Helping Hands • Sofokleous 53D, 1st Floor • 10553 Athens • Tel/Fax: 210-32-24-216
“A full-service station,
demonstrating the care of God
for the Refugees on the Athens
exit ramp of the Refugee Highway
Christmas Programs 2011
Dear partners in God’’s wonderful ministry among the refugees in Athens,
On that night when Jesus was born, a great company of the heavenly host appeared
praising God and saying, ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest.””
“Peace” is what the whole world needs! “Peace” is what the refugees need too! Every
Christmas season, with your prayers and financial support, we reach out to the refugees with special programs talking about the source of real peace which is Jesus Christ our Lord. And we have seen God,again and again saving people and giving the true peace they were after. Like ““G””-an Afghan- who fled his homeland long ago.
It was in India, nearly nine years ago, that ““G”” first heart the gospel.
Now in Athens, ““G”” decided to follow Jesus. This is no small decision. ““G”” is risking his family,his friends, even his own safety to follow Jesus. What can compel such a risk? Love. Through Jesus, ““G”” understood the love of God - a love that is worth everything.
For men and women like “G” who are thirsty for the truth of life, it is worth, the cost and the labor,to carry on organizing the Christmas parties by giving the opportunity to many refugees to hear about Jesus Christ, the source of salvation and of true “peace”.
Although the economic situation is very difficult everywhere including Greece, we are planning, by faith, in partnership with local churches, to organize 5 Christmas dinner parties with 120 guests each night for a total of nearly 600 guests. We believe that God will provide!
Each Christmas Dinner will include:
A specially prepared Christmas meal
A Christmas message
Small and practical presents for adults
And gifts for the children too
The cost of the programs is about €€40 ($60) per person.
In addition to the above, we want to provide refugees with sleeping bags, which they need so much as the winter comes. Your gift will help provide these sleeping bags..
Would you stand with us? We need you, and are asking you to pray that the Lord will provide,protect and save refugees this Christmas season.
We are leaving you to him who is able to keep you from falling and praying that the grace and peace of God our father and of our Lord Jesus Christ fill you daily.
With love and thankfulness to God for each one of you.
Nikos Stefanidis
Director of Helping Hands
Gifts should be designated for
“CHRISTMAS IN ATHENS”
and sent to:
INTERNATIONAL TEAMS
411 West River Road, Elgin, IL 60123
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
"Mh"--Called and Sent out by the Lord of the Harvest
"Mh" is a remarkable young man who until several years ago owned a restaurant and enjoyed a prosperous life in Iran. By 2003 he had become so discouraged by the political and economic situation in his homeland that he and his wife of eleven months set out on the “refugee highway” in search of freedom and a better life.
"Mh" and his bride traveled together to Turkey but were unable to find a smuggler who could take them any further. The young disillusioned Muslim found it necessary to send his wife back to Iran to live with her family until he could find a way to emigrate to Canada. They agreed that as soon as he was settled and able to buy an airplane ticket for his wife, she would join him in the west.
"Mh" eventually crossed the mountainous border between Turkey and Greece on foot during the night. After his arrival in Athens, he intended to hire a smuggler to sneak him into Norway and then on to the “promised land” of Canada. But God had other plans for his life. . . .
After spending three months in a refugee camp, he found his way to the ministry center of Helping Hands where he received a Bible and heard the gospel for the first time in his life. He began coming to the Persian Christian Fellowship where he heard messages about the Son of God who died for his sins and experienced the love of Christ in the lives of believers he met there. After several months of seeking and examining the Good News that he had been taught all his life to reject, "Mh" received Jesus Christ as his Savior.
In the past eighteen months, this young believer has remained amazingly cheerful and solid in his faith in spite of a series of agonizing trials. In the early part of 2004, he underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his tailbone. During the ensuing months, he suffered a number of complications and infections. A year after the surgery, the cyst seems to be growing back, and it is very painful for "Mh" to sit in class or on the bus. Partway through the time-consuming and patience-demanding process of applying for a visa to emigrate to Canada, his wife informed him that she had decided to divorce him and never wanted to see him again because he had become a Christian!
In spite of these and other heartbreaking setbacks, "Mh" completed the six-month Athens Intensive Ministry School and graduated from the Greek Bible Institute in June, 2006. He serves as the founding pastor of the Persian Christian Community, where more than 50 former Muslims have come to faith in Jesus Christ in the past year. This past summer, like the Apostle Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3, "Mh" shared that even after losing everything that he had valued in his life in Iran, he is convinced that when he came to know Jesus Christ he gained something infinitely greater than marriage, home, business and family.
After graduation from AIMS, "Mh" continued his studies at the Greek Bible Institute in addition to classes at the ARC. He has a deep hunger for the word of God a vision to return to Iran in God’s timing to open a Bible school. And the BEE International staff in Greece have the incredible joy of teaching the Scriptures and sharing our lives with a young believer like "Mh", who has truly “counted the cost of discipleship” and whom I believe God is going to continue to use in a mighty way here in Athens and eventually as an ambassador for Christ to his own people back in Iran.
(editor's note: since this story was first recorded some years ago, "Mh" has immigrated to Canada, married a beautiful Canadian "preacher's kid", and returned with his bride to an Islamic country where he is sharing the Good News with others)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Message form the Mission
Friday we baptized a brand new believer, on fire for Jesus. Saturday he returned to his home country of Kurdistan. He has a great passion to share the Gospel with his friends and family, and would greatly appreciate everyone's prayers. He was a guest at our Community Group on Friday night and asked each person present to share what they believed would be the most important things for him to know as a baby Christian going back on his own. It was encouraging to hear all that the others had to tell him. Please pray for "L".
Also, our teammates Kate and Ilir Cami recently sent out his update:
Thank you for your prayers for Ilir and Nader as they continue their monthly trips to (western port city) Patra to join a church there in their outreach to refugees. This month, a local farmer led them to a new place where refugees have camped out close to the sea. There they met a young man with a skin disease. Ilir and one of the church leaders were able to take him to a pharmacy to get some medications. It meant so much to all of the refugees to see that we are concerned about their situation and want to help.
As they were leaving, a young Afghani man approached Nader and shared his story. “A” was working with a women’s rights organization in Kabul for which the Taliban accused him of converting to Christianity and beat him for this crime. “A” sent his wife and five children to live in safety with his father and fled to Iran, then Turkey and finally to Greece. After being persecuted for supposedly being a Christian, he became curious about Christianity and why the Taliban were so violently opposed to it. He searched the Internet for information, then looked for a Bible to read. When he reached Greece, he finally got his hands on a Bible, given to him by a fellow Afghan refugee in Patra. God’s ways are amazing. We gave this Bible to another man months ago and, even though “A” was not yet there to receive it, God heard the desire of his heart and sent His Word to be waiting for “A” when he arrived. Nader, remembering the story of Philip in Acts, asked “A” if he understood what he had read. “A” responded that he didn’t really get the point. So, just like Philip, Nader began to tell “A” the message of the Bible. Afterwards, “A” thanked him and said that he now understood. They prayed together and “A” proclaimed belief in Christ.
Thanks for your prayers and/or financial investments in our life and ministry.
Also, our teammates Kate and Ilir Cami recently sent out his update:
Thank you for your prayers for Ilir and Nader as they continue their monthly trips to (western port city) Patra to join a church there in their outreach to refugees. This month, a local farmer led them to a new place where refugees have camped out close to the sea. There they met a young man with a skin disease. Ilir and one of the church leaders were able to take him to a pharmacy to get some medications. It meant so much to all of the refugees to see that we are concerned about their situation and want to help.
As they were leaving, a young Afghani man approached Nader and shared his story. “A” was working with a women’s rights organization in Kabul for which the Taliban accused him of converting to Christianity and beat him for this crime. “A” sent his wife and five children to live in safety with his father and fled to Iran, then Turkey and finally to Greece. After being persecuted for supposedly being a Christian, he became curious about Christianity and why the Taliban were so violently opposed to it. He searched the Internet for information, then looked for a Bible to read. When he reached Greece, he finally got his hands on a Bible, given to him by a fellow Afghan refugee in Patra. God’s ways are amazing. We gave this Bible to another man months ago and, even though “A” was not yet there to receive it, God heard the desire of his heart and sent His Word to be waiting for “A” when he arrived. Nader, remembering the story of Philip in Acts, asked “A” if he understood what he had read. “A” responded that he didn’t really get the point. So, just like Philip, Nader began to tell “A” the message of the Bible. Afterwards, “A” thanked him and said that he now understood. They prayed together and “A” proclaimed belief in Christ.
Thanks for your prayers and/or financial investments in our life and ministry.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Ann McFarland Guest Post
My friend wrote a book about refugees. A refugee is somebody who seeks or takes refuge in a foreign country, especially to avoid war or persecution. As a Christian, I am like a spiritual refugee. I reside in this world until I can make it to my heavenly destination. I don’t ever want to go back to a life without knowing God’s presence. Neither do I want to stay long in a place that is indifferent to God or constantly discrediting Him. I am making my way home, and some days I long to be there already.
A similar longing is also expressed by the author of Psalm 84. In verse 1 and 2 he says, “How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God.”
A comparison that gives value to this longing is found in verse 10.
“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
Knowing God can become so valuable to some people that they often say that if all the bad things happened simply to bring them to God then the pain was worth it.
Helena Smreck, my friend and fellow classmate, has captured stories of refugees who have come to know the love and kindness of God in her book, Kingdom Beyond Borders. Twenty years ago, Helena became a refugee. When that happened, she bumped up against the ministry of International Team missionaries in Austria and learned about how God loved her. She learned she had a place of belonging in the family of God. She became a believer in God.
This week Helena’s first book has been released. She says she wrote it out of gratitude for all who work in the Kingdom so missionaries can share the gospel of hope to lonely desperate people. It is a collection of testimonies of refugees who pass through the Helping Hands Ministry in Athens, Greece. The ministry is a combination of many organizations and individuals helping. The stories of these lives touched by a loving, living God are amazing. These refugees are individuals who have left desperate situations in their home countries, mainly countries in the Middle East, and some from Africa and Eastern Europe. All strive to get to a place that will be hospitable to them and allow them to be more free.
I learned through my friend’s book that many refugees move through Greece and on to several more countries before they are finally granted asylum. As refugees settle temporarily in Athens, the Helping Hands ministry offers showers, shelter, seeker’s Bible study, meals, young believers retreat, clothing “give –away,” Jesus film, English or Greek classes, and Bibles in their own language. With all the various countries represented in the refugee mix, as well as the mix of workers from several countries, the potential for global impact is huge.
The book is designed to be studied in groups and is made up of different testimonies of the refugees and discussion questions and challenges at the end of the chapters. The proceeds of the sales go directly into the ministry work.
If nothing else, this book will open our global eyes to the lives of our fellow man. My friend says it best, “I firmly believe that if we allow ourselves to see the refugees as people with names, families, histories, as parents hoping for a better life for their children, and most of all, as our brothers and sisters in Christ, our world view will shift. We will no longer see the divide between us and them. Instead, we will see that this world with its resources has been given to us to share. Statistics can be overwhelming and, truthfully, we can’t help everyone, but we can be the catalyst of change for some. There is no telling what one changed life can accomplish for the Kingdom.”
The Kingdom. God’s Kingdom has no borders. All are welcome and have been bought with the same price, His son Jesus. It is better to stand at the door of His courts than to dwell with the wicked. Psalm 84…. be a refugee.
Verse 12
“….blessed is the man who trusts in You, leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving!”
My Prayer
“O, God, how amazing is Your touch and plan for each human life on this earth. If only they would ask You. Your concern, power, and networking are beyond comparison! Help us to grasp, as much as we can, the huge-ness of Your scope and yet still see how You stoop to beckon us to Your side with personal touches every day. You ARE our soul’s haven!
God be with the Helping Hands Ministry in Greece. The news tells me that the days ahead for Greece are troubled. Be with the workers there. Protect and cover the helpless and hopeless with your love and light. Be so obvious that none will be able to turn away.
God be with us in America. Shake our complacency about others. Get us off our high horses and down into the grit and true greatness of the days You give us to live. Eyes and ears that hear and see only Your purposes, not our own profile and whining. For Your glory and power, Amen.”
(Here is the link for more information about the book, Kingdom Beyond Borders, by Helena Smrcek http://www.kingdombeyondborders.com/
http://annclarkmcfarland.com
A similar longing is also expressed by the author of Psalm 84. In verse 1 and 2 he says, “How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God.”
A comparison that gives value to this longing is found in verse 10.
“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
Knowing God can become so valuable to some people that they often say that if all the bad things happened simply to bring them to God then the pain was worth it.
Helena Smreck, my friend and fellow classmate, has captured stories of refugees who have come to know the love and kindness of God in her book, Kingdom Beyond Borders. Twenty years ago, Helena became a refugee. When that happened, she bumped up against the ministry of International Team missionaries in Austria and learned about how God loved her. She learned she had a place of belonging in the family of God. She became a believer in God.
This week Helena’s first book has been released. She says she wrote it out of gratitude for all who work in the Kingdom so missionaries can share the gospel of hope to lonely desperate people. It is a collection of testimonies of refugees who pass through the Helping Hands Ministry in Athens, Greece. The ministry is a combination of many organizations and individuals helping. The stories of these lives touched by a loving, living God are amazing. These refugees are individuals who have left desperate situations in their home countries, mainly countries in the Middle East, and some from Africa and Eastern Europe. All strive to get to a place that will be hospitable to them and allow them to be more free.
I learned through my friend’s book that many refugees move through Greece and on to several more countries before they are finally granted asylum. As refugees settle temporarily in Athens, the Helping Hands ministry offers showers, shelter, seeker’s Bible study, meals, young believers retreat, clothing “give –away,” Jesus film, English or Greek classes, and Bibles in their own language. With all the various countries represented in the refugee mix, as well as the mix of workers from several countries, the potential for global impact is huge.
The book is designed to be studied in groups and is made up of different testimonies of the refugees and discussion questions and challenges at the end of the chapters. The proceeds of the sales go directly into the ministry work.
If nothing else, this book will open our global eyes to the lives of our fellow man. My friend says it best, “I firmly believe that if we allow ourselves to see the refugees as people with names, families, histories, as parents hoping for a better life for their children, and most of all, as our brothers and sisters in Christ, our world view will shift. We will no longer see the divide between us and them. Instead, we will see that this world with its resources has been given to us to share. Statistics can be overwhelming and, truthfully, we can’t help everyone, but we can be the catalyst of change for some. There is no telling what one changed life can accomplish for the Kingdom.”
The Kingdom. God’s Kingdom has no borders. All are welcome and have been bought with the same price, His son Jesus. It is better to stand at the door of His courts than to dwell with the wicked. Psalm 84…. be a refugee.
Verse 12
“….blessed is the man who trusts in You, leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving!”
My Prayer
“O, God, how amazing is Your touch and plan for each human life on this earth. If only they would ask You. Your concern, power, and networking are beyond comparison! Help us to grasp, as much as we can, the huge-ness of Your scope and yet still see how You stoop to beckon us to Your side with personal touches every day. You ARE our soul’s haven!
God be with the Helping Hands Ministry in Greece. The news tells me that the days ahead for Greece are troubled. Be with the workers there. Protect and cover the helpless and hopeless with your love and light. Be so obvious that none will be able to turn away.
God be with us in America. Shake our complacency about others. Get us off our high horses and down into the grit and true greatness of the days You give us to live. Eyes and ears that hear and see only Your purposes, not our own profile and whining. For Your glory and power, Amen.”
(Here is the link for more information about the book, Kingdom Beyond Borders, by Helena Smrcek http://www.kingdombeyondborders.com/
http://annclarkmcfarland.com
Years in the making, Kindgom Beyond Borders is finally here. This study guide not only offers thought provoking questions but also pulls back a curtain of mystery. It opens a widnow into the world of harsh realities, insecurities and desparate search for hope, that many of us can't even imagine.
All stories in this book are real, although some might be hard to believe. Our goal was to portray hope along the tretcherous refugee highway, to tell about love offered by those who truly care, and to spread the news about the wonderful things that the Lord is doing among the refugees, everyday day.
The proceeds from this book go directly to support refugee ministry in Greece. Please help us spread the word, tell your pastors, youth group leaders, Bible study groups, and Sunday school teachers about Kindom Beyond Borders, only God knows what impact we can have on our hurting world today as we read, reflect and act. Please place your order today.
http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Beyond-Borders-Finding-Refugee
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