When I was in Ethiopia I met a lot of people, but one of those women in particular, turned out to be a soul-sister. How refreshing it was to meet someone who understood my emotions, my tendency to take the world upon my shoulders, and my deep passion for 'the least of these'. Liz has such a heart to be the hands and feet of Jesus. She shared with me of her heart for refugees and how at the end of the current school year, she, her husband, and two children were planning to transition to mission's work with refugees in Lesvos, Greece. They were looking for someone to come and work alongside of them and help with homeschooling their children. She asked me to pray about going.
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Lesvos is a small Greek Island in the Aegean Sea. Over the past three years, more than a million refugees have risked their lives to cross the Mytilini Strait to Lesvos hoping to find safety and a future free from conflict and war. There are refugee camps located in Lesvos, where refugees who are seeking asylum in Europe are processed and await resettlement. There is a former prison camp located on Lesvos that holds no more than 1,700 people, however right now there are over 7,000 refugees waiting (some for over a year) for relocation.
Although I have a heart for people, especially children, living in poverty I had never thought of working with refugees before. After she mentioned it, it was on my mind a lot. And I prayed about it a lot. However, due to the visa situation and some other details I felt that Greece was not a possibility at the moment, but I do recall thinking that maybe a short term trip was something I would do at some point. The refugees and Greece came to my mind every once in awhile and I wondered what God was doing there. In my head I never fully committed to going, but I also felt a tug on my heart towards the refugees in Greece.
In January, Liz reached out to me and we talked a little about Greece and the move her family had made to Michigan while working to help develop a program called TeachBeyond Borders. TeachBeyond is a mission’s organization that sends teachers across the world. A few of the teachers in Ethiopia actually are supported through TeachBeyond. TeachBeyond Borders is a new initiative that strives to develop, tailor, and connect their educational offerings to refugees and displaced persons. As they are developing this program they are starting with summer English Camps (which TeachBeyond does on a consistent basis in other locations).
Liz asked if the summer camp would be something Philip and I would pray about being involved with. Immediately I felt my heart jump at the opportunity, but reigned myself back in, thinking that Phil would never be able to take off that much work and we would only have been married for a few weeks. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. For the next two days it just would not leave my mind. Phil and I talked about it and he said that just because he wouldn’t be able to go didn’t mean I shouldn’t, so we started praying about it. A few weeks ago we were reading a chapter in a book and at the end of the Chapter Phil said, Lauren I think you need to go to Greece. I agreed that my heart was leaning the same direction so I applied for the program.
Less than two years ago I hadn't ever considered working with refugees and now God is sending me there to work with them. Even as I write this, my heart feels overwhelmed and broken. I cannot even begin to comprehend what these families and children are going through. I have no idea what is like to be surrounded by war and violence, to lose my home, and to lose everything I have. Some of these refugees have been separated from their families and they all deal with pain and hardship that most of us cannot even comprehend.
In the midst of all this, there are many children growing up with instability and with no opportunity for play, recreation, or to receive an education. And this is where TeachBeyond comes in. TeachBeyond partners with an NGO (Gateways2Life) that works to meet physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of the refugees. The goal of TeachBeyond’s summer camp is to provide children a safe, loving, and nourishing environment, in which they can play, learn, and create. The summer camp will also be providing English camps for the mother's of the refugee children. These summer camps are only the beginning of TeachBeyond’s work with the refugee population in Lesvos.
The summer camp runs for 10 days from July 15-25 (not including orientation and debrief). I will either be providing childcare for the infants and toddlers age group or helping to create curriculum and run programs for the 4-6 year old age group. I am both burdened and excited to have the opportunity to love on these children and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Prayer Requests: Please be praying for the parents and children on Lesvos that we will be working with. Also be praying for the development of TeachBeyond Borders and the continuation of their work with refugees. And finally, please be praying for me that God would prepare my heart, for safety, and provision for my financial needs to be met.
Please visit the following link if you would like to support me financially... https://give.teachbeyond.org/support/lauren-heitzman/. The cost of this trip will be around $2500. This cost covers camp costs, room and board, and airfare. Feel free to reach out to me if you want more information or to be a part of my email list!
Matthew 12:35-38 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King replied, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
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