Everyone,
Several people have written and commented that in the midst of being thankful I sounded discouraged last week. First of all let me reassure you that I am fine. I have NO regrets about coming here and still feel honored to be a part of what God is doing in Athens. That said it is true that the last couple weeks were not the easiest weeks I've had here. For one thing as you know I had been sick and still am struggling a bit to get over this cold/flu. Quite a few of our team mates have had it too and it just seems to hang on for quite a while. I don't feel terribly sick but just don't feel 100% either. I am much better than I was. I have also been having quite a bit of trouble with my arthritis. It seems to have centered on my right knee which is more swollen than usual and painful to walk on. It is frustrating because so much of what we do is dependent on walking. Kent had to go in early yesterday morning for a meeting so I stayed home from team prayer and the clothing give away just because I wasn't sure I could handle the walk to the ARC from the Metro. It was very difficult for me to get on to the bike yesterday also as I have trouble bending that knee. I would appreciate your prayers.
The second reason last week was hard was because of some changes on the team. Two members of our team will no longer be involved in the day to day activities of the ARC. They will be concentrating on developing other areas of ministry in Athens. While we will still be connected it will be a change not to see them at work every day. The bigger and more difficult change was our Iranian team mate Nader. Unbeknownst to the team or leadership Nader flew to Canada and applied for asylum there. This of course leaves a BIG gap in ministry as well as the personal loss of not working with our friend or even getting to say goodbye. Nader needs prayer as we do not know what the outcome of his case will be and what will happen if he is denied. Thankfully the Lord has provided our new team mates Aziz and Donna who speak Dari (which is very close to Farsi) and he is also raising up another young Afghan man "G" who is helping to teach the children in Dari and helping with translation for our community group. Please continue to pray for the team as we make adjustments to cover some areas of ministry and especially pray for Aziz and Donna as much of the load falls on them while they are still getting settled in Greece and are relatively new on the team.
Okay enough with the difficult stuff. On a positive note we had an American style Thanksgiving dinner for the team at our house on Monday. There we 26 of us for dinner. I cooked one turkey and a team mate cooked another. The ovens in Greece are quite small - so I barely got a 14 pound turkey in mine. We were thankful to only need to cook two turkeys. In Greece you have to go to several stores even to find a turkey and then the largest you can find are about 3.5 kilos which is almost 8 pounds. This year we have an intern here who has a connection at the American embassy and he was able to get us an 11 pound and a 14 pound turkey. He also got cranberry sauce which is almost impossible to find. While I made turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls the rest of the team all brought their favorites. We had SO much food. Everyone took home leftovers and I have my freezer stocked with leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. Yesterday I cooked the turkey carcass and also added containers of turkey soup stock to my freezer.
Last Friday we had our community group of Farsi believers at our house for dinner again. We so enjoy being a part of this group of men. Once again I was convicted at how easy my life was and is. During dinner Scott asked each of us to share a bit about our brothers and sisters as a getting to know you question. One young man said "My brothers and sisters are in Pakistan and it is very dangerous. I'm sorry I cannot say more or I will cry." Later as we were praying for each other we prayed for his family and he broke down and began weeping almost uncontrollably. I can't imagine what a burden these men carry but it was good to see his brothers in Christ gather around him, cry with him and pray for him.
We continue to gear up for our Christmas Parties happening the first week of December. One of my jobs as I was at home yesterday was to fix some coloring books that tell the Christmas story in Farsi that we are going to put in the kids bags along with a small packet of markers. We were very excited to get these done and a wonderful printing company that does a lot for us printed them and stapled them together. The only problem is that we neglected to tell them that Farsi books are bound on the right and open on the left so the staples were on the wrong side. I told Wendy, our children's director that I would take them home and remove the staples and restaple them. I had not taken into account that these had been stapled by a machine and therefore the staples were very heavy duty and did not come out easily. They also left quite a hole when removed. I did 5 of them (20 staples), looked at the 195 (780 staples) that were left and thought - not going to happen. I then got the brilliant idea that we could just cut them off on the stapled side and restaple them on the other side. I brought home the big paper cutter from work and tried it - success. Still a big job but doable. I finished 60 in the morning and did the rest in the afternoon. My next project is to build the set for the Christmas puppet show so Kent and I need to scout the dumpsters for some large pieces of cardboard.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with food, family and friends. In the midst of thanking God for all our MANY blessings, let's remember that there are many in this world who are not so blessed. Thank you for sharing with some of these people and for your prayers. We are so thankful to be part of a larger team that includes you. It's not too late to help with Christmas parties and sleeping bags. Here is an except from our team leader Brett's recent blog: "We've already handed out 100 sleeping bags, and are making plans to give another 100 bags in the next few weeks. Nearly twenty of these sleeping bags went to a group of Afghan and Iranian refugees sleeping on the roof of an abandoned theater near one of the main parks in Athens. They slept in groups of two or three, embracing to stay warm, covering themselves with whatever they could find that might help keep the cold out (blankets, cardboard, stray fabrics, newspapers). In the name of Jesus, these sleeping bags were tangible witnesses of God's love; a needed reminder that God has not forgotten these young men." If you would like to donate toward our Christmas parties or more sleeping bags you can still give. Gifts should be designated HELPING HANDS -CHRISTMAS IN ATHENS and sent to: International Teams 411 W. River Rd. Elgin, IL 60123 or give online at https://wwws.iteams.org/us/give be sure and designate this for Helping Hands - Christmas in Athens.
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 join our Support Team:
Online go to: https://www.iteams.org/us/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, November 24, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Morley Update #36 2011
Everyone,
Sorry this is a day late. It has been a difficult week for the team here. We have had several hard issues with refugee friends (drugs, children, spiritual struggles) as well as some changes on the team. I will fill you in a bit at a later date but for now just hold us up in prayer.
On a different note, it is Thanksgiving week and here are a few things I am thankful for.
1) I am Thankful for a wonderful family back home and wish I could be with them over the holidays.
2) I am Thankful for a wonderful "family" here and the fact that we will have our own Thanksgiving feast with 22 guests in our home on Monday.
3) I am Thankful for you my friends and for the prayers and financial support you so faithfully give.
4) I am Thankful that God called us to be a part of a ministry that is bearing fruit and changing lives.
5) I am Thankful for my lovely home and this time of year especially for my fireplace which gives Kent and I a place to get warm.
6) I am Thankful for my church here and how they are reaching out to refugees by sponsoring one of our Christmas parties, collecting clothes, and making cookies for another ministry.
7) I am Thankful for the wonder of the internet which allows me to stay in touch with friends and family with a few keystrokes.
8) I am Thankful for people who donate things like yogurt so we can give the kids a nutritious snack and for the smiles of the kids who call it "ice cream".
9 ) I am Thankful for my wonderful husband who treats me with respect and love and has patience with my aches and pains.
10) I am Thankful that I found the Lord at a young age and grew up in a country where I could follow Him openly and without fear. I am Thankful for a mom and dad who brought me up to love God and who gave me a happy childhood. I am thankful that my husband can say the same thing.
I could go on writing forever about the blessings God has given to me, but I will stop here. We love you all and wish for you a wonderful holiday filled with love, laughter and thankfulness.
I am reposting the information about our Christmas parties here in case you missed it the first time or wanted to give and forgot: This Christmas we will be giving 5 Christmas parties for 120 refugees each time. That's 600 refugees who will get a special meal, see a puppet show and hear a message about Christmas. That's 600 refugees that will receive as a gift practical items as well as some small toys for the kids. That's 600 refugees who will take the book of John printed in their language home with them that night. That's 600 refugees who will know that someone cares and that they are not forgotten. Would you be willing to help us give these things to our refugee friends? Our parties will be happening the first week of December so although Christmas seems far away we need your donations as soon as possible. Gifts should be designated HELPING HANDS -CHRISTMAS IN ATHENS and sent to: International Teams 411 W. River Rd. Elgin, IL 60123 or give online at https://wwws.iteams.org/us/give be sure and designate this for Helping Hands - Christmas in Athens.
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 join our Support Team:
Online go to: https://www.iteams.org/us/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 :)
Sorry this is a day late. It has been a difficult week for the team here. We have had several hard issues with refugee friends (drugs, children, spiritual struggles) as well as some changes on the team. I will fill you in a bit at a later date but for now just hold us up in prayer.
On a different note, it is Thanksgiving week and here are a few things I am thankful for.
1) I am Thankful for a wonderful family back home and wish I could be with them over the holidays.
2) I am Thankful for a wonderful "family" here and the fact that we will have our own Thanksgiving feast with 22 guests in our home on Monday.
3) I am Thankful for you my friends and for the prayers and financial support you so faithfully give.
4) I am Thankful that God called us to be a part of a ministry that is bearing fruit and changing lives.
5) I am Thankful for my lovely home and this time of year especially for my fireplace which gives Kent and I a place to get warm.
6) I am Thankful for my church here and how they are reaching out to refugees by sponsoring one of our Christmas parties, collecting clothes, and making cookies for another ministry.
7) I am Thankful for the wonder of the internet which allows me to stay in touch with friends and family with a few keystrokes.
8) I am Thankful for people who donate things like yogurt so we can give the kids a nutritious snack and for the smiles of the kids who call it "ice cream".
9 ) I am Thankful for my wonderful husband who treats me with respect and love and has patience with my aches and pains.
10) I am Thankful that I found the Lord at a young age and grew up in a country where I could follow Him openly and without fear. I am Thankful for a mom and dad who brought me up to love God and who gave me a happy childhood. I am thankful that my husband can say the same thing.
I could go on writing forever about the blessings God has given to me, but I will stop here. We love you all and wish for you a wonderful holiday filled with love, laughter and thankfulness.
I am reposting the information about our Christmas parties here in case you missed it the first time or wanted to give and forgot: This Christmas we will be giving 5 Christmas parties for 120 refugees each time. That's 600 refugees who will get a special meal, see a puppet show and hear a message about Christmas. That's 600 refugees that will receive as a gift practical items as well as some small toys for the kids. That's 600 refugees who will take the book of John printed in their language home with them that night. That's 600 refugees who will know that someone cares and that they are not forgotten. Would you be willing to help us give these things to our refugee friends? Our parties will be happening the first week of December so although Christmas seems far away we need your donations as soon as possible. Gifts should be designated HELPING HANDS -CHRISTMAS IN ATHENS and sent to: International Teams 411 W. River Rd. Elgin, IL 60123 or give online at https://wwws.iteams.org/us/give be sure and designate this for Helping Hands - Christmas in Athens.
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 join our Support Team:
Online go to: https://www.iteams.org/us/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 :)
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #35
Everyone,
I am sorry I missed my last update but I was felled by a bug which has swept through our team. On Monday I came down with a cold/flu which completely zapped my energy. Because my immune system is compromised I don't fight things off very well and one thing sometimes leads to another. This particular bug triggered my Meniere's disease in a big way. For those of you who are not familiar with Meniere's, it is an inner ear disorder that affects your balance. I take several Dramamine every day as a maintenance dose. When it flares up I can be anything from a little off balance to having everything spin wildly around me. This last week on the day I usually write my updates everything was spinning. Even the five Dramamine I took didn't seem to stop it.
As I lay on the couch thinking about all the work I should be doing and trying not to move my head, I wondered if there was a lesson in all of this. I thought about the verse which says "Consider the lilies of the field, and how they grow; they do not TOIL nor do they SPIN"..... Now while this seemed pretty funny (at least under the influence of the drugs) there didn't seem to be a lot there, so I lay my head back and watched as my world continued to revolve slowly making me a bit nauseous. Sometimes when I feel like this, if I lay flat on my back and concentrate on staring at one spot on the ceiling I can make the spinning stop. I tried it and it worked. There IS a lesson in this.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says "16 Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
When my Meniere's flares up what I SEE is everything spinning. That is not really what is happening but that is what I SEE. When I FIX MY EYES on that spot on the ceiling. I force myself to SEE what is REAL not what is TEMPORARY. Sometimes in this ministry it is easy to look at all the problems spinning around us. People need food, clothes or housing. People are abused, depressed or angry. We can look at the finances, how much food we have in the cupboards, or the economic and political turmoil in Greece. When we focus on these things it sometimes seems like our world is spinning out of control. But all these things are TEMPORARY.
Look back at verse 17. Really...look back at it :) Now granted it seems to me that although MY troubles are "light and momentary" many of the things my refugee friends have been through are MUCH MUCH heavier. It is still true, however, that these troubles are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Just ask "G" a young afghan man and former Muslim who is now a Christian. He has faced persecution and hardship for much of his life. Even now, he struggles to find housing and work. His family is angry about his faith. Life is not easy. However, since "G"s baptism a few months ago I have really seen a change in him. He is helping out in ministry and even taught the children's Bible story in Farsi the last two weeks. The other day when he came in, I said as usual "How are you?" He said "I am happy." I said "Are you?" and he said "Yes, I think I get happier every day". Circumstances change, material things are temporary, people come and go, but the one constant, the one thing we can FIX OUR EYES ON is Jesus. He never changes, He is eternal and He will never leave us.
********
I want to switch gears now and talk about Christmas. I know, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but before you know it you will be wracking your brains trying to decide what to get for the people on your list. For me it was trying to figure out something that they didn't know they wanted because, let's face it for most people on my list, if I could afford it and they wanted it, they already had it. I have a GREAT idea. What about a sleeping bag? Or maybe shampoo, shaving cream and a razor. What about some warm socks or a scarf and gloves? These are all things we will be providing for refugees this Christmas. Don't you think Uncle Harry would rather give a sleeping bag to a guy sleeping in the park than have another Christmas Tie? Instead of another decorative owl saying "whoooooo loves you" to add to her collection, I'm sure Aunt Mable would be happy to give a scarf and gloves to a mother struggling to feed her children. This Christmas we will be giving 5 Christmas parties for 120 refugees each time. That's 600 refugees who will get a special meal, see a puppet show and hear a message about Christmas. That's 600 refugees that will receive as a gift practical items as well as some small toys for the kids. That's 600 refugees who will take the book of John printed in their language home with them that night. That's 600 refugees who will know that someone cares and that they are not forgotten. Would you be willing to help us give these things to our refugee friends? Our parties will be happening the first week of December so although Christmas seems far away we need your donations as soon as possible. Gifts should be designated HELPING HANDS -CHRISTMAS IN ATHENS and sent to: International Teams 411 W. River Rd. Elgin, IL 60123 or give online at https://wwws.iteams.org/us/give be sure and designate this for Helping Hands - Christmas in Athens.
As always thank you for partnering with us in what God is doing in Athens. 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 join our Support Team:
Online go to: https://www.iteams.org/us/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 :)
I am sorry I missed my last update but I was felled by a bug which has swept through our team. On Monday I came down with a cold/flu which completely zapped my energy. Because my immune system is compromised I don't fight things off very well and one thing sometimes leads to another. This particular bug triggered my Meniere's disease in a big way. For those of you who are not familiar with Meniere's, it is an inner ear disorder that affects your balance. I take several Dramamine every day as a maintenance dose. When it flares up I can be anything from a little off balance to having everything spin wildly around me. This last week on the day I usually write my updates everything was spinning. Even the five Dramamine I took didn't seem to stop it.
As I lay on the couch thinking about all the work I should be doing and trying not to move my head, I wondered if there was a lesson in all of this. I thought about the verse which says "Consider the lilies of the field, and how they grow; they do not TOIL nor do they SPIN"..... Now while this seemed pretty funny (at least under the influence of the drugs) there didn't seem to be a lot there, so I lay my head back and watched as my world continued to revolve slowly making me a bit nauseous. Sometimes when I feel like this, if I lay flat on my back and concentrate on staring at one spot on the ceiling I can make the spinning stop. I tried it and it worked. There IS a lesson in this.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says "16 Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
When my Meniere's flares up what I SEE is everything spinning. That is not really what is happening but that is what I SEE. When I FIX MY EYES on that spot on the ceiling. I force myself to SEE what is REAL not what is TEMPORARY. Sometimes in this ministry it is easy to look at all the problems spinning around us. People need food, clothes or housing. People are abused, depressed or angry. We can look at the finances, how much food we have in the cupboards, or the economic and political turmoil in Greece. When we focus on these things it sometimes seems like our world is spinning out of control. But all these things are TEMPORARY.
Look back at verse 17. Really...look back at it :) Now granted it seems to me that although MY troubles are "light and momentary" many of the things my refugee friends have been through are MUCH MUCH heavier. It is still true, however, that these troubles are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Just ask "G" a young afghan man and former Muslim who is now a Christian. He has faced persecution and hardship for much of his life. Even now, he struggles to find housing and work. His family is angry about his faith. Life is not easy. However, since "G"s baptism a few months ago I have really seen a change in him. He is helping out in ministry and even taught the children's Bible story in Farsi the last two weeks. The other day when he came in, I said as usual "How are you?" He said "I am happy." I said "Are you?" and he said "Yes, I think I get happier every day". Circumstances change, material things are temporary, people come and go, but the one constant, the one thing we can FIX OUR EYES ON is Jesus. He never changes, He is eternal and He will never leave us.
********
I want to switch gears now and talk about Christmas. I know, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but before you know it you will be wracking your brains trying to decide what to get for the people on your list. For me it was trying to figure out something that they didn't know they wanted because, let's face it for most people on my list, if I could afford it and they wanted it, they already had it. I have a GREAT idea. What about a sleeping bag? Or maybe shampoo, shaving cream and a razor. What about some warm socks or a scarf and gloves? These are all things we will be providing for refugees this Christmas. Don't you think Uncle Harry would rather give a sleeping bag to a guy sleeping in the park than have another Christmas Tie? Instead of another decorative owl saying "whoooooo loves you" to add to her collection, I'm sure Aunt Mable would be happy to give a scarf and gloves to a mother struggling to feed her children. This Christmas we will be giving 5 Christmas parties for 120 refugees each time. That's 600 refugees who will get a special meal, see a puppet show and hear a message about Christmas. That's 600 refugees that will receive as a gift practical items as well as some small toys for the kids. That's 600 refugees who will take the book of John printed in their language home with them that night. That's 600 refugees who will know that someone cares and that they are not forgotten. Would you be willing to help us give these things to our refugee friends? Our parties will be happening the first week of December so although Christmas seems far away we need your donations as soon as possible. Gifts should be designated HELPING HANDS -CHRISTMAS IN ATHENS and sent to: International Teams 411 W. River Rd. Elgin, IL 60123 or give online at https://wwws.iteams.org/us/give be sure and designate this for Helping Hands - Christmas in Athens.
As always thank you for partnering with us in what God is doing in Athens. 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 join our Support Team:
Online go to: https://www.iteams.org/us/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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