Thursday, September 16, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #38

Everyone -

For anyone who might have noticed this update is late but I am trying to figure out when I write my updates with the new schedule. Tuesday used to be a personal ministry day for women and that is when I wrote. Now our Farsi outreach is that day. Friday is now personal ministry day for women but today I have to go to our storage facility and help sort toys. I will try to do better next week but most likely will be sending out the updates on Friday/Saturday.

We have had our first week with the new schedule and are still tweaking it a bit. Our work week is now Tuesday through Saturday with Sunday church and Monday off.

Tuesdays we do a Farsi outreach. We meet at the ARC early to prepare food and open our doors at 12:00.The doors stay open for 1/2 hour or until we reach 120 people which ever comes first. At 12:30 we start our program. This includes singing christian songs in Farsi, sometimes drama or puppets, and preaching by Nader (our Iranian team mate) in Farsi. We may also at times use other speakers with Nader translating. After the program we serve a meal and and have a seekers class for those interested in hearing more. Right now we are attempting to closed and cleaned up by 3:00 in order to be ready for a refugee women's bible study at 3:30. There have been about 12-15 women coming to this study led by different women on the team with Sahar (an Iranian friend) translating.

Wednesday is team day. We have meetings in the morning 2 days a month, training one day a month, and prayer day one day a month. Two evening a month we have Team Fellowship. We also do give away days like clothing, sleeping bags, school supplies etc in the afternoons on some days.

Thursday is women showers. We take about 10 families. This means 10 women and about 25-30 kids. They spend the day at the ARC taking turns in the shower, sharing a meal, and doing activities. This is a personal ministry day for men. (personal ministry days are for meeting individually with refugees, preparing lessons, writing to supporters, studying language etc.)

Friday is Men's Showers. Women have personal ministry this day.

Saturday is Tea House. We arrive early to prepare and open the door at 12:00 we serve tea and have a children's activity room and a baby room. We close at 4:00.

It has been very busy lately. We are seeing many new families. Often they are living in the parks because they have not yet found shelter. It has been personally busy for me because we have a young woman staying with us for 11 days who is here on a Vision Trip. (to see if she wants to apply to come full time). This week we also welcomed three other young women who will be here for 3 months serving with us. Kent and I spent the day Thursday getting them settled in their apartment. One of these women, Jessie Lipp is from one of our our supporting churches. Thanks New Hope for helping to send her!

I realize this letter is long on information and a bit short on personal stories but let me just tell you about last Saturday at the ARC. Before tea house we prayed for the "Harvest" we prayed that God would show us "Low Hanging Fruit" ready to be picked. Here is an excerpt from my team mate Brett's blog on one of the things that happened that day.

Within ten minutes of our doors opening, a young Afghan man began speaking to me in Farsi. I don’t speak Farsi, but understood two words: Jesus Christ. At the same time, he was opening his hands as if to make a book. I called over my teammate Susie (whose Farsi skills far surpass my own), and the three of us walked together to where we had some Bibles and tracts on display. Susie translated for us as this young Afghan (“M”) asked about following Jesus: “Do you have an injil (New Testament)?” “Do you believe it is possible for someone to change religions?” “Do you have classes about the Bible?” The harvest is plentiful! Later in the afternoon, “M” returned with three friends who also took New Testaments and asked when we would be having a Bible class. Please pray for “M” and his three friends. Our communication was limited, and I don’t know their hearts… but I do know that the harvest is the Lord’s!

As we drove home that afternoon we began to talk about our day. The more we talked the more we realized that almost everyone on the team had a spiritual discussion with someone that day. Please continue to pray with us for the Harvest. God is at work in Athens and you are a part of that. Thank you



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, September 7, 2010

Morley Update 2010 #37

Everyone,

Here are a few recent "snapshots" from Greece.

1) Kent found his friend "G". As you may remember "G" was one of the first group of Kurdish guys that Kent had in his English class. Of the three regulars "G" was the one he connected with the most and the one who made the most progress in English. "G" was bright and funny and Kent really enjoyed their times together. Suddenly "G" dropped out of sight. We assumed he was in Jail because we felt sure he would have called us if he was leaving. Kent tried to find him but failed. Finally we found out that he had indeed been in jail for three months and while there he was very badly beaten by some other men in the jail. The police put people who don't have the right papers in with hardened criminals. These men kicked him in the face until they did major damage to his mouth and jaw. He spent some time in the hospital and when Kent finally found him he was out of the hospital but in a lot of pain. We found a retired doctor friend from church to go back to the doctor with him but they said that his jaw was as good as it was going to get and that he just needed to exercises it more. "G" doesn't have a phone so Kent had no way to contact him and once again could not find him for a time. Then one day this summer we saw "G" on the street. He was not doing well. He looked very unkept and seemed to have trouble putting words together. He said he needed to go because he had to be somewhere so we told him to call us when he could. Once again he dropped out of sight. Recently another of the original three Kurdish guys "H" arrived back in town. He had been living at one of the camps in Lavrio about and hour from here. He managed to find "G" but told Kent he was in a bad way. He wouldn't talk to "H" and told him just to go away and leave him alone. "H" agreed to take Kent to where "G" was staying so they went together. Kent said they went back up in the hills on the bike and then walked down through the brush to a small square cement building that had been abandoned. "G" was there and was not happy with "H" that he had brought Kent. He let them in however and Kent said he has a bed, a small fireplace and he thought maybe a small bathroom but there is no electricity or running water. "G's" jaw is still not right and he can't eat very well. Kent said he seemed more himself as far as being alert but he basically just stays in this building all the time and won't go out. "H" has tried to get him to come with him to different places and he says no. It is heartbreaking to see him so depressed and beaten down. Kent and "H" will go again and try to get him to come out. Kent asked him about food but he said he was fine - "H" thinks otherwise. I will make some things that are soft and easy to chew to send with Kent the next time he goes but he doesn't have a way to refrigerate anything so it has to be things that won't spoil. I don't think he would accept groceries but I think if Kent told him I made them for him he would take them. Please pray for "G" and for Kent and "H" to know how to help him. "H" has become a Christian and Kent has been spending more time with him recently. It is hard for young men to keep any sense of self worth when they can't find work and live in fear of the police.

2) It is Saturday and tea house day at the ARC. There aren't many refugees there this particular day. Maybe it is because it is Ramadan and they are not eating or drinking or maybe it is because we changed the day from Monday to Saturday. Time will tell. In the afternoon three of the refugee women who have become good friends are there and there is a new woman who is there for the first time. She has only been in Greece two weeks and is living in the park with her husband and 8 year old son. She was asking questions about where to get food and how she could maybe wash clothes etc. We talked with her a while, told her what we could offer and then introduced her to the other women and told them her situation. They quickly began telling her which days there were different places to get food or clothes or medical help etc. I think one of the things we do well is to help refugees connect with one another and begin to have that sense of community which is so important in their culture.

3) Our friend "Z1" and her husband and three children found an abandoned house some time ago and have worked hard cleaning it up, painting some of the rooms and making a home for themselves. They even have water and electricity. We went to visit one day and "Z1" cooked us a meal and proudly served us in her dining room (the house even had old furniture). Recently however "Z1's" husband told some men they could stay for the night because they had no where to go. Now 6 men have moved into their home and are using it as a base for illegal activity. "Z1's" husband told them to leave and they said "No, why should we leave, you leave". "Z1" and her husband can't call the police because if the police came they might all end up in jail or they would likely all end up in the street. "Z1" is frightened at what the men would do if they tried to force them to leave. Such is the precarious life of a refugee in Greece. Please pray for this family - "Z1" is on of the regulars at two of the women's bible studies and a dear friend.

4) At tea house on Saturday someone had brought in a giant teddy bear and it was sitting in a chair. Later in the day I looked up and instead of one of the children playing with it, a young man in his early 20s had his arms wrapped around it and was using it for a pillow on the table. He wasn't sleeping, just resting and watching the Jesus film. Everyone needs someone to hug!

We have a busy schedule for the next few months. I am overseeing short term teams and individuals. On Saturday (9/11)we have a young woman coming on a vision trip to look at joining the ministry here. She will stay with us and will be here until 9/22. We have three young women coming 9/15-16 to stay for 3 months so I have been working on their schedule and Kent and I will spend a day preparing the apartment where they are going to stay (rearranging some furniture and bringing in an extra bed). We will also pick them up at the airport and spend a day helping get them settled and I will do their orientation. We have a working retreat with marathon meetings from 9/23-27. On 9/30 another couple is coming for a vision trip and will also stay with us. They will leave 10/11. 10/1 we have a short term team coming in from the Chicago area so I will help get them settled etc. They leave 10/10. The next week some friends from Oregon will be around and will likely stay with us at least a couple of nights. 10/19-23 I will be gone to a conference for Greek women in Northern Greece. I will get a chance to speak for a few minutes about our ministry and be around to answer questions. Pray for my Greek language skills - it will be good practice for me! Once I get back we will have a couple of weeks and then my brother and sister-in law are coming for a visit - which I am very excited about! Once they leave we have a team coming in from Nebraska and then we move into Christmas parties. I think I will schedule collapsing sometime after Christmas! Actually Kent and I both enjoy having people around and being busy so I am looking forward to it.

We think of you all often and miss being able to spend time in person with you. We appreciate all the notes of encouragement and the prayers that go up on our behalf, as well as the financial support. Thank you for being part of our 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

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 ;}

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Ministry Update 2010 #36

Everyone,

I have several meetings today so wanted to get this out before I forgot. I just want to give you a few "snapshots" from the week.

Thursday we had our last beach day of the year. We have been doing them weekly since the beginning of summer. It is quite an undertaking to bring everything you need for a day at the beach for yourselves and 15-20 extra people. We take bags of swimwear, towels, beach toys, blankets and beach mats, umbrellas, water and lunch. Some of the team meets our refugee guests at the metro, provides tickets and then rides out with them. Those of us with cars bring the beach gear, set up the umbrellas, lay out the mats etc. We meet at the beach and spend about 4-5 hours swimming, playing and eating. I think everyone on the team was glad this was our last time for the year. But here is the snapshot: 5 mothers out in the waves - all wearing their clothes and head coverings. "G" is married to a man who is ill and can't work. They and their children are living in the park again because they were kicked out of the abandoned building they were living in. "Z2" is a single mom who's teenage son got into some trouble and is in jail. She also has a little girl and recently became a Christian. "Z1" has three children. She and her husband recently found a place to live that is nicer than what most refugees can find. Her husband works hard but there is little paid employment to be found and they struggle just to keep food on the table. "F" has two little girls and has been in Greece for several years. Up until recently her husband had been able to find enough work to support them but lately things have become so tight that he is sending her and the two little girls back to Algeria without him. She is very sad about this. "A" has five children two of them quite small. Her husband is a drug addict and abusive. Every one of these women are people we have come to love. To watch them playing with their children, laughing and splashing as they attempt to swim, and forgetting at least for the moment their hard lives is PRICELESS.

Another snapshot from beach day is of Mustava who is three. He has on a little swim ring and is laying back in the water near the shore waiting for the waves. Every time one comes it washes over him and every time he comes up laughing.

I have told you about our friend Dr. Joseph and how he has been waiting almost two years for asylum while his wife and two small children live in hiding for fear of their lives in Pakistan. As you can well imagine there are times when he is almost overwhelmed with sadness. Last Sunday we were in the car with him on our way to church. The back door of our car opens from the outside but will not open from the inside so you have to roll down the window and reach the handle outside to get out. We were making a stop and he said "This car will let you in but not let you out." Kent said "That is because it is a Greek car and you are a refugee. You can get in but you can't get out." Dr. J thought this was hysterical and laughed and laughed. The rest of the day he would say things like - "Oh this is a Greek road everywhere you want to turn you are blocked" and then he would laugh again. He came home with us for lunch and later that afternoon Kent went down to take him back to his place on the motorbike. The motorbike has a cover on it and Kent said when he saw it he started to laugh again and said "I see you have a Muslim bike - it wears a burka".

A week ago Sunday, Dr. J told us that Sahar had phoned to let him know they were going to be baptizing an Iranian new believer after church and invited him to come. He asked if we would take him and of course we were happy to. We met at the beach and stood in a small circle singing a few songs in Farsi. Then after a prayer Sahar and her pastor waded out into the sea with the woman being baptized. People swimming and sunbathing stopped to watch as she was buried with Christ and raised to walk in a new life! This was especially meaningful to Dr. J as he is going to be baptized soon. He decided he wanted to wait until Scott McCracken was back and could attend.

Yesterday was our day off and we decided about noon to run down to the sea and go snorkeling for a while. We called Dr. J and asked if he would like to go. He said yes so we picked him up and headed off. I asked if he had ever snorkeled before and he said no and asked rather nervously if there would be any sharks. I assured him there weren't any and that we would be in shallow water anyway. When we got there he put and his snorkel and mask but at first was thrashing about and swallowed quite a bit of water. I went over to him and said "Just lay out in the water, don't even try to move." After he mastered that I taught him how to stroke along with his hands and he was soon doing much better. I stayed by his side for a while and at one point he wanted to stand up. We were in water about up to our chest and there were quite a few waves so it was hard to stand. We were holding on to each other and laughing when Kent said "Hey there is a pretty interesting fish over here." Dr. J said "Hold on to him and we'll be over in a minute!" I love to see him laugh.

Well it is time for my meeting so I will close. I hope these glimpses into life here will bless you as they bless us and the refugees we serve. 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 ;}