Dear Friends and Family,
You are receiving this letter because I wanted you to hear from
me, rather than “through the grapevine”, about an opportunity
that God is opening for us to serve in Greece. A year ago, we
were able to serve the refugees with Servant Group International.
It had a lasting impact on all of us. Sitting at an abandoned school, in classrooms that were now homes to 3 or 4 families, we listened to personal stories of rafts sinking, buildings bombed, homes destroyed, forced military service, and walking miles to escape. These people, who had nothing, invited us to sit with them, eat with them, share tea with them.
Since that time, the plight of the many refugees that are still stuck in Athens has been on our hearts and in our prayers. More are still coming, although that flow has slowed some since the borders north are now closed. These individuals need supplies, ESL classes, places to take showers, but also they need encouragement and a reason to hope. How very excited I was when SGI contacted me to see if I would be interested in going back to be the field co- ordinator for teams going over short-term. This will allow me to continue to listen and love.
After a trip to Atlanta last month, I was approved for a Visa and we are now making plans to leave for Greece in late March and be in Athens for @ 4 months. During this time, I will be working with monthly short-term teams sent over through SGI. The teams along with myself and our girls will be working at local ministry centers and or refugee camps. We will sort and deliver supplies, help with children’s activities, cook, help with ESL classes as well as shop to meet unmet needs. Dwane will be continuing to teach his Latin and Greek classes online while studying Greek at a language school in Athens. Jackson will be joining us in Greece, later in the summer.
We are excited to see how God has been orchestrating all of these details, long before we knew of His plan. We are excited to go and serve and invite you to come also (contact SGI). We also invite you to take part through prayer support and financial giving. My goal is to raise $6000 in support to help cover my expenses each year.
You can send a one-time gift, or if you are able to donate monthly, your support will be held for me at SGI in an account and will be sent to me as needed.
Thank you for your prayer, encouragement, and support.
Blessings, Gretchen Thomas
To donate online, please visit www.ServantGroup.org, go to the donate page, and select my name from the pull-down list.
