This past fall Oct. 2008, 5 members of the Raven team participated in a missions trip to Athens, Greece. We worked alongside a the local pastor at the Mercy Center, a place of refuge for the lost and drug addicted that come off of the streets of Athens. Presently, those who are residing there now have been set free from heroin addiction and their lives are being transformed and restored by the power of Almighty God.
In the heart of Athens, the team ministered primarily to people that are enslaved to drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, homosexuality and homelessness. Our main target location was at a neighboring park called Omonia Square Park. This park is saturated with dark spiritual strongholds and is also a large demonic temptation for the youth of this area. Heroin is the choice drug and is used openly and without shame. Many confessed that they are tired, weary, and drained from their addictions. We prayed, embraced, and shared the love of Jesus with these young men and women whose hearts are crying and aching to be set free. We also performed a powerful drama that was supernaturally animated by the Holy Spirit. The drama demonstrated that they too can be freed from their bondage to sin and addiction. What a day of ministry!
To our amazement Athens is exploding with an ocean of immigrants from the surrounding countries that border Greece. One day we ministered in a heavily oppressed area called Crossroad of Addiction. We witnessed hundreds of refugees from across the world within a 3 block perimeter. The vast majority of these immigrants are Muslim and many are frantically seeking work. Because there are no job opportunities in Greece they resort to drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, drug sales and homelessness. Rejected and confused their dreams and hopes for a future in work are shattered. Sadly these immigrants turn to stealing and violence runs rampant out of desperation. We have never witnessed a mass of hopelessness concentrated in one location of this magnitude before. Many wander aimlessly looking for a way out but it is evident that they are bound and desperately seeking to fill that empty void in their hearts. As we ministered, we discovered that many were spiritually hungry and were open to knowing “Who is this Jesus?” Streams of poor and needy people anxiously stood in line to receive a sandwich and curious souls crowded together to hear the Gospel and testimonies.
A testimony birthed in Greece! One night we hosted a children’s outreach at the Mercy Center with face paintings and a children’s drama. To our surprise for the very first time, Afghani women and children began to pour into the Mercy Center. Initially the women were unapproachable and were hesitant to receive our warm welcomes. By the end of the night they were smiling and felt accepted and loved and in return they loved us back. We recently received a report that these women have returned with their husbands and an entire Afghani community is making the Mercy Center their place of worship! Multitudes have received Christ as their personal Savior and they are being nurtured and fed the Word of God! In addition, just recently, Athens erupted into massive violence and political protests fueled by anarchists. In the midst of what was one of the worst riots, 30 Afghani men and women raised their hands at the Mercy Center and accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts!
One night in Omonia Square Park, a team member shared about Jesus to three young Afghani men. They were very skeptical and claimed that they were Muslim. The team member invited them to come to the Mercy Center to the service and to hear us talk more about Jesus. The young men attended the service that following Tuesday! A seed was planted in their hearts that night as they listened to the message with open hearts. They received Bibles in the Farsi language and were ministered to after the service. The next time we saw them at the park they volunteered to pass out tracts with us and introduced us to the rest of their Afghani friends. They were beaming and open to receive prayers and it was a night of rejoicing for all of us.
