Everyone,
Strike One......Strike Two....... Strike Thee.......Strike Four? In Greece there doesn't seem to be any end to the strikes. People are still upset about the austerity measures and the shaky economy of Greece. Several of you have written to ask how this is affecting us.
Garbage Strike: City workers are still digging us out after a 3 week strike by garbage collectors. I recently read that there were 120,000 tons of garbage rotting on the streets of Athens. Sidewalks were covered and it had even begun to spread into the streets. A walk to the grocery store became a smelly obstacle course and coming inside was a breath of fresh air! The strike ended this week but it will take another couple of weeks to clean up the piles. Even when the piles are gone we will be left with pieces of trash that have migrated out of the piles and now line the streets. My team mate, Donna, recently compared this to the trash we let build up in our lives. We toss our anger, unforgiveness, selfishness, impure thoughts etc. into the trash bin where it seems to be contained. But if we never hit the "empty trash" button, if we never allow God to remove this sin from our lives, we suddenly are faced with a rotten stinking pile that spills out on everyone. " Little hurts pile up into resentments if not forgiven quickly. Hurtful actions become lifelong habits if not confessed and forgiveness quickly sought." Let's keep a close eye on our trash bins and made sure to empty them regularly.
Transportation Strikes: For the last month and a half (usually once or twice a week) we have been having transportation strikes. With no buses or metro for the day, this means that anyone in the suburbs who wants to go into the city must drive. As you can imagine the streets become quickly clogged making travel almost impossible. On strike days those team mates who live close enough, walk - sometime an hour each way. Those of us who live farther out must drive. People with cars load up as many team mates as they can and leave early in the morning to avoid the rush. Kent and I are fortunate to have the motor bike which allows us to bypass the traffic jams for the most part. Refugees who come to the center on these days must walk as well and the fact that our numbers have stayed consistently high tell us that coming to the ARC is important to them.
Rioting and Protests: As you have likely seen on the news there are many demonstrations and rallies protesting the taxes, the privatization of government run businesses etc. Greeks are volatile people and there are fringe groups that take advantage of this to incite rioting. We usually know in advance when and where these demonstrations will be held and it is fairly easy for us to avoid these areas. Please don't worry about our safety but pray for the safety of our refugee friends who sometimes live closer to the center and thus have no way to escape the violence.
The Greek Economy: The shaky economic situation will continue to affect our work. Much of the day to day operating expenses for Helping Hands has been provided by our Greek brothers and sisters. As many of them struggle financially that means we may have to tighten our already snug budget. Several generous supporters have fallen on hard times. The printing company that printed our newsletters for free has gone out of business, others have lost businesses or even gone bankrupt. We recently found out that the government will not be giving us the surplus food we have received in the last few years (huge shipments of pasta and feta cheese). All this may sound a little bleak but God is not bound by the constraints of a tight budget or a shaky economy. Where He leads, He will provide.
The World Economy: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19 Our financial portfolio may be a little thin but we are investing in ways that have a much bigger dividend. Last Friday, my living room was filled with women as I hosted a lunch for 5 refugee women and their kids as well as 7 of my team mates. We sat around the table eating, laughing and sharing our lives. Later Donna gave her testimony in Dari. The women listened attentively nodding their heads. When Donna was finished the women shared some of their stories and asked questions. God was at work and all the women asked to take a copy of the Psalm that Donna had read home with them. These are the investments that have eternal value. Kent and I are always aware that we would not be here if it wasn't for the investment of finances and prayers that you, our larger team, are making. We know it isn't always easy but the treasures you are storing up can be measured in the lives and on the faces of the people we serve. On Friday, at one point in the afternoon, I looked over at one of my refugee friends who is a single mom with a difficult life. She was sitting on the couch with her head leaned back, holding the hand of my team mate Christy. She was listening to the Scripture being read in Farsi and had such a look of peace and contentment on her face that tears came to my eyes and I thought THIS is worth everything. Thank you making moments like this possible. 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, October 27, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #33
Everyone,
The word “word”. Right now I am typing this in Microsoft Word. We say things like “May I have a word with you?”, but in reality we usually mean “I’m going to talk your leg off”. Or maybe that’s just me. You’ve heard of “a man with a thousand faces”? Well, I am probably a woman with a thousand words. My husband once said jokingly “there are people who can talk on any subject – Myrna doesn’t even NEED a subject!” But that is in English…
My Farsi skills are limited to single words. Many of them are pretty useless such as “zamburr” which means Bumblebee. But there are some words that I use. I can say things like “la bas seshambe” or Clothes - Wednesday. When we are eating together I use “hooshmaze” (delicious) and words like “ab” and “noon” (water and bread). In the kids room, I know the words for “coloring, craft, glue and sit down”.
On Tuesdays I often begin the day working as a greeter. I like this job because I only need a few words. For Persian people greetings are very important. If you are having a conversation with someone and a new person joins, you must immediately stop what you are doing and greet that person or it is considered very rude. So I stand near the door and as people enter I welcome them. If it is a man I place my hand on my chest, nod and say “Salaam”. If it is a woman, I say “Salaam” and receive a handshake or the traditional three kisses. The kids usually run up for a hug if they are regulars or hide behind their mothers if they are new.
This Tuesday as I was greeting, a woman came in who has been here for about a month. I gave her little girl a small pack of color crayons the first day they came and so we are friends. I said “Salaam”. She didn’t really respond so I said, “Khoobee” (How are you?). At the sound of that word her face crumpled and she burst into tears. I pulled her into my arms murmuring “Chi?” (What?) She finally got out a few words and through her sobs I caught the word “Baba” or father. I then knew that her husband was missing. She is the second woman in three days to come in crying because her husband is gone. The first woman’s husband is in jail – for expired papers. This woman’s husband went out to make a phone call and never came back. Without a man these women and their children are left without protection or support. They come to us because in a dark city we are sometimes the only ray of hope they have found. The only word I knew to say was “Babakshid” (I’m sorry) and it didn’t seem like enough. But then I remembered another word.
The gospel of John tells us in Chapter 1 that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. If Jesus is the Word then what was He saying? As I hugged her I realized Jesus was whispering “You’re not alone”.
Could it be that maybe, just maybe God didn’t need MY words in order to speak? As I thought about it, I looked back over the last few weeks.
When a woman showed me her cracked and bleeding lips and I gave her a packet of antibiotic ointment – God was saying “I care”.
When a child, who lives in an abusive home, came and climbed onto my lap and I cuddled them in my arms – God was saying “You’re safe”.
When a group of refugee men came to dinner and I set the table with my best dishes and lit candles – God was saying “You’re special”.
When a child brought me the craft they'd just made and I gave them a hug and hung it on the bulletin board – God was saying “Well done”.
On the wall in my dining room, I have a scripture which says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations”. God doesn’t need me to speak. I can hold someone’s hand, give them a hug or wipe away their tears. God’s message of Love will come through loud and clear.
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 :)
The word “word”. Right now I am typing this in Microsoft Word. We say things like “May I have a word with you?”, but in reality we usually mean “I’m going to talk your leg off”. Or maybe that’s just me. You’ve heard of “a man with a thousand faces”? Well, I am probably a woman with a thousand words. My husband once said jokingly “there are people who can talk on any subject – Myrna doesn’t even NEED a subject!” But that is in English…
My Farsi skills are limited to single words. Many of them are pretty useless such as “zamburr” which means Bumblebee. But there are some words that I use. I can say things like “la bas seshambe” or Clothes - Wednesday. When we are eating together I use “hooshmaze” (delicious) and words like “ab” and “noon” (water and bread). In the kids room, I know the words for “coloring, craft, glue and sit down”.
On Tuesdays I often begin the day working as a greeter. I like this job because I only need a few words. For Persian people greetings are very important. If you are having a conversation with someone and a new person joins, you must immediately stop what you are doing and greet that person or it is considered very rude. So I stand near the door and as people enter I welcome them. If it is a man I place my hand on my chest, nod and say “Salaam”. If it is a woman, I say “Salaam” and receive a handshake or the traditional three kisses. The kids usually run up for a hug if they are regulars or hide behind their mothers if they are new.
This Tuesday as I was greeting, a woman came in who has been here for about a month. I gave her little girl a small pack of color crayons the first day they came and so we are friends. I said “Salaam”. She didn’t really respond so I said, “Khoobee” (How are you?). At the sound of that word her face crumpled and she burst into tears. I pulled her into my arms murmuring “Chi?” (What?) She finally got out a few words and through her sobs I caught the word “Baba” or father. I then knew that her husband was missing. She is the second woman in three days to come in crying because her husband is gone. The first woman’s husband is in jail – for expired papers. This woman’s husband went out to make a phone call and never came back. Without a man these women and their children are left without protection or support. They come to us because in a dark city we are sometimes the only ray of hope they have found. The only word I knew to say was “Babakshid” (I’m sorry) and it didn’t seem like enough. But then I remembered another word.
The gospel of John tells us in Chapter 1 that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. If Jesus is the Word then what was He saying? As I hugged her I realized Jesus was whispering “You’re not alone”.
Could it be that maybe, just maybe God didn’t need MY words in order to speak? As I thought about it, I looked back over the last few weeks.
When a woman showed me her cracked and bleeding lips and I gave her a packet of antibiotic ointment – God was saying “I care”.
When a child, who lives in an abusive home, came and climbed onto my lap and I cuddled them in my arms – God was saying “You’re safe”.
When a group of refugee men came to dinner and I set the table with my best dishes and lit candles – God was saying “You’re special”.
When a child brought me the craft they'd just made and I gave them a hug and hung it on the bulletin board – God was saying “Well done”.
On the wall in my dining room, I have a scripture which says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations”. God doesn’t need me to speak. I can hold someone’s hand, give them a hug or wipe away their tears. God’s message of Love will come through loud and clear.
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, October 13, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #32
Everyone,
Peter is walking on the water. Suddenly he becomes aware of the wind and the waves around him and begins to sink. And then a hand reached out.
A woman named Dorcas lies on her bed. She is dead and the poor she has helped are grieving. And then a hand reached out.
His whole life had been spent in darkness. Never able to see the sun or the faces of those he loved. And then a hand reached out.
My teammate Tasha shared a couple of stories recently. Last Saturday a teammate, Brett, and I sat with an Afghan woman and her husband in our office at the refugee center. As we were talking she lifted up her pant leg and showed me the entry and exit wound of a bullet hole. Her husband then had Brett feel a bullet hole in his leg. While the woman told us their story, the husband cried. One night the Taliban came in and shot her and then shot her husband twice. They fled to Iran where they made a decent living for themselves. Their lives were threatened once again by extremist in Iran so they took their children and headed west. The boat that was taking them went down in the sea and they lost everything. Luckily for them another boat was near and pulled them out of the water or they would have lost their lives too. They were sent to Athens by the police. They are living on the streets, only have the clothes they are wearing, and do not have food. And then a hand reached out. We gave them some tickets to come to our Tuesday feeding, and for the first time I saw the woman smile. They said thank you numerous times, and I saw a glimpse of hope. Somebody loves them.
This Saturday the refugee center was overrun with new refugee families. Every room was overflowing with people. Throughout the day I had ventured in and out of the office, each time noticing a couple of women sitting on chairs waiting for something. After a couple hours I went up to them and asked what they were doing. The older woman started crying saying she really needed help. I took her in the office so we could talk. She told me her son came to Greece four years ago trying to make a way for the family to come for a better life. She lost contact with him sixteen months ago and assumed he was dead. Two months ago she got a call from him. All he could say was he had been in prison for fourteen months and needed help. She sold things to get money, arranged for a smuggler, and arrived in Greece one week ago. She said, “I just got here. I don’t know the language, the city, or what to do next. All I want is to find my son. Everyone I talked to told me to come to you. Can you help me?” And then a hand reached out. A Greek team mate of mine contacted a friend who is now looking for her son. She thanked us through her tears and hope was born.
It WAS a very chaotic day at the ARC on Saturday. We had over 50 kids in the children's room and the main room was packed. At one point during the day I walked through the big room on my way to get more chairs. There were people everywhere. It was noisy and it seemed impossible that anyone could even have a conversation in the midst of it. Then I saw it. There in the corner Kent sat with two young Afghan men. They were sitting close together with their heads bowed praying. One of the men had come in wanting to find someone who could tell him more about Jesus. And then a hand reached out.
More and more we are seeing people come into the ARC overwhelmed by their circumstances. They are feeling hopeless and alone. And then a hand reached out.... to hold a baby, offer a cup of tea, give a hug, offer clothes, or soothe a fevered brow. And then a hand reached out..... to give a Bible, say a prayer or lead someone to Jesus. We are called Helping Hands for a reason. Here on earth we are to be the hands of Jesus reaching out to show his love to the nations. Look around - does Jesus want to use YOUR hands to reach out to someone? Who will He touch through you? Thank you for being a part of this team and for allowing us to be here reaching out. 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 :)
Peter is walking on the water. Suddenly he becomes aware of the wind and the waves around him and begins to sink. And then a hand reached out.
A woman named Dorcas lies on her bed. She is dead and the poor she has helped are grieving. And then a hand reached out.
His whole life had been spent in darkness. Never able to see the sun or the faces of those he loved. And then a hand reached out.
My teammate Tasha shared a couple of stories recently. Last Saturday a teammate, Brett, and I sat with an Afghan woman and her husband in our office at the refugee center. As we were talking she lifted up her pant leg and showed me the entry and exit wound of a bullet hole. Her husband then had Brett feel a bullet hole in his leg. While the woman told us their story, the husband cried. One night the Taliban came in and shot her and then shot her husband twice. They fled to Iran where they made a decent living for themselves. Their lives were threatened once again by extremist in Iran so they took their children and headed west. The boat that was taking them went down in the sea and they lost everything. Luckily for them another boat was near and pulled them out of the water or they would have lost their lives too. They were sent to Athens by the police. They are living on the streets, only have the clothes they are wearing, and do not have food. And then a hand reached out. We gave them some tickets to come to our Tuesday feeding, and for the first time I saw the woman smile. They said thank you numerous times, and I saw a glimpse of hope. Somebody loves them.
This Saturday the refugee center was overrun with new refugee families. Every room was overflowing with people. Throughout the day I had ventured in and out of the office, each time noticing a couple of women sitting on chairs waiting for something. After a couple hours I went up to them and asked what they were doing. The older woman started crying saying she really needed help. I took her in the office so we could talk. She told me her son came to Greece four years ago trying to make a way for the family to come for a better life. She lost contact with him sixteen months ago and assumed he was dead. Two months ago she got a call from him. All he could say was he had been in prison for fourteen months and needed help. She sold things to get money, arranged for a smuggler, and arrived in Greece one week ago. She said, “I just got here. I don’t know the language, the city, or what to do next. All I want is to find my son. Everyone I talked to told me to come to you. Can you help me?” And then a hand reached out. A Greek team mate of mine contacted a friend who is now looking for her son. She thanked us through her tears and hope was born.
It WAS a very chaotic day at the ARC on Saturday. We had over 50 kids in the children's room and the main room was packed. At one point during the day I walked through the big room on my way to get more chairs. There were people everywhere. It was noisy and it seemed impossible that anyone could even have a conversation in the midst of it. Then I saw it. There in the corner Kent sat with two young Afghan men. They were sitting close together with their heads bowed praying. One of the men had come in wanting to find someone who could tell him more about Jesus. And then a hand reached out.
More and more we are seeing people come into the ARC overwhelmed by their circumstances. They are feeling hopeless and alone. And then a hand reached out.... to hold a baby, offer a cup of tea, give a hug, offer clothes, or soothe a fevered brow. And then a hand reached out..... to give a Bible, say a prayer or lead someone to Jesus. We are called Helping Hands for a reason. Here on earth we are to be the hands of Jesus reaching out to show his love to the nations. Look around - does Jesus want to use YOUR hands to reach out to someone? Who will He touch through you? Thank you for being a part of this team and for allowing us to be here reaching out. 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, October 6, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #31
Everyone,
COLOR. Color is a big part of our lives. It can create an atmosphere that is soothing or exciting. It can cheer us up or darken our mood. Women "have their colors done" in other words determine which colors look best on them. We add red peppers to our vegetable dip to "give it a touch of color". You can often tell a person's personality by what colors they like. My mother-in-law was very quiet and feminine and she loved pastels, whereas I .... well you wouldn't be surprised to know that I love bright, some might even say "loud", colors!
I recently saw the story of Noah in a different light. Noah was in a sense a refugee. His world was destroyed by the flood and only he and his family were left. When God wanted to reassure Noah of His love and faithfulness, he created the rainbow - the full spectrum of color. Color is something that plays a big part in the children's program where I am currently spending most of my time. Recently we had a short term team repaint the children's room. Once the background color was done two of my talented teammates painted the walls with colorful animals and an amazing tree. As you walk past the kids room the bright colors invite you in. Welcome.
As the kids arrive on Saturday we greet them with "Salam, Nakashee?" Hello, color? It they want one we give them a fun coloring sheet - the girls especially like Disney princesses while the boys are partial to Spider Man. For the kids that come regularly this is routine, but we recently had two new families come in. The first family had two or maybe three little girls. When we asked "Nakashee?" they nodded eagerly. One of the little girls was so happy when she saw the big box of crayons she could hardly contain herself. She would color a minute and then wriggle in her seat with excitement as she selected a new color. The other family also had two girls. They came in a bit later but the older girl was especially excited to color a picture. She was only about half done when her mother came in to tell her they needed to go. She protested but her mother was insistent. She then tried to take some color crayons with her but we had to tell her "No, these need to stay here." The tears rolled down her face as her mother led her from the room. Once she was outside where the other kids couldn't see I called her back. I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a small pack of 8 crayons that we keep for just such occasions. As I handed them to her, her face lit up with a big smile and she clapped her hands before happily leaving with her mother. Joy.
We have a newer boy of about 10 years of age that has been coming. He is autistic and at first he was very disruptive. We discovered however that he loves to color. Now he will come in with the other kids and sit attentively through the Bible story. He enjoys doing the craft but he really loves it when he gets finished and receives the coloring page. He will sit happily coloring until his mom comes to get him. Today when she came in he pointed out his craft hanging on the board so she could see what a good job he had done. Peace.
The kids are always proud to hang their pictures and craft projects on the board since they don't have a place to keep them at home. As they bring them for us to hang we have the opportunity to praise them for doing a good job and give them a hug. Love.
I always color with the kids because it give me a chance to interact with them without much language. I am learning my colors in Farsi - Abi or blue is an easy one. However the word for red is Kharmez - which start with the letter I like to call "flem". The trick is to get enough of a flemmy sound so that you are not saying a normal "K" sound but not so much that you sound like you are hacking up a hairball! The kids get a good laugh out of my efforts which is all that really matters. Fun.
Often when we are coloring the moms will come in to sit with their kids. At first they will suggest colors to their child, soon they will be "helping" and often they will finish the picture themselves. I offer them a picture but they are shy about accepting one for themselves and would rather "help" their kids. In a life that is often dark, drab and devoid of color, they enjoy a chance to do something artistic. Beauty.
Another way we bring color into the kids lives are with the crafts we make each week. Last week we made lanterns out of brightly colored construction paper and crepe paper strips. The kids really liked it and were excited when Wendy, our children's coordinator hung them on a string along the ceiling. Of course their favorite part was when she lost hold of the string at one point and they all came sliding down! Whenever we do a craft I am always amazed at how the kids put their own individual stamp on it. Some of the kids want their's to look like the example and get frustrated if they can't duplicate it exactly. Others love to add extra decorations or even turn the craft into something else. One little boy wanted to put a bottom on his lantern so he could use it like a basket. Creativity.
I am so glad that God made a world full of color and beauty and I hope that as we bring a little of that color into these kids lives that they will feel God's love for them. The next time you see a rainbow or a box of crayons think about how blessed you are say a prayer for those who are less fortunate. Thanks to all of you who make it possible for us to have the materials to work with these kids and for being a part of our greater 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 :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
