This time with pics!

Ya-sas! Hello!

It is almost 11 in the evening here in Athens on Friday the 13th. Today was a free day, so Almira and I went exploring Athens some more on the metro and ended up at The Mall (literally called, The Mall) and the Olympic Stadium. Although it sounds quite silly that we went to The Mall it gave me a chance to really interact with Athenians. Even though I'm in Greece, much of my interaction is with the refugees (who are mainly Afghanis) or with my team (basically North Americans) or with my roommates, Almira (who is from Russia) and Stephanie (from Ohio). This has truly been a cultural experience.

Thursday was a work day at the Center though. Every Thursday is 'Shower Day'. The men arrive in the morning and shower from about 10 to 2. The women then arrive with the children around 3 and shower until 6. We set up chairs, steep some tea and put out some biscuits before they arrive. We also get the flip-flops, towels, hair brushes, shampoo, etc. ready.

It is a smaller amount of women that come for showers (an almost selective amount) because the ARC can't handle much more. The families come and we all greet each other with a warm 'Salaam!' and three kisses on the cheeks (holding the last one a little longer than the others). The kids then run to the children's room and fight over which video we'll watch (their favorites are Little Mermaid II or Pocahontas). We sit and chat for a while while the older boys take their turn in the showers. The oldest boy in the picture above relishes this time because he is too old to live in the same Sisters of Charity home as his mother and younger siblings. He instead lives in a home with older men, selling trinkets on the street to pay for his food. He is a delight though, very polite.

The highlight of the day was when Carolyn passed out new underwear for the women. Most of the children can't afford to wear any underwear and the others likely have two pairs they rotate. We take so much for granted, even the unmentionables. Most of the women haven't had a bra in years. Stephanie (my roommate) and I decided that when we go back to school we are having a bra drive in the women's dorms. Underwear is light really and if you could see the look on their faces when they get a new pair you know the shipping costs would be worth it. We're still trying to come up with a more catchy name....any suggestions? Bras for Afghanis? Or is it Afghans? (The Office...remember?)

So Thursday was a pretty eye-opening day, but the women are wonderful and love to have their pictures taken. I also became more aware than ever how these refugees are being affected psychologically. Some children are five years old, but still operate as a two-year-old and some women look much older than they really are. Of course, they are all beautiful, but that too can be dangerous. The needs for these people are continuous....

A few things to be in prayer for:
*Almira went to see about an extension for her visa. Each day would cost 50 Euros...a price that isn't consistent for everyone.
*For time for relaxation for the Helping Hands staff here in Athens. Summer means more refugees, more teams and less charitable giving.
*While the last families were showering on Thursday we blew a fuse. We thought it was something quite easy to fix, but it turns out it was the water heater itself. It's questionable whether or not Helping Hands can afford to fix it, but after seeing how necessary such an outreach is, please pray that the funds arrive.

Until next time! Oh! And I have Skype now! Email me if you want to get in touch. Salaam!