Saturday – June 4 My last shift in camp – my last full day on the island. After a few hour break from our 24 hour Skala shift, we set off for camp – or the detention center, depending how one feels about it that day.  We got there at 4 and walked through the…

Friday June 3 “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”  Ps 133:1 This is a prayer for the camp as so many factions have now hurt each other so the desire for retaliation and revenge is strong.  The vast majority of these people do not have the spirit of the…

Thursday – June 2 “Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun.  Look, the tears of the oppressed – with no one to comfort them.”        Ecc 4:1 I’m not quite sure how to talk about today.  I haven’t yet mentioned that on Tuesday there was a riot in…

Tuesday/Wednesday – May 30-June 1 Early Tuesday morning began our 24 hour shift at Skala. It’s really not as bad as it sounds. The day was very quiet, although it did get quite hot.  Luckily we have shade and a lovely breeze.  Then we can nip down to the village a mile below us and…

When Attie was just little and still learning English, she came into the house one hot day and announced, “I’m sweat!”  Obviously I remembered that fondly, and it really sums up the day well! We got to go back to the camp today!!  Yeah!!  Rejoicing all around.  We had our first day shift from 8-4….

Saturday/Sunday – May 28-29 Saturday we went to Turkey!  Yes – Turkey.  There is a ferry that goes over to Ayvalik, Turkey from Mytilene here.  It’s about an hour and a half ride and very relaxing.  I always like being out on the water.  The city itself is just a city – a number of…

Thursday/Friday – May 26 & 27 Our night at Skala was very uneventful, thank you Lord, and we even all slept well! Seka, our beautiful Icelandic friend, decided it would be a good idea to take the tarp, which covered a sitting area, down.  It flapped loudly in the stiff breeze and would probably disturb our…

Wednesday – May 25 What a glorious day it has been! At 6:30 am 6 of us headed up to Skala for a 24 hour shift. It has been a perfect sunny day with some stiff breezes at times. Skala is the stage two camp where refugees were taken from the beach and give dry…

Tuesday – May 24 Truly – a day off!  First one since I’ve arrived. So lovely – very little guilt.  Puttered this morning with house keeping chores – did my wash which means soaking it overnight in soapy water, scrubbing any noxious bits, rinsing it in the morning, and pegging it out.  Due to dry…

In regards to what I shared yesterday about security issues in the camp.  Please keep those to yourselves.  We do not want this to get out widely as it only fuels the idea that the refugees are terrorists when, in reality, a tiny handful of desperate people, with no hope, are acting out.  I feel…

Monday – May 23 The storms are over and today dawned clear and sunny.  I also had a full night’s sleep so I also rose up sunny! We still have no firm information about why we are not at the camp.  Rumors are rife, of course.  Safety issues seem to be the main consensus.  We…

Saturday/Sunday – May 21 & 22 Tonight I am writing from inside the camp. I’m sitting in the doorway of one of the buildings which is used for Greek and English classes. Opposite is the doorway of the clothing tent where I am spending many hours. There is no electricity in there, so even at…