The Lost Boys of Afghanistan

{photo by the NY Times}

Months ago I wrote a post, Ghosts of Patras. This post made aware the plight of refugees and migrants who lived in limbo in Greece. The New York Times posted an article the other morning speaking on this very topic. How grateful I was to see more light shed on the conditions that these men and women live in. More than the story are the images. The photograph shot in black and white relay the emotion, their stark reality.

{photo by the NY Times}

{Photo by the NY Times}

I've also discovered another emotionally stirring article and well as this heart-breaking report which addresses the Iraqis refugee stuck in a sort of revolving door between Turkey and Greece, seeing no hope in sight. This latter report addresses the same issue the NY Times reported on which was that of the Afghan youth in Greece. You can also watch this clip. Another powerful that tells the jounrey of an Iraqi refugee who has made it through Greece and on to France, now attempting to cross from France to England, which this clip titled After Sangatte: Europe's untold Refugee Crisis.

Years ago, I had just returned from my time living abroad in Italy. I was struggling to understand why God had me live in Italy.. here I was back in Franklin working the same job at Starbucks as I had been prior to leaving. Those first few months home, I went through a wave of emotions in seeking to understand the 'why'. A visiting pastor at my church was gifted in counseling, was offering his time to to meet with us over a two day period. On a whim, I decided to meet with him. When I think back on this meeting, I remember that I had not shared much- rather he was sensitive to where I was at. He told me that it was ok that I wasn't at peace with just 'staying in Franklin'. God has put big visions in my heart for many nations and He was going to do something with that. I wasn't meant to stay. At this, I felt relief and terrified at the same time. What did this mean? Many nations? I only was familiar with a small corner of the globe. Months later, I was hired to work for Joshua Expeditions. And as I sit here, having come into my 5 season with JE, having witnesses much- I recognize my heart for many nations.. they are all pouring into one continent: Europe. I've seen this on massive levels. In Florence, I've heard the stories of young Cameroonians while selling watches; in Paris I've met and seen their hurt in the eyes of Algerians while bartering pursues; In Rome I've encountered Bangladeshi who've crossed an ocean to sell toys in from of the Trevi Fountain; in Patras I've watched as the Afghan lines the streets in Patras attempting to run and hide under a semi-truck as it travels to Italy; In Athens I've witnesses Albanian couples come together for a night of worship, in Albania, a safe place for them to feel home; in London the Pakistani and Iraqis; in Munich the Turkish.. the list is endless. Many nations. So many are left without hope.

For so many of us here in American, we live in incredible luxury. We have the luxury to choose to live a simple life. Yet the majority of the world does not have that luxury. We are called to love because the love of Christ compels us. To not segregate but embrace those, bring them into our lives; we are to show active compassion and affirm those who've lost that hope of their dignity and give them a voice. Through that active compassion, it transforms lives.

Greece is only one corner of the globe. What is happening in this part of Europe, is happening in thousands of other locations. Here are a few other resources to make yourself more aware of these crimes against humanity and how you can help:

The International Rescue Committee
UN Refugee Agency
IT Refugee Ministry

Immigration within Europe: Beginning thoughts

As the last remaining embers of my time in Greece begin to fade, the few things remain deny me sleep. My body continues to keep in rhyme of Athens time and I find myself drinking Greek filtered coffee and enjoy a pear I happened to stuff in my bag from breakfast that last morning.. making the long journey with me. But it’s not so much the fact that I’m waking at 4am wide eyed and ready for the day rather its all that I am attempting to process through, sifting through the images my mind’s eye has captured in time.. trying to make sense of it all, see the bigger picture. Yet this big picture isn’t a beautiful one, in fact.. its crushing. The more I seek to know, to understand, to make some sense of.. the more I’m convinced that the real problem in this world is not the economic crisis.. rather it is that of the human condition.. the cries of humanity is on its knees.

The face of Europe is changing.. and faster than many are willing to admit. In almost every, if not all countries in Europe, the death rate is higher than the birth rate. It’s a dying continent. This creates big problems for countries that are very depend on the social welfare of their government. You have smaller younger generations having to support a rapidly aging population. The problem there is that this younger generation is not finding work not are they having children. I’ve come to learn that there is a village in France, the mayor of the town is paying the women to encourage them to have babies and to commit to keep them in school in town until a certain age in order to ‘guarantee’ the survival of the community. That’s incredible!

So how are these countries to live on..? Or maybe the first question to address is why are the Europeans not having children or only one child? There is so much to speak on this issue, which I will save for another entry. Yet there are those who are having children, and lots of them: Immigrants.

This is a massive issue to tackle in even being able to speak about, understand and comprehend. I’ve not only experienced first hand this reality throughout Europe, but I’ve spent time speaking to various immigrants over the years, spent endless hours pouring over articles, news reports and reading first hand accounts. It’s amazing to study migration of people. Look at the end of the 19th century. Europeans were moving out of this continent in droves. A hundred years later, droves are pouring into Europe from all over.

NPR recently did a weekly series on morning edition called: Racism in Europe (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99220519) and MSNBC has put together a wonderful website addressing the changes facing Europe through the eyes of immigrants:( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19227137 ) Please take the time to watch the story on Kingsley from Africa.


Where I tend to lose my composure is when I read and watch the individual stories following the journey of a migrant/refugee from their home to Europe. Why do they leave for Europe? For each of them there is a cruel reality I hope I never experience in my lifetime. Each leave hopeful of a life better than what they’ve lived. Their families either gone or are encouraging of their trip for they too have hope for their child, parent, brother or friend to make a better life. This journey takes months, years even. So many die in the process. While in Greece, the last day I was there I saw images of a 13 years old boy from Iraq who had buried to death from hiding under a truck trying to get on a ship to Italy. They are at the mercy of those strangers willing to help them make their way to Europe, their beacon of hope. Why this is hard to watch is because of the reality that I know awaits them in Europe…

I think about how I moved to Italy because I wanted to experience another culture, learn a language and do something that pushed me to see a world bigger than my own. I chose to leave and looked at is as an experience to put under my belt. I didn’t have to leave because I was being pushed out of my country. I didn’t leave because living conditions were so horrible that I had to risk everything in hopes to have something. It’s humbling to recognize how God has allowed this for my life and continues to show me Grace.

There was a night while living in Florence that I was with a Albanian friend of mine. He was illegal living in Italy. I remember him lying on the wall along the Arno river. I don’t remember what we were talking about except that I remember looking at him as he lay there pinching that place between your eyes and the bridge of your nose. Tears slid down his face and he said ‘this life is no good. This life is no good.’ He worked every day of the week and two different jobs, manual labor. Here I was in Italy acquiring a language and a new life because I wanted the experience. Here he was living in Italy speaking three language to survive and . At that time, I couldn’t understand really what he was feeling. How naïve I was. Now I think back to that night and my heart breaks. I want to be a voice for those who live in the margins and are denied so much because of where they are from.

Once again I’ve created rabbit trails with my thoughts. I’m trying to make sense of all that I’ve seen and experienced. I’m not sure how He will continue to work through me with all this but I know He will in big ways. More to come on immigration in Europe.