November GWOM: ΟΡΑΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ - VISION

Without vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

This has been a rough month for the people of Greece. International pressures have increased, the old government has been replaced, more people are unemployed, the suicide rate is up, and crimes are becoming more common place. Greeks, all of Europe, and the rest of the world are waiting to see what will happen next.

Please pray with us as we try to share with all we see, the good news...that there is hope, there is freedom in Christ. There is One who knows the beginning from the end and He never slumbers or sleeps and He loves the people of Greece. He is their only hope.

During this month of Thanksgiving, we are so thankful for you all and your love and support that allow us to be here. The pictures show some of the highlights of this month including a vision tour of pastors from Canada, refugee clothes drives, hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner and Thanksgiving with the refugees.

As we look towards Christmas and the birth of Hope, we are planning again to feed and give gifts to many refugees and homeless. If you would like to donate towards the cost of the meals or the purchase of sleeping bags that we will hand out, you can give online at www.hellenicministries.com by clicking the donate tab or you can send a check directly to Hellenic Ministies, PO Box 726, Wheaton, IL 60187.

October GWOM: ΖΩH - LIFE

This month we had the past week the privilege of hosting Fran & Anne from Life International, an organization that mentors and equips ministries worldwide to uphold the sanctity of human life.

These two women are a wealth of knowledge and resources, and we spent the week gleaning from all their expertise about the opening and running of a maternity home. They also helped us develop our vision plan for other areas of needs under the Hope Center Ministries.

The building itself is nearly completed, however we realize that there is still much groundwork to be done to prepare ourselves fully for all aspects of housing pregnant women.

Please join us in prayer:
• As we seek God’s wisdom and timing for the opening of the home.
• That God will be preparing the hearts of the house parents and house assistant that He wants to live at the home with the girls.
• Regarding finances, we still need funds to complete the building, and then we will need to furnish it as well as providing for monthly operating costs.

God is so good! Looking back we can see God’s hand at work in each step of the process, and we are looking forward with much anticipation to see how God is going to use this ministry to touch and change many lives!

Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

September GWOM: ΣΧΕΔΙΑ - PLANS

How time flies. We can't believe it's the end of September already. We have spent a lot of time planning this month. Planning for future ministry, home assignment dates, work schedules, etc.

All this planning reminds us of God's sovereignty above all. He is the ultimate Planner! Listen to some of His words about His plans:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jer 29:11 (NIV)

He (God) controls the course of world events, He (God) removes kings and sets up other kings...Dan 2:21 (NLT)

Especially in this time of CRISIS here in Greece, we are reminded that GOD is in charge; He is the one who is directing the events of each day. In the midst of the strikes and rioting, austerity measures and potential bankruptcy, we acknowledge that God is in control!

So we press on, trusting Him to direct our path and our ministry. We are praying fervently that God will use this period of desperation for the Greek people to draw many to Himself and that He will use us however He sees fit in this plan.

Other neat September happenings for us:

PARE: God has brought Melissa to intern with the Hope Center Team for three months and she has been leading two groups of Post Abortion Recovery Education with us. We are excited to learn how to use this tool to offer hope to many hurting post abortive women.

DISCIPLING: Mike has begun to meet weekly with his refugee friend, who became a believer this summer at camp, to study the WORD OF GOD together. Mike is so enjoying this time of discovery together.

We appreciate your prayers for...
-God to use this crisis to lead many Greeks to salvation in Jesus
-Upcoming visit from the Life International Director and Loving and Caring Founder October 10-15
-Continued construction progress on The Hope Center maternity home

July/August GWOM: Ελευθερία - Freedom

The freedom in Christ that all believers have and can share with others, so that they too can enjoy the same freedom.

In a world that’s falling apart, isn’t it nice to know that we have so much to look forward to in life with Christ, once this life on earth is over?

What freedom comes from understanding that all this (on earth) is just temporary. One day, everything will be gone, burned up, not anything that we’ll need in heaven!

We’ve had a busy couple of months. Thanks for praying.

Our sex talk with the kids at Teen Camp went very well. This is a topic most people don’t like to talk about but one we know needs addressing, especially here in Greece where the abortion rate is very high and multiple abortions are common. We look forward to sharing God’s plan for sex as an integral part of the Hope Center ministry.

We also participated in Operation Joshua (www.operationjoshua.net); packing up and handing out 103,000 New Testaments with 270 other people from all over the world. Our nephew Ian and his kids Maddie (10) and Parker (5) were visiting us and were able to join us. This was a great time, just sharing in the joy of serving together.

Additionally at the Men’s Refugee Camp, Mike was able to pray with his friend from Syria for salvation!!!

All in all, it has been a very hectic summer and now we are on vacation. Just enjoying time around the house and at local beaches with no schedule!!! We are trying to rest and gear up for the fall, which is right around the corner.

We appreciate your prayers for...
- God to open the hearts of the Greeks who received the NTs this summer and to draw many to Himself
- wisdom in planning strategies for the new ministry year
- healing for Mike's back

June GWOM: Ευλογίες - Blessings

It seems too often our minds tend to automatically focus on the "have nots" in our lives instead of the "haves."

So with that in mind, we wanted to take this month to share with you some of the many blessings that are part of our everyday lives here.

Of course, KNOWING WHO WE BELONG TO. That we are children of the King and that one day we will live with Him eternally! Is there anything better?

EACH OTHER. After 32 yrs. of marriage, we are still best friends and so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord together.

YOU ALL. We probably don't tell you often enough, how important you are to us. Without your prayer and financial support, we couldn't be here. We so appreciate your willingness to sacrifice so that we can be part of the Kingdom work in Greece.

OUR FAMILIES: 3 kids and their spouses, 7 grandkids, our parents, siblings and many more. Our greatest gifts. We love them and miss them all.

ADDITIONALLY, the chance to be Jesus to many, many refugees each week, talking to youths about God's plan for sex, breathtaking glimpses of God's glory in the beautiful flowers growing out of the dry and cracked earth, gorgeous blue skies and sea, sunsets that light up the sky, and stars that glow brightly at night.

And finally, PEACE in our hearts knowing we are right where God wants us to be!

Thank you for continuing to stand beside us in this ministry.

We appreciate your prayers for...
- boldness for Sarah, Mike and I as we speak to the Greek youth at Teen Camp (4-14 July) about sex, STDs, abortion etc.
- Operation Joshua 4 (21-28 July) handing out 90,000 New Testaments in Greece (www.operationjoshua.net)
- God to open the hearts of all the Greeks who will receive the NTs and that He will draw many to Himself
- healing for Mike's back

May GWOM: Ερωτήσεις - Questions

Is Christianity for real?
How do you know you have the Holy Spirit within you?
What's so different about you?

Do have any friends in relationships who are not having sex?
If your friend was facing an unplanned pregnancy,
what advice would you give her?
If there was a maternity home where young girls could go and live throughout their pregnancy, do you know anyone who would go there? Would you recommend it to a friend?

The above listed questions are ones we have been dealing with this month. The first set are the questions that Mike has been asked at different times this month by refugees that he sees each week.

One really interesting book that Mike is using in trying to reach his Muslim friends is The Camel, by Kevin Greeson. It presents a great tool for helping Muslims come to faith in Christ.

The second set of questions are some of the ones that we will use as we head to the local universities in early June with a group of 40 American students with the Agape Team (Campus Crusade for Christ). We will be polling students in order to spread awareness about the Hope Center ministries that we are developing.

Thank you for continuing to stand beside us in this ministry.
We appreciate your prayers for...
-the upcoming refugee camps the first two weeks of June:
single men the first week and Afghan families the second
-for God to open hearts of the Muslim peoples attending
and that He will draw many to Himself during this time
-for health and safety at the camps
-for boldness for Sarah and me as we speak to university students
about sex, STDs, abortion etc.

April GWOM: Πανεπιστήμιο - University

April has been an exciting month as we have continued to make progress on so many levels in the Hope Center Ministry. We have been encouraged as we watch God shaping the ministry in His perfect timing and according to His plan.

Peggy and Sarah have been especially encouraged by weekly visits they have been making to the local university, with the Agape Team, to talk to students there.

We have experienced such openness in speaking to students about "taboo" subjects such as sex, STD's, abortion, adoption, their thoughts about the need for a maternity home, the Bible and Jesus.

We strongly feel that a huge part of our Hope Center ministry will be raising awareness and education about sex and the consequences of it, especially as it relates to pregnancy, abortion and God's plan for sex and we are really enjoying the opportunity to speak to students face to face about all these things.

Additionally, the construction work continues on the building, slowly but steadily and we are almost ready for the final exterior coat of paint which will surely give the place a whole new look.

We appreciate your prayers for...
finances to complete the building
help in developing a website and promotional materials
boldness as we speak to university students
the two interns that are praying about joining us this Fall

March GWOM: Eπισκέπτες - Visitors

March began with a flurry, both literally and figuratively as we welcomed snow and an eight man team from Wheaton Bible Church. The team from our home church joined us for a week to work at doing some much needed repairs and construction at the hall where we work with the refugees and the homeless.

The team was a huge encouragement to us both personally and to the mission. They framed bathrooms and closets, and did many painting jobs which left the hall looking very refreshed. They also were able to spend a day playing games, talking with and serving the refugees who are at the hall on Mondays.

The 24th of March brought another group of special visitors to us as our son and his family arrived for a nine day holiday with us. This is their first visit to Greece and we are LOVING having this special time to spend with them and our three grandchildren, Jackson 6, Griffin 2, and Ruby who will have her first birthday here on Thursday, March 31st!

The stucco work has begun at The Hope Center Maternity House and it has really transformed the look of the place. Meanwhile at the office, Sarah and I continue to work developing the ministry. We are excited to begin visiting the local universities to make contacts with girls and to speak to them about this new ministry.

Please keep praying with us about this; for finances for the building, for wisdom for us in planning, and for the girls God wants to reach through it.

February GWOM: Πρόοδος - Progress

Brick walls have been built and the electric and plumbing rough ins are taking place at the Hope Center! Mike is intrigued as he watches how the workmen here chisel the structure apart in order to run their wires and pipes and then patch it all back together again to prepare for the stucco that will cover it all.

Meanwhile, Peggy and Sarah spend time searching Athens for color schemes and exterior housing details that we like for the building. We also prepared promotional materials for Sarah to use as she visited the US and Canada in February promoting the Hope Center Maternity Home.

Progress on other levels:

Mike has had great opportunities to speak truth to the guys as he works side by side with them and they ask, "Why would you ever leave America to come here?"

Our Greek neighbors invited us to their son's first birthday party last night. We found that birthdays are the same all around the world, cake, candles, singing and families celebrating life. We felt privileged to attend.

January GWOM: Προσφορές - Bids/Offers

January has been a busy month for Mike collecting bids, in Greek, for construction work that needs to be done at the Hope Center. He is in the process of trying to discern what the bids entail and how to decide which contractor and product is the best for our new maternity house.

In between, he loves the time he spends with his refugee friends, a couple of which are helping him cut out concrete where needed at The Hope Center.

Peggy is working hard trying to get promotional materials ready for the ministry.

Additionally this month, we had an awesome New Year's with an extended visit from one of Peggy's classmates from Moody, Emily.

Read more about the A21 Campaign, an anti human trafficking movement here in Greece, at www.thea21campaign.org.