Morley Update 2012 #30

Everyone,
We arrived in OR on the 11th and spoke at our home Church - Fern Ridge Christian Church (formerly Elmira Church of Christ) on Sunday. Kent and I both said we felt a little under prepared and there were a few technical glitches like the music my future son in law worked so hard to put behind our presentation not playing but it went well all the same. When sharing about the work in Greece it is easy to be excited about what God is doing. We were very blessed to have our former pastors Darren and Ruthie Knowles visiting that same day so it was a day of reconnecting with old friends and making some new ones. Several supporters traveled quite a ways to hear us and we were so happy to be able to share with our extended team.

On Monday we traveled to the Salem area to see our sister-in-law and her family. We had a lovely day of visiting and good food. However that night I became very ill and by morning we knew I needed to go to the hospital most likely to have my gall bladder removed something I was planning to do sometime after we returned to Greece. Sure enough an ultra sound revealed that a large stone had moved and we were past the point of no return. Because of the blood thinners I take we waited until Wednesday morning to do the surgery. All went well and after another night in the hospital I came home to my parent's home to recuperate. I have some pain but am doing quite well. However a few things like going on hikes with my kids or playing golf will be out. I am restricted from lifting for the next two weeks so Kent will need to deal with all our bags when we make our trip to CA next week. The doctor said it will be about 6 weeks until I am fully recovered so I will need to take it a bit easy even when we return to Greece.

Thank you for praying for us - we are happy to be with our family and enjoying the beautiful green of Oregon.

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: https://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 :)

Morley Update 2012 #28

In our ministry we often remove names to protect people who might be in danger if their identity was known. We also work with people who are dealing with sensitive issues with the government or in regards to their papers etc. I am careful to ask permission before sending out emails and I am also sensitive to not putting anything on this blog that would compromise anyone's safety or hurt their case for papers etc. This week I sent out an email with several prayer requests that I did not feel comfortable posting in this more public place. If you are interested in praying about these issues please send me a private email and I will forward to the letter on to you. Thanks you for understanding.
Myrna Morley
backhoeboy1@gmail.com

Morley Update 2012 #27

Everyone -
And Time Marches On -- June 10 we welcomed two young intern women into our home for 6 weeks. They leave on Sunday and it seems like they just came. They have been a wonderful addition to our lives and the ministry. They are friends but nothing alike. Lindsey is blond and tall - which is why she was the person who had to kill the cockroach and tape over the mouse hole at camp. She is a little more quiet and really makes an effort to draw people out and include them. Charissa is dark haired and short. She is always up for anything. She says her mom calls her "my Korean blond" which explains why when someone said "Did you know you can't take a color picture of a Panda - they always come out black and white!" She got a puzzled serious look on her face and said "Is that true of other animals too?"

Both of "the girls" as we call them, jumped right into ministry. The spent the first week at camp working with the kids. While here they taught English, worked with the women and children, organized our craft cupboard and made up new crafts and filed them ready to use. They took women to the beach, visited in homes, mopped floors, chopped vegetables and did laundry. They spent their evening off each week helping at another local ministry serving their Love Meal. In short they allowed God to use them wherever and however He chose. We will miss them.

We have also had a young man as an intern this summer. He will be here until August 6. Charlie also jumped right into ministry with a week at camp and then working with the young men. He teaches an English class and meets with several guys during the week. Because he has taken the time to develop relationships with these guys it has given him opportunities to share the gospel. Always a willing servant, Charlie has also spent a lot of time at manual labors such as cleaning, preparing food and serving.

This summer we have had a lot of people coming and going. In fact we take "the girls" to the airport on Sunday morning and then after church we will go back to the airport to pick up a team that will be here for 10 days. In addition to "official" teams that come through IT we have local volunteers that live here and help out on a regular basis. We are also increasingly having teams who come on their own to Athens and are looking for places to serve. This week we have a wonderful team from Germany who are helping out. The two team leaders have both lived and worked in Afghanistan and speak the language - what a blessing for us. It has been a blessing for them as well because they are amazed at the opportunity and openness we have here to share the gospel - something you certainly don't experience when serving in a Middle Eastern country.

A big part of what I do here is take care of the communications and scheduling of interns, short term teams and volunteers. As you can imagine for each one coming there are quite a few emails back and forth with questions and information. Once they get here I do orientations and debriefs or arrange for that to be handled by someone else. I make sure they are settled in their hotel or house, that they have their money for expenses, that they have a phone, and that they know how to use the metro and find their way around town. We are blessed by these people as they bring a fresh look and enthusiasm to our team. They have different talents, extra time and willing hands to help out. Sometimes they bring extra finances for a grocery give away or a retreat and they almost always transport needed ministry items from the states - as well as treats for the team like peanut butter and chocolate chips! Not only are we (and the refugees) blessed, but those who come to serve are blessed as well. Their eyes are opened to the difficulties that people all over the world are facing. Sometimes they realize for the first time how fortunate they are just to have been born in a country where there is freedom and opportunity. Their hearts are broken as they hear people's stories or when have to say to someone once again, "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do to help you but may I pray for you?" Although this is a ministry that can bring you to tears there are also times it can make you smile. Our short term workers, experience the joy of seeing a child happily at play while their mother relaxes with a cup of tea and chance to connect with friends. They watch as men who come in discouraged and beaten down, begin to hold their heads up as they sit around a table with their family or play a game of backgammon or chess. Often they experience the privilege of sharing the gospel and answering the eager questions of people who have never had a chance to hear the truth about Jesus. They see how Love transcends Language, how Caring quiets Controversy, and how a cup of tea and a kind word can open a heart. We are blessed to have these people serve along side us just as we are blessed to have YOU, our faithful supporters, also serving with us. I wish you could all have the experience of coming but I am so thankful that even without that you uphold us in prayer, encouragement and financial support. We love you all.

Just a reminder that we will be at Fern Ridge Christian Church (formerly Elmira Church of Christ) on August 12th. We will be speaking both at Sunday school at 9:30 and church at 10:45 - there will be a potluck afterwards. If you are in the area we would love to see 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
To join our Support Team:
Online go to: https://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 :)

Morley Update 2012 #26

Have I mentioned lately that it is HOT here? This last week the temperature has been around 105 every day and it is supposed to continue. This morning at 9:30am it is 92 degrees. The heat is hard on us as we trudge around with sweat dripping down our faces. It is even harder on our refugee friends who live in crowded one room apartments with little ventilation in the heart of city. When it gets hot like this the cement of the buildings and the asphalt of the street radiate the heat back making it seem even hotter than it is. When we welcome refugees in to the ARC most of them head directly for the water cooler we have by the front door, quenching their thirst and splashing a little cold water on their faces and hands. Despite the heat the women remain well covered. They come in wearing long sleeved jackets or shirts over long pants and of course their heads are wrapped in the mandatory scarf. These coverings are symbols of the bondage they are under in Islam. There is no freedom from guilt, no lifting of the veil of blind obedience, no respite from the oppressive heat of striving to please God. They struggle along stifling under the weight of never knowing if they've done enough. How we long to have them experience the joy of knowing that they don't have to strive any longer. To realize that Jesus did it all for them on the cross and they can know forgiveness and peace and freedom.

We are beginning to see a movement among the women. More and more are wanting to study the bible and several have accepted the Lord. Three months ago a dear friend made a commitment to the Lord. (I have removed the details about her story from this post to protect her identity) Pray for her to be bold about openly sharing her faith and pray for peace and comfort as persecution will surely follow. I believe that as women begin to open up about their faith more women will have the courage to step forward.

We had an answer to prayer last week. Our cupboard of dry foods was empty and we had run out of summer clothes for children and had very few clothes for women and men. We prayed that God would provide and within a few days a British school in the area contacted us to say they had two car loads of clothes ready to be picked up. A local church also contacted us with another load of clothes and food supplies. We also received a donation of baby supplies including diapers and strollers. Where God leads He provides!

Please join with us in praying for Heather and Chris Shepherd. This is a couple who have been working toward joining our team. They have finally raised all their support and planned to be here and at work at the beginning of the summer. However they have been turned down twice by the Greek Embassy in Chicago for two different types of Visas. They will try a third and final time within this next few weeks. If they are turned down again they will join a team elsewhere. Please pray that if God wants them here He will override the will of the woman at the embassy who seems unwilling to bend.

Kent and I will be making a quick trip home to the USA in the month of August. This is our official furlough year but we didn't feel we could take three months right now with the change over in leadership and other considerations. The ARC will be closed one week in August and it is usually a slower time. Kent was also invited to attend a leadership conference in Chicago during this time so it seemed a good time for us to go. Since our trip is short we will mainly be using it to visit family dividing our time between MA, CA and OR with Kent making a stop in Chicago. We will only be doing one speaking engagement. We will speak at Fern Ridge Christian Church (formerly Elmira Church of Christ) on August 12 for both Sunday School at 9:30 and Church at 11:45. If you are in the area and would like to come out for this we'd love to see you.

Well I need to close and walk up to the Laiki and get my fruits and vegetables before it gets any hotter. We love you all and look forward to seeing some of you next month.

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: https://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 :)

Morley Update 2012 #25

Everyone,

Our weather has cooled down some which is a big plus. It's still hot but not sweltering. I took it slower this week and have had no double vision episodes. We welcomed another intern on Monday, so we made yet another airport run. Her flight was delayed so she got here a day later than planned. She arrived to the place she was staying - with Tasha and Christy (a block from our house) at 7am. She cleaned up, had some coffee was at our house by 8am to take a trip to Corinth with our other interns. Talk about hitting the ground running! The group of interns we have right now are wonderful. They are very engaged and a HUGE help especially with the kids. We are really going to miss them when they leave in another 3 weeks.

I want to tell you the about a young woman and I will start with an excerpt from my team mate Christy's recent update.

Meet “Malahat”, she’s bold, confident, and direct. The first time I met her, almost a year ago, she asked me why I wasn’t a Muslim and why I didn’t cover my head. I immediately liked her spunk.

Several months ago an Afghan friend living in France became a Christian and started talking to Malahat about her new faith. Malahat’s interest in the Bible took on a new level of seriousness. She started coming to a Bible study, talking to her husband about what she was learning, and even took home a Bible to read on her own. (I have removed details to protect her identity)

She has yet to place her trust in Jesus, saying that she’s afraid of being excommunicated from her family by her parents. Yet she desperately wants to teach the things she’s learned about Jesus and the Bible to her family, believing that they just need a chance to hear and see like she has. She talks about wanting to learn enough to teach other Afghans about the Bible. And she wants for her husband to become a Christian at the same time as her. One night at camp before going to bed we read together the passage in which Jesus says that anyone who doesn’t love Him more than their father or mother is not worthy of Him. She understood, possibly more than you or I will ever have to, the implications of those words. Pray she has the courage to surrender her life to Jesus.

Here is "THE REST OF THE STORY". On Tuesday after the sermon was over "Malahat" asked to talk with Christy. They went into the office with Kallie (another team mate) and "G" to translate for them. After talking and reading some scripture together Malahat prayed and asked Jesus into her heart. We will continue to work with her and disciple her as she grows in her faith. There is a real movement among the women as more and more are wanting to study and some have even accepted but are afraid to make their decision public because of the fear of being ostracized by the other women. Community is very important in their culture and because they have already lost so much it is very hard for them to take this kind of risk. Pray that the women who have made commitments will be bold in proclaiming their faith and that this will cause others to step out as well. Pray that "Malahat's" husband who has also been reading the Bible will accept the Lord too. Also please pray that we can help them find a different place to stay where they will be safe from their abusive landlord and can be free to study the Bible openly.

I will close with this. KNOW that God is at work in Athens. KNOW that your prayers for the work here are not in vain. KNOW that through your support lives are being changed.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

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: https://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 :)

Morley Update 2012 #24

Everyone,

One word to describe the last week - HOT! We have entered the season of sweaty kisses and trudging around in the heat. A team mate posted a thread on face book of "how you know it is summer in Greece". Here are a few: 1. You start sweating at 7am 2. You want ice cream at every meal including breakfast 3. You get in the car and burn yourself on the seat belt buckle (or even the black seat) 4. You need to water your plants twice a day 5. Your clothes dry on the line before the next load is finished washing and my personal favorite 6. You get to snorkel in the beautiful Aegean Sea! (There's nothing like it after a hot day at work!)

Last week was a busy week and I am still finding my way as to what I can handle. We had meal day on Tuesday. Team Meeting was on Wednesday morning and then I came home and cooked for team fellowship that night. Thursday is my Laiki and shopping day and I walk to do this - right now the laiki is quite a few blocks away - it moves throughout the year. I am dripping sweat by the time I get there, buy my stuff and haul it home. I also had reports to do this week and of course my update to write. Friday I cleaned house, did laundry and prepared food for our community group of refugee guys. After they arrived we shared for a while and then I got up to grill the hamburgers. All at once everything went double and I had to lay down for 1/2 an hour until it passed. I have been having short bouts of seeing double again but this was the worst one I have had since I got home from the hospital. Since then I have felt "off" much of the time. My "good" ear is still giving me trouble and the doctor here has sort of given up on it. He says there is still fluid in it but he doesn't know what to do about it so I should just hope it goes away. I think I will try to see someone when we are in the states. We are planning a very quick trip home in August just to see family. We have been here for 4 years now and this would normally be the year we took a furlough but with all the changes on the team and other considerations we just don't feel we can be gone that long right now.

Things are going well at work - right now we have three interns here for several weeks. Lindsey and Chrissa are staying with us. They have jumped right into ministry, connecting well with the kids and the women. They are also working to prepare some crafts ahead for the kids room. Charlie has also adapted well. He is developing relationships with the men and helping out wherever needed. We have a lot of teams coming and going this summer - we only take one "official" team a month but more and more we are getting teams who will be in the area for another reason and want to serve with us for a day or two. This is a big help but it means a lot of juggling of the calendar, doing orientations and training of new people. Since I am the person who schedules all this pray that I will be wise in using volunteers but not overbooking so that it puts a strain on the team.

I asked you to pray for "G" a few weeks ago, he's the young refugee believer who helps out in our kids program and with other things - like cleaning the bathrooms each day! He has been trying for over a year to get his "red card" which makes him legal for the time being and means he doesn't have to be afraid of the police. Thank you for praying. When he walked in to the house for community group last Friday the first thing he did was to pull out his card and show it to me with a huge grin on his face! We still have many refugee friends who are facing issues with papers as well as some team mates. Carolyn has not been able to extend her visa and is heading home to Canada again in hopes that she will be able to come back and get a new stamp with no problems. Susie has not been able to get a resident permit and so has overstayed her visa which may become an issue when she wants to return home. Heather and Chris Shepherd, who are trying to join our team, have raised all their support and are ready to come. They have been turned down for two different types of visa and now have a Greek lawyer looking into it. This may mean they will have to join a different ministry if they aren't successful which would be a big loss for us. We have heard of several people trying to come to help at other ministries who are being turned down for visas as well. I think with all the confusion in government as well as the increasing antagonism towards foreigners it may get harder and harder to get papers approved. Please pray with us for these things.

Thank you for all you do to support us and the ministry here - God is at work.

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: https://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 :)

Morley Update 2012 #23

Everyone -
Many of our team just finished another week at camp - this time it was a family camp. We kept the ARC going with a small crew and everything went fine. Last night we had a Team Fellowship - we decided to go with a "Camp" theme and have people share their highlights from camp. What an encouraging evening! Here are some of the things that were shared.

Christy shared that the last night one of the men in a family we have been working with stood up and was very bold about saying "These people are speaking the truth and you need to listen". She also told about a day that the women went kayaking. Afterward she said one of the women said "I did it. I was scared but I did it! I was the captain of my own boat!" Many of these women have lived their whole lives under oppression so it is encouraging to see them step out and feel empowered on their own. This gives them courage in their everyday lives and also courage to learn more about Jesus.

Tasha shared that they talked a lot about love during the discussion time. They shared about God's love and about love and kindness to others. She said that during the week almost every woman came up to her at some time and said "we see this love in you (the staff as a whole) - you are different than we are. we see that you do things because you love us and not because it is a duty." At the end of camp 6 women expressed a desire to join an ongoing Bible Study. Tasha also shared that one of the women who is very close to making a commitment to Christ but hasn't done so yet was riding on a big banana being towed behind the boat. The banana tipped over and the woman told Tasha that she thought "Oh no, I am going to die and I haven't accepted Jesus yet." she said "I'm glad I didn't die and I am still thinking about Jesus".

Lisa shared that the women at this camp seemed particularly attentive during the Bible discussion times. Aziz (our Afghan team mate) was translating for the women and they were bold in asking questions that they would not usually ask in front of a man.

Aziz shared that he liked translating for the women but that one night a women became angry and was speaking rudely and they had a hard time calming her down. He said he was surprised when a day later she came to him and apologized for her behavior because that is not something that comes easily in their culture.

Susie shared that little "S" the 11 year old girl in a wheelchair who accepted Christ recently asked her one night if anyone had accepted Jesus the night before - Susie told her that "yes one teen age girl did". She said "S" just lit up and was SO excited to hear this. On the last night "S" wanted to share with the group. On her own initiative she had made a craft of the tomb of Jesus. She held it up and said "I made this because I love Jesus". This little girl does not let her disability keep her from letting the Lord use her!

Kenn shared that at the men's camp (where they baptized 5 men) one of the men who is in a wheelchair and comes in to men's meal days on Fridays was very bold in his testimony. He was baptized with some difficulty but said "No one can stop me from making this decision, you can harm me but I will still follow Jesus." This may seem like a small thing but we know many people who have suffered physical abuse and have been ostracized for their faith.

Our interns shared how wonderful it was to see the kids happy and smiling as they played, did crafts and learned about Jesus. So much in their lives are hard and they grow up too fast. It is good to see them enjoy being a child.

God is moving among the Afghan people here in Athens. Many people have made decisions for Jesus or are very close. We truly believe the these next weeks and months will be very exciting as we see whole families come to Christ. Thank you again for choosing to be involved in what God is doing - thank you for praying, thank you for giving and thank you for encouraging. We love you all.

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: https://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 :)