In January 2025 a team of 4 women and 2 men from the UK travelled to the Greek Island of Lesbos to serve refugees. They worked alongside our partners All4Aid at the Women’s Centre on the edge of the Mytilene refugee camp.
Each team member had at least five people praying for them, being updated daily through a WhatsApp group. Here’s a selection of their chat messages...
What a wonderful first day! The 4 ladies got stuck in helping the refugee women, and the men have been asked to build some shelving for the storage areas and are excited to give it a go.
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Day 2 was a rainy one which meant a slow start to the showers for the women. The water is heated by the sun!! This meant a lot of queuing and waiting. The showers out in the camp are cold, dirty and not safe for women, so a lukewarm shower for them is a good thing!
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As Catharine was arriving on Lesbos she discovered that they had recently converted a room inside the women's area into a 'spa' with dim lights, soft music and oils for massaging, so she was able to bless the ladies every day with loving hands and quite a few prayers when the ladies agreed. One lady today asked her about her Christian faith.
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Today the clothes shop opened for the first time in some weeks and lots of clothes were provided for our families. We were able to share with some ladies who had experienced the hardship and oppression of the Taliban about our positive experience of the loving, gentle God we serve.
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Today was a rest day. The sun has shone in a cloudless sky all day. We thank God for the church service we attended in Mytilene, with many nationalities worshipping Him together, and Bible teaching from Pastor Christos.
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Today Sam spent time outside showing off her football skills with the boys/dads waiting for their families… They have boundless energy! Catherine looked after the food bank. Our men have almost completed the shelving for the clothing store area.
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We met 2 women from Cameroon who were English-speaking Christians. It was so lovely to meet sisters in Christ and be able to listen to their stories and to pray with them. They talked of beheadings, and both had visible bruises from escaping. One of the ladies had left her 4 children behind and her husband had been killed.
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In the shower/spa area our team had good conversations with some of the migrant women, often using phones to translate. One woman was happy to be prayed for.
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Around one third of the 4000 people in the camp are children. I can’t imagine the trauma they have been through. However, this does not dampen their spirits… One girl got hold of the nail varnish and completely missed her nails and even got her face. The boy was very intent on taking all the biscuits!!!
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This trip has been remarkable. Please pray for the team as they return to their homes and process all they have done, heard and seen.
Would you or your church community like to serve refugees in Greece as the voice and hands of Jesus? Click here to find out more or Contact our Short Term Missions Team
