The speed has picked up for us here in Greece and summer and a very busy workload is here.
Mike has been spending most of the weeks at the property trying to get it ready for the summer. He has been building screens, cutting bunk beds to fit the cabins, installing shelves, boat repairs etc. The list is endless and he is busily working away there. It is good to have real work to do after so much time in language school but challenging as there is not a FE Wheaton or Home Depot nearby (in all of Greece!)
Next week he begins the process of rebuilding the 21 ’ x 24’ barge that we use to transport all big items across the bay to the camp. It will require new stainless steel corners (delayed already at the shop), foam blocks and treated 2” x 14” wood planks across the top. This will be especially challenging because we will need the barge to bring all the cooking pots and pans, dishes etc from the downtown hall to use at camp this summer. There is never a dull moment around here!
This weekend is full, heading up to help another Christian organization open their camp Saturday morning, going to a wedding in Athens at 5:30 and then to a HM all night prayer vigil Saturday night. Sunday evening we have our last worship event of the year down at the hall.
Peggy is working on summer finances as well as organizing a first ever camp for refugee families out at the property. We were hoping for about 40 people and 120 signed up!! They are all fairly new to Greece, Farsi speaking Muslims from Afghanistan. We are dealing with everything new with this camp and the challenges are countless, from being able to leave their government sponsored hotel, to Muslim women who don’t swim or wear bathing suits, to having 50 refugee children at a sea-side camp with parents who are not diligent in watching them!! Although there are many unanswered questions, we see God at work in big ways such as providing 6 former Muslim Christians who speak Farsi and will help us at the camp. One of these men, who doesn’t live in a house because he can’t afford the rent, is taking three days off work just to be there to love these people with the love of Christ.
Please keep us all in your prayers, big plans ahead, lots to do, but mostly we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!
