Saturday, August 13, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #25
Everyone,
In our Saturday class a week ago we were talking about the story of the Samaritan Woman in John 4. Jesus tells her He can give her living water that will quench her thirst forever. Then He reveals to her that He knows her deepest secrets. What is her first response? Let's have a discussion on where we should worship. Many times we see this with our Muslim friends. They would rather debate whether a woman should wear a scarf, which way you should face to pray and and whether you should eat pork than talk about themselves and their personal relationship with God. Hmmmmm does this sound familiar to anyone else? God wants to talk to me about being critical or how I use my time and I would rather talk to Him about my friend's problems or worse just talk to my friend and leave God out entirely. When God reveals our true self it is often uncomfortable so we shy away. The Samaritan Woman tried to change the subject but Jesus brought her back to the truth "I who speak to you am He" (the Messiah). At that point forgetting her pride she ran to tell the others about Jesus and this sinful woman became an evangelist. God wants to transform us whether we are a Muslim needing to find Jesus or a Christian still struggling with areas of sin in our life. The first step is agreeing with God that there is a problem. Then like the woman who left her water jug behind and went to tell the others, we need to be willing to leave the sin behind and maybe even share with someone else what God is doing in our life. Notice that the woman wasn't sure of things when she went to tell the others. "Could this be the Messiah?" The people asked Jesus to stay with them and together they sat under his teaching. At the end of that time they said "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world". Do you have a group of friends that are learning and growing together? Pray for this group of men who meet together on Saturdays. As we read the book of John together and answer their questions, pray that they will say "Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world".
We are in the midst of Ramadan a time when Muslims fast from all food and drink, even water, from sun up to sun down. The purpose of this is supposed to be a time to seek God and many do. Pray for those who are sincerely praying and seeking. For many Muslims however the letter of the law is the important thing, not the spirit. The problem with legalism is there is always a loophole. Many Muslims will just change Day for Night. They will sleep all day and then rise at Sun Down to begin feasting and engaging in their normal activities. In many Muslim countries the shops are closed all day and open all night. Instead of depriving themselves of food as a reminder to seek God many Muslims gain weight during Ramadan due to the feasting. We like rules and legalism because then we know exactly where the line is and we often walk as close to it as possible. Legalism also give us a handy measuring stick to judge our brothers and make ourselves feel righteous. But when we follow the spirit of the law as Jesus points our in Matthew 5 it is much more demanding. I can no longer say "I gave my 10% to God, now the rest is mine" but we must be aware that everything we have is His. We can no longer pat ourselves on the back for "observing the Sabbath" (which to many of us means giving God 2 hours on Sunday morning) but we must think about how we are using our time every day. When we are under Grace we have freedom and yet we are constrained by love for God and for our neighbor. May we all walk in the spirit as we seek to follow Him.
Most of our team is in Switzerland for an International Teams conference. Kent and I decided not to g,o primarily because of the cost. Since we were on furlough at the beginning of the year our traveling money was somewhat depleted. Since the ARC is closed this week we had the option of finding work to do or using up vacation days. On Tuesday we went and served with a sister ministry here in Greece, the Oasis. Many of the same people we see at Helping Hands came to attend an English class and receive a meal and small bag of groceries. Any that wanted to stay could then hear a gospel message. As I greeted people, it was an encouragement to see how happy they were to see me somewhere other than the ARC. I got many warm hugs and kisses from women and kids alike. Yesterday we took a vacation day and finished a project we were working on for a friend. Today we are going to spend the bulk of the day studying our Greek and tomorrow Kent will take some refugee friends to the beach and then bring them home here for dinner.
I realize as I read back over this that the first part may seem a bit "preachy" but these are things that I have been wrestling with in my own life and I hope they can be an encouragement to you. We love you all and think of you often.
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, August 4, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #24
Everyone,
We had a nice day yesterday - instead of an outreach the team had the day to do something on their own with refugee friends. This is special because often with our busy schedule we see masses of people but it is hard to fit in time with individuals. Dr. Joseph has not been able to attend church with us the last month so although we have talked with him on the phone we had not seen him in some time. Yesterday Kent had a morning meeting about the seekers bible study and then he picked up Dr. Joseph and brought him to the house. We headed to the beach and took him snorkeling at a new place we have found that is only about 10 minutes from the house. We snorkeled for an hour but the sea began to get rough and since Dr. Joseph is not a strong swimmer we got out to sit on the beach. Suddenly a thunder shower moved in and we ran to the car. We came back to our house, rinsed off the salt and sat down for a late lunch. I made Dr. Joseph's favorite - chicken with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. When Kent went to take him home, Dr. Joseph said, "I feel so relaxed and refreshed. Thank you so much." I love doing this for people who's lives are often so filled with stress.
Tuesday I spent quite a while talking with a lady ("N") that I met last Saturday. She speaks a LITTLE English so we were able to establish on Saturday that she
has a daughter and granddaughter in Holland and several children here. Like everyone else they want to move on. Tuesday she came up to sit by me and brought a book with her. It was a little Farsi/English book - very old with no cover. Unfortunately for me it was the phrase in English, then the phonetic sounds in Farsi script and then the word written in Farsi. We had fun looking at the phrases and teaching each other how to say them. Saturday when she was in her lower lip was swollen and cracked. I carry antibiotic ointment in my purse all the time because I am always seeing people with sores, children with infected blisters etc. I squirted some on a piece of foil, wrapped it up and gave it to her, telling her to put some on a few times a day. She was very happy on Tuesday to show me that her mouth was almost completely healed. (Thanks Mom for teaching me about Neosporin!) After we'd been talking a while a man came over to say something to her. He looked pretty rough and when he left I said "Is your husband?" indicating my ring finger. She nodded and then acted out taking drugs. I said "I'm sorry". Many of these women are married to men who are drug addicts and often abusive.
"A", a good friend with five children, told Tasha this week that her husband, who is a heroin addict, was using heavily right now and coming home very abusive. On top of that another woman (who's husband is "A"s husband's cousin) left this week with her two smallest daughters leaving behind her oldest who is about 5 or 6. She left her with her husband who spends his time getting high with "A"s husband so this means that "A" has another child to care for. She said to Tasha - I can barely feed my own children and now I have one more. Kent and I decided to use some of our "special ministry" money that we set aside each month to buy some groceries for her. We hiked up to the super market and bought rice, pasta, lentils, tuna, sugar, oil, salt and tomato sauce. We gave her the groceries telling her that we wish we could change her circumstances but that we loved her and wanted to help in a small way. She was very grateful. Brett told her that if she felt unsafe to call one of us and we would come and get her and the children immediately. We prayed for her and she told us a few days later that her husband had not even been around. Thank you for providing the funds that make it possible for us to do these kinds of things- you are truly acting out Matthew 25:35, 40 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,......whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Tomorrow will be a day of rejoicing in Greece as well as in heaven. Five men who have been meeting regularly for bible study with our team mate Ilir, and who attended the seekers retreat Kent went to recently, are going to be baptized in the sea. Several of these men will be moving on right away so pray that they will meet Christians who can continue to disciple them and that they will be lights going out into other dark corners of the world.
Remember our many Muslim friends this month as they seek God in a special way during Ramadan. If you missed the link last week on how to pray daily here it is again.
http://www.xodigo.com/30days/2011_30Days_uk_version.pdf
Thank you SO much for partnering with us in this work. 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 ;}
We had a nice day yesterday - instead of an outreach the team had the day to do something on their own with refugee friends. This is special because often with our busy schedule we see masses of people but it is hard to fit in time with individuals. Dr. Joseph has not been able to attend church with us the last month so although we have talked with him on the phone we had not seen him in some time. Yesterday Kent had a morning meeting about the seekers bible study and then he picked up Dr. Joseph and brought him to the house. We headed to the beach and took him snorkeling at a new place we have found that is only about 10 minutes from the house. We snorkeled for an hour but the sea began to get rough and since Dr. Joseph is not a strong swimmer we got out to sit on the beach. Suddenly a thunder shower moved in and we ran to the car. We came back to our house, rinsed off the salt and sat down for a late lunch. I made Dr. Joseph's favorite - chicken with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. When Kent went to take him home, Dr. Joseph said, "I feel so relaxed and refreshed. Thank you so much." I love doing this for people who's lives are often so filled with stress.
Tuesday I spent quite a while talking with a lady ("N") that I met last Saturday. She speaks a LITTLE English so we were able to establish on Saturday that she
has a daughter and granddaughter in Holland and several children here. Like everyone else they want to move on. Tuesday she came up to sit by me and brought a book with her. It was a little Farsi/English book - very old with no cover. Unfortunately for me it was the phrase in English, then the phonetic sounds in Farsi script and then the word written in Farsi. We had fun looking at the phrases and teaching each other how to say them. Saturday when she was in her lower lip was swollen and cracked. I carry antibiotic ointment in my purse all the time because I am always seeing people with sores, children with infected blisters etc. I squirted some on a piece of foil, wrapped it up and gave it to her, telling her to put some on a few times a day. She was very happy on Tuesday to show me that her mouth was almost completely healed. (Thanks Mom for teaching me about Neosporin!) After we'd been talking a while a man came over to say something to her. He looked pretty rough and when he left I said "Is your husband?" indicating my ring finger. She nodded and then acted out taking drugs. I said "I'm sorry". Many of these women are married to men who are drug addicts and often abusive.
"A", a good friend with five children, told Tasha this week that her husband, who is a heroin addict, was using heavily right now and coming home very abusive. On top of that another woman (who's husband is "A"s husband's cousin) left this week with her two smallest daughters leaving behind her oldest who is about 5 or 6. She left her with her husband who spends his time getting high with "A"s husband so this means that "A" has another child to care for. She said to Tasha - I can barely feed my own children and now I have one more. Kent and I decided to use some of our "special ministry" money that we set aside each month to buy some groceries for her. We hiked up to the super market and bought rice, pasta, lentils, tuna, sugar, oil, salt and tomato sauce. We gave her the groceries telling her that we wish we could change her circumstances but that we loved her and wanted to help in a small way. She was very grateful. Brett told her that if she felt unsafe to call one of us and we would come and get her and the children immediately. We prayed for her and she told us a few days later that her husband had not even been around. Thank you for providing the funds that make it possible for us to do these kinds of things- you are truly acting out Matthew 25:35, 40 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,......whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Tomorrow will be a day of rejoicing in Greece as well as in heaven. Five men who have been meeting regularly for bible study with our team mate Ilir, and who attended the seekers retreat Kent went to recently, are going to be baptized in the sea. Several of these men will be moving on right away so pray that they will meet Christians who can continue to disciple them and that they will be lights going out into other dark corners of the world.
Remember our many Muslim friends this month as they seek God in a special way during Ramadan. If you missed the link last week on how to pray daily here it is again.
http://www.xodigo.com/30days/2011_30Days_uk_version.pdf
Thank you SO much for partnering with us in this work. 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, July 28, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #23
Everyone,
Oh happy day! On Tuesday morning Dr. Joseph (our Pakistani friend) received the news that he had been granted political asylum in Greece after two years of waiting. This means he can now begin the process of bringing his family to Greece to join him. Thank you all for praying and upholding him during this wait which at times has been almost overwhelming - yet through it all he has maintained his faith in God. Please continue to pray that he will soon be reunited with his wife and children.
At our Tuesday family meal and Farsi Gospel outreach Nader had a chance to talk with an Afghan man and his wife after the message. The man told him that they had first heard the news of Jesus in Turkey but hadn't been ready to make a decision to follow Him at that time. He said after being here for some time and hearing more teaching he and his wife had both made the decision that they wanted to accept Jesus. He asked how they could get into the classes and be baptized. Nader asked the wife if this was also her desire and not just something her husband decided. She said yes. Often when people make a decision for the Lord they are afraid at first for the other refugees to know for fear they will be ostracized or even abused. Nader asked this man whether they were comfortable with other people knowing. The man's answer was "Do you want me to shout it right now?" Praise the Lord for their faith! Please pray for them as they enter the classes and prepare for baptism. We have two other men who are in the classes at this time so we will likely be having a baptism in the next few weeks.
Yesterday we had our prayer day so spent 3 hours in sharing, praying and meditating on Gods word and on a poem by Watchmen Nee. It talks about not wanting recognition or reward but that Jesus is our reward. It is at the bottom of this post if you would like to read it.
After prayer day we had a clothing give away. The tables in the room were filled with clothes as well as some toys and household items. Many refugees came and found needed clothing as well as some fun items. One of the women found a VERY large pair of pants which she and another friend modeled for us. As usual Kent found a baby to play with and his giggles (the baby's not Kent's) could be heard throughout the room. (photo)
As August is approaching our team is looking at ways we can reach out during Ramadan which is for 30 days starting August 1st. This is a time when Muslims feel that the gates of hell are barred and the windows of heaven are open. Many will fast from sun up until sun down everyday as they pray and seek God. Would you commit to joining us in prayer that God WOULD speak to them at this time and for those that are truly seeking they would find the truth. Our team is joining together on Saturday mornings for an hour of prayer from 9-10am during the month of August. Some of us have also committed to 30 minutes of prayer every evening as well. There is a website with material you can use to help you pray. It gives a prayer update every day for the Muslim world during Ramadan. The site is www.arabworldmedia.org. Click on the "The Fast of Ramadan" link to see it.
Thank you so much for joining us in what God is doing 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 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 ;}
By: Watchman Nee
Let me love and not be respected; Let me serve and not be rewarded;
Let me labor and not be remembered; Let me suffer and not be regarded.
‘Tis the pouring, not the drinking; ‘Tis the breaking, not the keeping.
A life suff’ring to seek others blessing. A life loving and true comfort giving.
Not accepting pity and concern. Not accepting, solace and applause;
Even lonely, even forgotten, Even wordless, even forsaken.
Tears and blood, my price for the righteous crown shall be; Losing all, my cost for a faithful pilgrim’s life.
‘Twas the life, O Lord, that You chose to live. In those days when on earth You walked,
Gladly suff’ring all injuries and loss, so that all might draw near and repose.
I cannot see how much farther I shall go; Still I press on knowing there is no return.
Let me follow Your pattern so perfect and true, Bearing ingratitude without complaint.
In this time of trial, O my Lord, I pray that you’d wipe all my hidden tears away;
Let me learn, O Lord, You are my reward, Let me be others’ blessing all my days.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #22
Everyone,
I can't believe it is time for an update again. It seems like the weeks go by so fast! Our last intern left EARLY yesterday morning. Kent took her to the airport at 2:30am. He made the mistake of having some coffee so he could make the drive. When he got home he could not get back to sleep. Wednesdays are meeting days so he had a leadership meeting from 8:30-9:30, team meeting from 10-12:30, and committee meeting from 1-2. By that time he was pretty droopy. He came home and took a nap before team fellowship in the evening.
The short term team from Canada is still here. They have been a real blessing. Their team leader, Pastor Zia is Iranian and is a great guy who has helped with translation, teaching preaching and yesterday stripping the paint from the children's room in preparation to repaint. Three years ago the short term team from Central Christian painted it but it was definitely showing a LOT of wear and tear. Last night at team fellowship Pastor Zia and his wife Mahri shared their story. He started by saying, "I want to share our story with you because we are the fruit of people like you - so be encouraged that what you are doing is making a difference."
He told of his childhood in a Muslim family. His father decided at 4years of age to put him under the local Mullah to train to be a priest. By the time he was 6 he could recite the Koran and his father often "showed him off" by having him recite for
friends. Soon he became the person who called people to prayer throughout the day. One day as he went to call out, he said he could not speak and he heard an audible voice telling him to come to Him. He did not know who this was but decided he could not longer work at the Mosque. Every day his father beat him and dragged to to the Mosque but when they got to the door he would let him go and he would run back home and go off to school. Finally because things were so bad at his home his mother sent him to live with his uncle where things were not much better.
He loved school and desperately wanted a higher education. One day the Minister of
Education came to his school for a tour. He pushed his way through the crowd, knelt down at her feet and began to polish her shoes. She asked him what he wanted and he told her he wanted an education. She granted him a scholarship to finish school and go on to university. He was happy for the first time and by the time he was 16 he was in university. However, as time went by and he was exposed to many new ideologies such as communism he began to believe that there was no hope and even considered ending his life. On that very day he met a man who was a Christian. This man patiently answered question after question about the difference between Christianity and Islam. One day he said, "Do you have any more questions?" Zia answered "No" The man said, "Then can you think of any reason not to believe in Jesus" Zia said he thought about it and then said, "No". "Then you believe and want to be a Christian?" Zia answered "okay" though he really didn't understand what
that meant. He said the man took him to a church and sprinkled water on him and said "Now you are no longer a Muslim now you are Christian." Because this man did not have the skills or inclination for discipling him, Zia said the only change in his life was that he suddenly felt free to do anything he wanted with no restrictions and he began to live that way.
About that time he met his wife Mahri. He told us that her father was the person who
really modeled Christ for him and taught him what it was to love God and love family.
"Everything I know about loving and serving people I learned from this man. Not from what he said but from how he lived his life." He and Mahri were married finally they had the life he always wanted. They had two young children, a beautiful home, and a staff of servants, everything they could want. The came the regime change in Iran and suddenly their dream life became a nightmare. One day the police came to their home and said they were looking for the man who lived there that was a Christian. Zia's brother was home so he told them he was that man. They put him in prison for 8
months. Then one day they called all his family to the prison saying they were going to release him. Instead he was tortured and executed in front of his family. Even his grave was demolished so they had nowhere even to grieve. The police began to follow them everywhere. One day they seized their house and all their assets. Giving them only a suitcase with some clothes, they sent them out of the country.
They arrived in Turkey with nothing, no home, no money,and no language. But God was
going before them even then. As they were walking down a road an old lady began to shout at them and through sign language they told her they needed a house and food. She took them to her home and they were given a room about 12x12 where they could stay. It was mind boggling that in such short time they had gone from living in a mansion with servants catering to their every need need, to staying in this room with the children sleeping on one old iron bed, Mahri on the other and Zia on the floor. They sometimes went without food for days at a time just to give their children one small meal a day. One day at Christmas time, Zia suggested to Mahri that they go to a church. Even though they could not understand the language, maybe the songs would lift their spirits. Their landlady directed them to a church where there were other refugees, some of them Iranian. They were very happy about this because they were hoping that these people would perhaps translate some of what was being said. The pastor got up before preaching and one of the Iranians told Zia they were asking if someone would translate from Turkish into Farsi. No one volunteered and Zia said he once more heard a voice saying "You go and translate". He thought, "this can't be right! I don't know Turkish." He heard the voice again "You go and translate, I will speak through you". Finally he found himself walking forward and saying "I will translate". The pastor began to preach and the words flowed from Zia's mouth as he perfectly translated from Turkish into Farsi. That night the pastor asked him if he would like to work for the church doing translation and they would pay him a small monthly stipend. Zia agreed. On the way home he wondered if he could also read Turkish so he spent a penny, money they could ill afford to buy a Turkish newspaper. His wife said, "How could you spend this money on a paper you can't even read". Zia picked up the paper and began to read perfectly. To this day he still speaks, reads and writes Turkish! After a time of translating the pastor asked him if he would be willing to start a Farsi fellowship and it was the first of several now in Turkey.
I won't tell the rest of their story and how they came to live in Canada, but God has
shown Himself faithful to them even when times were very hard. Zia said "When we
had everything in Iran, I didn't care about God but He always cared about me and was
drawing me to himself. My father decided when I was four years old that I would be a
priest. Little did he know that his prophecy would be fulfilled." 1 Peter 2:9
reads: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." Praise God that he called Zia and Mehri and that they continue to tell what God has done for them. Praise God that He is using us and you, our extended team, to continue to call people into his light. Praise God that He is using people who came to faith in Athens to spread the light even in some very dark corners of the earth. Thank you for partnering with us and with God - 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 ;}
I can't believe it is time for an update again. It seems like the weeks go by so fast! Our last intern left EARLY yesterday morning. Kent took her to the airport at 2:30am. He made the mistake of having some coffee so he could make the drive. When he got home he could not get back to sleep. Wednesdays are meeting days so he had a leadership meeting from 8:30-9:30, team meeting from 10-12:30, and committee meeting from 1-2. By that time he was pretty droopy. He came home and took a nap before team fellowship in the evening.
The short term team from Canada is still here. They have been a real blessing. Their team leader, Pastor Zia is Iranian and is a great guy who has helped with translation, teaching preaching and yesterday stripping the paint from the children's room in preparation to repaint. Three years ago the short term team from Central Christian painted it but it was definitely showing a LOT of wear and tear. Last night at team fellowship Pastor Zia and his wife Mahri shared their story. He started by saying, "I want to share our story with you because we are the fruit of people like you - so be encouraged that what you are doing is making a difference."
He told of his childhood in a Muslim family. His father decided at 4years of age to put him under the local Mullah to train to be a priest. By the time he was 6 he could recite the Koran and his father often "showed him off" by having him recite for
friends. Soon he became the person who called people to prayer throughout the day. One day as he went to call out, he said he could not speak and he heard an audible voice telling him to come to Him. He did not know who this was but decided he could not longer work at the Mosque. Every day his father beat him and dragged to to the Mosque but when they got to the door he would let him go and he would run back home and go off to school. Finally because things were so bad at his home his mother sent him to live with his uncle where things were not much better.
He loved school and desperately wanted a higher education. One day the Minister of
Education came to his school for a tour. He pushed his way through the crowd, knelt down at her feet and began to polish her shoes. She asked him what he wanted and he told her he wanted an education. She granted him a scholarship to finish school and go on to university. He was happy for the first time and by the time he was 16 he was in university. However, as time went by and he was exposed to many new ideologies such as communism he began to believe that there was no hope and even considered ending his life. On that very day he met a man who was a Christian. This man patiently answered question after question about the difference between Christianity and Islam. One day he said, "Do you have any more questions?" Zia answered "No" The man said, "Then can you think of any reason not to believe in Jesus" Zia said he thought about it and then said, "No". "Then you believe and want to be a Christian?" Zia answered "okay" though he really didn't understand what
that meant. He said the man took him to a church and sprinkled water on him and said "Now you are no longer a Muslim now you are Christian." Because this man did not have the skills or inclination for discipling him, Zia said the only change in his life was that he suddenly felt free to do anything he wanted with no restrictions and he began to live that way.
About that time he met his wife Mahri. He told us that her father was the person who
really modeled Christ for him and taught him what it was to love God and love family.
"Everything I know about loving and serving people I learned from this man. Not from what he said but from how he lived his life." He and Mahri were married finally they had the life he always wanted. They had two young children, a beautiful home, and a staff of servants, everything they could want. The came the regime change in Iran and suddenly their dream life became a nightmare. One day the police came to their home and said they were looking for the man who lived there that was a Christian. Zia's brother was home so he told them he was that man. They put him in prison for 8
months. Then one day they called all his family to the prison saying they were going to release him. Instead he was tortured and executed in front of his family. Even his grave was demolished so they had nowhere even to grieve. The police began to follow them everywhere. One day they seized their house and all their assets. Giving them only a suitcase with some clothes, they sent them out of the country.
They arrived in Turkey with nothing, no home, no money,and no language. But God was
going before them even then. As they were walking down a road an old lady began to shout at them and through sign language they told her they needed a house and food. She took them to her home and they were given a room about 12x12 where they could stay. It was mind boggling that in such short time they had gone from living in a mansion with servants catering to their every need need, to staying in this room with the children sleeping on one old iron bed, Mahri on the other and Zia on the floor. They sometimes went without food for days at a time just to give their children one small meal a day. One day at Christmas time, Zia suggested to Mahri that they go to a church. Even though they could not understand the language, maybe the songs would lift their spirits. Their landlady directed them to a church where there were other refugees, some of them Iranian. They were very happy about this because they were hoping that these people would perhaps translate some of what was being said. The pastor got up before preaching and one of the Iranians told Zia they were asking if someone would translate from Turkish into Farsi. No one volunteered and Zia said he once more heard a voice saying "You go and translate". He thought, "this can't be right! I don't know Turkish." He heard the voice again "You go and translate, I will speak through you". Finally he found himself walking forward and saying "I will translate". The pastor began to preach and the words flowed from Zia's mouth as he perfectly translated from Turkish into Farsi. That night the pastor asked him if he would like to work for the church doing translation and they would pay him a small monthly stipend. Zia agreed. On the way home he wondered if he could also read Turkish so he spent a penny, money they could ill afford to buy a Turkish newspaper. His wife said, "How could you spend this money on a paper you can't even read". Zia picked up the paper and began to read perfectly. To this day he still speaks, reads and writes Turkish! After a time of translating the pastor asked him if he would be willing to start a Farsi fellowship and it was the first of several now in Turkey.
I won't tell the rest of their story and how they came to live in Canada, but God has
shown Himself faithful to them even when times were very hard. Zia said "When we
had everything in Iran, I didn't care about God but He always cared about me and was
drawing me to himself. My father decided when I was four years old that I would be a
priest. Little did he know that his prophecy would be fulfilled." 1 Peter 2:9
reads: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." Praise God that he called Zia and Mehri and that they continue to tell what God has done for them. Praise God that He is using us and you, our extended team, to continue to call people into his light. Praise God that He is using people who came to faith in Athens to spread the light even in some very dark corners of the earth. Thank you for partnering with us and with God - 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, July 14, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #21
Everyone,
When I was young I got a magazine called Girl's Life. It had a column called "Was My Face Red" which were short stories of embarrassing moments in girls lives. If there was a magazine called "Missionary Life" and it had a column like that I would have an entry. This week we welcomed a wonderful short term team from Canada. It is a large team - one man and 9 sweet, Christian ladies most of whom are middle aged. Because of the size of the team we had not been able to book them in our usual hotel but there was a hotel listed in our older prefield manual that we hadn't used in a few years. Rhoda, the mobilizer for Canada, checked their website and it looked nice. It wasn't in the best neighborhood being only about three blocks from the ARC so Kent and I did a drive by one day after work. It seemed okay so we booked it. The team arrived on Monday at 5:30pm. We picked them up at the airport and drove straight to the ARC to unload the 25 checked bags they brought with them and put away all the donated items. It was hot, and we were all exhausted by the time we finished at almost 8:30pm. I asked if they wanted to get something to eat or just go to the hotel and they said just go to the hotel. We drove the cars over with all the luggage and unloaded them on the sidewalk. The majority of the group was walking over with a team mate but they got a bit lost so we stood there a while waiting. I said to Kent "This neighborhood looks a bit more sketchy at night than during the day." I spoke to the team leader's wife and told her not to have the women go out alone in the evening. Finally the group walking found us and we took them into the hotel. Their reservations were confirmed and things looked nice enough so we left them. The next morning they came to the ARC early so I could do their orientation. We went through about an hour of information and as we were finishing, I said "How was the hotel? Did you sleep alright? Were the beds hard?" There were a few glances, snickers and remarks like "Instead of telling us not to go out alone she should have said 'Don't stand on a corner, keep moving'". Then pastor Zia said, "Well we were going to wait until later to tell you this, but the hotel where we are staying seems to be a "working girl" hotel. Apparently there has been a change of ownership since we used to book teams there and I had booked these lovely Christian ladies in a hotel for prostitutes! I called Kenn my team mate who is co-hosting this team and he said "How bad was it?" My answer was "Whips were mentioned". Scott McCracken and I went out immediately and found them another hotel and as soon as work was over we got them moved. Fortunately they are being very good sports about it and see it as an "adventure" to tell about when they go home. Of course the Helping Hands team here will continue to tease me forever and some have even taken to calling me "Madam Myrna!" I think my dreams of being a respected travel agent are over!
Kent left yesterday for an overnight men's retreat. Before we came here I think I could count on one hand the times in our 35 years of marriage (at that time) that we had been apart for even a night. In the last three years I've used up the other hand and started on my toes. I have to admit, I don't like being alone at night. In fact if truth be told I am afraid of the dark and must sleep with a light on when Kent is gone. Kent knows my fears so when he kissed me goodbye he said "Don't let the boogeyman in" and then, being Kent, he added "and don't let any men boogie in"! I love this guy! We have had quite a few men who are seekers or new believers coming to our Saturday class. We had been thinking it would be nice to get them away for an overnight retreat. We decided this would be a good time since the short term team leader is a pastor who is a former refugee from Iran so of course speaks fluent Farsi and is a great guy. Their team donated enough money to fund a retreat so Kent, Scott, Shep and Pastor Zia took 16 refugee men for an overnight stay at a Christian sports facility in our area. They will have three teaching sessions as well as time to play and just get to know one another better.
While the men were gone the women took some refugee women and kids to the beach for a day. These are always special days because it is so nice for them to get out of the city. Because I had spent Monday (our day off) helping Kent shop for food for the Men's retreat and then picking up the team at the airport and unpacking all the bags that was a long busy day. Then because I had to be in early for orientations on Tuesday, stayed after to help the ladies debone and take the skin off a big batch of chicken for sandwiches the next day and then get them moved to their new hotel, it was another long day. I got up early Wednesday and spent an hour and a half shredding the chicken for the sandwiches. After I realized how long it was going to take I sat on my couch with my big metal bowl on my lap and did it there. I then mixed up a big batch of tsatsiki and mixed it with the shredded chicken. Since it was my huge metal bowl full it took lots of adding more salt, more vinegar, some dill etc until it tasted right. Christy and Tasha came over and with Lauren (the intern staying here right now) we formed an assembly line. I took a piece of Arabic flat bread and spread the chicken mixture down it. The Tasha and Christy added cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. These were then passed off to Lauren who rolled them up like a burrito and wrapped them in foil. We did 53 sandwiches and packed them in coolers. By then I realized that my head was aching and I had overdone it the last few days. I sent the girls off to the beach knowing there was plenty of help with the short term team of 9 women plus our staff and I sat down on my couch which smelled vaguely like chicken and fell asleep. I woke up two hours later.
The heat has finally set in here in Greece and makes everything more of an effort. Pray for our refugee friends who live in the parks and don't have ready access to fresh water for drinking or bathing. During the hot weather many Greeks leave the city to go to the islands until September. As I have said before many refugees will try to make their way to other countries hoping to be invisible in the crush of tourists and Greeks traveling at this time. Pray for their safety and pray for us that we use the time we have with them to share the hope that we have in Jesus. For many there is little hope in any other form as they desperately seek a place of peace and safety and a better life for themselves and their families.
Thank you for caring, thank you for sharing and thank you for praying. 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 ;}
When I was young I got a magazine called Girl's Life. It had a column called "Was My Face Red" which were short stories of embarrassing moments in girls lives. If there was a magazine called "Missionary Life" and it had a column like that I would have an entry. This week we welcomed a wonderful short term team from Canada. It is a large team - one man and 9 sweet, Christian ladies most of whom are middle aged. Because of the size of the team we had not been able to book them in our usual hotel but there was a hotel listed in our older prefield manual that we hadn't used in a few years. Rhoda, the mobilizer for Canada, checked their website and it looked nice. It wasn't in the best neighborhood being only about three blocks from the ARC so Kent and I did a drive by one day after work. It seemed okay so we booked it. The team arrived on Monday at 5:30pm. We picked them up at the airport and drove straight to the ARC to unload the 25 checked bags they brought with them and put away all the donated items. It was hot, and we were all exhausted by the time we finished at almost 8:30pm. I asked if they wanted to get something to eat or just go to the hotel and they said just go to the hotel. We drove the cars over with all the luggage and unloaded them on the sidewalk. The majority of the group was walking over with a team mate but they got a bit lost so we stood there a while waiting. I said to Kent "This neighborhood looks a bit more sketchy at night than during the day." I spoke to the team leader's wife and told her not to have the women go out alone in the evening. Finally the group walking found us and we took them into the hotel. Their reservations were confirmed and things looked nice enough so we left them. The next morning they came to the ARC early so I could do their orientation. We went through about an hour of information and as we were finishing, I said "How was the hotel? Did you sleep alright? Were the beds hard?" There were a few glances, snickers and remarks like "Instead of telling us not to go out alone she should have said 'Don't stand on a corner, keep moving'". Then pastor Zia said, "Well we were going to wait until later to tell you this, but the hotel where we are staying seems to be a "working girl" hotel. Apparently there has been a change of ownership since we used to book teams there and I had booked these lovely Christian ladies in a hotel for prostitutes! I called Kenn my team mate who is co-hosting this team and he said "How bad was it?" My answer was "Whips were mentioned". Scott McCracken and I went out immediately and found them another hotel and as soon as work was over we got them moved. Fortunately they are being very good sports about it and see it as an "adventure" to tell about when they go home. Of course the Helping Hands team here will continue to tease me forever and some have even taken to calling me "Madam Myrna!" I think my dreams of being a respected travel agent are over!
Kent left yesterday for an overnight men's retreat. Before we came here I think I could count on one hand the times in our 35 years of marriage (at that time) that we had been apart for even a night. In the last three years I've used up the other hand and started on my toes. I have to admit, I don't like being alone at night. In fact if truth be told I am afraid of the dark and must sleep with a light on when Kent is gone. Kent knows my fears so when he kissed me goodbye he said "Don't let the boogeyman in" and then, being Kent, he added "and don't let any men boogie in"! I love this guy! We have had quite a few men who are seekers or new believers coming to our Saturday class. We had been thinking it would be nice to get them away for an overnight retreat. We decided this would be a good time since the short term team leader is a pastor who is a former refugee from Iran so of course speaks fluent Farsi and is a great guy. Their team donated enough money to fund a retreat so Kent, Scott, Shep and Pastor Zia took 16 refugee men for an overnight stay at a Christian sports facility in our area. They will have three teaching sessions as well as time to play and just get to know one another better.
While the men were gone the women took some refugee women and kids to the beach for a day. These are always special days because it is so nice for them to get out of the city. Because I had spent Monday (our day off) helping Kent shop for food for the Men's retreat and then picking up the team at the airport and unpacking all the bags that was a long busy day. Then because I had to be in early for orientations on Tuesday, stayed after to help the ladies debone and take the skin off a big batch of chicken for sandwiches the next day and then get them moved to their new hotel, it was another long day. I got up early Wednesday and spent an hour and a half shredding the chicken for the sandwiches. After I realized how long it was going to take I sat on my couch with my big metal bowl on my lap and did it there. I then mixed up a big batch of tsatsiki and mixed it with the shredded chicken. Since it was my huge metal bowl full it took lots of adding more salt, more vinegar, some dill etc until it tasted right. Christy and Tasha came over and with Lauren (the intern staying here right now) we formed an assembly line. I took a piece of Arabic flat bread and spread the chicken mixture down it. The Tasha and Christy added cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. These were then passed off to Lauren who rolled them up like a burrito and wrapped them in foil. We did 53 sandwiches and packed them in coolers. By then I realized that my head was aching and I had overdone it the last few days. I sent the girls off to the beach knowing there was plenty of help with the short term team of 9 women plus our staff and I sat down on my couch which smelled vaguely like chicken and fell asleep. I woke up two hours later.
The heat has finally set in here in Greece and makes everything more of an effort. Pray for our refugee friends who live in the parks and don't have ready access to fresh water for drinking or bathing. During the hot weather many Greeks leave the city to go to the islands until September. As I have said before many refugees will try to make their way to other countries hoping to be invisible in the crush of tourists and Greeks traveling at this time. Pray for their safety and pray for us that we use the time we have with them to share the hope that we have in Jesus. For many there is little hope in any other form as they desperately seek a place of peace and safety and a better life for themselves and their families.
Thank you for caring, thank you for sharing and thank you for praying. 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, July 7, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #20
Everyone,
Hello and Goodbye. Two words that aptly describe our ministry. Here are some recent ones:
Five and a half weeks ago we welcomed into our home an intern from Moody Bible Institute named Emily Mueller. She was a joy to have and quickly stepped into ministry. She was willing to lend a hand wherever needed and always had a cheerful attitude. On her personal ministry day she started an English class for some of the young women. It evolved into two English classes, one with the young women taught by Emily and another intern Lauren and a second class for the younger brothers and sisters who tagged along taught by Heather. Tuesday was Emily's last day at the ARC and she had to say goodbye to these girls who have grown to love her. Wednesday the team got to say goodbye to Emily at a team fellowship and this morning at 3am I hugged her goodbye as she left to go to the airport for her flight home.
A few weeks ago I saw a new young woman who smiled at me so I said "salaam" which is the Farsi "hello". She replied "hello" in English. I sat down to talk with her and though her English is limited we became fast friends. Her name is "T" and she is here with her parents and two sisters and a brother. Another brother is in another country and one brother is missing and they don't know if he is alive. He worked for the Americans in Afghanistan and that is why they had to flee. Tuesday I sat down to talk with "T" and she said "I don't know how to tell you - my heart is very "hot"." I questioned her and what she meant is her heart was heavy. She misses her home - they are living in the park here, she misses her friends and her school. We had been talking about Jesus and I told her that Jesus loves her and that He is with her even in the hard times. She said she has been reading a Farsi Bible at home and wants to learn more. She said "You are like my mother - I like you...no I LOVE you". I asked if she would be in on Saturday so we could talk more. She said she didn't know as they are trying to leave and get to another country so we shall see - maybe this is another "goodbye" for me.
Kent's friend "O" left and Kent has not heard from him again - goodbye. Our friend "G" who we told goodbye in December fully expecting to see him when we returned has not shown up yet and we have no way to reach him. Kent's friend "H" who became a Christian here left late last year to go back to Kurdistan another goodbye. However, "H" calls occasionally and he is now in regular contact with a friend or ours who is a missionary in Kurdistan. Recently Kent received a note on Face book from a refugee friend from Sudan who we had in our home on a couple of occasions but who we said goodbye to over a year ago - hello again.
Our team mate Nader had the wonderful experience this week of saying hello to his brother from Iran who he has not seen in 16 years. His brother and uncle will be visiting until the 23rd of July. Nader wants to share with them about Jesus - pray that they will be open.
A few weeks ago I mentioned "N" and her family in my letter (update #15). She and her husband and their four children 2 boys and 2 girls lived in the park for some time and then were living in a building with no electricity and little water. They had tried to leave but after quite a traumatic experience had returned. About a week ago "N" took the two girls and tried again. They made it to I believe Germany and are in a camp waiting for their papers to process. Unlike the camps in Greece they have a little home there and receive food and care. Her husband hopes to join her with the two boys if she is granted asylum. We see many family that have to separate in order to get out of the country and it is sometimes many months or years before they are reunited. A big goodbye.
I wrote of a young man "H" who is a new believer and was feeling pretty hopeless about his chances for a better life. He had a blow this week when he learned of his father's death in Iran. "H' did not get to say goodbye and his grief is overwhelming him at the moment. Please pray for him, for peace, for comfort and for trust in his relationship with Jesus.
We know many people who plan to try to leave in the next couple of months. If they make it there will be some hard goodbyes. If they don't make it there will be some sad hellos because although we are don't want to lose our friends we know that there is not much chance of a good life for them here. The constant ebb and flow of people through our lives is sometimes difficult but God is using this flow to spread his kingdom as people come to faith in Greece and then take that faith with them when they leave. Thank you for partnering with us in so many ways in this ministry. There have been many hellos and goodbyes between us as well. I was looking at pictures of my kids and grandkids this morning and feeling a bit homesick. We miss you and think of you often.
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 ;}
Hello and Goodbye. Two words that aptly describe our ministry. Here are some recent ones:
Five and a half weeks ago we welcomed into our home an intern from Moody Bible Institute named Emily Mueller. She was a joy to have and quickly stepped into ministry. She was willing to lend a hand wherever needed and always had a cheerful attitude. On her personal ministry day she started an English class for some of the young women. It evolved into two English classes, one with the young women taught by Emily and another intern Lauren and a second class for the younger brothers and sisters who tagged along taught by Heather. Tuesday was Emily's last day at the ARC and she had to say goodbye to these girls who have grown to love her. Wednesday the team got to say goodbye to Emily at a team fellowship and this morning at 3am I hugged her goodbye as she left to go to the airport for her flight home.
A few weeks ago I saw a new young woman who smiled at me so I said "salaam" which is the Farsi "hello". She replied "hello" in English. I sat down to talk with her and though her English is limited we became fast friends. Her name is "T" and she is here with her parents and two sisters and a brother. Another brother is in another country and one brother is missing and they don't know if he is alive. He worked for the Americans in Afghanistan and that is why they had to flee. Tuesday I sat down to talk with "T" and she said "I don't know how to tell you - my heart is very "hot"." I questioned her and what she meant is her heart was heavy. She misses her home - they are living in the park here, she misses her friends and her school. We had been talking about Jesus and I told her that Jesus loves her and that He is with her even in the hard times. She said she has been reading a Farsi Bible at home and wants to learn more. She said "You are like my mother - I like you...no I LOVE you". I asked if she would be in on Saturday so we could talk more. She said she didn't know as they are trying to leave and get to another country so we shall see - maybe this is another "goodbye" for me.
Kent's friend "O" left and Kent has not heard from him again - goodbye. Our friend "G" who we told goodbye in December fully expecting to see him when we returned has not shown up yet and we have no way to reach him. Kent's friend "H" who became a Christian here left late last year to go back to Kurdistan another goodbye. However, "H" calls occasionally and he is now in regular contact with a friend or ours who is a missionary in Kurdistan. Recently Kent received a note on Face book from a refugee friend from Sudan who we had in our home on a couple of occasions but who we said goodbye to over a year ago - hello again.
Our team mate Nader had the wonderful experience this week of saying hello to his brother from Iran who he has not seen in 16 years. His brother and uncle will be visiting until the 23rd of July. Nader wants to share with them about Jesus - pray that they will be open.
A few weeks ago I mentioned "N" and her family in my letter (update #15). She and her husband and their four children 2 boys and 2 girls lived in the park for some time and then were living in a building with no electricity and little water. They had tried to leave but after quite a traumatic experience had returned. About a week ago "N" took the two girls and tried again. They made it to I believe Germany and are in a camp waiting for their papers to process. Unlike the camps in Greece they have a little home there and receive food and care. Her husband hopes to join her with the two boys if she is granted asylum. We see many family that have to separate in order to get out of the country and it is sometimes many months or years before they are reunited. A big goodbye.
I wrote of a young man "H" who is a new believer and was feeling pretty hopeless about his chances for a better life. He had a blow this week when he learned of his father's death in Iran. "H' did not get to say goodbye and his grief is overwhelming him at the moment. Please pray for him, for peace, for comfort and for trust in his relationship with Jesus.
We know many people who plan to try to leave in the next couple of months. If they make it there will be some hard goodbyes. If they don't make it there will be some sad hellos because although we are don't want to lose our friends we know that there is not much chance of a good life for them here. The constant ebb and flow of people through our lives is sometimes difficult but God is using this flow to spread his kingdom as people come to faith in Greece and then take that faith with them when they leave. Thank you for partnering with us in so many ways in this ministry. There have been many hellos and goodbyes between us as well. I was looking at pictures of my kids and grandkids this morning and feeling a bit homesick. We miss you and think of you often.
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, June 30, 2011
Morley Update 2011 #19
Everyone,
Giving. I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. There was a spirited exchange recently on Facebook over giving a homeless man in McDonalds a dollar. Several people felt you should always give, several felt you can't give to everyone so it was all right to choose to give somewhere else. Then people started sharing ways that they give - donating their old sleeping bags to the homeless etc. And I thought about the verses I recently read again. Luke 21:1-4 "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.'" I was thinking about how Kent and I have a "special fund" - some money we set aside from our income each month to use for special needs for refugees that are outside of what we normally do. Some of the things we have used it for was to buy a refigerator for a single refugee mom with 4 children and to help pay the electricity for another refugee family so they would not have their heat turned off. We bought a small cookstove for another friend and paid for some medicine for another. I'm glad we are able to do these things. We picked the amount to put into the fund by cutting a bit here and a bit there. It might mean we don't eat out too often or buy some of the little extras but it is definitely out of our surplus. We live in a nice home, pay our bills on time and have plenty to eat. In contrast I watch how the refugees share with one another. Mothers who have very little for their own children will divide the bread they have and give to the other children around them. "E" a lady who has been here a long time and would be considered more your typical "bag lady" comes in and she almost always reaches into her bag to give small bits of food and even sometimes a few coins to families with small children. People who have walked across the street to get the free meal handed out in the park share with others who didn't go down. If I am sitting nearby they always offer to share with me as well before they start eating. I am humbled in the face of such sacrificial giving. I pat myself on the back because I got new shoes so I donated my old ones. It never occurs to me to wear my old shoes and buy a pair of new ones to donate. I think this will always be a tension in my life, especially when I am faced daily with those in need, while I have been given much. Pray that we will be sensitive to God's leading in when and how to give. Thank you to those of you who give to us in order that we can in turn give to others.
Many people have been seeing on the news lately pictures of the rioting in the center of Athens. It has been pretty bad the last couple of days because the government is signing into effect the next austerity measures so that Greece can get the next installment of money to stay solvent. People are angry over losing jobs and taking cuts. Many people who have been supporting the work here are now finding themselves in deep financial trouble some even going bankrupt. Most of the people protesting just want to be heard but there is a violent element that seizes this opportunity to riot. Yesterday Kent was riding the motor bike in to a leadership meeting. He had our team mate Christy on behind. They got caught in traffic and suddenly were in the middle of a protest that turned into people shouting and throwing things at the police. The police retailiated by setting off the tear gas cannon just accross the street from where Kent and Christy were. Christy had her wind visor down but Kent had his up and just had his sunglasses on. They got hit by the gas and Kent just had to stop in the middle of traffic for a minute until he could open one eye enough to steer to the side of the road and wash his eyes out. In retrospect they should have know better than to ride through that part of town on a day when there were protests but hindsight is always better than forsight and definitely better than sight with tear gas in your eyes! For the most part we are not affected too much by the riots since we usually know ahead of time when and where protests will be held and can avoid those areas. The transportation strikes are more of an issue. There was a two day bus strike which meant that we had to cancel a beach day we had planned for refugees because we had no way to get them to the beach. After today things should settle down because the voting will be over until the next installment of the loan is due. Please pray for your Greek brothers and sisters as the problems are far from over. Also pray for refugees. As the economic situation worsens there is an increasing racial tension sometimes spilling over into violence against refugees. There are no easy answers for the problems facing this country and for the many refugees who have come here thinking they will find safety and a better life.
We continue to minister to a full crowd at the ARC. We have a waiting list of over 60 names to get tickets for one of our Tuesday meals. In August many refugees will try to leave hoping to be unnoticed among the crowds of tourists and Greeks going on holiday. That usually translates into smaller numbers at the ARC but new people seem to be coming in as fast as people leave. Our Saturday Bible class after tea house has grown. We started the first week with 5 men and Scott, Nader, Kent and I. This week there were 20 men and 1 woman as well as the four of us. We are reading the book of John and allowing them to ask questions. After two hours of questions and answers Scott said we were finished for the day. Many protested that they still had questions but we told them to feel free to ask at another time or save them for the following week. It is wonderful to see the mix of believers and seekers studying together. Pray for Nader as he translates and for the rest of us as we try to lead the discussion. It is good to see that many times answers come from other Persian believers rather than them waiting for one of us to answer.
Thanks to all of you who hold us up in prayer. Kent has been very busy recently as our team leader is still in the US following the death of his father in law. Kent has been standing in the gap doing his job and Brett's until they will return on the 11th of July. I have still been having some health issues - I was home on the couch Tuesday with pain in my back, one knee is also acting up quite a bit so I have been kind of grumpy and limping around. I am so thankful for my understanding husband. We love all of you and think of you often. Thanks to those of you who keep in touch either by email or via facebook - it makes us feel so much more connected.
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 ;}
Giving. I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. There was a spirited exchange recently on Facebook over giving a homeless man in McDonalds a dollar. Several people felt you should always give, several felt you can't give to everyone so it was all right to choose to give somewhere else. Then people started sharing ways that they give - donating their old sleeping bags to the homeless etc. And I thought about the verses I recently read again. Luke 21:1-4 "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.'" I was thinking about how Kent and I have a "special fund" - some money we set aside from our income each month to use for special needs for refugees that are outside of what we normally do. Some of the things we have used it for was to buy a refigerator for a single refugee mom with 4 children and to help pay the electricity for another refugee family so they would not have their heat turned off. We bought a small cookstove for another friend and paid for some medicine for another. I'm glad we are able to do these things. We picked the amount to put into the fund by cutting a bit here and a bit there. It might mean we don't eat out too often or buy some of the little extras but it is definitely out of our surplus. We live in a nice home, pay our bills on time and have plenty to eat. In contrast I watch how the refugees share with one another. Mothers who have very little for their own children will divide the bread they have and give to the other children around them. "E" a lady who has been here a long time and would be considered more your typical "bag lady" comes in and she almost always reaches into her bag to give small bits of food and even sometimes a few coins to families with small children. People who have walked across the street to get the free meal handed out in the park share with others who didn't go down. If I am sitting nearby they always offer to share with me as well before they start eating. I am humbled in the face of such sacrificial giving. I pat myself on the back because I got new shoes so I donated my old ones. It never occurs to me to wear my old shoes and buy a pair of new ones to donate. I think this will always be a tension in my life, especially when I am faced daily with those in need, while I have been given much. Pray that we will be sensitive to God's leading in when and how to give. Thank you to those of you who give to us in order that we can in turn give to others.
Many people have been seeing on the news lately pictures of the rioting in the center of Athens. It has been pretty bad the last couple of days because the government is signing into effect the next austerity measures so that Greece can get the next installment of money to stay solvent. People are angry over losing jobs and taking cuts. Many people who have been supporting the work here are now finding themselves in deep financial trouble some even going bankrupt. Most of the people protesting just want to be heard but there is a violent element that seizes this opportunity to riot. Yesterday Kent was riding the motor bike in to a leadership meeting. He had our team mate Christy on behind. They got caught in traffic and suddenly were in the middle of a protest that turned into people shouting and throwing things at the police. The police retailiated by setting off the tear gas cannon just accross the street from where Kent and Christy were. Christy had her wind visor down but Kent had his up and just had his sunglasses on. They got hit by the gas and Kent just had to stop in the middle of traffic for a minute until he could open one eye enough to steer to the side of the road and wash his eyes out. In retrospect they should have know better than to ride through that part of town on a day when there were protests but hindsight is always better than forsight and definitely better than sight with tear gas in your eyes! For the most part we are not affected too much by the riots since we usually know ahead of time when and where protests will be held and can avoid those areas. The transportation strikes are more of an issue. There was a two day bus strike which meant that we had to cancel a beach day we had planned for refugees because we had no way to get them to the beach. After today things should settle down because the voting will be over until the next installment of the loan is due. Please pray for your Greek brothers and sisters as the problems are far from over. Also pray for refugees. As the economic situation worsens there is an increasing racial tension sometimes spilling over into violence against refugees. There are no easy answers for the problems facing this country and for the many refugees who have come here thinking they will find safety and a better life.
We continue to minister to a full crowd at the ARC. We have a waiting list of over 60 names to get tickets for one of our Tuesday meals. In August many refugees will try to leave hoping to be unnoticed among the crowds of tourists and Greeks going on holiday. That usually translates into smaller numbers at the ARC but new people seem to be coming in as fast as people leave. Our Saturday Bible class after tea house has grown. We started the first week with 5 men and Scott, Nader, Kent and I. This week there were 20 men and 1 woman as well as the four of us. We are reading the book of John and allowing them to ask questions. After two hours of questions and answers Scott said we were finished for the day. Many protested that they still had questions but we told them to feel free to ask at another time or save them for the following week. It is wonderful to see the mix of believers and seekers studying together. Pray for Nader as he translates and for the rest of us as we try to lead the discussion. It is good to see that many times answers come from other Persian believers rather than them waiting for one of us to answer.
Thanks to all of you who hold us up in prayer. Kent has been very busy recently as our team leader is still in the US following the death of his father in law. Kent has been standing in the gap doing his job and Brett's until they will return on the 11th of July. I have still been having some health issues - I was home on the couch Tuesday with pain in my back, one knee is also acting up quite a bit so I have been kind of grumpy and limping around. I am so thankful for my understanding husband. We love all of you and think of you often. Thanks to those of you who keep in touch either by email or via facebook - it makes us feel so much more connected.
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 ;}
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