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

update from sweltering Greece...

Most of the Nea Zoi staff at a Team Retreat last month.

Good reports keep coming in about the 'escapee' from last month. She seems to be adjusting well in the shelter and they are working on getting her legal papers so she can travel home to Romania.

In other news, last week I met with 2 girls that want new jobs. One is not working on the streets anymore and the other girl is still there until she can find something else. While it's encouraging to meet girls that are asking for new work, it's so frustrating for me to not be able to hand them something on a silver platter! I've read of organizations in other countries (such as Cambodia) that can give the girls sewing positions or domestic house-cleaning jobs. Sadly, we can't do that in Athens....we don't have jobs to offer and the economy is crummy in general. But we are glad to come along side them as they search....network with them, sit with them while they make phone calls, help them read the Greek newspaper ads. Hopefully our encouragement and support is a wee bit helpful!

But I would love to see a Greek businessperson (someone who would know how to jump thru all the Greek bureaucracy hoops!) want to open a coffee shop to employ a couple of our girls. He/she would have to view it as "mission" because the girls have tough backgrounds and varied levels of experience or qualifications....they may work one wk and then not show up the next! But I love the idea of business as mission. Hmmm, I'll have to pray about that more intentionally/specifically...

In the meantime, please pray for ideas, faithfulness and wisdom as we work with these girls. And for open doors to new life...

ps...if you are reading this today/Thursday, I'm headed to our 12:00-2:00am outreach! Please shoot a prayer! Thanks!