the world's worst blogger EVER...

So, do you notice anything strange about my blog today?? Could it be that I'm BLOGGING! Sheeeeesh, I'm pretty sure that only posting every 6 months qualifies me as the very WORST blogger EVER.

But it's weighing heavy on my mind that I should probably post a wee something about my new life. "My Next Step", as it were...

I'm back. Back in the good ol' USA since Christmas... The land where

• our economic/political (in)stability is 'slightly' less talked about on CNN than that of the Greek economy,
  
• I encounter much less tear gas,
  
• my airport is always open,
  
• people around me at Starbucks speak English,
  
• TP is flushable (WaHooo!),
  
• grocery store chicken breasts are HUGE (yikes! what happens to that American chicken!!?!) and produce lasts A LOT longer in my fridge (hmmmm?),
  
• snow skiing is a popular sport but no one plays Tavli (backgammon),
  
• people hit the sack at 10:00PM and show up for work at 7:00AM vs. the late-night culture I finally adjusted to in Athens,
  
• my local restaurant's menu offers 6 different cuisines but rarely has lamb souvlaki,
  
• my neighbors haven't learned the art of sitting at a street cafe for hours on end with friends,
• I drive a car,
  
• I never roam the streets at 3:00AM,
  
• and 20th century architecture is considered "old".

Now with 6 months of reflection under my belt, I can say that I really miss these praying co-workers...

...the good work continues in Athens...visit www.neazoi.org

and being a part of something so much bigger than my little life. I also miss being on the front lines of God's action...seeing Him miraculously coordinate logistics in crisis situations. One thing the Lord really pounded home for me in 2010 was that He is at work everywhere; every nation, every life. Even when individual situations seem hopeless.

During my year in Greece we saw 3 girls fully come out of prostitution and make risky, but better, decisions for their futures. That probably sounds like "JUST THREE" to you. But it's 3 that were specific answers to prayer. We also learned to celebrate other victories. It was worth it just to tell a girl that...

• what happened to her is illegal,
  
• that there are people and a police force that want to help,
  
• that God cares about her mind, heart and body.

Many we met didn't know those simple truths.

So now my next step? I am in Idaho enjoying the time with my family, staying busy with many-a-project, selling cards and plants at the Farmer's Mkt, and trying to navigate the sometimes overwhelming question of what adventure the Lord has for me next. The unknowns are many and vast and wide...where to go? what to do? and the world is my oyster... or whatever....

snowshoeing w my fam...

But God has proven Himself faithful time and time again in my life and I'm learning to trust that 2011 is not different! My new "cling-to" verses are

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD...For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought
nor cease to yield fruit. " Jer 17:7-9

I can't sign off without telling you I'm so, so thankful for you. Those that have read this blog, prayed for me, supported me or sent notes of encouragement. The Lord used you to point me toward His open doors and then to give me the courage to walk thru them. I am humbled and will be forever and ever and ever and ever grateful.

musings on the Greek good...

There is much I'll miss about Greece when I go. Here's a few from the A-List...


1. I cleverly call it "MWJ" pronounced "Muwaj". It stands for "Mornings with Jesus". It involves relaxed mornings, a cup o' joe and some reading. Staying home until late morning is an infrequent occurrence in my homeland and will be MISSED.












2. The Metro. Seriously, so efficient, so clean and nothing makes a great story like one that involves a jam-packed metro on a 100 degree day! I wish the Northwest had such transportation modes to get me from A to B....












3. My language study has included loads of practice with this particular order, "Mia horiatiki kai dio kotopoulo kalamaki, parakalo."

One word = "YUM". (yes, that is a giant slab of feta...)









3.a. Can't mention Greek food without a nod to the olive oil. Look at this jug my friend Sofia gave me! It's fresh squeezed from the olive trees in her village...so fresh it's Green in color!

The grocery store sells it in these giant tins ...

























4. Sunshine. It's December... 'nuf said.
















5. This lovely quilt the sweet ladies at my home church made for me when I left. It has served as a precious reminder of the supportive springboard I launch into the world from and the soft place I have to land when I return home.

6. New friends. What can I say? Thank Goodness for fun people to run the race with even times of GIANT transition and many unknowns.

"You have crowned the year with Your bounty..." Ps 95

random assortment of thoughts...

I wanted to update today but my brain overfloweth and I can't seem to bring order to my many clever blog ideas. So I will share a few random things...

1. Do you wonder what I do here when I'm not on Outreach? Well, I have office hours and I do officey things. I've discovered this year that I'm wired more administratively... I mean, I guess I knew that. But as a team we have seen first hand that God equipped each part of the body with DIFFERENT gifts. While I care about newsletters and spreadsheets, Jim is great at leading us to prayer, Viorica is wonderful with the Romanian girls she meets in the brothels, and Annette has a servant's heart and many significant relationships with the Nigerian girls. So, it's been a lesson for me in not comparing your gifts and abilities to others....when they function together, they function more fully.

Here's some of the newsletters and brochures that have kept me busy in my time here. If you'd like to be added to the NZ quarterly Newsletter list, just shoot me an email and I'll add you. Here's a ridiculously long link to the latest one... http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=kdwmyqdab&v=001fgXe_62hM0mQXg-xQ-zvr-o1t9HTaDGIC9hnHxLOiNafDUZ71MVOm4drcQybGOP-Y9d2_gyXAj9vNLArT6SMsrx8MqvGFiBpErLvw30WY4182OGr0b11cy41xxeKg98T

2. Some good comments came in about my last blog post. You are so right! This is in NO way just a Greek problem. Trafficking happens everywhere and is alive and thriving in the USA. A friend of mine used to work in LA with trafficked victims and one of the hot spots there for traffickers to strike was at the bus stations where young, movie-star-hopefuls would get off the buses from the Midwest (or wherever). Awareness seems to be increasing in the US, tho. That's good...

3. Can't forget to tell you THIS! Annette was mugged on Outreach on Thurs! A guy grabbed her from the side and tried to grab the phone out of her hand. She crouched down into a ball on the ground and managed to hold on to her phone! Take that, Mugger!! But the guy and his loitering friend weren't letting up. Our team was right near by...and our great volunteer, Stefanos, ran over and somehow got them to run off...only after he was punched in the head!

All is well now. Annette is fine and in possession of her tele and a good story. Stefanos' head is fine. We are so thankful! The Lord really does command his angels concerning us, to guard us in all our ways! (Ps 91)

someone should tell the Greek people...

I had a conversation with a kind, young Greek man named Georgios recently. He used to be one of these...

an "Enzone", which means elite military unit that stands guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion. They guard the tomb round the clock and switch positions with each other every fifteen minutes in a slow and highly stylized manner, kicking their pom-pom covered feet. It's an honor to serve as an Enzone during their required military service after highschool and Georgios was proud of being selected for the volunteer position.

Now that his service commitment is over, he is a waiter at this Italian restaurant in my neighborhood.

Georgios is very polite and polished...proper even. But allll the Greek people know about the legal prostitution in their city center and the many, many brothels. It's such a part of their culture that we have seen grandmothers taking their teenage grandsons to the brothel for their first sexual experience to ensure that he is "on track"! And they all believe that the girls are there by choice and since it's their legal occupation, they must be taken care of and healthy.

He asked what I am doing living in Greece and when I tried to explain it to him (I'm never sure how to launch into it without bringing the conversation to an awkward, not-sure-how-to-respond-to-THAT kind of end) he asked some good questions to learn more.

Georgios: "Are there many girls in Greece that are working that don't have control of their circumstances and have been trafficked?"

Me: "Almost all of the girls we meet in Athens."

Georgios: "O NO, SOMEONE SHOULD TELL THE GREEK PEOPLE!"

It was brilliant.

prayer update...

Remember The Escapee from May?? (if not, here's my 'riveting' story about her... http://hhorsch.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html) GOOD NEWS! She is doing so well! She is still in the shelter away from Athens but she plans to go back to Romania where we've connected her with people she can stay with until she figures out her next steps. She regularly goes to church, she looks healthier and she wants to end up helping people in prostitution! She wrote a heartfelt 6 page long letter back to her friend still working in the brothel explaining how her life has changed and begging the friend to grasp the life ring Nea Zoi is tossing her. Please pray for The Escapee (who actually has a better name than that!) as she transitions home....the conditions that motivated her to come to Greece in the first place will still be there.

"Alice" is a bubbly, outgoing girl from Romania. She is still working in the brothels, a job she does to profit the boyfriend who brought her here. But she has a great relationship with two of our volunteers and they meet weekly in our office to talk, laugh and pray together. When you talk with her you wouldn't know she lives in such a dreary cycle! She is very talkative and giggly...just seems like other young girls her age. She is the friend left-behind that received the long letter from "The Escapee" imploring her to make positive changes. But at this time Alice doesn't seem ready, or even motivated, to risk the change. Please pray that our conversations with her will ignite a vision for a better future.

"Vanessa" is a sweet girl I met in March from Nigeria. She is one of the few girls that I have personally made a real connection with during our short visits on the street. We've been on a few walks together where she has shared her story of coming to Greece to support her family, pay off a debt her Dad incurred and earn back the deeds to her family's house. She knows this isn't an ideal life, but she just doesn't see any other way to make money.

Lately she's been so different, more reserved, cautious, even jumpy! I've been calling to try to set up a meeting but she's always sleeping or working. Last wk I called her at 3:00pm and she was in a cab on the way home from work (she went to the streets the day before at 6:00pm!!) and she was going home to shower and head straight BACK to work!! Ugh....no sleep in over 32 hours!...for THAT job!! ugh.

Obviously, "Vanessa" could use prayers for rest, for another way, and for whatever specific problem has so changed my friend's countenance.

Then there's "Emme" from Nigeria. She came in to the office this wk because she is pregnant and needed our help finding a doctor. Annette took her for blood tests and indeed she is still pregnant even after taking a whole bunch, I mean 40, FORTY, 4 - 0, pills to try to eliminate the pregnancy. (They weren't abortion pills...just pills for some other ailment with a warning on the bottle that said not to take if pregnant!!) Now that she realizes she is still pregnant, she's not sure she wants an abortion and may want to keep the baby. (...but is the baby ok??)

Emme seemed taken aback when we explained that the people who brought her here and charged her € 50,000 for her glamorous life in prostitution did something illegal and that the anti-trafficking police force could help her escape and keep her safe. Please pray for young Emme as she tries to make decisions about her life and that of her baby's.

Last week as we met more girls, heard more stories and took more tea into the darkest streets this song kept going through my mind...

"Jesus, name above all names, Beautiful Savior, Glorious Lord
Emmanuel, God is with us, Blessed Redeemer, Living Word"

Maybe it seems outta place on those filthy streets...but actually that IS my hope. He is there on the street with me and then with the girls long after I leave. And He CAN REDEEM (aka reclaim, reinstate, restore, win back) even the darkest of lives.

we were BOMBED!...

well, sort of.

not exactly.

BUT someone DID throw little sacks of something hard at us during outreach last Thursday. Our team of 7 was standing with a few Nigerian girls when ALL OF A SUDDEN (caps cleverly added for dramatic effect) there was a stream of ...."things"... flying from the sky! and landing with a LOUD thud. One hit right at my feet and shattered.

We weren't crazy about that so we decided to keep moving further down the street but they kept aiming at us. Each bag of ammo seemed different....one seemed like old, hard bread...another was much too loud to be bread. We know it wasn't the girls they were targeting because the raining confetti followed us as we moved down the street. We ended up dodging around the corner and cutting our outreach short.



This is what the street looks like during the day. But at night there are less cars and shady transactions go down. The flying bags of bread ...aka "BOBs" ☺ were coming from a room up above or maybe from the rooftop????

We think it was probably just some kids who thought pelting people with BOBs was hilarious. But we also appreciate your prayers for our continued safety!

"For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." Ps 91

sometimes I wonder...

Athens has recently launched this "Clean Up the Center" campaign. It seems the city has thrown some funds at these big banners. They say,

"No to Drugs and Prostitution in the City Center" (Holly's paraphrase)

I'm not sure it's working.

This is the door to the Nea Zoi office in the heart of the city... one day I had to wait to enter until some guys finished snorting a suspicious white powder off the front step.

(Mary's photo)

And this (below) is an all-too-common siting around our office and outreach routes. Heroin seems to be the drug of choice here.....it's a downer causing its users to crash indiscriminately.

(Kelly's photo)

The brothels are also found in our city center and indicated by white lights. Would it be better if they moved to the suburbs???

(Mary's photo)

Many, many immigrants and refugees from the Middle East also end up in Athens and hang out on the center's squares. Some estimates say that 90% of all illegal immigration into the EU comes through Greece...it is coastal and relatively easy to get to/into.

International Teams has another team in Athens called 'Helping Hands' working with Refugees.

Greece is a beeeauuutiful place to visit! Really. The history is rich, the feta is abundant, the islands are amazing and the people are hospitable and friendly. But Athens does have a few problems --- law makers have tough decisions to make regarding real, live people (not just issues!) And I think the banner campaign needs to be revisited...

"May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth...." Ps 67

moldovan meanderings...

I have just returned from a wkend get-away to Chisinau, Moldova. The official purpose was the ICAP European anti-trafficking conference (ICAP=International Christian Alliance on Prostitution) and the side benefit was a visa exit trip. The conference coordinators planned on 60 attendees but ended up with 170! It was encouraging to see all the people already working on this issue around Europe and still more that came to ask questions and learn how to start a ministry in their country.

My teammate, Viorica, is originally from Moldova so she was able to give me an exclusive tour. It was interesting to be there....while there are some lovely, green areas and buildings, it's the poorest nation in Europe. Some sources say appr. 50% of the population receive funding from outside the country, such as their kids working in other countries to send $ home.

It made the situation of the Moldovan girls we meet so much more real to me. It's no wonder they leave home in search of a better life! They have so few options for employment there and they want the things we all want....security, comfort, nice things....food. That's why they are more apt to believe the scheming person that offers them a job and money abroad. One brave woman was interviewed behind a screen at the conference and she told the story of how she was working in a grocery store and was told she could make more money at a different store location....so she went with the man, believing him. Instead of a bright, sparkling, new grocery store, it was a compound where she was kept locked away and forced to sell her body. And the children that were created in the compound were kept in the basement so that (ready for this???...) their organs could be harvested!! = a different kind of trafficking.

Poverty....a KEY aspect of this war.

The conference also addressed self-care for the practitioner. (I guess that's me...a "practitioner"). It was helpful to process what healthy boundaries are. This is the Lord's ministry....and I can't SAVE or FIX anyone. (I know you probably thought that's what I was doing over here...fixing everyone...) But, alas, no can do. All I can do is show up, celebrate tiny victories and trust and wait on God for the rest.

"Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk." Ps 143

Some fun Moldovan dancers doing a traditional wedding dance...

thursday with "L"...

Thank you for your prayers last wk! I felt them! And I was buoyed by your words of encouragement!

Outreach last wk went well. Our faithful volunteers were all back and ready to pound the pavement. Thursday's midnight outreach was particularly enheartening to me. The Lord provided just barely (but sufficiently) enough volunteers so that Annette and I could go. We had just 2 guys and 3 of us girls. We went first to our regular street and were welcomed with engulfing hugs and lots of questions about our absence. They missed us. It was obvious. So even though my cynical mind can sometimes deduce our presence to just a cup of tea and a smile, it must mean more to the girls. They look forward to a few moments of interaction with us in the middle of the night... a break from their hideous job. I pray our cup of tea and our smiles represent God's deep, deep love for them....and that will somehow motivate them to bravely seek change.

THEN we had a 1/2 hour left on our "timesheet" so we drove to another street where we met up with 2 girls I'll call "L". They happen to have the same name. Annette has been in contact with one of them since the July intern program. We were notified by a Nigerian church that she would like our help getting out. So Annette and some of the interns (pictured below) visited with her a few times in July and have kept in touch with her on the tele since then.

Annette with 2 summer interns and the two "L's" in July

She's always on the edge of the "The Great Decision"...but very afraid to pull the trigger. So our team has been on an emotional roller coaster with her. Praying, hoping, BELIEVING, packing a bag to stay with her, nervous she'll back out, she does, disappointment, back to waiting....

Thursday night's mission was to deliver the long-promised Bible to her. She grabbed it out of Annette's hands and said her "joy is complete now!" Then she opened to very specific chapters in Isaiah and Matthew and asked us to explain the meaning. She wanted to know how it's possible for a camel to enter the eye of a needle from Matthew 19! (good question!) And she wanted to know if God cares about how we make our $$. (hmmm, another pertinent & good question). As a general rule, I think 2:30 AM is a ridiculous time to be hanging out on a park bench. But this particular hour was a treasure as we were able to share with "L" and her friend about the hope Jesus offers them.

Her questions were so sincere. You can tell she's really processing her options (she asked us to explain AGAIN what kind of safe situation we could help her find) and she seems more genuine in her pursuit of answers than some of the others we meet.

Please pray with us for "L" as the Lord works on her heart and as the worldly bondage she's in works on her emotions and fear.

it's go time...

Sorry for my excessive absence. We had a couple of weeks off in August. By "we" I mean the whole of Athens. It's a strange thing. It becomes a ghost town while the locals head for the sea in search of cooler temps and a summer holiday. Most businesses not directly related to tourism close their doors for a few wks or the whole month.

I have to take a visa exit trip out of Greece every 90 days to appease the authorities that be. And it has to be to a "non-schengen" country (whatever that is...treaty agreement...blah, blah..)...such as Ireland!! So I was able to spend a few days in that very beautiful and friendly country with my Mom and a few zillion sheep.

Now I'm back in Athens with a new stamp on my passport and a refreshed energy for the months ahead. I must admit that I've been discouraged in the last few months. It's a tough ministry in general. Tough to keep believing and hoping when we don't get to see a lot of progress. And when I came in January there were 9 of us that sat around the table at staff meetings (and a slew of part time volunteers). This fall we will just have 4 staff members (plus volunteers). I have felt unmotivated and lonely as teammembers move on in the different directions that God is calling them. You know, how you feel when everyone leaves the party but you. And your mind convinces you that they are all headed to a cooler party...

But I've been praying over the last few wks for God to align my heart to His heart for Athens, my attitude to be that of a willing servant. I've asked for reminders of the peace I had in coming here 9 months ago - sure that THIS was the door that He was opening for me. This door for this time. And you know what? My reading today 'just happened' to be from 2 Tim 4, "...keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,.. fulfill your ministry."

Fulfill your ministry. Gosh, seems pretty specific. I utter a prayer of discouragement and yet again my Jesus faithfully and clearly responds to His kid's whining. I have 3.5 months left here in these relationships doing these tasks and this is no time to peter out. (poor Peter...why does he have to be associated with that?)

So, it's GO time today. We will have our first Outreach tonight at 8:00 PM. As I try to run hard to my December finish line, I could sure use your prayers as I come to mind. Thanks team! Now to the streets...

wrapping up...

The interns have been a shot in the arm to all of us at Nea Zoi. They have blessed us with new energy and enthusiasm about anti-trafficking... not to mention kept us hopping busy. July flew by in a whirl of 3 late-night outreaches per week (I feel like I'm working swing shift!), trips to the Acropolis, ice cream with Victoria from Ghana, a prayer with Eva from Nigeria, excessive bottles of water, a deep sense of mourning as my computer died "dead, dead", and furthered relationships with girls on the streets.

We have been setting up a table on the streets every Sat, Mon and Thurs from 12:00 to 2:00AM with literature and tea.

The hope is that the girls will feel comfortable to sit a while and chat with us...away from the streets and their difficult job.

The first wk the girls weren't sure what to think of the table. They weren't willing to give up the extra minutes on the street....afraid of missing the few customers that drive by. As the wks have passed with our regular visits and insistence that the table is a 'super fun' place of rest and refreshment, they have warmed up to the idea.

Please notice our new friend on the R. He's an overly-friendly night security guard....He recently replaced another guy, "Officer Tight Pants", for the dreadfully boring post of guarding the market and makes the most of every opportunity to chat w us and take a load off in our chairs....doesn't he look relaxed?


Altho I'm used to this scene, I'm still saddened by the girls efforts to get customers. I'm literally always shooting prayers for their TOES as they chase after cars!










The interns have been faithful in pounding the pavement to invite the girls up to the table. They have been brave and persevering despite the many well-meaning people that have stopped us to say, "What are you tourists doing here? This is a dangerous street!"








I continue to feel frustrated by these police officers commissioned to protect the people of Athens. Sometimes 15 bikes will drive down the street at night, 2 to a bike. They just zoom thru with their flashing lights and send the girls running in all directions - shoes flying - tea spilling. But they almost never stop to arrest them. (Where would the girl sit?? Between them??) Feels a bit like a bully - announcing their presence, causing fear and looking cool (although, it'd look cooler if they each had their OWN bike!)





Tonight is the party I mentioned in my last post. We are praying that some girls will show up for food (KFC seems to be popular with Nigerians!?!) and prizes! Please pray for the right girls to come and that God would use the party to show them HOPE, LOVE and His GOOD purposes in their lives.


Here's the Nea Zoi small team... (missing Viorica). Altho we are a small staff, (there are FIVE LESS teammembers than there were when I came in January), we have managed to host the interns and keep our sense of humor!
Good job Team!

the americans have arrived...

This summer we have 9 Americans here for a summer internship (Including my good friend from Seattle, Kelly (in front on the L). She is a friend I first met at Bethany Comm Church in Seattle...it's such a treat to have an old friend here to process with!) This summer crew are from all over the US and bring a variety of backgrounds and related experiences. They are spending three weeks with us for anti-trafficking training and Greek lessons during the day. Then, 3 nights a week we are hitting the streets at midnight to reach out to the Nigerian girls. We hope these extra visits to the streets will further deepen relationships. The goal is to have a small "party" with the girls the last Thurs in July before they leave for work on the streets. It's always helpful to talk with them without the looming pressure of customers, police and street distractions.

I've been buoyed by the intern's enthusiasm and commitment to the cause. They seem to be learning a lot and enjoying their time....and it's encouraging for us to have people visit with fresh eyes and energy. We will be brainstorming about ways they can take this new knowledge back to their home cities and churches. Trafficking is alive and well in the USA, too.

Lest you worry about all our hard work...we are building in fun, team-building activities too! We spent Wednesday at an island near Athens. We rented bikes for the day and rode them to a beach...the refreshing water was just what we needed to hide from the blazing Greek sun! Free travel advice: this country is much more comfortable to visit in the spring and fall!

We would appreciate your prayers to cover this next few weeks. It's a lot of time together and a lot of late nights! So please pray for team unity and energy. Also, there weren't that many great conversations in our first outreach on Thursday ...pray that we'd be able to connect in significant ways with the girls we meet.

mountain escape...

I had the chance to vacate the city for a few days last wk and escape to a small village sandwiched between the sea on one side and Mt. Olympus on the other. A perfect scenario really. Greece is beautiful just outside of Athens! ;)

We have a new team member! Annette hails from Australia and plans to be with Nea Zoi for two years. She has already started jumping headfirst into relationships with the women she's met on Outreach. Today she is meeting with two girls from Nigeria to start lessons in English reading/writing. These girls speak English but didn't have the chance to go to school. So, although we don't have experience teaching, we figured we could start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.....

Please pray for these sweet girls, Kelly & Kora. Kelly came to Athens to do this work...but she "didn't know it'd be like this." She does it to support her 4 younger siblings and Mom at home, as there is no work in Nigeria. She also signed over the deeds to her family's house when she came. She will supposedly get it back when she pays off her €50,000 debt to her trafficker. (...because a plane ticket from Nigeria costs €50,000 ??!??!???! ) But, since she can't read, what did she really sign?? As so many of the girls do, Kora has a similar story.

Please pray for wisdom for Annette today and pray that this is a start of friendship that God can use to lend hope, mercy, options and new opportunities.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free...." Gal 5