Morley Update 2012 #36

Everyone,

I have been having a bit of trouble with my arthritis flaring and just not feeling too well. I am trying to adjust my cortisone down - and YES I am doing it very slowly over a long period of time in case anyone is worried. Because of this I did not go to work yesterday and have had a couple of days where I just did the necessary things but laid low most of the day.

We have been blessed in the last week to have two gatherings where we got together with other ministry teams in the area. The first was a celebration of last year's camp that we did in conjunction with Hellenic Ministries and Oasis. There was a slide show, worship time and a few updates on some of the people who went to the camp. The second gathering was last night and we invited a Greek lawyer, a woman who is a research specialist on refugees and our friend Patricia who works with unaccompanied minors in Greece to come and speak to us. Our hope was that we would gain new insights into how to help our refugee friends achieve legal status but it was a bit discouraging. So much is left up to the arbitrary judgments of the police. At this time there are 140,000 cases in the first stage of processing and 25,000 in the second stage. They are processing 3 a day which means it would take them over 19 years just to process the ones they already have even if they accepted no new cases. They are supposed to setting up new committees to hear these cases but when the lawyer said they hope to have these in place by the beginning of the year there was a general chuckle around the room - my thought was the beginning of WHAT year.

The lawyer also told us they are also thinking of changing the red card which now serves as an ID card and gives permission to work etc. The proposal is to make it no longer serve as an ID card. Someone asked how this would help refugees and the lawyer answered - "It won't - They do not want to make it appealing to refugees........ But we have registered our complaint and that is all we can do". It sometimes seems hopeless but we SO appreciate people like this man who are willing to try and help refugees navigate this crazy and often unfair system.

Patricia shared some about the kids she is working with. We don't know how many unaccompanied minors there are in Greece but she had interviews with 101 of them. These are boys ages 12-17 who are here alone. They are largely invisible because they don't know how to navigate the system and they have no one to help them. About half of the ones she interviewed live on the streets. About 80 percent of them have been in physical danger either from the police, fascists. or others. Many of them are sexually abused because it is a way for them to earn money. Patricia said that she sees quite of few of these boys come into our facility on Saturdays and that for many we are the only adults they interact with on a regular basis. Unfortunately we don't have the staffing to have a regular program of any kind for these kids. Pray that God will open our eyes to what He wants to do.

As I look back over this letter it seems a little negative and it is easy to get discouraged sometimes when we look at the almost insurmountable problems these refugees face. I have to remind myself of something we said when we first came here. "I may not be able to help everyone but I will try to change the life of one refugee today." I think of the guys Kent has spent time with. He has listened and shared and prayed. He has taken men for coffee, to the beach, to dinner and to get new glasses. He has given out food, rent money, bought medicine and shoes. I think of the people we have had in our home. We played games, had dinner, shared Christmas and studied the Bible. I've had women in for tea, crafts, showers and testimonies. Our spare bedroom has accommodated friends, family, interns and refugee friends. I look at the many refugees who have come to know Jesus and who now work alongside us as we serve. They teach kids, help in the kitchen, organize the clothing room, help clean up. act as translators for us and most importantly share their faith with others. Yes the government, the police and the system all conspire against the refugee but God is changing lives. If God is for us who can be against us!

Thank you for your part in this work. Thank you for caring, for praying and for sharing financially. We couldn't do it without you!

Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@gmail.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
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