Every year is a new team. 

Every year, the team gives, and every year, the team receives – stories of connection, awakening hearts, and encouragement. And while we’ve come to expect to hear heartbreaking accounts of sadness and tragedy in these encounters, God allows these experiences to be paralleled with quiet moments of encouragement and shining glimpses of hope.

It can be uncomfortable to join with missionaries dedicating their lives to serving the needs of refugees. We can feel as though these champions of the mission fields are living out a big faith enviable by us and our western standards. It can push us well outside of our comfort zones, even if for only a few days, to immerse ourselves in community with peoples whose language and culture seem strange and unfamiliar to our own. And yet this is where the Lord lovingly meets us. He equips us where we have no skills. He strengthens us in our areas of weakness and doubt. And He does it every single time. 

This year, we had a mixed group of first-timers to Greece as well as returning team members who have participated in both Farsi Family Camp and Operation Joshua. Their commitment to return speaks to the incredible outreach opportunities Johnathan and Hellenic Ministries allow for us to participate in, as much as it does to the hearts of those team members and how the whole experience has shaped and continues to influence the way God is using them to serve, both in Greece and here in Nashville, TN.

So much credit to Sam, Hosein, Ghazal, Aram, and Maryam for all they do to invite Persian refugees into a welcoming space filled with the Holy Spirit and where the Gospel is shared, unashamed. To Daniel and Amber and family for opening their home and property to be this summer’s Porto Astro. And to Milad for his connections and help with the Alexander Beach Hotel accommodations. 

Here are some highlights from this year’s Fellowship team: 

“The BEST moment of my week – I gave two of the boys that I had spent the most time with a note telling them that I enjoyed meeting them and that God loved them. I signed my name and sketched a cross by my name. I gave the notes to them at breakfast on the last day….One of the boys, Amir, pointed to the cross and said “Christian?” I said yes! He then said “Me, Muslim” I pointed to the sky and said, “Do you know God?” He said, “yes”. I told him and the other boy that I would be praying for them both! The other boy, Mutahir, took my pen and drew a heart at the top of my note….he pointed to the heart, then he pointed to me! At the beginning of this trip, my shared prayer request was that whatever we did, we would make a difference and leave an impact. God gave me this gift from my boys this week!” 

“…getting to know the teenage refugees. One night we were walking on the beach and the teenagers started asking really good, deep questions! It was so cool to hear the leaders answer their questions and share their own testimonies.” 

“…connections made with refugee families – even without a shared language; so many connections were made through smiles, swim time, meals, helping with kids. The whole experience felt like a deep joy and privilege for both us as volunteers and for the families.” 

“…but God still showed me what He can do with something as simple as a smile. At the beginning of the week, the adults did not return smiles very often, and they seemed to be very guarded. At the end of the week while saying our goodbyes, everyone was grinning ear to ear and even some of the mothers came up to hug us and kiss our cheek! It showed me that the Lord was working and how something as simple as a smile can plant a seed!” 

“…you could see the concern and uncertainty in their faces. But once they realized we were there to help and they could focus on their time, separate from their children, they began to smile and laugh and engage more during their lessons. Just a simple smile was all that was needed to know that we made a difference for them.“ 

• “Everyone smiles in the same language.” — George Carlin
• “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” — Victor Borge

Preparing for camp and serving at the Miller’s property

Each team member pointed to connection and an impact that will stay with us and the refugees long past the time we spent together. This theme confirmed an indelible mark on the timeline of the refugees that we pray they remember as ‘that time we experienced the love of Jesus through people who love him.’