Isaiah 58

What a journey it has been to this day.
I say that with a deep exhale of wonder at God's faithful work through the past and an equally deep breath in, filling me with the hope and expectancy of where God is taking us now towards the future!

I pray that everyone who will be joining us in prayer through the work we will do in Greece may vicariously experience the same excitement and anticipation as we do in our preparations to go. Jesus relates God's kingdom to the expectant preparation of 10 virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. The wise were prepared and ready for the arrival of the bridegroom, while the foolish were unprepared to welcome bridegroom. So we want to prepare practically by growing and maturing our minds, our bodies, our spirits as we wait like the virgins for the bridegroom - with eager anticipation and joyful hope for God's kingdom to come to fruition on earth. I encourage our prayer partners to grow in the same way that we may together be expectant of the Spirit's work now and anticipating the future coming of Jesus.

I shared with the team Isaiah 58, a chapter God has been speaking to my heart lately, and also wanted to share it here that you can be specifically praying it over our team.

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

This passage speaks so powerfully to the work of the ministries we are going to partner with in Athens - the Refugee ministry and Nea Zoi (Lost Coin - ministry to those freed from human trafficking). Pray that we maintain our focus on God's bigger picture of redemption that we get to be a part of!