Practical Help

So questions have come up on exactly what I would be doing as part of the Operation Mobilization team.  In this post I hope to give you a real sense.

This will not be a beach trip for me.  There are a number of NGOs better equipped to help there (i.e.; they have jet-skis and medical teams).  On the beach is more of a first responder role.  In reality it is meeting an immediate need of rescue from drowning and hypothermia.

    

Instead I will operating in one of the camps.  Directing refugees, clean-up, and lots of miscellaneous help.  My actual shift and duties will be determined upon arrival.  One thing to understand there are a lot of groups operating on the island with various roles and responsibilities.

This list will give you an idea:

• Euro Relief – ER – Christian Greek NGO that runs Sykaminia transition camp together with other NGO's
• Waha – Islamic medical NGO that runs the medical tent on our site
• Samaritans Purse – SP – Provides WASH (water-sanitation-hygiene) on the site and facilitates the distribution of NFI's (non-food-items) on the site and around the island.
• Operation Mobilization – OM – Contributes supplies, broad support and volunteers
• Youth With A Mission – YWAM – Teams of volunteers
• World racers – WR/”the racers” - Teams of volunteers
• Drop in the ocean – Drop – Works at the dirt road and volunteers in the transition camps
• Stichting bootvluchteling – Dutch boat refugee.. - Dutch organization working at the dirt road
• International Red Cross – IRC – Provides busses and a variety of other things
• United Nations High Commission for Refugees – UNHCR – provide busses & NFI's
• Medicins Sans Frontiers/doctors without borders – MSF – Run Madamados

What about having the opportunity to share the hope that I have as a Christian and the salvation that God has given to us through His Son Jesus Christ.  Since we are operating in camps that are managed by the UNCHR, we can’t distribute literature.  Doing so would not only jeopardize the opportunity to help on Lesbos, but effect any international effort with the UNCHR.  This doesn’t bother me because I believe that the way to reach someone is through hearing their story, extending compassion and sharing what God has done in my life.  We are free to engage the refugees without any restrictions, being respectful of all they have gone through and their privacy.

I think about the man in the Gospels who was demon possessed.  After Jesus drove the demons out of him, he wanted badly to follow Jesus.

Mark 5:19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Just think how much more effective we would be as we have honest personal conversations about what has God done in our life.  Then when people share the burdens, the hopelessness, the trials and discouragement that they are dealing with, we have the answers that they are searching for.

Please be praying for the folks I meet on my travels (air and ferry), people who live on the island, fellow workers and especially the refugees.