Morley Update 2012 #41

Everyone -
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I am thankful for many things - for family and friends all over the world. For my comfortable home, for food on the table and clothes on my back (and front). I am thankful that I have always lived where I could worship as I chose and where I could have an education. I am thankful I was allowed to marry the man of my choice - and what a good choice he turned out to be! I am thankful that God has allowed Kent and I to be here in this place, at this time, with these people. That means I am thankful for you because it is only through your generosity that we are able to serve.

It was a BUSY but nice week. We had a couple staying with us for almost 2 weeks that were here to teach a leadership seminar that Scott McCracken was facilitating. That seminar lasted 8 days and finished last Thursday night. On Friday Kent went to work at the men's meal day and then came home to pick up Hank and Cathy and I to head for a retreat center near the sea about an hour away. We were attending a marriage seminar (lead by Hank and Cathy) for some believer refugee couples. There were three couples from Afghanistan/Iran and one couple from Ethiopia/Eritrea. Our team mates Carolyn and Ebi (she is Canadian - he is Iranian) and Scott rounded out the group. It was a good weekend with teaching times, but fun times of playing games, walking on the beach and sharing meals together as well. I knew some of the women to speak to - if you can call saying Salam and Koubi (hello and how are you) speaking. Because "V" one of the men serves as a translator for us at the ARC he was able to do the translating for the weekend. That meant that for the first time I got to hear a little more from these women about what they think and feel and also to hear their sense of humor. I always enjoy laughing with refugee friends. Their lives are so difficult and often after an event someone will say "It has been a long time since I laughed and it felt so good". I left after the weekend feeling much closer to these women and when I saw them on Tuesday the smiles were warmer and the hugs tighter as we remembered our good time together.

The marriage retreat ended Sunday morning and we got home around noon. I immediately went to the kitchen to mix up roll dough, make cheese dip and fix veggies for our Team Thanksgiving which was happening that afternoon. At 4:00 we gathered at the Dirrim's house to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner. There were around 25 people present. We cooked three turkeys because the largest turkey you can get here, IF you can find it, is about 8-10 pounds. It was a nice evening of food and fellowship.

Monday morning Kent took Cathy and Hank to the airport and I finished putting together some short term team manuals and cleaning the house. At 4:00 we left to go to the airport and pick up a short term team from Omaha NE. Since it was the 19th (an odd numbered day) this meant that we could not take them directly into town to their hotel because our license plate is even numbered. In Athens you can only drive in town on odd or even numbered days depending on your license number. Since we couldn't take them into town until after 8pm we brought them to the house and did their orientation here. Doing orientations for short term teams is always interesting because they have been on a plane for hours and have had little or no sleep. Then you sit them down on a comfortable couch and begin to go through an orientation manual with them. It is inevitable that eyes begin to droop. I try to be animated but often have to stop and let people get up and walk around in order to wake up. After we finished orientation we ordered Gyros and they had their first taste of Greek food. At 8:30 Kent left to take them in to town to their hotel.

Tuesday is family meal day. At 8am we got a call from Nikos our Greek director saying he was at the ARC and the police had our Stoa (alleyway) blocked off and were investigating a break in from the night before. Several cars had windows smashed and one of the little shops had been broken into. The big gate which had been down was wrenched off it's track. We didn't know how long the police would be there but knew that no refugees would enter if police were around. Kent and I left early and headed in to the ARC to see what the situation was. By the time we got there the police had gone and the shop owners were fixing the gate and sweeping up the glass. We decided we could go ahead as usual. It was a busy day with lots of kids in the kids room to hear the bible story and make the craft. When we finished, and the floors were swept and mopped, the short term team unpacked the suitcases of medicines, craft supplies etc. that they had brought. We got everything put away before we headed home.

Wednesday was a team meeting day and Kent and I arrived early to get the short term team started on their work projects. They had a busy morning sorting Christmas donations and cleaning our baby room from top to bottom and washing all the toys. The long term team spent much of our meeting finishing last minute details for our Christmas parties which are only a week and a half away. After the meeting we ran home to get food ready for team fellowship that night and I headed out for another meeting about Christmas parties. The short term team blessed us by providing chicken for our meal that evening and leading us in a fun team building game. By the time we got home at 9:30 that night I was TIRED. Pray for our team over the next couple of weeks. In addition to our regular program next week we all have things to prepare for the Christmas parties. Kent and I are in charge of the program this year. I need to get the puppets ready and rework the script. He needs to prepare the object lesson he is going to give. I also need to prepare some kind of back drop for out family portrait room at the parties and get my elf costume out and make sure it is ready to go. Others on the team are shopping, preparing music, giving out tickets etc etc. It is a hectic, crazy but rewarding time of the year.

I want to thank those of you who gave money for Christmas or sleeping bags. Due to the economic crisis in Greece (and elsewhere) we found not only monetary donations to be down this year but we didn't get as many donations of gift items either. This means more for us to buy. We spent yesterday making some decisions about gift bags and leaving out some items we had planned to include in order to come in under our budget. We are SO thankful for local churches who are sponsoring parties and providing the food and we are thankful for the donations that we did receive. We will still be able to give a memorable evening to our refugee friends. I also mentioned those of you who gave for sleeping bags. A group of our men headed to Patras today with a van full of sleeping bags to give to the men sleeping outside in this port city. About 30 men have been coming to the bible study they are helping to lead in a local Greek church. We will also do a sleeping bag give away here in Athens as well as hand out bags to men individually as we see the need. Thank you for helping to make both the Christmas parties and the gift of a sleeping bag possible. If you didn't have a chance to give but would like to you can follow the link at the bottom of this page under our names. Instead of designating For the Ministry of Kent and Myrna Morley be sure to designate For Helping Hands Athens Christmas or For Helping Hands Athens Sleeping Bags.

As we a coming to the close of another year we are so grateful for the wonderful extended team we have. Your financial support, prayers and letters of encouragement are SO appreciated.

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
To join our Support Team:
Online go to: www.iteams.org/us
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 :)