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The weather is beautiful today! I just returned from a sunny, warm stroll through Plaka - the old part of the city center. I Wish you could have been with me!
During the Monday outreach, I ran into the sad Nigerian girl I told you about. She said she "dealt with her problem" and is no longer pregnant. I wasn't surprised... I'm sure she couldn't find answers to some very real questions, such as, "How could she make money while she was pregnant? Where could she live? What would her pimp/trafficker say/do? Who would help her find a doctor ...or an adoption agency....or, crazier still, a way to keep the baby". I wasn't surprised at her decision, but sad nonetheless.
We also found a new brothel. Actually we've recently found a lot of new brothels springing up. Athens doesn't seem to be overly concerned with safety or health codes. This new addition - completely illegal according to the "official" books - is on the 2nd floor of a building. The former window was knocked out and a door loosely hinged to the wall. A rickety staircase is propped up on the wall for customers to use (it literally rocks when you step on it!) Where is the Dep't of Public Safety!? or the Health Dep't? ....maybe the Better Business Bureau...?? Somebody should care that this is happening in their lovely city. Prostitution is just such a way of life here. I've heard even as many as 1 in 3 Greek men have visited a den of 'ill repute'...not to mention immigrants and tourists. I guess it's just easier to look the other way when a new one joins the ranks.
As the US celebrated President's Day last wk, "we" Greeks celebrated Clean Monday. It's the day the Orthodox people spend symbolically "cleaning" out their fridge (and simultaneously their hearts and attitudes) to purge all the meat in preparation for Lent. 
I celebrated by taking the bus 2 hours away to a coastal town called Nafplio. After the Turkish occupation, it was the original capital of Greece before they moved it to Athens. A lucky move for Nafplio... enabling it to retain it's quiet charm and quaintness.
My friend and I sat in cafes and watched people dressed up in crazy costumes for the final hours of the 3-wk carnival that ends when Lent begins. 
In exciting Nea Zoi news... my teammate, Kelsey, spent the long wkend at a shelter for trafficked girls. There are currently 12, TWELVE, 12 girls staying there! It seems like we don't usually get to see tangible changes for that many at the same time! Some of them had been rescued by a police raid last week. Kelsey enjoyed living among the girls and being able to have some meaningful conversations about magic, fortune tellers and faith in God. One girl was pregnant and had been to the clinic 3 times for an abortion but just couldn't go through with it. During the wkend, she decided to keep the baby. Please pray for the shelter....for the staff they need and for the girls that come through. Pray that they encounter the Lord's love for them in a real and life-changing way during their short stay!
Story #2. Another Nea Zoi player, Jim, just happened to be driving through Athens on a Saturday evening a couple of weeks ago. He pulled over when he saw a hysterical, screaming and naked Nigerian girl. In his street-work-trained mind he knew that meant she'd just had a bad experience with a customer. So without missing a beat, he threw open his car door and offered for her to jump in. She gladly did... he offered her his coat and his phone (in that order!) and got her safely home.
We are always praying for a way to take it to the next level with the Nigerian girls we meet on the streets. They know us, love to see us coming with tea, they like chatting with us. But they rarely call....rarely take steps to make changes. Please pray that God could use Jim's kindness to further build the bridge of trust. That the word would spread in their community that we don't want anything from them...but we can be trusted to help.
Here are some pics of the brothels we visit. They are usually housed in great old buildings that could be beautiful under different circumstances. Brothels are indicated by white lights in our "red light" district.
(brothel photos by Andrea Rip)
I met a sad Nigerian girl working on the streets on Monday. She shared with us that she's only been here for 3 months and now thinks she's pregnant. Elephant-sized tears rolled down her cheeks as she talked. She asked us how to find free medical help. She doesn't want to keep the baby. We begged her to call us the next morning and we would meet her and help her.
But we never heard from her.
Sadly, that's really common. They promise they'll call because they'd like to get help or get out or get advice...or just meet for coffee. But they often don't call. We think this girl's phone was confiscated.
Please pray for her! Her fears, her pimp, her chains, her dangers are big. But I try to remember that God is Bigger still! "...to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory..." Eph 3
Some good news!... Marie, also from Nigeria, made a run for it last week! When she was dropped off on the corner to do her job, she made her break and ran to get help. My teammate helped her get to a safe place hours away from her trafficker! This one good story is hugely encouraging in this line of work! Please pray for continued protection for her as she is still in danger for a few months.
During the Monday outreach, I ran into the sad Nigerian girl I told you about. She said she "dealt with her problem" and is no longer pregnant. I wasn't surprised... I'm sure she couldn't find answers to some very real questions, such as, "How could she make money while she was pregnant? Where could she live? What would her pimp/trafficker say/do? Who would help her find a doctor ...or an adoption agency....or, crazier still, a way to keep the baby". I wasn't surprised at her decision, but sad nonetheless. 
