Morley Update 2010 #43

Everyone,

Well I missed another week - my brother and sister-in-law were here and we went out of town on the weekend.

It was an eventful week before they came. Kent and I due to our lack of Greek - our own fault - misread our residence permit and thought the expiration date was October 26th which instead was the issue date and it was retroactive to the date we applied for it which was September 17. We were a couple days late (we thought) but weren't worried too much and thought we might have to pay a 50 euro fine. Instead when we got there we were told that our residence permit was finished and there was nothing our local authority could do about it. He told us to go to the Ministry of Interior and they would tell us what to do. We arrived there just after they opened. They were handing out number 20 and the man told us they would only take about the first 5. He said if we wanted to get in we would need to come at 5am and get in line. Kent got up the next morning and was first in line at 4:30am. When they opened at 10am they told us to fill out some forms and they would take us at 11:30. At around noon they let us in and we went through submitting all the papers we had originally submitted to apply for a residence permit. At the end of the time we paid them 300euros and the man said something in Greek that we couldn't understand. We asked for a translator who came and told us that our application would not be looked at by the committee for at least a year and then might be denied. Until then we could not travel etc. He said "You would be much better off going back to the USA and starting the process over." We asked why that wouldn't take just as long. He explained that the application we just made was for illegals who were appealing their case, so we were lumped in with all the refugees etc. If we went back to the USA we would be starting legally which would be the same process as when we came two years ago. We could only do that by stopping the process we had just started (we talked them into giving our 300 euros back). This means we have to go back to San Francisco and reapply plus jump through all the hoops like physicals, lung Xrays etc. A real pain but doable. One problem is that we are now in the country illegally but there is nothing we can do about it. Since we are already illegal we decided with our team leader that we would stay until the Christmas Break and then head back to the US to start the process. Please pray for us as we go to the airport because if they notice our expired papers they could fine us around a thousand euros each which amounts to 3000 dollars. On top of that it will be more expensive to travel this time of year than if we had waited. We were due to have a furlough anyway since we have been here over 2 years and a normal furlough is 3 months. We had decided to go in late January and only take two months since we had taken two trips home due to Kent's moms health and subsequent death. Now we will need to take our full three months in order to have enough time to do the paperwork and still get around to all our supporting churches. We will be in the Northwest from January 15th to February 28th. We will be traveling throughout Oregon and Washington much of the time speaking at our supporting churches. When we know our schedule we will pass it along to you so that you can catch us when we are in your area.

The whole situation with our papers has been a bit stressful and I found myself fretting about it. Then I was reminded of the people we work with. We are here illegally because we made a mistake in our paperwork. They are here illegally because they fled horrific conditions in their own country. During the time we are here illegally, we have a comfortable home. While they are here illegally, they are sleeping in the park or sharing a small room with other families. When we try to leave the country in December the police may notice that our papers are expired. If this happens they will fine us 3000 euros and we will go on back to our country where we will stay comfortably with family and friends. When they try to leave the country the police may notice they don't have the right papers and they will go to jail. After jail they will be told to leave the country. If they went home their very lives would be at stake, if they stay, they are in danger of being picked up and jailed again. My problems seem very small in the face of the seemingly insurmountable problems my refugee friends face every day. Pray for them.

At times the reality of what these people face every day threatens to overwhelm us. Scott was talking with a young man the other day who was crying and saying that he just didn't know what to do anymore. His family in Afghanistan won't speak to him, his uncle who is here will have nothing to do with him (this is due to some family issues). He feels alone and hopeless. Scott asked him if he could pray with him and as Scott prayed he began to weep with this young man. The next day when he saw him the young man came up to Scott and hugged him and said "Thank you". Scott said "Please don't thank me - I didn't do anything." The young man said "You cried with me, no one has ever done that before." Sometimes what we can do for people is so little but we love them and we are their friends and somehow in the midst of a very dark place that is enough.

Kent received a call from a young man named "S" late last night. "S" is in his late teens or early 20s. He left Afghanistan because their family cannot survive on the amount his father makes farming so he left hoping he could somehow make a better life and be able to help his family. Instead he is living in the park and sees no hope of moving on. When he called last night he was saying "I am very sad. Today I cried for Afghanistan. What should I do?" Kent told him to come to the ARC tomorrow and they would talk. Kent is planning to see if he can find a place for him to stay if we can help out with rent but this is not a long term solution. He wants to work and to make something of his life. Kent will also talk with him about going to Greek classes or other things he might do to give himself positive steps toward change. He speaks English and has been attending a seekers bible class. Pray for "S" and for Kent and he tries to discern how to help him. Unfortunately "S" is only one in hundreds or thousands who have the same story. Cry for Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and the African countries where there is war and famine and suffering beyond what we can imagine.

I recently saw a quote which said:
“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and
injustice when He could do something about it.”
“Well, why don’t you ask Him?”
“Because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question.

Thank you for being willing to do something. Thank you for praying, thank you for giving, thank you for caring - 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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