Everyone,
We are home in Greece and other than struggling a bit with jet lag (me) we are settled in. We arrived on Friday with ambitious plans to go to work on Saturday but soon realized that we were not up to it. We stayed home and took care of all the little things that need to be done after being gone three months. We had our "girls" Tasha and Christy over for dinner and dominoes and spent the evening laughing and catching up. We didn't go to church on Sunday since due to jet lag I couldn't get to sleep until after 3am. We hung around the house that day and I did not let myself take a nap thinking this would let me sleep that night. No such luck - I went to bed at 4am and still could not sleep for another hour or two. Monday we went to our friends Nader and Ella's house to celebrate Persian New Year with another Persian couple we know from when we were here five years ago. We ate until we could eat no more and then sat around telling jokes with Nader translating from Farsi to English and back again. By 6pm I was getting very tired so we went home and I went to bed at 9:30. I slept well until about 1am and then was awake on and off for the rest of the night.
Tuesday was our first day back at work. It was a Farsi family meal day. Before lunch I met a new young woman who speaks only Farsi but I was able to visit with her a little thanks to Tasha translating. After dinner I met a young woman who looked to be about 15 but who was really 20. She spoke a little English so we struggled through some conversation. She and her mother and sister are here, she has two brothers in Denmark and her father and two more sisters are in Afghanistan. She said she left because of the fighting and life was bad. I asked if her father would come and she said "No". She asked why I was here and I told her because God loves everyone and he loves refugees. Because I love God, I came to help and love the people he loves. She said "This is good". There are many new refugee faces and since Tuesday was "Group B" I didn't have a chance to see most of my friends who are in "Group A". We have a short week this week - Friday is a holiday (Greek Independence Day) so we have the day off. I want to close by sharing a story my team mate Lisa wrote in her last update.
Last Tuesday at the Farsi lunch, I watched a young Afghan woman come up to my Iranian friend, "E" after the gospel presentation and pull him aside to ask some questions. This always prompts me to pray. Later I heard that she wanted to know more about Jesus, but was afraid to tell her husband. She would not take a Bible because it was too obvious, but she took some small tracks to read. Later the same day, the husband corners "E" and says he wants to know more about Jesus, but is afraid to tell his wife. He loves his wife. They married for love and had to leave the country because another marriage had been arranged for her and it was not safe to stay in Iran. He is bold and willingly takes a Bible, but tucks it away. At the end of the day both seek "E" out to say “good-bye and thank you”. This is his first clue they are related. With a twinkle in his eye he tells her she must ask him about the Bible and he points it out under his arm. He tells him to ask her, what he gave to her. Both of their eyes are wide, initially with fear that "E" broke his word revealing their secret and then with wonder at what God must be doing. They left quickly; anxious to be alone and away from the eyes of those that watch. They have been calling all week with questions about what they are reading. They finished the gospel of Matthew the first night. They are now living in an apartment run by a local church where they can read their Bible without fear of being evicted or beaten.
It is good to be home and about the Father's business. One other item I forgot to mention. When we were at the airport just after arriving I was suddenly enveloped in a big hug. It was my friend "I" from Nigeria who I have know for 6 years. She had told me before we left that she and her husband and three children were thinking of going back to Nigeria. I asked if "J" would have work and she said "Maybe not but he has no work here and there at least we have family". They were at the airport that day and indeed traveling home to Nigeria. They have papers so can travel legally. I was so happy to be able to say goodbye. I am glad for her to be with her family again and I pray that she will be well and happy.
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, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
IMAGINE
Imagine that you are a 12 year old girl in Afghanistan. You come home from school one day and are told that you will soon be married to a man who is much, much older. You are frightened but you have no choice but to obey.
Imagine that you are a young man with a good mind and dreams for the future. Because you belong to the wrong ethnic group you are not allowed to attend school beyond the elementary level.
Imagine that you are a young woman 18 years old. Your father is dead and you and your mother and 2 sisters live with your Uncle.
You desperately want to attend school but because you are a girl your Uncle won’t allow it. You are only allowed to be in your house or in your own yard. You know that you will soon be forced to marry as men are willing to pay your uncle handsomely for a beautiful girl like you.
Imagine that you are a Christian man who is holding a bible study in your home. Imagine that the police break in and drag you away and you know the punishment for following Jesus is death. Imagine that on the way to the jail the police get into an accident and in the confusion you manage to escape. You hide all night under a bridge before you go back to your house. When you arrive your house is empty and padlocked and you have no idea where your family is or if they are even alive.
Imagine you are a teacher of 6th grade students. You love your students and you love being a teacher. One day the Taliban comes and sets fire to your school. Your arms still bear the scars of where you were burned trying to save the children. Then imagine that another day the Taliban comes and tells you that if you do not give them money they will kill your students. You don’t have any money so they slit the children’s throats in front of you.
Now imagine that because things are SO bad in your country you decide to run away. You know you will never be allowed to leave so you hire a smuggler to take you. You believe that if you can just reach the west you will be safe.
Imagine that you and your husband and little girl are walking over the mountains. You have been walking so long that your feet are bleeding and you begin to cry. Your little girl takes your hand, looks up into your face and says “Its okay Mama Nee, don’t cry, it’s okay”.
Imagine that after many days of walking you come to Turkey. There you are forced to live in horrible conditions sometimes up to 40 people sharing a room. But Turkey is not Western Culture and you believe if you can just get to Greece things will be better. Imagine that you don’t know how to swim and have never seen the sea. And yet because you are desperate you climb into a small rubber raft with 20 other people. It is night and you are very afraid. Many people have died when their boats have turned over. Your wife and children and even you begin to cry as the waves grow higher.
Imagine that just as you almost make it to shore the police boats come and you are forced to stand in the cold water at gun point. You are put in a camp and your husband is put in a jail. The camps are filled with rats and very dirty. You go for more than a day with nothing to eat and nothing to feed your children.
Imagine that after you are released the police give you a paper and tell you to go to Athina. But when you get there you have no place to sleep, nothing to eat and no where even to go to the toilet. You and your children are living in the park. The park is dirty and crowded with others who are just like you. They don’t want to be there either but they have no where else to go.
Imagine that people yell at you and throw things at you. Imagine that when you go to renew your paper you are told that you didn’t follow the instructions correctly and you cannot get a new paper. You cannot read even your own language, how do they expect you to read a paper written in Greek.
Imagine that you are a father who stands every day in the square hoping someone will hire him for a few hours. Or imagine that you are one of the lucky ones that find work in a sweat shop for 1 euro an hour. Because you do not have papers, you cannot rent a house so you are forced to pay someone who has taken over an abandoned building. Imagine living one room with a tiny bathroom. Imagine sharing that room with three other families totaling 20 people. Now imagine that you have to pay 600 Euros a month for that room.
Imagine that everywhere you go you feel unwanted and ashamed. You have lost hope and sometime even think of taking your own life.
Now imagine that all your life you have been told that Christians are bad. But one day you walk into a building where you are greeted as a friend. You are offered a cup of tea, or maybe a plate of macaroni or rice. Some days there are even packages of food given that you can take home to feed your family for several days.
Imagine that these same people love your children. There is a baby room where little ones are cuddled and toddlers play with toys. The older kids have their own room where they hear stories, make crafts and watch videos. Sometimes there are kid’s parties with games, puppets and good things to eat. Over time you see your children lose the frightened look in their eyes and begin to smile again.
Imagine that these people offer you a shower, clothes, and a place to sit down and rest. They might provide school supplies for your children or invite you into their homes. Maybe they come to visit you in your home or take you on an outing. Maybe they play chess or backgammon or basketball but they treat you as a friend and hope begins to grow in your heart.
These people listen to your story and cry with you. They ask if they can pray for you and then they begin to talk about Jesus.
Imagine that you know Jesus was a good man but you have never read a Bible or been able to ask questions about Jesus. You are given a chance to watch movies about Jesus, and given literature and Bibles to read in your own language. You can attend a Bible class or sometimes in the midst of chaos a little group gathers around a Bible and some of your questions are answered. Maybe Jesus comes to you in a dream or maybe you just see him in the lives of these people, who love you, but suddenly you see Him clearly and you want to know him for yourself.
This is how lives are transformed. This is what God is doing in Athens. This is a place called Helping Hands.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Morley Update #4
Everyone,
Well we are beginning the last leg of our trip home to Greece. We have been in Elgin at International Teams headquarters for the past three days having some meetings with the team of people here who work so hard to support us as we serve in Greece. Yesterday we had the privilege of sharing for a short time about our ministry with the staff at their weekly lunch together. These "home front" people are the unsung heroes of the missionary world. Many of them are former oversees missionaries themselves and they now serve here in the states making it possible for those of us on the field to continue to serve by managing our accounts and insurance, working with teams and individuals who come to help in the short term, training both new missionaries and providing on the field training and support where needed. They provide leadership and vision, keep us accountable and are our cheerleaders and prayer warriors. Some of you got to hear Kent preach about FIATs (Faith In Action Teams). He talked about the fact that there are former Muslims living in Greece and elsewhere who are now Christians because of our Faith In Action Team. You as our supporters and prayer partners are part of that team, the wonderful people we serve with in Greece are part of that team, and the staff here at Elgin are part of that team. Together we are bringing people to Jesus who could not get there by themselves. So as you pray for us on the field don't forget to pray for those serving here in the States as well.
On Friday we will fly to MA to spent a few more days with our kids and grandkids and then fly home to Athens on the 17th arriving on the 18th. Our time here was a great time to reconnect with family, friends and our supporters. God confirmed to us again that we are exactly where he wants us to be in Greece. Let me share a few praises. As you know we came home when we did because of visa problems. Because of an error we made we were told we needed to come home and start the process over to apply for our residence permit. This meant going to San Francisco to apply for a new visa. This is the first step and is usually a visa for 3 months which gives you time to go to Greece and go through the application process which includes an incredible amount of paper work that must all be translated and submitted, getting a lung xray and TB test, applying at your local government office and then waiting sometimes for months for a decision as to whether they will grant you your one year permit. I was dreading going through this process again. When we got to the Greek Consulate office a few weeks ago to pick up our passports with the new visas in them we were amazed to find that he gave us not only the normal three month visa but that he gave us the one year permit so we are good until March of 2012. This means we don't have to do anything when we get back to Greece until it is time to renew again next year. Hallelujah!!
Another praise concerns our team mate "N". While in Norway a year ago "N" was able to participate in broadcasting by satellite into Iran. He was able to preach, teach and do interviews with others. He has had the desire to continue to do that while in Greece but didn't have a camera of the professional quality needed to do this. We said we would maybe ask around in the states if we could find anything. We had been here for a month and were visiting one of our churches in the Seattle area. One morning we were having breakfast with friends and she happened to mention that the church had bought some video equipment that they were not using and were in fact trying to sell one of the cameras. I told them about "N" and his desire to continue to broadcast but about his lack of a camera. This couple immediately offered to buy the camera and send it home with us if it was what "N" needed. We put him in contact with their media guy and in fact the camera was exactly what he needed so we have it with us to take back to him. What a blessing and confirmation that God's hand is on 'N" and on his ministry!
As many of you know one of our supporting churches went through a rough time and closed it's doors. This meant that we needed to find a way to replace the support they had been giving as well as a bit more. All in all we were around 650 dollars a month short. Through the generosity of one of our churches as well as some individuals God has provided for our support. We continue to need partners in this area as there are extras (like the two root canals Kent needed) that aren't covered by our regular support but we are so thankful to have our day to day budget covered! Thank you to all of you who give faithfully so that we can continue on with the work in Athens.
In my last update I asked you to pray because our friend Dr. Joseph had not heard from his wife in Pakistan. He did hear and they are safe for the moment but please continue to pray that they can get out of the country and be reunited with him. Also pray for his application for asylum to be processed and granted. The work in Greece continues and we are excited about how God is moving in the lives of refugees. I want to share just one quick story that I received from a friend that I loved. Our refugee women's bible study has been studying the book of Matthew. The muslim women know about this book because it is part of the Injil (the Gospels) one of Islam's holy books. This particular day they needed to look quickly at a verse in Galatians. The women were very intrigued by this new book and had many questions. Was it about Jesus? What did it say? Could they read more of it? Tasha who was leading that day had trouble getting them to go back to Matthew so they could continue the lesson. There was much discussion that day and the study ran over by about an hour. Finally Tasha who wasn't feeling well that day said "We need to stop. That is all for today we will begin again next week". One of the women turned to another woman and said "Let's go to my house, Tasha can't stop us from reading the bible there!" I'm sure there was much secret reading of Galatians that day! God has created a hunger to know the truth in these women - pray for them that they will recognize the truth and accept it.
Thank you to everyone who made our trip so fruitful and so enjoyable. We loved being with you and spending time with you and now we return to the work God has called us to together. For those of you we missed seeing, know that you are always in our hearts and prayers. Thanks for being part of our team - my next update will come from Greece!
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 ;}
Well we are beginning the last leg of our trip home to Greece. We have been in Elgin at International Teams headquarters for the past three days having some meetings with the team of people here who work so hard to support us as we serve in Greece. Yesterday we had the privilege of sharing for a short time about our ministry with the staff at their weekly lunch together. These "home front" people are the unsung heroes of the missionary world. Many of them are former oversees missionaries themselves and they now serve here in the states making it possible for those of us on the field to continue to serve by managing our accounts and insurance, working with teams and individuals who come to help in the short term, training both new missionaries and providing on the field training and support where needed. They provide leadership and vision, keep us accountable and are our cheerleaders and prayer warriors. Some of you got to hear Kent preach about FIATs (Faith In Action Teams). He talked about the fact that there are former Muslims living in Greece and elsewhere who are now Christians because of our Faith In Action Team. You as our supporters and prayer partners are part of that team, the wonderful people we serve with in Greece are part of that team, and the staff here at Elgin are part of that team. Together we are bringing people to Jesus who could not get there by themselves. So as you pray for us on the field don't forget to pray for those serving here in the States as well.
On Friday we will fly to MA to spent a few more days with our kids and grandkids and then fly home to Athens on the 17th arriving on the 18th. Our time here was a great time to reconnect with family, friends and our supporters. God confirmed to us again that we are exactly where he wants us to be in Greece. Let me share a few praises. As you know we came home when we did because of visa problems. Because of an error we made we were told we needed to come home and start the process over to apply for our residence permit. This meant going to San Francisco to apply for a new visa. This is the first step and is usually a visa for 3 months which gives you time to go to Greece and go through the application process which includes an incredible amount of paper work that must all be translated and submitted, getting a lung xray and TB test, applying at your local government office and then waiting sometimes for months for a decision as to whether they will grant you your one year permit. I was dreading going through this process again. When we got to the Greek Consulate office a few weeks ago to pick up our passports with the new visas in them we were amazed to find that he gave us not only the normal three month visa but that he gave us the one year permit so we are good until March of 2012. This means we don't have to do anything when we get back to Greece until it is time to renew again next year. Hallelujah!!
Another praise concerns our team mate "N". While in Norway a year ago "N" was able to participate in broadcasting by satellite into Iran. He was able to preach, teach and do interviews with others. He has had the desire to continue to do that while in Greece but didn't have a camera of the professional quality needed to do this. We said we would maybe ask around in the states if we could find anything. We had been here for a month and were visiting one of our churches in the Seattle area. One morning we were having breakfast with friends and she happened to mention that the church had bought some video equipment that they were not using and were in fact trying to sell one of the cameras. I told them about "N" and his desire to continue to broadcast but about his lack of a camera. This couple immediately offered to buy the camera and send it home with us if it was what "N" needed. We put him in contact with their media guy and in fact the camera was exactly what he needed so we have it with us to take back to him. What a blessing and confirmation that God's hand is on 'N" and on his ministry!
As many of you know one of our supporting churches went through a rough time and closed it's doors. This meant that we needed to find a way to replace the support they had been giving as well as a bit more. All in all we were around 650 dollars a month short. Through the generosity of one of our churches as well as some individuals God has provided for our support. We continue to need partners in this area as there are extras (like the two root canals Kent needed) that aren't covered by our regular support but we are so thankful to have our day to day budget covered! Thank you to all of you who give faithfully so that we can continue on with the work in Athens.
In my last update I asked you to pray because our friend Dr. Joseph had not heard from his wife in Pakistan. He did hear and they are safe for the moment but please continue to pray that they can get out of the country and be reunited with him. Also pray for his application for asylum to be processed and granted. The work in Greece continues and we are excited about how God is moving in the lives of refugees. I want to share just one quick story that I received from a friend that I loved. Our refugee women's bible study has been studying the book of Matthew. The muslim women know about this book because it is part of the Injil (the Gospels) one of Islam's holy books. This particular day they needed to look quickly at a verse in Galatians. The women were very intrigued by this new book and had many questions. Was it about Jesus? What did it say? Could they read more of it? Tasha who was leading that day had trouble getting them to go back to Matthew so they could continue the lesson. There was much discussion that day and the study ran over by about an hour. Finally Tasha who wasn't feeling well that day said "We need to stop. That is all for today we will begin again next week". One of the women turned to another woman and said "Let's go to my house, Tasha can't stop us from reading the bible there!" I'm sure there was much secret reading of Galatians that day! God has created a hunger to know the truth in these women - pray for them that they will recognize the truth and accept it.
Thank you to everyone who made our trip so fruitful and so enjoyable. We loved being with you and spending time with you and now we return to the work God has called us to together. For those of you we missed seeing, know that you are always in our hearts and prayers. Thanks for being part of our team - my next update will come from Greece!
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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