A fresh start to a new semester

Καλη μερα!

After a few weeks of travel, I’m back in the swing of things in Athens. I’ve had a great week here. I’ve loved getting text messages from Greek student friends. It’s been fun to reconnect with my team. I’m looking forward to all that the Lord has in store for us this semester.

Last month I enjoyed a couple of conferences—one in Spain for people serving in Europe, Russia, and the Middle East and one in Ireland for national campus leaders across Europe. Both conferences refreshed me spiritually as we talked about Christ and His redemption in our lives. I was also encouraged by the vision of extending His love to people around the world. Leaders and coaches led planning sessions and met with us individually to help us move forward in our ministries. I returned to Athens ready to dive back into our work here.
We’re seeing students show signs of spiritual growth. Eleni, who we met during our training week, asks about how she can be more involved in the discussions we have about spiritual things. Thanos took a Bible, deciding that he wants to learn about God for himself. Ioanna talked through God’s plan to have a relationship with us through Christ and said that she wanted Him to enter her life. She’s excited to talk more about it with my roommate.

Would you pray with us…

-That students would continue to grow in their hunger to know God personally and that God would give them understanding of spiritual things. I’d love for Him to draw them into vibrant relationships with Himself.

-That God would deepen our relationships with Greek students. We're praying for our schedules to match up well (especially because they're in finals for the next month), for us to grow in enjoying and knowing one another, and for our conversations to lead us all closer to the Lord.

-That the Lord would send 12-18 short-term staff for next year. This month is the time that students historically make decisions about how they’ll spend the next school year. I’m asking Him to lead them clearly and to encourage them as they decide.
Thanks so much!!

pictures from the holidays

Laborers

Before Christmas a group of sixteen students from Texas A&M joined us for ten days. They helped us make new Greek friends on campus. We introduced them to some of our friends at a party. We took prayer walks on campus, asking God to move mightily to draw students to Himself.

Their trip blessed us in incredible ways! We were so encouraged, as a team, to have them work alongside us. Their growing compassion for Greek students strengthened us and raised our hope for what the Lord will do here.

More than anything, they provided our most tangible need for laborers on campus. Our ministry depends on relationships with students. With only six of us working on campus full-time, our ability to connect with many students is limited. We loved the opportunity to make more friends!

These students will go back to College Station as our ambassadors. They'll lead the charge in praying for our ministry here. They'll tell other students about God's work with students in Greece. They're considering returning for a summer or a year to join us in direct ministry.

This is the time of year when students are making decisions about their summers and their next school years. Would you pray that the Lord would call many to join us to labor here-- both this summer and next year?

Student Riots

It’s interesting to live in a place where anarchists and communists are common. In America they’re extremists, not your next-door neighbors.
I live in the university community outside of the downtown area where students protest. Thankfully, it’s quiet here. You’d never know that it should be a school day. Only old men wander the campuses out here.As I type this update I’m skyping with a Greek friend who is filling me in on the reasons behind the riots. She says that the anarchists fight against the corrupt police force that supports and protects corrupt mobsters. She says that nothing will truly change without a break in the chain of violence. Her solution is education. She asked me how I thought things could change. I told her that real change has to happen in hearts.

During these tumultuous days I’m praying that students, and Greeks in general, will realize the need for revolution in our hearts. I want, more than anything, for Greeks to find real life and peace in a relationship with Jesus that will bring life and peace to this entire country.

Field Training

Staff said they enjoyed our field training last week. Our sessions on growing as leaders, sharing our faith, and leading students gave them tangible next steps for their ministries.
Conversations with students encouraged me last week. We set out to talk with students about the things we’re currently learning from the Lord and our conversations were enjoyable and good.
-Paige and I met three girls at the Polytech. They felt like friends after spending a half an hour with them. We laughed and shared stories and talked about what we believed. One said that it was amazing that she met us—that she’d never thought about spiritual things much before recently. She’s made some friends that don’t believe in God and she wants to figure out what she believes. She was excited that I had a Bible I could give her—she even had me sign it. Both she and another of the girls came to a party we had later in the week.
-Katerina and I met another three girls at the economics faculty downtown. They’ve spent time studying abroad, so we felt like we had a connection. We talked about all kinds of things- even the problem of evil. One of the girls asked how we can trust God to protect us when we see people victimized who believe in Him all over the world. I appreciated the deep discussion and hope for more good conversations with these girls.

Staff Field Training

I've just returned to the office after a really fun evening. Our staff from Thessaloniki came to town for a training week and all of us helped another local ministry serve a meal to refugees downtown. Afterward, we went to Chinatown (not big like in the States) for authentic Chinese food. It's great for us all to be together!

We've gathered our on-campus staff in Greece for development. We're asking the Lord to teach us all individually and to sharpen us through one another. Our topics include ministering out of an overflow of a vital relationship with God, the art and science of sharing our faith, growing as a leader, and the essentials of a spiritual movement.

You can pray with us

• that the Lord will draw us closer to Himself and make us more like Him.
• that He would deepen our relationships with one another and teach us through one another.
• that He would guide our times on campus, leading us to the experiences that will give us and the students a greater knowledge of His goodness (Philemon 5).
• that He would prepare us for His next steps on all of our campuses in Greece.

I'm so grateful for you!

Voting Results

There are so many things I could write!
To follow up on the last update, I’m encouraged by what the Lord did through our voting outreach.

• Almost 500 students voted.
• Our interactions with students were enjoyable. They wanted to “play our game.”
• We’ve made some friends who have spent more time with us and have shown interest in spiritual things since the outreach.
• Students, who don’t own their own computers or have easy access to computers on campus, have taken the card with our e-mail address and have found our websites.
o 78 different students went to the website that displayed the results and tells about our student group.
o 32 of them went from there to our site devoted to knowing God personally.

I’m also encouraged by our friendships with Greek students. They’re growing in breadth and depth.
• We’re meeting more and more students.
o Some girls that Amy and I met texted us when they couldn’t find us in our usual spot at the café in the theology school last Thursday.
o Friends we meet on campus introduce us to other friends as we spend time with them. When we have parties, the groups of students easily mix and enjoy one another.
o When Paige (my roommate) and I were grabbing lunch to eat with some people she met through the voting outreach, a girl helped us buy sandwiches and asked for our phone numbers. She’s been texting me all week, trying to find a time for us to meet.
• Our conversations are surfacing interest in learning about Christ.
o Students tell us they want to discuss the Bible with us.
o Students say they want to make their faith their own—to figure out what they believe personally.

Please pray with us
• That the Lord would continue to lead us to conversations and relationships with people He will draw into a relationship with Himself.
• That He would free up schedules for good conversations with students.
• That He would lead us and students in our conversations to more fully understand and experience abundant life in Him.