FEATURE Moria refugee camp
BRINGING RELIEF AND HEALING TO REFUGEES CSM Robert Banks (Tunbridge Wells) recalls his experiences as a volunteer in Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos
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IPPING a warm breakfast coffee I looked out over Mytilene Bay. The sun was rising in the east over the misty mountains outlining the Turkish coast, the early morning light glittering on the still waters of the harbour. My thoughts turned to the refugees I would meet that day. Having arrived on the late flight from Athens the evening before, I was tired but feeling a nervous energy. I prayed that God would use my offering of talents to bring relief and healing to refugees, knowing that I was supported in prayer by people from my corps. I was volunteering as an aid worker and dental surgeon with the nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Health-Point Foundation in Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos. Refugees cross the narrow channel of water between Turkey and this small Greek island fleeing wars in the Middle East, usually in large boats that are little more than inflatable dinghies. For me as an amateur sailor, even to think of such a sea passage is madness, but this is born of their desperation for a place of 12
Salvationist 6 April 2019
Robert (right) with other volunteers safety. Moria camp is a teeming mass of humanity at the edge – more than 7,000 refugees in a camp built for 3,000 – and as aid workers we do what we can to alleviate some of their suffering. God’s calling to a whole life of discipleship is what drives me to do this. Jesus’ parable of the talents (see Matthew 25:14–30) teaches that we are given talents to use in different measure. How we use them reflects our love for God and demonstrates the work of the Holy Spirit within us. In our Salvation Army soldier’s covenant we promise to further God’s Kingdom and care for the lost, needy and disadvantaged. This embodies the essence of Salvationism, which is a whole-life commitment that pervades all areas of our being and is seen in our character and identity. To
this end we use all at our disposall in God’s service: our leisure and work time, our talents, our gifts and our finances. It requires a responsible stewardship of what we have been given and an intelligent use of our resources for God’s Kingdom. I drove the winding mountain road to Moria camp under an azure-blue sky with the majestic island coastline far below. As I parked up by the perimeter wall, a bustling scene of activity awaited. People were unloading a van by the main gate, handing parcels to those waiting. Nearby a man had set up a fruit stall on the back of his pickup truck. People clustered in groups selling and trading as in a market place. Wherever humanity gathers it has always been so. The traders of the
