Kent went to the park for an outreach there. The team just shows up at one of the parks where refugees gather. We put down blankets to sit on and have crafts for the children and a chance to visit with some of the women and men. Often families will invite team members to their homes afterward so this is a chance to deepen relationships.
The renovations on the ARC are coming along and we anticipate being able to begin cleanup maybe even next week. Everything (even things in the cupboards) has a layer of dust on it so it will all need to be wiped down and put away again. We hope to get this done in three days and be back to having ministry in the ARC the following week.
We will continue to do a modified schedule until September because August is a very slow month here. The city of Athens is almost empty as Greeks all go for a holiday to the islands. Many refugees attempt to leave amid the flood of vacationers so our number dwindle considerably. This year it is also the month of Ramadan which is a time when Muslim seek through prayer and fasting to purify themselves and attain a higher spiritual level. From the middle of August to the middle of September most Muslims will fast from Sunrise to Sunset each day. We try to take in to account that many of the refugees will not be eating or drinking during the day for this month and to plan our events accordingly. If we serve food we provide containers so it can be taken home and eaten after sunset. By being respectful of this time we open the door for conversations about spiritual things.
Thank you once again for your faithful prayers and support. I am attaching a couple of picture from our trip to Kythnos, one with Tasha and Christy with us on the balcony and one looking down from the balcony at one of the place we snorkeled. 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 ;}
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