Everyone,
I can't believe this is my last update for the year 2011. It hardly seems possible that we have been living in Greece for 3 1/2 years now. As I look back over this year there have been highs and lows, good times and bad, joys and sorrows but through it all God is in control and we are privileged to be a part the His work here in Athens.
Throughout the year we welcomed 5 individuals and 5 teams who came to help anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. We also has several visits from people with International Teams who came throughout the year. As usual we had the privilege of hosting several of these people in our home. I continue to be thankful for the home God has given us with ample room to host guests, hold team events and have refugees in for dinner or small gatherings.
2011 brought some changes to our long term team. We added Michalis and Ritsa a Greek couple who have been a real blessing as Greek speakers both in welcoming Greek volunteers and helping staff and refugees to navigate the Greek system. Donna and Aziz joined us in September - Aziz is orignally from Afghanistan and Donna is American. The fact that they both speak Dari has been a HUGE help to us, even though it sometimes puts a big load on them. We also had Heather and Chris Shepherd here for the summer and eagerly await their return to join the team full time next year. There were some losses as well, Susan Phearson is back in the states enjoying life and waiting to see what the Lord has in store for her next. Themis Sirinidis has moved out of the mainstream work at the ARC and is working full time with 2nd Evangelical Church as they minister to refugees, immigrants and homeless Greeks in their area. Scott McCracken is spending less time working directly at the ARC and is focusing more on teaching/training both at the ARC and in other contexts. Nader left Athens is in Canada pursuing asylum papers there. Change is never easy but it seems to be a part of this ministry and we are learning that with change comes opportunity.
There have been changes in the refugee population also. People we built relationships with and were close to have moved on. Kent's friend "H" is back living in Kurdistan. He became a Christian here and is now a part of a church back in his home country. Two women we were close to "N" and "Z#1" have moved on to other countries taking their daughters with them and leaving their sons and husbands behind to follow if and when the women get asylum papers. We constantly see new faces and often miss seeing friends who have moved on without even the chance to say goodbye. Our dear friend Dr. Joseph received his asylum papers and is awaiting the paperwork for his wife and children to join him. He has taken several trips to other European countries to check out the possibilities for immigration.
We baptized 11 new believers this year and there are several others who have expressed their faith in Jesus. Four of these men now meet with Kent, I and Scott McCracken weekly for a community group time of sharing and bible study. We also started the Saturday seekers class with Scott, Kent and I. Aziz is doing the translating for this class since Nader is no longer with us. Some of the believers are beginning to step out in ministry as well. "G" is translating for the kids story on Farsi Family Outreach days and "A" was our MC for the Christmas parties.
I continue to enjoy working with kids and was blessed to do several puppet shows this year. We did two different ones at Easter, and another for Christmas. At Easter I continued the tradition of dressing up for the kids parties in a new costume. For this one I was a Spring Chicken and helped lead the singing and must admit I was "Poultry in Motion". I was in the hospital or confined to home during the Christmas parties this year but Christy told me that one of the boys said "It's not Christmas without Myrna dressed up as an ELF."
Kent continues to find young men to connect with. Often they speak English and he can have good conversations with them. He really enjoys this but it is hard because younger men without families often are able to move on more quickly to another country so just as he feels he is really making a connection they often disappear. Sometimes he is able to still have contact with them but often they just don't come around any more. Kent also accepted a bigger role in team leadership this year. He and Brett became co-leaders with Kent in charge of pastoral care and team life and Brett heading up the day to day operations and vision casting. The plan was for the Greek Board of Helping Hands to hire a new day to day director in September/October and have him in place at the beginning of the year at which time Brett was planning to step down. However, due to concern for funding with the economic situation in Greece and a lack of a clear direction from the Lord, the Board has decided to postpone this step for at least a year. Brett has agreed to stay on at this point and we are grateful for his leadership and the enthusiasm and direction he brings to the team.
My health was a bit of a struggle for much of the year culminating in my week long hospital stay at the first of December and the weeks of pain following my return home. I am thrilled to report however that I am finally feeling better than I have in MANY months. I am able to up and around with little pain and have been going out for walks in order to get my strength back after a time of not being able to do much. I am SO thankful for the little things like being able to put my socks on or get up from a chair without pain. Thank you all so much for your prayers in this area.
Because I am feeling so much better this has been a busy week - we have had someone in to dinner almost every day, either team mates or refugee friends. Yesterday we went with a couple of team mates on a hike around the Old Palace grounds outside of Athens. It was great to get out of the city and into the fresh air. We will reopen the ARC on January 3rd and I plan to go back to work that day. I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and we look forward with you to see what God will do in the year 2012. 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 :)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #40
Everyone,
JOY TO THE WORLD! Thanks to all of you who have been holding me up in prayer with my arthritis. Last week continued to be quite a trial. My days looked like this - at 2am I would awake in terrible pain and would barely be able to walk to the kitchen to take some ibuprofen. Then about 6:30am I would wake up hurting so bad that I could not stay in bed. My neck was very stiff and it was very hard to even get my feet over the edge of the bed. Getting dressed was agony - trying to struggle into those elastic stockings that go from toe to hip was difficult, I could barely bend my knees enough to get them over my toe and my wrist hurt when I tried to pull them on. I remember one morning just bursting into tears and feeling like I could just not take it anymore. Once I was up I would slowly and painfully walk to the kitchen past my husband who knew better than to ask how I was feeling. I would take my medications and struggle to get sat down with my feet up. If I forgot my glasses or something else I would ask Kent to get them for me because I could barely stand the thought of getting up. After a few hours I could function but I could not walk without pain and getting up and down (even though Kent has raised both of our couches) was always an ordeal. On Tuesday I went to the doctor for my appointment. The Ultra Sound of my calf showed that the thrombosis had cleared however the doctor doing the test (who is the same doctor I saw while in the hospital) said "Your knees are bad. The baker's cysts behind them are bigger and you have been bleeding into them again. There is also a LOT of fluid around your knee cap in the front." I told him I knew. When I saw the rhuematologist I told him how bad things had been. He checked me and said "We need to change your medicine. We decided for a start to leave me on the Enbrel but to add another pill of cortizone - I was already taking one in the morning - at night. He also decided to up my methotrexate which I don't take until tomorrow. I saw the other doctor who said that I still needed to be on the blood thinners for a couple more months and that I should keep wearing the stockings. I went home not feeling very hopeful.
That night I took the cortizone pill and went to bed. I woke up at 5:30 and thought "Hmm my neck is not feeling too bad. I realized my knees were not hurting much either. I decided since I was awake to get up and call my Mom since it would be evening in Oregon. I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up and walked to the bathroom - very little pain. I then got dressed with no trouble and walked to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and take my pills - again almost no pain. I got sat down in my chair and put my feet up "Oh no, I forgot the phone" Not a problem - I'll just hop up and get it and sit back down. By this time I was practically feeling giddy with the joy of it. When Kent walked sleepily out of the bedroom an hour later I jumped to me feet and did a little jig saying "It's a Christmas Miracle!!". He looked at me like I had lost my mind. I said "Look - I am walking no pain". He couldn't believe it. We both went to our computers and worked for a while, instead of me saying "Honey, could you get me some more coffee?" I got up to get myself some and poured him another cup as well. When he went to leave I got up to kiss him goodbye and he said "Well this is just a real nice development. I went the whole day feeling good and took nothing for pain. This morning I awoke feeling even better than yesterday. I am "walking and leaping and praising God" - okay maybe not leaping but I think I could if I wanted to. Thank you all for praying and for standing with us during this time. It will be a Merry Christmas at our house this year!
Last Friday night we had our community group of believers over for dinner. I cooked Persian food for them. I made a dish that they serve for special occasions called Zereshk Polow - a rice dish with saffron and barberries. It is quite a process to make this dish. You soak the rice for several hours. Then you rinse it and boil it for a few minutes and rinse it again. You take a bit of the rice and mix it with some oil and yogurt as well as a little saffron water. You put this in the bottom of the pan and pile the other rice in a pyramid on top of it. You poke some holes in the pyramid with the handle of your wooden spoon and pour more oil over it. Your wrap the lid in a kitchen towel so no steam can escape and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. This forms the tadig which is the crusty bottom that is a special treat and served on a separate platter. You then turn the heat as low as possible and let it continue to steam for at least another hour. When the rice is ready your take the zereshk (barberries) and fry them for a minute or two in a little oil and sugar. You mix half the rice with some saffron you have steeped in hot water which make it a lovely yellow color. Mix the barberries with this. On a platter put a layer of plain rice and then a layer of the yellow rice studded with red berries on top. It is a beautiful dish and the men were very excited when they saw it - one said "I have not had this since I left Iran". I also made chicken and vegetables cooked with saffron, tumeric, paprika and other spices. Cucumber and tomato salad and Arabic bread rounded out our meal. I set the table with my Christmas dishes and we had a lovely evening. The men left with us saying "Cristmas Mobarak" and them wishing us "Merry Christmas" as well.
We will have the week off next week but hope to have some more people into our home now that I am feeling better. Thank you again for being part of our lives and this ministry. We love you all and wish for you a wonderful and blessed Christmas.
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 :)
JOY TO THE WORLD! Thanks to all of you who have been holding me up in prayer with my arthritis. Last week continued to be quite a trial. My days looked like this - at 2am I would awake in terrible pain and would barely be able to walk to the kitchen to take some ibuprofen. Then about 6:30am I would wake up hurting so bad that I could not stay in bed. My neck was very stiff and it was very hard to even get my feet over the edge of the bed. Getting dressed was agony - trying to struggle into those elastic stockings that go from toe to hip was difficult, I could barely bend my knees enough to get them over my toe and my wrist hurt when I tried to pull them on. I remember one morning just bursting into tears and feeling like I could just not take it anymore. Once I was up I would slowly and painfully walk to the kitchen past my husband who knew better than to ask how I was feeling. I would take my medications and struggle to get sat down with my feet up. If I forgot my glasses or something else I would ask Kent to get them for me because I could barely stand the thought of getting up. After a few hours I could function but I could not walk without pain and getting up and down (even though Kent has raised both of our couches) was always an ordeal. On Tuesday I went to the doctor for my appointment. The Ultra Sound of my calf showed that the thrombosis had cleared however the doctor doing the test (who is the same doctor I saw while in the hospital) said "Your knees are bad. The baker's cysts behind them are bigger and you have been bleeding into them again. There is also a LOT of fluid around your knee cap in the front." I told him I knew. When I saw the rhuematologist I told him how bad things had been. He checked me and said "We need to change your medicine. We decided for a start to leave me on the Enbrel but to add another pill of cortizone - I was already taking one in the morning - at night. He also decided to up my methotrexate which I don't take until tomorrow. I saw the other doctor who said that I still needed to be on the blood thinners for a couple more months and that I should keep wearing the stockings. I went home not feeling very hopeful.
That night I took the cortizone pill and went to bed. I woke up at 5:30 and thought "Hmm my neck is not feeling too bad. I realized my knees were not hurting much either. I decided since I was awake to get up and call my Mom since it would be evening in Oregon. I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up and walked to the bathroom - very little pain. I then got dressed with no trouble and walked to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and take my pills - again almost no pain. I got sat down in my chair and put my feet up "Oh no, I forgot the phone" Not a problem - I'll just hop up and get it and sit back down. By this time I was practically feeling giddy with the joy of it. When Kent walked sleepily out of the bedroom an hour later I jumped to me feet and did a little jig saying "It's a Christmas Miracle!!". He looked at me like I had lost my mind. I said "Look - I am walking no pain". He couldn't believe it. We both went to our computers and worked for a while, instead of me saying "Honey, could you get me some more coffee?" I got up to get myself some and poured him another cup as well. When he went to leave I got up to kiss him goodbye and he said "Well this is just a real nice development. I went the whole day feeling good and took nothing for pain. This morning I awoke feeling even better than yesterday. I am "walking and leaping and praising God" - okay maybe not leaping but I think I could if I wanted to. Thank you all for praying and for standing with us during this time. It will be a Merry Christmas at our house this year!
Last Friday night we had our community group of believers over for dinner. I cooked Persian food for them. I made a dish that they serve for special occasions called Zereshk Polow - a rice dish with saffron and barberries. It is quite a process to make this dish. You soak the rice for several hours. Then you rinse it and boil it for a few minutes and rinse it again. You take a bit of the rice and mix it with some oil and yogurt as well as a little saffron water. You put this in the bottom of the pan and pile the other rice in a pyramid on top of it. You poke some holes in the pyramid with the handle of your wooden spoon and pour more oil over it. Your wrap the lid in a kitchen towel so no steam can escape and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. This forms the tadig which is the crusty bottom that is a special treat and served on a separate platter. You then turn the heat as low as possible and let it continue to steam for at least another hour. When the rice is ready your take the zereshk (barberries) and fry them for a minute or two in a little oil and sugar. You mix half the rice with some saffron you have steeped in hot water which make it a lovely yellow color. Mix the barberries with this. On a platter put a layer of plain rice and then a layer of the yellow rice studded with red berries on top. It is a beautiful dish and the men were very excited when they saw it - one said "I have not had this since I left Iran". I also made chicken and vegetables cooked with saffron, tumeric, paprika and other spices. Cucumber and tomato salad and Arabic bread rounded out our meal. I set the table with my Christmas dishes and we had a lovely evening. The men left with us saying "Cristmas Mobarak" and them wishing us "Merry Christmas" as well.
We will have the week off next week but hope to have some more people into our home now that I am feeling better. Thank you again for being part of our lives and this ministry. We love you all and wish for you a wonderful and blessed Christmas.
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, December 14, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #39
Everyone,
How are you? I'm fine. Ti kanie? Kala. Khoubee? Khoubam. Como estas? Bien. In every language a typical greeting is "how are you?" and the accepted answer is "I'm fine." But what if you are NOT fine? Is the person REALLY asking or are they just being polite? I often act as greeter when I am at the ARC. This means standing at the door and saying "Salam" to people as they come in. Often, especially if I know the person I add Khoubee? (You okay?) to which they answer Khoubam (I'm okay). Now granted my Farsi is very limited so even if they wanted to tell me more I would have a hard time understanding. But do I really WANT to know? Do I WANT to know they they slept in the park on the cold concrete last night? Do I WANT to know that their husband came home high and beat them because they did not have food to fix for him? Do I WANT to know that they are thinking about their family who are in danger every day and they have no way to help them? Do I WANT to know........or would I rather they just said "fine" and went on their way. I know it easier. I know that sometime I think my heart cannot hold another sad story. I know that most likely I can't help them so I would rather not ask. But I also know that feeling someone cares, someone listens, someone shares your pain can make it easier to bear even if nothing changes. So I ask, I cry, I hug and I pray. Is there anyone in your life who just needs someone to ask "how are you?" and really WANT to know?
I've been thinking about this because it has been a tough week for me and for Kent. My arthritis is the worst it has been in a very long time. I often wake up at night in such pain that I can barely get out of bed to take some pain medication. In the mornings my knees hurt, my neck hurts, my wrist hurts and on and on. I can function better during the day but feel very discouraged and frankly find myself complaining to my husband a LOT. I went to a team meeting yesterday and people would say "how are you". At first I responded with my usual "I'm good" because that's what you answer but I realized I was not telling the truth. When you have a chronic problem it is hard to know what to do. You know that saying "I'm fine" makes people more comfortable and you also know that everyone does not want to hear about your troubles every time you meet. Sometimes I think I just need to have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy but if we never share our pain with others then how can they pray? How can they know that maybe we could understand THEIR pain because we've experienced it ourselves? How can we truly share in each others lives if we only stay at the surface "I'm fine" stage? SO I'm asking for prayer. Please pray that when I see the doctors again next week that the rheumatologist will have some ideas. Pray that the pain will lessen and that I can handle it better. Pray for Kent - it is not easy to live with someone who hurts. Is there pain in your life that would be easier to bear if there were someone to share it? Don't let pride or shame or a "nobody need to hear my troubles" attitude keep you from finding that person who will listen and care and especially pray for you. Thank you for being that person for us.
I realize this is not your typical cheery Christmas letter so let me add a couple of quick snapshots from the Christmas parties last week. A team mate was talking to a newer family who are living in the park and they were saying that they didn't have even basic hygiene items. My friend smiled and told them to wait until the evening was over and she would talk to them then. When the gifts were handed out the women received shampoo, soap and lotion along with their scarf, gloves and new testament. The men received a hat, gloves and new testament as well as a razor and shaving cream. This family was so delighted and grateful.
Something we did different this year for our Christmas meal is to have a refugee friend cook the rice. Afghans and Iranians are rice connoisseurs, The know good rice from bad rice. They have a special way of cooking it which is quite a process but makes each grain fluffy, tender and flavorful. When one woman tasted her food, she said with tears in her eyes "I am so happy, I have not had Afghan rice since I came to Greece six months ago. Thank you." Another women told a friend goodbye and said, "I am full now, but tomorrow I will be hungry again. I have new clothes, but they will wear out. However, I will remember your kindness forever."
Thank you so much for showing the love of Christ to these dear people and for lightening their burden just a little. 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 :)
How are you? I'm fine. Ti kanie? Kala. Khoubee? Khoubam. Como estas? Bien. In every language a typical greeting is "how are you?" and the accepted answer is "I'm fine." But what if you are NOT fine? Is the person REALLY asking or are they just being polite? I often act as greeter when I am at the ARC. This means standing at the door and saying "Salam" to people as they come in. Often, especially if I know the person I add Khoubee? (You okay?) to which they answer Khoubam (I'm okay). Now granted my Farsi is very limited so even if they wanted to tell me more I would have a hard time understanding. But do I really WANT to know? Do I WANT to know they they slept in the park on the cold concrete last night? Do I WANT to know that their husband came home high and beat them because they did not have food to fix for him? Do I WANT to know that they are thinking about their family who are in danger every day and they have no way to help them? Do I WANT to know........or would I rather they just said "fine" and went on their way. I know it easier. I know that sometime I think my heart cannot hold another sad story. I know that most likely I can't help them so I would rather not ask. But I also know that feeling someone cares, someone listens, someone shares your pain can make it easier to bear even if nothing changes. So I ask, I cry, I hug and I pray. Is there anyone in your life who just needs someone to ask "how are you?" and really WANT to know?
I've been thinking about this because it has been a tough week for me and for Kent. My arthritis is the worst it has been in a very long time. I often wake up at night in such pain that I can barely get out of bed to take some pain medication. In the mornings my knees hurt, my neck hurts, my wrist hurts and on and on. I can function better during the day but feel very discouraged and frankly find myself complaining to my husband a LOT. I went to a team meeting yesterday and people would say "how are you". At first I responded with my usual "I'm good" because that's what you answer but I realized I was not telling the truth. When you have a chronic problem it is hard to know what to do. You know that saying "I'm fine" makes people more comfortable and you also know that everyone does not want to hear about your troubles every time you meet. Sometimes I think I just need to have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy but if we never share our pain with others then how can they pray? How can they know that maybe we could understand THEIR pain because we've experienced it ourselves? How can we truly share in each others lives if we only stay at the surface "I'm fine" stage? SO I'm asking for prayer. Please pray that when I see the doctors again next week that the rheumatologist will have some ideas. Pray that the pain will lessen and that I can handle it better. Pray for Kent - it is not easy to live with someone who hurts. Is there pain in your life that would be easier to bear if there were someone to share it? Don't let pride or shame or a "nobody need to hear my troubles" attitude keep you from finding that person who will listen and care and especially pray for you. Thank you for being that person for us.
I realize this is not your typical cheery Christmas letter so let me add a couple of quick snapshots from the Christmas parties last week. A team mate was talking to a newer family who are living in the park and they were saying that they didn't have even basic hygiene items. My friend smiled and told them to wait until the evening was over and she would talk to them then. When the gifts were handed out the women received shampoo, soap and lotion along with their scarf, gloves and new testament. The men received a hat, gloves and new testament as well as a razor and shaving cream. This family was so delighted and grateful.
Something we did different this year for our Christmas meal is to have a refugee friend cook the rice. Afghans and Iranians are rice connoisseurs, The know good rice from bad rice. They have a special way of cooking it which is quite a process but makes each grain fluffy, tender and flavorful. When one woman tasted her food, she said with tears in her eyes "I am so happy, I have not had Afghan rice since I came to Greece six months ago. Thank you." Another women told a friend goodbye and said, "I am full now, but tomorrow I will be hungry again. I have new clothes, but they will wear out. However, I will remember your kindness forever."
Thank you so much for showing the love of Christ to these dear people and for lightening their burden just a little. 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 :)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #38
Everyone,
For those of you who have not heard, I missed getting out my update last week because I was in the hospital for 8 days. I had been having trouble with my right knee and for about it a week it was VERY swollen. I had finally called the doctor on a Wednesday but the rheumatologist could not see me until the following Tuesday. I decided to just keep my foot up for a few days but on Friday developed a pain in my calf which I knew could be a sign of a blood clot. I called the doctor back to see if I could get in earlier and she told me to go to the hospital to be checked out. I did indeed have Deep Vein Thrombosis and was put in the hospital on complete bed rest for 8 days. They began giving me blood thinners, plus massive doses of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs for my knee. The doctor felt that the swelling caused the circulation to slow in my lower leg which in turn caused the clot. Long story short I was in the hospital for 8 days, then I came home with some restrictions. I will be on blood thinners from 3-6 months. The first month, I must wear long (toe to hip) compression stockings at all times, I must not sit for longer than 5 minutes with my feet down, I must not stand in one place for longer than 5 minutes, I can't ride on the motorcycle. All this adds up to me being off work for a month even though I am able to be up and about and doing things at home. The other day I was doing something at the kitchen counter and I was shifting back and forth from foot to foot so I would not be standing still. Kent said "I keep thinking you must need to go to the bathroom!" In the course of doing all the other testing in the hospital the doctors also discovered that I have gall stones. This was not a surprise to me as I had been having some symptoms. Once I am off the blood thinners they will need to do surgery to remove these but it is an overnight stay in the hospital with only a week of recovery so should be no big deal.
Amazingly the ministry has managed to go on even in my absence. The week I was in the hospital Kent was also sick with a cold/flu that we have been really passing around. He spent several days at home sleeping and feeling lousy. In between he took care of me, built a puppet set and went to work when he could. This week we started our Christmas parties. There have been 3 so far and we still have two to go. We have a short term team here from Glad Tidings Church in Omaha. They are doing the puppet show since I am not able to be there. Sunday they came to our house and I did their orientation and we practiced. They did a great job and Kent said it has been well received at the parties. We are again doing the story of the man who does not believe in Christmas because he can't understand why God who is so big and great would come as a baby. While his wife is away he looks outside and sees two little birds shivering in the cold. He wants to bring them into his shed in order to save them from the cold. He calls to them but the don't listen, he goes outside to try and get them to go in the shed but they are afraid and fly up to the roof. The man is discouraged and thinks "If only I could be a bird for just a minute, I could tell the birds about the shed. They wouldn't be afraid of another bird". Just then the church bells ring and it occurs to him that that is what God did. He tried to speak to his people in may ways but finally he became a man and walked among us. This is a concept that is very hard for Muslims to understand and so it is an effective message.
Thank you to all of you who gave in order to make these parties possible. They are special times with good food, fun, family photos and most importantly another chance to share the message of Jesus. It is not to late to give - anything above the amount used for the Christmas parties will be designated for sleeping bags to be given away to those sleeping outside during these cold winter days. Designate your gifts to Helping Hands Athens - Christmas. For how to give see below.
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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