Dear Friends and Family,
Every summer people from around the world flock to Greek beaches. It’s the highlight of the season and can also feel like the only relief from the heat. But for anyone who hasn’t learned how to swim, or who has experienced trauma associated with water, the sea isn’t a cool relief, but a deep unknown, too reflective of the uncontrollable dangers of life.
“When I look at the sea and it’s clear and still as glass I hate it.
It’s lifeless, void of emotion, it doesn’t move,
it’s like me.”
-Maddi (15)
As school ends and summer arrives, the request for a beach day inevitably comes, with grand plans of beach volleyball and an Afghan/Iranian picnic. The day before a beach day, we take a tally: who will come, who has permission, who needs a swim suit, who needs to borrow shorts, who will swim?
As class wraps up at 7 pm, usually all of the 12 or so girls will agree to swim, even for the first time (!) and they will bring their own suit.
By 11 am the next day, as the girls arrive at the beach, it’s clear something changed overnight. If we’re lucky, one or two girls will have brought their suit and are ready to swim.
Instead, from short shorts and skinny tees to corduroy pants and layered flannels, the whole wardrobe range shows up.
This trip, as we sit in our circle, under the shade of the umbrella pines on our blanket spread, we go around sharing our “good/beautiful things and bad/difficult things” of the week. One young woman, Jenna, who stands out with her long hair flowing in the wind, her spaghetti straps, light weight flower dress, and lipstick to match , shares:
Today I am proud of my self. Today is beautiful because I wore this dress. I’m uncomfortable with my skin, it has problems, but today, I’m trying to love myself”
After a small silence, the girls thank their friend for sharing and for being brave with a small gesture symbolizing love. Jenna puts her arm out and brings them close, like a hug, receiving the love.
Soon it’s clear most of the girls woke up that morning with some fear or insecurity hanging over their head, often spoken over them by family members. Together in our circle we listen and acknowledge this struggle in each other.
We pull out the bag of accumulated odd shorts, shirts, rash guards, and suits, and start sorting out who needs and can fit in what. Slowly, more and more girls decide they’d like to try swimming too!
We eventually reach the point of rearranging the clothes on our back to find the best possible swim combination for everyone. In small groups, the teens scurry off into the bushes to change and coming back sporting transformed conglomerations of something other than what they came in.
And together we go to the sea.
One of our first lessons (and biggest hurdles after getting our feet wet) is learning how to float. It’s also one of my favorite moments of every first beach day.
Once everyone is in up to their shins and splashing, one brave young woman will come to me and say “Allie, I want to swim”.
Hands held tightly, we wade into the water together.
Those who don’t feel fear don’t know courage. Those who face their fear, breathe it (courage).
The rest of the day, from the shore you can hear the words “You can do it! I’m here, I won’t leave you. You’ve got this, You did it! We can do it!” repeated through the nervous silence that gradually transforms into the boisterous laughter and shouts of free play and brave discovery.
“Everyone look! It’s so beautiful!”
Basi, equipped with her thick cotton tee, leggings and goggles, is the most enthusiastic bubble blower (averaging 15 seconds underwater over her friends’ 2-5 seconds)
An hour into splashing around in the sea, Basi jumps up and exclaims, “Guys! It’s so beautiful! You can open your eyes under water! You can see! Everyone listen! you have to see! It’s so beautiful!
She proceeds to teach everyone how to use their goggles properly, and hand in hand she leads us all on a sea walk to find beautiful things on the sea floor.
Wilderness adventure
Mohammad and five of his friends from the soccer team were among a group of eleven spending four days trekking and camping in the remote Pindos mountains of northwestern Greece. He wasn’t so used to hiking in the mountains, and at the first uphill section he started panting and struggling. The other guys teased him in subtle and not so subtle ways, and it was hard to keep a positive group spirit. Mohammad plodded onward in his silent struggle. With the build of an American football lineman, teasing from his soccer teammates is familiar to Mohammed. Like the pack on his back he bore their jabs without complaint and pushed onward.
The next day, refreshed by our night’s sleep on the gravelly riverbank and fortified by our breakfast of hot oatmeal, we were back on the trail, threading our path through the gorge and rock-hopping across the river.
Halfway through the day, the hardest section was still ahead of us - a 700 m (2300 ft) climb out of the valley. Mohammad and I left the group at our idyllic lunch rest spot a half hour ahead of the others to get a head start and put some space between us and any discouraging voices. Together, we tackled the climb step by step, tree by tree, setting small goals, pushing through the muscle burn for the catch-your-breath rest 20 steps up the trail. After 3 hours of hiking, Mohammad’s peers, who had been fully expecting to pass up their friend much sooner, were surprised to see Mohammad resting at the cool spring waiting for them to catch up.
However, the most painful section was still ahead. Everyone nearing the end of their steam, we set off.
Inspired by their friend’s perseverance, two of the older teens stepped in alongside Mohammad, encouraging him on these last, excruciating steps. When Mohammad’s pack was weighing him down his friends took turns sharing his load on top of their own heavy backpacks. Struggling together through the alpine meadows dotted with wild daffodils, lilies and tulips, under the shadows of the rocky cliffs studded with age-old pine trees, we at last crested the ridge. Our goal came into view: two jewel-like lakes connected by a waterfall, with a small meadow perfect for camping.
Mohammad and the others were too exhausted to yell in victory, but with proud grins we gave each other congratulatory hugs. That night huddled together around the campfire we shared openly about our dreams for the future, role models in our life and what has changed us. Our sense of family and group spirit had grown deeper together.
Thank you for being a part of helping these refugee teenagers experience the ways of Jesus!
Please pray for them as they continue to find their way through difficult and confusing life circumstances.
Also pray for us, as we started a six-month furlough away from Greece at the end of July. These first few months we have been in Germany and the Netherlands, and we hope to be in the States from around October till New Year’s. We have lots of traveling to do and lots of people to visit! We will update you more later.