Before reading the following about the evangelistic excursion of the Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Veria in Mytilene, we would like to say that this was an amazing life experience which we’ll never forget.

Because it’s completely differen to see refugees struggling to reach out the seashore in front of your eyes than watching it in photos from the internet of the news. All these happen, while we already have a significant experience with the refugees in Eidomeni since some time now, since the beginning of Fall 2015, we go once per week to the refugee’s camp in Eidomeni and help those suffering people! We thank the Lord for giving us this chance to see all these things live in front of us.
        We were a Christian team of 17 people to whom the Lord put in their hearts the desire to travel to Lesvos island and see from close Europe’s refugee’s entrance point. We were brothers and sisters from Athens, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Katerini, Drama, Thasos island, Evros, Spain, USA and Berea. During our departure form “Macedonia” airport in Thessaloniki on Friday 22/1/2016, we were all pretty excited.
        After we landed at Mytilene’s airport, we were headed to a well-known super market from which we had pre-ordered a few days ago, things for the refugees in order to make 800 bags with first aid things inside. We had ordered croissants, baby wipes, dolmades cans, juices, bananas, Arabic pies and forks. So, in almost 3 hours we prepared 800 bags for help for the refugees with all these things inside.
        After that, we went at Mytilene’s port where we saw more than 1,000 people waiting in a line to get inside the ferry to Piraeus. The wind was so strong that night (8 bf wind chill factor) that we barely could stand on our feet. The sea waves were big and the refugees waiting at the port were freezing. We parked our cars near the pier and started giving about 250 bags to the refugees who were waiting patiently to get on the ferry. Smile and joy came again on those suffering people’s faces.
        On Saturday morning 23/1/2016 we went again at Mytelene’s port where we had the chance to give even more bags for helping the refugees. But, the most important was that we had the chance to meet and talk with some of them. So, we met Hotza, 29years old and Dayalo, 18years old, both from Afghanistan who wanted to go to Belgium. We talked about the situation that exists now in their country, that everything is destroyed because of the war. We talked about God, we told them that we are Christians and that we came here to help the refugees. We also told them that the Lord loves them and that they should accept Jesus Christ in their lives to have eternal life. At the end, we gave them an Arabic New Testament.
        We also met 23year old Abdirahmad and 22year old Nase from Somalia who wanted to go to Sweden. We informed them about the dangers they might face in front of them due to their nationality (because only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghanis are allowed to enter in Europe legally). We talked to them about our Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for all people’s sins and we saw them hungry for the Word of God, so we gave them a New Testament in their language to each one of them.
        Right next to us was a young Syrian man, 27year old Mohamed who was listening our conversation with Abdirahmad and Nase and wanted also to take 2 Arabic New Testaments, one for himself and one for his wife. We pray to God to touch their hearts ad save them.
        Then we went to Moria registration camp, which is about 7km away from the city of Mytilene where all registration procedure is taking place and it works under MSF authorities and jurisdiction. We also gave 4 boxes with medicine that we had gathered for the refugees.
        Later on, we went at the 2nd registration camp in Kara-Tepe. We met the director of the camp Mr Stavro Mirogianni who gladly showed us around the facilities of the registration camp.
        In addition, after asking several local people and without knowing a lot of things about it, we managed to find a “secret” refugee’s cemetery, about 20km away from the city of Mytilene where unidentified drowned dead refugees are buried. At this place we really saw the size of the drama and pain of those people who are trying for a better life.
        On Saturday evening we had a fellowship with brothers and sisters from the local church in Mytilene where we had the chance to sing and worship to the Lord all together.
        On Sunday morning 24/1/2016 w woke up very early and at 06:30 we already were at Mytilene’s port because a ferry with refugees was about to leave for Piraeus. We gave 700 fresh-baked bread-rolls that we had ordered from a local traditional bakery store as well as all the rest of our bags for help to the refugees.
        At that time, we met Mohamed and Samane, 20 and 24 years old each from Iraq as well as 38year old Hamid from Kurdistan. We talked to them about the love of Jesus Christ, for His mercy, for the eternal life and at the end we gave them 1 Farsi and 2 Arabic New Testaments.
        After a while, a brother from Athens who was with our group, proposed us to go to a beach near Mytilene’s airport where refugee’s and immigrants’ inflatable boats usually arrive from Turkey.
        When we reached that beach, we saw several rescue teams standing there and waiting the refugee’s boats from across. While we prayed to God to send us even one boat to see how their rescue takes place, without even finishing our prayers, an inflatable boat full with refugees, with the discreet escort from Frontex seemed to come from far away.
        Sometime later, the refugee’s boat reached the beach, with no danger from the big waves or the strong wind of 6 bf wind chill factor, thank God. The rescue teams started to take all people out to the land. We saw men, women, and children scared to death. They were all crying, especially little babies. Their clothes were wet and all of them were freezing with hypothermia. They didn’t even realize what was happening around them and seemed to be lost. We were trying to speak to them but nobody was able to speak back to us. They didn’t even know whether they were still dead or alive!
        We gave children new, dry and clean clothes to wear and we wrapped them with hypothermia sheets (or silver papers). We hugged them in order to warm them and make them feel our Christian love and care. A UNHCR bus was there in order to take them and guide them to the registration camps. This was truly one unique and amazing experience for all of us. We saw in those refugee’s faces despair, fear, love, hanger, thirst, cold, joy, sorrow and relief, all at the same time!!
        This inflatable boat was 8meters long and 1.5 meters wide and 45-50 people were inside! Unfortunately, this refugee’s crisis has gone too far and we as Christians have to pray to the Lord for it because it’s a unique chance to evangelize those people and bring them to Christ.
        During all these days, we spoke and evangelize even more people and we gave them New Testaments. All the rest New Testaments that we had taken with us on this trip, we gave them to the local Pentecostal church which is also evangelizes and spreads the Gospel to the refugees as well.
        This evangelistic excursion in Mytilene was a unique experience for all of us and we pray the Lord to touch those disappointed and suffering people’s hearts and give them eternal life.