Refugee Hotel/Home

Video clip: http://www.tvxs.gr/v10669

This video shows the living conditions of our friends from North Africa. A collegue of mine (Stephan) and myself have been to this place three times this week. A human rights group that is working with them encouraged them to clean the place up to make a better case for themselves. Stephan and I immediately saw (admittidly only some of) the challange to cleaning an 8 floor hotel hosting 500-700 guys with no electricity or running water. The immediate challange was the lack of cleaning supplies. So, because of the support we receive from our families, friends and churches we were able to provide the guys with the supplies they needed. We had been praying for a way to come see where these guys live. Monday, Stephan received an invitation from one of the guys. Tuesday night, the night before they were to be evicted, he and I went. Wednesday, during the shower time at our ministries building, the police came to their hotel. Many of the guys left the showers to collect the their belongings with the big question of "what's next?" swimming in their minds. Not too long after the police arrived a few jounalists with a camara arrived. The police took off showing they didn't have the complete authority they needed to be there. That day we figured out what supplies were needed and we went shopping a few blocks away. Stephan and I went back Saturday taking our friend Collin from South Africa along with us. We also brought the rest of the needed supplies.
What this open door has done for our relationships with these guys cannot be put into words. Everyone of these guys are Muslims, and they know we are Christians. They know we come in the name of Jesus. We have a discussion group with about 15 of them every week. They are very curious about the Christian faith and Scriptures; very skeptical, very religious in their own right, but very curious.
May God continue to forge these relationships and open more doors. May He keep them up at night with questions about who He is and who His Son is. May He, by whatever means, bring them into His glorious Light.