Chris and Amy were raised in Christian homes, and both gained a heart for missionary work while on high school mission trips, when Amy went to Greece and Chris went to Siberia. These trips opened their gaze to the nations and were a pivotal moment in their lives. Today, they feel blessed that they are unified in their calling.
They were both led to Hellenic Ministries through different paths. Amy’s church in Chicago had a connection with HM’s president, Jonathan Macris, which ignited her passion for ministry in Greece. Amy and her twin sister Sara (who both attended Fellowship’s young adult ministry while preparing for the field), were two of the first missionaries supported by Fellowship. Chris, living in Atlanta, had long felt a specific calling to reach Muslims with the hope of the gospel. Raised in what he now calls a “Christian bubble”, he saw that many around him harbored prejudices against Muslim people. God convicted him that all people are made in God’s image and need salvation through Jesus. When Chris learned that refugees were flooding Greece from eastern lands, in order to establish a new life in Europe, he contacted Hellenic Ministries and became involved. After meeting in 2013, Chris and Amy married in 2015.
Chris and Amy Moore have served in Greece with Hellenic Ministries for the past eight years. Chris has a variety of roles within the mission: he helps with Operation Joshua, the annual summer Bible distribution campaign; he works in the area of discipleship; and he’s been highly involved with HM’s refugee ministries over the years, and he also works with all of the short-term teams and volunteers that come to serve with HM. In fact, he hopes to soon initiate a sports ministry for refugees. Amy also prioritizes ministry, but her main task is being at home with their two boys, Clayton (3) and Carter (2).
Serving Refugees
One of Hellenic Ministries’ many outreaches is the ministry that supports newly arrived refugees with housing, food, showers, and other basic needs, primarily on the Greek island of Lesvos and in Athens. Most of the refugees have never met followers of Jesus, and many are deeply impacted by the loving welcome they receive by Christian workers. Because of this, many have turned to Jesus, and are now sharing the gospel with their countrymen. Some refugees stay in Greece, while some move to other countries in Europe. Whether they stay or go, God is using these new believers to spread the Good News throughout Europe. God has taken something tragic and is using it for His beautiful purpose. Chris says that when he and Amy arrived in Greece, the majority of their outreach was accomplished with a translator by their side. Now, much the work is done by Afghan and Iranian believers…new believers reaching their own people.
Chris is overjoyed by what God is doing. “Everyone experiences transformation when they come to Christ”, he exclaims, “but the transformation seems magnified with an Afghan or Iranian. Usually, a husband comes to faith first, then dramatically changes the way he treats his wife; then she comes to faith because of the dramatic change in her husband’s behavior and the way he loves and serves her.”
Greatest Challenges and Blessing
In terms of ministry, one of Chris and Amy’s greatest challenges is the time it takes to build relationships with refugees they’re trying to reach. Most refugees are transient, hoping to leave Greece at the first opportunity for wealthier nations such as Germany. This gives great urgency to sharing the gospel, yet the Moores can’t rush relationship development
On a personal level, being away from family and friends remains the hardest part of missionary life. For instance, Chris’s mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014 and died three years later. Though able to make several trips back home, Chris couldn’t be with her as much as he wanted—a difficult aspect of living overseas. Also, the Moores spend much time trying to resolve Visa issues. They hope that Amy’s Hungarian heritage will afford them a dual passport. This would solve the problem, as Hungary is part of the E.U.
Chris and Amy feel especially blessed to work alongside Johnathan Macris, one of Fellowship’s Global Partners, whom they admire as a strong servant of the Lord. Johnathan is a visionary with the gift of faith, and does a great job leading the HM team and its various ministries, in spite of the many roadblocks raised by Covid.
Prayer Requests
- For Hellenic Ministries and the Moores: to make the most of every opportunity, and to love their neighbors out of the kindness of Christ in the midst of great suffering.
- For the removal of visa issues, by Amy getting a dual U.S./Hungarian passport.
- For the creation of a sports ministry, to bring refugees together so they can hear the gospel.
- That travel would open and many would come to Greece this summer to participate in Operation Joshua, HM’s Bible distribution program. In past years, Fellowship Bible has brought teams to help in this effort. For more information about this possible mission trip, contact Dan Vorm at .
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