Over the past two years, Lifespring has been on a journey of learning about refugee ministry. Through a trip to Türkiye, Family Weekend last summer, refugee dinners, and work in sponsorship, God has been leading us in ministry among and with refugees. Over the past couple of Sundays we’ve introduced our mission team that will be traveling to Greece in October (watch the full description here, or at the “watch message” link below). In the devotion this week I provide more information about the where and why of this trip.
Our team is a combination of five individuals from Lifespring’s leadership and refugee sponsorship teams. We will be traveling to Lesbos island in Greece from October 18-26. When looking at Greece on a map, one of the things you may notice is that it sits on the north side of the Mediterranean Sea, right at the meeting point between Europe and the Middle East/Central Asia. Greece is an EU country (part of the European Union), and because of its location it serves as one of the most significant gateways into the EU.
The place in Greece where our ministry will be based is in Mytilene, on the island of Lesbos. You may be familiar with Lesbos for the headlines it made in 2020. At the time, Lesbos hosted one of the largest refugee camps in Europe. The camp was far too populated and overcrowded, and in September 2020 it suffered a terrible fire (read about it here). The refugee camp has since been rebuilt, and it is near this camp that our ministry will be based. Article link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54082201
When looking at Lesbos on a map, one of its noticeable characteristics is that it sits just off the coast of Türkiye. As a result, refugees from different parts of the Middle East will travel to the coast of Türkiye in hopes of making their way across the water to Lesbos. From here, the hope is that they will be able to find asylum in an EU country.
Tragically, there are news reports almost every week of vessels being stranded or even failing in the waters of the Mediterranean. Traveling through the Mediterranean as a refugee is extremely risky, with many people having lost loved ones on the journey. The water passage from Türkiye to Lesbos is one such route – although the distance is short, it is dangerous.
When refugees land on the island of Lesbos, you can imagine the strain they are under. They have left their homes and sometimes loved ones in search of safety. They have made a very dangerous journey across the water that can add to the trauma they are already facing.
Working alongside our partners on Lesbos, we will be ministering out of a centre that is a short walk from the refugee camp on Lesbos. This centre is well-known among the refugee community as a place that cares. Our team will be facilitating 3-4 days of trauma care workshops among a group of refugees who have recently arrived at the camp. In the most simple terms, our team’s objective will be to simply show the love and care of Christ to refugees who have often faced much trauma on their way to Lesbos.
During our mission trip to Türkiye two years ago, one thing stood out to me as we visited the refugee church there. One person told us, “people here often feel like they’ve been forgotten by others. The fact that you would travel across the world to visit us means so much. God has not forgotten us.” In 2022, our church theme was “For His Name’s Sake.” As we embark on this mission trip to Greece in October, we are not simply going to do a good deed, or for praise, but for His Name’s sake.