Grace in Greece – Helping, Connecting, and Learning from One Another
Through "Grace in Greece," people from Switzerland travel to Athens for a week to serve those in need alongside local partner organizations. They prepare hot meals, meet with refugees, and offer them their time, appreciation, and acts of love.
Anna Shammas, project manager, shares her experiences from the week of October 11–17 in Athens:
Our goal is to alleviate suffering to some extent and to share hope. At the same time, our participants have the opportunity to discover new realities of life, gain valuable experiences, and grow both personally and in their faith. In this way, they return with new perspectives and a broader heart, and can also enrich their own communities. We want to reach out to people facing difficult life situations, provide practical help, and share God’s love.
A miracle on the church roof!
A major challenge was renovating the damaged church roof and replacing a heavily rusted cross. Although rain had been forecast for the entire week, God blessed us with three sunny days. This allowed us to successfully complete all the work—for us, this was a wonderful answer to prayer.
300 hot meals and meaningful encounters
During this week, we prepared and distributed 300 hot meals, visited people who had been displaced, and spent a special afternoon with unaccompanied minor refugees. We were able to eat, play, listen, and simply be there for one another.
«When are you coming back?» – An encounter that touches the heart
We experienced one of many touching stories on the last day of our mission. As we said goodbye to the homeless people and they learned that we would soon be returning to Switzerland, some of them gave us a warm hug and asked: «When are you coming back?»
This simple question touched us deeply. It showed us once again that it’s not just about a warm meal, but also about giving people time, attention, and love. Sometimes, simply being seen and not forgotten means the world to someone.
Serve, Learn, and Grow Together
Grace in Greece aims not only to alleviate the suffering of people in Athens to some extent, but also to provide participants from Switzerland with valuable learning experiences. Through encounters, shared prayer, and personal reflection, we can gain new perspectives, grow in our faith, and return to our congregations with a broader outlook.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ❤️
A huge thank you to our wonderful team for your loving and dedicated service! We also thank everyone who has supported us through donations and prayers. You are a valuable part of this ministry!
Would you like to join us sometime?
Would you like to travel with us to Athens, meet people, share God’s love, and gain valuable experiences along the way?
What you need to bring is quite simple: a week of your time, the language of love, and a willingness to learn something new. That's all it takes!
You can also become part of Grace in Greece through prayer and donations.
If you're interested, feel free to contact me. I'm looking forward to seeing you!
Grace in Greece
is a joint project of Connexio hope and the EMK Switzerland.
Since 2022, they have been organizing trips to Athens so that small groups can learn about different ways of life and grow together.
You can find all the details on the Website.