I went to Lesvos prepared to cry. I’d read the news, seen the pictures, heard the stories. I imagined the perilous, sometimes fatal sea crossing from Turkey to Greece and the collective mourning of thousands of families passing through chaotic refugee camps. I expected my heart to be shattered. I expected to be broken by what I would experience, broken in a way I’d never been on the World Race, broken to a depth that would cause me to question the goodness of my God. By all rights, Lesvos should be a place of despair and mourning. The refugees passing through have lost...

I went to Lesvos prepared to cry. I’d read the news, seen the pictures, heard the stories. I imagined the perilous, sometimes fatal sea crossing from Turkey to Greece and the collective mourning of thousands of families passing through chaotic refugee camps. I expected my heart to be shattered. I expected to be broken by what I would experience, broken in a way I’d never been on the World Race, broken to a depth that would cause me to question the goodness of my God. By all rights, Lesvos should be a place of despair and mourning. The refugees passing through have lost...

It was my first day working at Sikaminia, the transition camp run by Euro Relief on the island of Lesvos. I didn’t know what to expect, but I do know what I imagined- hundreds if not a thousand refugees walking through our gates. Flickr photo courtesy of CAFOD Photo Library cc We didn’t even see half that number. Only fifty refugees made the 10km journey across the Aegean Sea that day. It was a slow day at camp. I thought it was a blessing. Low numbers meant only fifty people needed to cross the sea that day. Maybe, the end of this crisis is in sight. Only fifty people...

It was my first day working at Sikaminia, the transition camp run by Euro Relief on the island of Lesvos. I didn’t know what to expect, but I do know what I imagined- hundreds if not a thousand refugees walking through our gates. Flickr photo courtesy of CAFOD Photo Library cc We didn’t even see half that number. Only fifty refugees made the 10km journey across the Aegean Sea that day. It was a slow day at camp. I thought it was a blessing. Low numbers meant only fifty people needed to cross the sea that day. Maybe, the end of this crisis is in sight. Only fifty people...

As of January 2016, we’ve only been here for just under two weeks and we’ve already heard stories of boats filling up with water as they cross, and others never making it across at all. It’s a dangerous trip, yet the hope of a safer life is waiting for them on the other side.    We are staying in the little town of Molyvos, which is a home-base for many of the volunteers here. It’s a prime destination spot for tourists during the summer months, and would normally be a quiet little town during the winter. The locals here are so supportive of the...

As of January 2016, we’ve only been here for just under two weeks and we’ve already heard stories of boats filling up with water as they cross, and others never making it across at all. It’s a dangerous trip, yet the hope of a safer life is waiting for them on the other side.    We are staying in the little town of Molyvos, which is a home-base for many of the volunteers here. It’s a prime destination spot for tourists during the summer months, and would normally be a quiet little town during the winter. The locals here are so supportive of the...