Valley Creek Church

After many hours, we arrived in Athens!

Team 1 got the chance to worship at the Glyfada Christian Center! Our message was on how our world view should be shaped by Christ, and nothing else.

Team 3 worshipped at 2nd evangelical this morning

We enjoyed a worship service and a great message at church In Chania

This is one of the locations where our team will serve. A church with many young people and diverse mission organisations from Hellenic Ministries

The person leading this church was also Justin

After church, all three groups would come together to climb the Akropolis of Athens. A monument of 2500 years old.

A group picture in front of the Parthenon

We are here in front of the famous words from the book of Acts that tell the story of Paul in Athens.

On top of Mars Hill, where Paul stood and was allowed to speak about 4 minutes. He connected well with the history and several people accepted Christ. A great and inspiring story how he presented the unknown God that they worshipped.

We received the plan of our mission trip and how to connect with Greeks. We continue a journey that started 18 years ago. It is called project Oikos. It translates “home”. It is a follow up of project Joshua, where every home in Greece received a New Testament in Greek. Oikos goes back to places to connect with the people and to encourage them.

Last year they sent many teams into the country. We take three locations. One team to Ioannina (Northwest). One team to Chania (Crete). And a team to City church Athens. It is a great start of our journey and we are looking forward. It sounds very promising.

The team divided into 3 teams and went into 3 different areas of Greece. Team Chania arrived on the island of Crete and enjoyed lunch at Anamnisi Church.

Team Chania went on a prayer walk to the harbor in the old town in Chania. Along the way, we met people as the Lord led and talked to them about Jesus.

Not a bad place for a pit stop on our way to Ioannina!

Worshipped and giving Praise to God on top of a mountain at Holy Trinity Monestary. We are praying new things over Greece.

“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

The Ioannina team has arrived! We got to meet Chase and hear about his ministry to the college campus. We can’t wait to see what God does!

Team 2 went a completely different direction. We helped Henneke, who does trauma care to refugees. She stops with her camper van opposite the camp and we made a lot of contact with the refugees from Afghanistan, Koerdistan, Sudan, Syria and other places. Many children enjoyed the games, many women sat and enjoyed the company, and even men enjoyed volleybal and other games. A lot of love was shown and many great conversations were held. Such a great team.

Henneke and her two helpers were thanked by us, that we could come and meet with these people. We agreed it was a great day. And we were allowed to pray for them and the refugees.

After the ministry, team 2 went to the new hotel close to Rafina, right at the Mediterranean Sea east of Athens. A great day, and even during debriefing the barman joined us with worship and Jesus touched him. So many God given meetings today. Praise God. Tomorrow team 2 is going to split up in two groups to connect with two ministries. The food was really good again.

This is located between a few refugee camps. Received by a miracle from God and a place where 10 mission organizations work together. Today there were English lessons for kids. German lessons and English lessons. We served waffles and tea with a lot of sugar.

The place was run by Michael and another Justin. Many people from Sudan and South Sudan. At the same time we met people from different organisations. We all had very good conversations, made music and connections. Especially great to hear how Jesus revealed himself to several refugees.

The Chania team started out the day at the Amnamisi church at the prayer meeting where we also shared our testimonies with each other.

After the prayer meeting at the church and lunch, the Chania went to the beach, and while going there and during our time there, we continued to have conversations with people we encountered.

In the evening, we all met at the college in Chania where we played basketball. Other Greeks who were there joined in playing and we were able to invite them to church on Thursday night. The girls on the team prayed for opportunities to talk to someone and four girls walked up and they began talking. God orchestrated encounters.

Team 1 went across the college campus here i. Ioannina and hung around the coffee shop and bus stop just talking to students. So many amazing conversations happened and many students were open to talking more about Jesus!

Tonight, team 1 went into the square and prayer walked, talked to people and worshipped!

Team 2 from Athens also visited the Hellenic Ministries homeless program. They prepare meals on a daily basis for the homeless and on other days for Ukrainians, Persians, and Arabs. Many people were served a good meal in Evripidou on the 7th floor. But they are served so much more: worship, testimony, encouragement and the word of God.

It was a special day at the homeless ministry. One of us shared testimony and as a team we sang a song for the homeless, that were mostly older people. A great experience.

After ministry we came back together and shared and prayed. Every student has prepared a devotion. The team that went to Evripidou also visited Rainlab. Here they help people learn to make clothes and they started a professional brand. The other half of our group came home with stories from Malakasa (the shelter by the pine trees). It was evaluated by one of the girls “10 out of 10”.

We are very happy with our partners in ministry.

Team 1 is back at the college, hanging out and talking with students. It's a great place to learn about Greek culture but also share the hope and love of Christ!

Pastor Justin explained the situation in Greece very well. Each country needs its own approach. He told us how they distributed a Bible to every home in Greece, and what the program of the day would be.

Our first job was a cleaning job. There is a new space that needs to be prepared for a basketball field indoor for the neighbourhood, and inside and outside there were teams to help. And we had also help.

This needed more than two hands.

Lovely children

After lunch there came some students from the Greek Bible College. And we shared testimonies.

The stories were amazing and very intimate, and very encouraging.

After the testimonies we loaded the cars with Bibles and went to one of the villages. The plan was to give every house a Bible.

We went through the whole village and left every home a Bible!

Team 2 had a great day that ended with a great dinner. Voices said that the food was even better than yesterday.

We went out into Chania again to prayer walk and have conversations with anyone the Lord led us to. We also worshipped while others talked with people in the square. .

We talked to many in Chania about Jesus and invited them to the worship event at the church.

During the midweek meeting, we shared testimonies with those at Anamnisi Church in Chania.

After we ate pizza, team Chania had a spontaneous worship and we prayed for healings.

Team 1 spent some time on the university campus praying and connecting with students. This graffiti was a great reminder - not to leave our mark - but to leave God’s mark wherever we go

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭

Today we continued cleaning where we left off yesterday. Actually, we decided to stay longer to clean some more and stay all day, because it seemed the right thing to do.

It was a pleasure to serve our dear family in City Church. Justin and Evangelina with three of their 4 children.

We joined the prayer meeting. Prayers in Greek and English, and our team leading the worship.

We wanted to stay even longer….

But tomorrow we relocate again to Athens where we will see some more ministry, and come together with all the groups again.

We are about to leave our lovely hotel. This is the view. On the left you see the hotel. We will continue our journey from the hotel in Athens, when our three teams come together again. Bye from here.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with Me. (Song of songs 2:11-13)

Today we served alongside Anamnisi Church in Chania. They have a shower and laundry ministry and a thrift store to give clothes for free to those who come.

The team in Chania did some deep cleaning at the church. This is something that the ministry partners do not have time to do with all the needs in the community that they try to meet. One of our team even expressed interest in cleaning the lights up high before knowing that that was exactly the need.

We prepared snacks for the worship night that the team led. The boys did a wonderful presentation of the cookie plates!

During the worship night, we prayed for those who wanted prayer or healing prayer ministry.

Yesterday, Team 1 hosted a party at New Life Center where we invited students from a local university to come enjoy fellowship together and enjoy some free food and games. At the end we were able to share the vision for this place and to pray a blessing over them

One of the students connected closely with a university student in Ioannina. They were able to have deep faith conversations and then also just enjoy jamming together on guitar!

Team 1 plus new friends outside of the New Life Center in Ioannina

Today all three teams merged back into one large group and celebrated the week with dinner together and worship on the rooftop. What a great time to celebrate what God has done, is doing now, and will continue to do!

Team 2 visited in Friday two ministries. Threads of hope takes care of people that come out of prostitution. To provide them a sewing job. The other half of the team went to Hagar ministry. They reach out to girls and other people connected with the Strip tents.

Eva Lena talked about trafficking and about 70 million people that are in modern slavery. And how the laws legalized prostitution. A situation we should not just accept….

With a small group we climbed Wolf Mountain and enjoyed lunch, the view and we prayed for Greece. In the background we see the Akropolis, the Aegean Sea and even one of the islands.

On our way to Corinth we passed the Corinth Canal. The land is here very small and they created a three and a half mile Canal. Is was finished in 1893. But it is know that in the time of Paul they brought cargo from one side to the other side. This made Corinth very rich.

This is Acro Corinth, which is an ancient fortress and on top there was a temple. We prayed in the location where there used to be a Temple to Aphrodite. Thanks be to God for redeeming even the largest strongholds!

So cool to see these ancient ruins still standing after all these years

Up where the team is receiving a devotion was the place where Gallio stood. Paul was brought before this place of judgement. God already spoke in Acts 18 to Paul to not be afraid because nobody would do him any harm. Instead of Paul, Sosthenos, who wanted Paul to be publicly shamed, was taken and was flocked. Gallio did nothing to stop that. God is in control.

What can we say? It was an amazing trip with almost to many impressions to mention. Yesterday we had an amazing evening of encouragement and ice-cream. Today we were all present in the bus to the airport at 05:00 am. See you all soon ????