I already miss Greece, and it has only been one week.

Time flies.

The way I can adjust and find a routine so quickly amazes me. It's a blessing and curse.

My trip felt long and permanent. And now I am back in the states and moving on with life. I have been telling family and friends all about what I learned and what I saw, but talking about it isn't enough. I wish people could see for themselves and truly understand everything that I try to express through words.


At least I have hundreds and hundreds of photos!

The view from the top of The Temple of Athena.








We spent some of our free time visiting the Acropolis. We were right next to the Parthenon and the Theater of Dionysus. I never imagined it being so huge!

It really was magnificent.






The bond between our team was strong and powerful. We spent two weeks seeing each others personalities in a whole new setting. I realize now that a team like ours is one of a kind. Living together and going through the emotional roller coasters of a mission trip brought us on a whole new level or friendship. These are the people who were with me during one of the most influential and important experiences of my life.

One person who I would have been lost without is Haley Pearson. She was my other half during those two weeks. It was such a blessing to have her with me the whole way through.









And finally,

This is one of my favorite streets in Greece....




And this is the cute little Greek coffee shop we visited

My time in Greece has ended. The trip was the best experience of my life, and I already miss everything about it.

After serving the refugees and meeting some amazing people, I realized how big God was and how powerful His love is. All of us talked about how much God changed our hearts and made us realize that our plans for the trip were shut down because God had something else in mind. I learned to trust Him and to see beauty where I never thought it could be.

We were learning everything about the culture of people from Afghanistan and Iran. We got to see who these people were through this ministry. Putting faces to our information made it completely eye opening. I can say that I have such a new respect and appreciation for Afghan women after working at the ARC.

I made a strong bond with an Afghan girl named Tahereh. Her story of how she came from Afghanistan to Iran and then to Greece taught me so much about the life of a refugee, and how much they go through just to have freedom. They fight everyday for their life. They aren't treated like humans by the world, and they can feel like they don't have an identity. I was able to give Tahereh love and show her that she was a beautiful person who deserved so much more than she had been given.



I also spent a lot of time with a little girl named Nikita. She is adorable, and I loved being able to see her interact with everyone. Her Mother is a perfect example of how much God can transform a life. She was an Afghan woman who was fully covered all the time. She was shy and quiet. She never smiled, and she lived in fear. Then she met Jesus, and she turned into a new woman. Now she is lively, happy, and glowing. I never have seen her without a smile. Her hair is cut, and she never wears a head scarf. She lives a life for Christ and she is not afraid of who she is. She is finally free.

I MADE IT TO GREECE!
After many long hours in the Boston and Paris airport, we have finally arrived to our final destination. We have been here two full days and it has been amazing all the way. The full time team here has been helping us and showing us what we will be doing for the next few weeks. Their ministry is called Helping Hands, and it is all about working with refugees who are in transition in Greece. Helping Hands is located in downtown Athens in a building called the ARC. They use one floor of the building for the ministry, which has a large open room, a kitchen, baby room, children room, clothes room, showers, and eating area. The refugees are mainly Arabic and Farsi speaking people who have been rejected by society. They are searching for acceptance and a place where they can live and be free. They come to Helping Hands for the fellowship, community, and love. They are offered food, clothes, showers, tea, English classes, children's ministry, and programs and services about Christ.

We have been working with the full time team here in Athens, and we are so thankful to be here and be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves. So far we have met some wonderful people. We can see how God is using this ministry to bring these refugees to Him. We have even learned some Farsi already!



Our beautiful team



Some of the ladies



A street in Athens



A few youngsters we met while doing the kids carnival at the ARC.