Celebrate Sarah Serving 20 Years in Greece

We are celebrating our dear friend Sarah's 20th year! She is serving the poor and marginalised in Greece, including many refugees from the Middle East. Her current car is 19 years old and her laptop is 11 years old. Both are used predominately for ministry purposes, for the administration work involved, for transporting pregnant girls to and from their hospital appointments, for Roma children to be transported to their homes after class, for delivering hot food and groceries to refugee families in Athens. And for delivering a copy of the New Testament in modern Greek to every home in Greece. Please help us to bless her and all that she is doing with a new car, laptop, and other expenses. We visited her in 2018 and were blown away by the far-reaching projects she is involved with.

The goal: 20K in 2020 as she celebrates 20 years! Praise God. Will you help us reach this ministry goal?

Any funds remaining after purchasing the car and laptop will be put towards Sarah’s new ministry projects. There is a need for skills training for the people she is ministering to, so they will launch a Hairdressing Training Course, for a selected group of their refugee and Roma men and women in January 2021.

Here is some information Sarah sent me about her ministry:

"I can't believe this is my 20th year ministering in Greece with Hellenic Ministries. God has been so faithful to provide for my every need! Looking back over the years, I wouldn't have dreamt that I'd be teaching outcast Roma (gypsy) children, preparing them for Greek public schools (another 24 children have just been registered in the Greek government school last month, and will start in September 2020) or developing our skills training initiatives for the Roma and Refugee adults. Or providing counselling to both post-abortive women and those facing the future decision of an abortion. (I founded both the Hope Center and Petalouda Center in 2012.)

When I took that leap of faith back in September 2000, part of me wanted to continue living a 'normal' life in England and continue with my career in fashion design. However I am so happy that I followed the call that God gave me at the age of eleven, to step out in faith and follow Him! It has been such an adventure and a privilege to serve the Lord in ministry here in Greece! I have recently been using the skills that I learnt during my art and textile degree providing training. My desire is to pass on these skills, and create work opportunities for those we are ministering too. Our main objective in all of our initiatives is to share the love of Christ and the precious gift of salvation!”

Here is one story of how God is working in the Roma community.

"They'll never change. You're wasting your time!" These were the words spoken to me by an angry Greek neighbor near our newly formed Petalouda Educational Center. He was furious and had reason to be. Each week we walked a group of twenty Roma children past his home every day, and the rowdy kids would sneak into his yard later and steal figs and apples from his trees. The kid's situation in the Roma community was dire, rampant with poverty, illiteracy, and child-marriages. Often, they wouldn't have enough to eat. But God called me there to plant the school, share Jesus, and educate these children, and I wouldn't give up on them.

When we first began our work in this impoverished community, I was shocked that the children didn't even know how to hold a pencil. They didn't listen, bit one another, and punched each other in the classroom. They yelled, spit on each other, and periodically threw rocks at us. Some days, I doubted they'd ever change, but by God's grace, we stayed committed. We not only tutored the children in Greek but taught them about God through reading stories in the Bible. 

Three months later, without notice, the same man with the fruit trees visited the school. He exclaimed, "I have so much fruit on my trees! What happened? I can't eat it all. Here, take some!" What happened? God was working in the children's hearts. The kids sprung up, ran to him, and thanked him for the fruit. "We're sorry for stealing from your trees," they responded. This was the first time we had witnessed the children show remorse. 

With tears running down his face, the man stood there and praised our work as teachers and encouraged the children to stay in school and keep learning. God turned an enemy into a friend who is supportive of our work. Now, as I watch the children pay attention, learn to read, and hold their pencil in class, I think back to how much He has done in the school and the Roma community in the last eight years. It's been nothing short of a miracle. But there is much more work to be done.”

Thanks again for praying about giving to my ministry. Blessings, and here are some pictures.

The Roma community.

The very first baby that was saved from abortion through our Hope Center Ministry.

Teaching the Greek alphabet to the Roma children at the Petalouda Center. 

Hanging out in the Roma community.