We depart Friday afternoon for Athens, arriving on Saturday, April 15. Athens is the capital of Greece, and it's one of the oldest cities in the world. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. Athens has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot,dry summers, followed by mild, wet winters.
Facts from the International Rescue Committee (IRC): Close to 62,000 refugees fleeing violence are currently stranded in Greece, over half of them are women and children. They have been traumatized by the conflicts they seek to escape. In Greece, they endure the added stress of uncertainty and constant waiting. The legal path available to refugees in Greece—either asylum in the country or relocation elsewhere in Europe—is a long one: The relevant authorities don't have enough staff to process asylum claims quickly. Refugees have been forced to wait in temporary camps, with limited access to crucial information and available services. The psychological toll is immense. Many suffer not only from the trauma of witnessing the death of loved ones, but also the profound sense of powerlessness of a refugee’s life in limbo.
Pray that the Lord will enable our team to offer words of hope and prayers of comfort to the men, women and children we meet at the day centers in Athens.
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