This blog was originally set up as a means of chronicling my family’s experiences serving as missionaries in Athens, Greece. Athens made a deep and lasting impactful in my life and ministry. My wife and I spent five years (2007-2012) in Athens as missionaries with International Teams, working among Muslim-background refugees. The blog’s name – “Loving the Overlooked” – is a reflection of that ministry, but the same heart and passion continue today. What follows is a short record of our time in Athens (by way of updates and newsletters). In addition, feel free to search the blog’s archives for posts and pictures that date back to our time in Athens.
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Loving the Overlooked: Our experiences sharing the love of Christ with the refugee community of Athens, Greece.
A cultural, continental, and religious crossroads, Athens provides a unique opportunity to join God’s work among the nations. Greece hosts nearly one million refugees and immigrants, many from Muslim backgrounds: Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians, Palestinians, and Somalis, to name a few. Helping Hands – a Greek registered non-profit organization – seeks to share Christ with this community by practical demonstration (e.g. feeding, clothing, and shelter ministries) and explicit proclamation (e.g. preaching, teaching, and discipleship ministries) of the Gospel. It is our desire that every refugee have the opportunity to experience Christ’s love in word and deed.
God is at work in Athens! Therefore, our goal is not to innovate, but simply to come alongside what God is already doing here. The vision of Helping Hands is to see the lives of refugees transformed by Jesus: “to plant gospel seeds in the lives of refugees across Greece that take root and bear the fruit of life transformation in Jesus Christ.”
The nature of this ministry allowed us each to apply our own unique gifts. Kristin spent much of her time ministering in the home – both raising our daughters and practicing hospitality by inviting refugee friends into the home. When she was able to come to the Refugee Center, Kristin spent most of her time in the children and family ministries. Brett served as the team leader, guiding the team in vision, strategic planning, and staff development.
An archive of our newsletters (click a date below to download the respective newsletter as a .pdf file):
2012
2012 – September 2012 – June 2012 – February
2011
2011 – December 2011 – October 2011 – July 2011 – March
2010
2010 – December 2010 – September 2010 – July 2010 – May
2009
2009 – December 2009 – November 2009 – August 2009 – June
2008
Brett Sanner 