What a week!

The protests in Athens haven’t completely died down, but they have for the most part turned peaceful.  We’ve been downtown to view some of the damage from the riots, and everything is mostly fine down there now.  Each evening [and some afternoons] the streets passing through some of the most popular areas for protestors are shut down, making travel a little more difficult.  Also, most of the universities have been closed ever since the riots and protests began.  Other than that, however, we’re not really very affected by the protests.  We thank you for your prayers and want to assure you of our safety again.

We also welcomed a group of Aggies here last week, visiting to see what our ministry is like.  It was fun having so many people around, even though students were mostly away from campus during all the protests.

During the week the Aggies were here, we took them to the refugee feeding program we work with to serve a Christmas meal to over 150 refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Algeria and Morocco.  What a great time!  At one point after the meal, people got up and began doing traditional dances to celebrate the good times.  Later a few young Moroccans got up on the stage to breakdance.  Who knew that was so big in Morocco!

While we were there, our Iraqi friend Mike told us that he would be leaving to find asylum in another European country, so he would be getting baptized before he left.  He told me that he wanted me to be there with him in the water with him when he was baptized.  I was so honored to be able to go with him to the refugee ministry’s camp north of Athens on Wednesday!  Catherine took photos while Mike was baptized by Bruce, the leader of the refugee program, and me.  This was the first time I have ever helped baptize anyone, and I was honored for Mike to be the first.

Enjoy some pictures from the day!

Finally on Sunday night we said goodbye to the Aggies, and Monday morning we welcomed my mother and sister for a Christmas visit.  We’re having a great time with them and are so happy to have them here.  What a week to be able to shake hands with an Iranian, baptize an Iraqi, have some Aggies over for dinner, and then walk the Acropolis with my mother and sister!