Hello Everyone!
If you are interested, I did an interview on a local cable station yesterday. It is posted online if you want to watch it. Sarah Tellis will be doing one in a few weeks so I will be posting hers as well. If you go to the website, click on show archives at the bottom of the screen. You will see my name. The website is: www.calledtoservenc.com
Have a great day!
Love, Jen
Well we are home! I can not tell you how happy I am to be home with my husband and children. And – I must give a shout out to Chad – he did an awesome job! The kids had so much fun with daddy. I was greeted at the airport with kids in jammies, a big sign, roses, hugs and kisses. I came home to a clean house, a full refrigerator and hardly any laundry! As I walked through the door of our home with my family – I was overwhelmed by just how blessed I am. There were just so many emotions wrapped up in that single moment – gratitude, humility, relief, sorrow, joy, guilt. Thankfully God gave me the strength to pull it together to pass out treats and put the kids to bed. But then… I just lost it. I broke down and wept. All of the stories, faces, experiences – rushed into my brain at once (I am actually crying now just thinking about it.)
While we were there, we debriefed each evening together as a group. I processed the day each night as I wrote the blog. I wasn’t expecting this flood of emotion, I thought that I had processed all that had happened. There was something about being in the safety and comfort of my own home, that made me process in such a different way. I realized just how very blessed I am. Blessed with an incredible family (husband, children, parents, brother, in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles…) blessed with the safety and security of a home, blessed with an abundance of loving true friendships, blessed with a bed to sleep in and running water, blessed to have the freedom to worship and praise the one true God, blessed to have been chosen by God to have this experience. But out of all of those blessings does come an element of guilt. “Why me?” is the question that keeps running through my head. It is not that I don’t feel worthy of the blessings – I know as a child of God, He wants to shower me with an abundance of blessings and words can not express the gratitude and humility that I feel. It is just the realization that the women and children whom I met, are just as worthy (if not more worthy). I haven’t been able to get the thought out of my brain. Then, as I am writing this and praying to God for understanding, I felt the need to look for answers. I turned to James (don’t know why – just seemed like the place to go). My eyes were drawn to the bottom of the page to James 2:5 and there God answered my question. “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! God chose the poor in the world to be rich with faith and to receive the kingdom God promised to those who love him.” By no means do I think this means that only poor people go to heaven. It does make me wonder though if our own “wealth” decreases our need for faith. If you are poor – how much more likely you are to depend upon God to provide. And as He provides, your faith increases. We witnessed that as we went through Chad’s job loss. The lack of earthly provision increased our need for God’s provision. And as He provided, our faith began to grow like a mustard seed – and it continues to grow.
The other thought that I continue to have is…”Now what?” I know that God did not chose me to have this experience, meet these people, feel these feelings for me to just ponder and forget all that I have seen, heard, felt and learned. So for now I am processing and praying. I am waiting to hear of the plans I know that He has for me(Jerimiah 29:11). Before I left for Greece, I wouldn’t even let myself daydream about what would happen there, because I knew that my earthly mind wouldn’t even come close to the plans that God had for us. And I was right – nothing that I could have imagined would have even come close to what we experienced. As a team we were Holy Spirit led, and that is what I hope I can continue to be. So, I will be praying, I will be reading, I will be listening, and when God asks me to do something…I will be obeying – For I know the Plans He has for me. And guess what…He has plans for you too! Praying for you to be rich in faith and love, Jen
Hello Everyone! We had a fabulous day today – we were very blessed with an impromptu tour of three of the Greek Islands! It was a wonderful day and we met some great people aboard the boat as well.
Now I fully understand why God was making sure that I went on this mission trip. It has been life changing. I am humbled that He chose me for such a time as this. Thank you for coming along on our journey with us! Love, Jen
Blessing poured out on us today! We spent most of our day in Corinth following the footsteps of Paul. It was amazing to learn and see so much history. I can’t wait to read Corinthians, Acts and Romans again – I will read it with new eyes after being here. We then went to the highest point in Greece – Lycabettus. What an amazing view! After that God pretty much hand delivered us to the Persian fellowship again. Not in our original game plan but …WOW! We met people there that are making HUGE differences all over the world. I was in awe just being in the same home with them, sharing a meal with them, and praying with them. You could feel the Holy Spirit in the room so strongly! So far, we have spent time and worshiped with Christians from the United States, Canada, England, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Australia, and the Philippines. When I felt like God was telling me that I needed to get more in touch with what is going on in the world…little did I know how in touch I was going to get! So many times on this trip we have quoted “Every knee shall bow; every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’” The nations are coming together and worshiping as one is powerful! More details to come in person!
Well today was our last day at the refugee center. I can hardly believe that after months of preparation our time here is at a close. My prayer is that the relationships that have been formed and the seeds that have been planted will continue on. The blog may continue too. The time to reflect has been such a gift to me and I am so thankful for each of you who has followed along. Knowing that we have had well over a hundred people each day praying for us and thinking about us has been an overwhelming blessing. Thank you!
Today was a shower day once again (I loved that we were able to begin and end our mission this way.) We really wanted to bless the women so Suzy planned a Persian meal for them. We began the preparations the day before and today while Suzy was in the medical clinic, she asked some of the other women to help out in the kitchen. They were thrilled. One of the ladies just stayed in the kitchen all day long. She had not had the opportunity to cook for 2 years. She actually cried because she was so happy, and it meant a lot to her that she could do something to give back.
We had lots of stations set up in the morning, manicures, massages, a sewing craft (many of the women are excellent at sewing), Bible stories, and the autoharp. I can actually play the autoharp now so one of my favorite moments of the day was sitting down with a 9 year old sister and an 11 year old brother and teaching them how to play. I was amazed by how much they reminded me of my niece and nephew. They are smart, kind hearted, gentle spirits. He was senstive, and she wanted all of the attention (so typical of us little sisters with big brothers.) The two main songs that we taught this week during the children’s ministry were “Jesus Loves Me” and “God is So Good.” “God is so Good” was their song of choice, and as I taught them how to play it on the autoharp, we sang it over and over and over again. It hit me that it probably should be our theme song for the trip, because God has been “so good” to all of us, over and over and over again.
We learned that 2 things that really speak to this culture are dramas and death. Before our delicious meal we were able to share the gospel using both. Sarah, Kathy, Chris and I did a rendition of The Rag Man performance as a dramatic mime. (We hope to perform it again at home and maybe we’ll even be on You Tube. ) It shows how Christ took upon all of our sins and sufferings so that we could be free in Him. We were amazed when we looked out at the women crying. It really touched them. Right after that Bev was able to share that her father had passed away while she was here, but she knows that she will be able to see him in heaven because he had Christ as his Savior. Once again the women were moved to tears.
Two of the women who have been being ministered to for quite some time by one of the missionaries, even asked for the children’s Bibles we brought. When we offered to give each of them one of our own cross necklaces, they were thrilled. One of the women, who is just so close to becoming a Christian, put the necklace on immediately after I gave it to her and wore it for all to see. That is a HUGE step. By doing that she risks persecution from the other women. One of the things I really respect about this ministry, is that the decision to come to Christ is not made to be a rushed decision. They want to make sure that these people truly understand. They want to plant deep seeds in fertile soil. We have just been blessed to see the fruit of seeds that have planted and nurtured for a long time.
I do believe that my very favorite part of the day was at the very end. As we were getting ready to put all of our “stuff” away, the women decided to dance for us as a thank you. It was the best! They put on the Persian music, took off their scarves and danced. Even the young girls danced for us. As I was watching them, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how much I just love all of these women. I could hear God saying to me, “You told me that you wanted to see them through MY eyes.” I thought I was going to lose it right there – tears began filling up my eyes. I had to tell them what I knew was the truth. Through Suzy’s translation, I was able to share that I always prayed for the ability to see them the way Jesus sees them, and when I look at them, all that I see, and all that I feel, is LOVE. Jesus loves these women…and He loves you too! He’s just so GOOD! We are off to tour Corinth tomorrow!
I have so many thoughts to share – another incredible day but…it is time for me to be still! God has given us an abudance of energy in spite of very little sleep – but tonight – it is time to rest!
Today was children’s ministry, medical clinic and the Tea House. Today, they didn’t just provide tea – they provided a meal and a message as well. I was in the children’s room. The kids loved singing “Jesus Loves Me” and “God is so Good” and learning Bible stories under the direction of Bev!
Bev, our children’s ministry expert, is amazing. Christ radiates through her and everyone is just drawn to her beauty and peace. Bev has a passion for sharing the gospel with children. She herself was saved at the age of 7. Please send extra prayers for Bev and her family tonight. Her father, who lived his life sharing the love of Jesus, passed away last night. It was amazing to see Bev’s love for both her earthly and heavenly father flow through her this morning as we gathered together. Despite her joyful sadness, Bev was a living testimony today. She got herself together and did exactly what both of her “fathers” would want her to do – she shared the Good News.
Bev’s Dad’s last words to her were, “Praise God!” Today we are praising God for a life well lived, and a legacy that continues through an incredible woman. Sweet dreams and take some time to “Be Still.”
Hello! We had a day full of joy today! While praying and planning for this trip, we knew that we would be exposed to heartbreaking situations and stories. However, we prayed that we would also have time of great joy and fun. That is what is so great about our God – He rejoices in our joy. That is why he calls us to “rejoice always.”
Carolyn, the head of the children’s ministry, planned an excellent children’s carnival today for us to help with. The idea of the day was for the mothers and children to just have fun together. To laugh, to smile, to feel the JOY of Christ. It was to say the least, a success. The day started off with games, and then a puppet show (I got to be the injured traveler in the story of the good samaritan). The children then sang and danced for us. They loved “freeze dancing” to the praise and worship music. They then played musical chairs. It was great to see the moms playing too. These women LOVE to laugh and have fun at the center. We then served gyros and salad for lunch and ended the carnival with fellowship. Without this center, these people would be spending their days in a cramped dirty room or on the dangerous streets. Instead, they are experiencing the “joy” of the Lord in a safe environment with people who truly love them with the love of Christ.
At the end of the day, we were able to have great girl time with the women missionaries. It was such a blessing to be able to pamper these women who work so hard to daily provide comfort for the afflicted (2 Cor.1:3-5). We gave them pedicures and massages and it was just so much fun to be able to just spend “joyful” time together. The center is usually open for approx. 4-5 hours a day, but the missionaries’ days are much longer and I am not just talking about planning and preparation. These men and women, who have sacrificed their lives to follow Christ, have evening Bible studies, go and visit the refugees in their homes, meet to talk to “seekers” and new believers. One time, two of the missionaries even rushed downtown to deliver a baby at 3am! The founder of the center even spent an entire week on the streets with only 5 euros so he could gain a better understanding of the refugee’s needs. That is actually how the shower ministries began. We are all just so blessed to be able to encourage and get to know each of the missionaries. They are a JOY to be around!
Today has been an amazing day! Rather than going to the center, we went to a Christian church in Greece. The women came for a hygiene seminar with Dr. Suzy and nurse Chris, and the children came to children’s ministry with the rest of us. It has been wonderful to see so many of the same faces each day. We are really getting to know these women and children and you can see the love and trust continually growing between us. If you have not read about our resident Doctor – Suzy is a huge blessing to this ministry. Suzy was born and raised in the middle east, her father traveled through Greece as a refugee. He brought his family to the United States. It was here that Suzy became a doctor, and was saved! She has traveled around the world using her skills as a doctor to minister to others. She has an amazing testimony and she is offering so much love, service, understanding and compassion to these families. This is the first time that a Persian woman has come to Helping Hands as a missionary, to minister to her own people in her native language. Today, Suzy had the honor of leading one of her own into the Kingdom! A gorgeous, brave, vibrant woman accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior with such joy. The tears were flowing, and those of you who know Sarah, know that she was busting out with her Holy Ghost dance! It was amazing!
We also had an amazing day doing children’s ministry. Bev is truly blessed with the ability to share the gospel with children in such a wonderful way even when there is a language barrier. The children loved singing Jesus Loves Me and God is so Good along with the autoharp. We also reinacted the story of the Lost Sheep. I was able to be the Good Shepard and I just loved looking for the children as they pretended to be the lost sheep. The loved jumping in my arms and being carried back to the others. What was just so amazing was that as the children were reinacting the story of the Lost Sheep upstairs…Jesus was downstairs finding one.
Hello! Some of us are back in the apartment from our first Tea Day. The other half of our group is out on the street with Neo Zoi. Please pray for their protection as well as those that they will be encountering.
Today was our first day with the men and women and it was just so interesting to see the dynamics. I was a little nervous about today but actually – it was fun. It was great to be able to see all of the men, women, and children be able to congregate together and drink tea in such a loving environment. Many of the men sat and talked, others watched a Jesus movie or a documentary about Muslims who have come to Christ, a group of men played Chess with the male missionaries, and a group of teenage boys arm wrestled and played cards.
The children had fun in their different rooms doing activities, playing and just being kids. I was afraid that they would be “children in trauma” but it was amazing how resilient they are. They drew pictures of happy houses, trees, flowers, the sunshine…they are happy despite their circumstances outside of the center. I had a great time in the elementary age room and met a wonderful 10 year old boy who spoke 5 different languages! He laughed at me when I told him that I only spoke one. He was obviously well educated in his home country but he had to leave with his aunt and uncle. We believe that more than likely something tragic happened to his parents. He was our translator in the room and all of us who met him, just fell in love with his joyful spirit. He knew about Jesus and we were able to give him a children’s Bible.
The women also loved sitting around talking and laughing with each other. Some of the women who have been coming to the center for a while are full of joy. Others, are scared and withdrawn. I loved every part of my day, but hanging out with the women was my favorite part. Those of you who know me know that I am a girl’s girl – so just hanging out with the women and children feels very natural to me. One of my favorite things about these women and children is all of the love and affection we receive. Most of my friends love to sit next to me because I often unconciously start rubbing the back of the person sitting or standing next to me. The women in this culture do the same thing – I fit right in! We were able to spend time with many of the women and children that we met on Friday. Sarah and I also had an amazing conversation with our friend (or should I say “sister”) from the metro – talk about answered prayers. She has been attending Bible studies and has had dreams and visions of Jesus. Today as Sarah and I talked to her about the divine timing of meeting on the metro she shared with us that she does believe that Jesus is her Lord and Savior. Praise God!
I am assuming that most of you reading this are like me, and have never had the privilege of spending time with women and children from these cultures. I will tell you that I have never met a more loving, affectionate, gracious group of women. Please keep them in your prayers – it is hard to leave them knowing their stories and the conditions in which they live when they are not at the center. The area in which they live is filled with crime, drugs, and prostitution. As you walk to and from the center you have to step over people passed out on the street covered by cardboard boxes. Most of them are heroin addicts and you can see them shooting up as you pass by. Tonight we learned that over 250 tons of heroin pass through that street a year. Pray for the protection of these people whom God is so desperately seeking.
Also please keep Bev’s father and Cathy’s sister in your prayers. Both of them are in the hospital while they are away and they appreciate all of your prayers for healing and peace. Thank you!
Love, Jen
Talk about moving…we have been all over Athens today! From the top of the Acropolis to walking along the Agean Sea, it has been a great day! So as you know from yesterday’s post, the Holy Spirit was on the bus on the way to and from Persian church. Well, let me tell you about this morning. It seemed to begin with chaos and confusion. We were on our way to Mars Hill to have church and communion where Paul addressed the Athenians (Read Acts 17:16-34.) We couldn’t figure out which metro to take – we went from one line to the next, continually asking unsucessfully for directions. Finally we ended up on the correct line. The metro came, the doors opened, and who should be standing directly in front of us – but one of the refugee women on her way to Christian church. She is a dear sweet woman who has had dreams of Jesus and has been considering Christ. We were overwhelmed by God’s divine timing and were able to pray for her salvation as we worshiped upon Maris Hill. You can’t even begin to imagine the number of metros, cars, people. We have been praying for God to lead our steps and I love that He held us back with what seemed like confusion to us – but was divine timing by Him. There is no such thing as a coincidence when the Lord is leading your every step. We look forward to spending more time with her this week.
