Remained Flexible: In the weeks before the trip, the Greece Prayer Team embraced the theme of staying “flexible” to whatever might happen and to whatever the Lord may want to do (not an uncommon awareness for short-term teams). It turned out that our mascot of “Gumby” was apropos from beginning to end, as Kenn Dirrim was unable to travel due to some health issues, weather prompted some to leave abruptly a day early (with only three-hours warning), and an airport strike forced everyone to reschedule their return flights (except for one person who already planned to stay a little longer). The Lord helped us at every turn. In Kenn’s absence, Lisa Dirrim filled the role of guide in various ways, helping us to make connections with a number of missionaries and locations, and Robert Garon stepped up as our team “chauffeur” for the entire time in-country.

Prayer: The purpose of this trip was to pray, listen, observe, and pray some more. In addition to praying for specific missionaries we met, refugees, and the needs we observed in various locations, we typically also prayed for workers for the harvest field (Luke 10:2, Matt 9:35-38) and for the Lord to build his Church there (Matt 16:18). Three especially meaningful places where we were able to pray included: the Helping Hands facility that first introduced many of us to refugee ministries (where the Dirrims served previously, but which has undergone many changes), outside a refugee camp in Corinth in the middle of the city, and in a creative new facility run by Christians outside the refugee camp in Malakasa (north of Athens). We considered ourselves a kind of preparatory team, helping to lay a prayer foundation for those who will come after us.

Meetings and Conversations: Lisa helped to organize a total of eight key appointments for us with various missionaries. Altogether, we met with 18 missionaries/refugee believers from 8 countries (Greece, the US, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Afghanistan, and Iran), all living/ministering in Greece, serving refugees. Each of these individuals, both active missionaries and refugee believers, fits in the category of “people of peace” for us, continuing to encourage and invite us to come. These meetings and times of prayer kept us quite busy, but it was a joy to be able to engage deeply and pray with so many in such a brief time. Since most refugees are still primarily in camps, we did not have as much direct contact with them as we sometimes did. However, at one location, we met with some refugees in a missional/relationship-building context (Malakasa), and the conversations with the refugee believers were rich and inspiring.  In addition to these meetings, we took a little extra time to visit briefly the biblical sites of Athens, Corinth, and Cenchrea, often being reminded of Paul’s missionary efforts in that region.

We asked the team to mention highlights of the Prayer Team trip for them. Below is a summary of some of the comments.

Praying Outside the Refugee Camp in Corinth. Several of us commented about the impact of praying outside the Corinth refugee camp. As we circled together in prayer outside the gate, we could hear children laughing and just being kids in the playground over the wall. It provided a stark reminder that these are real people, with real children, and real needs for the gospel, just like us. Not only are there needs near Athens, but throughout the country as well. Josiah wrote that the experience at this camp in Corinth “left a lasting impact.” It reminded him and all of us that “there are refugee camps all over Greece that are often forgotten or overlooked,” and “how much opportunity there still is in Greece and how much need there is for more workers.” Each person prayed around the circle, and just as we said the final “Amen,” two guards reached us and kicked us off the property. It felt as though the Lord preserved us there for those moments.

Praying and Serving in the “Refuge in the Pines” near the Refugee Camp at Malakasa. We were able to attend and help at the second opening day of this converted restaurant (the “Refuge”) near the Malakasa camp. The female team members participated in making crafts and relationship building with several Syrian refugees who chose to attend. Leisa commented that, “Speaking to several young girls from Syria we learned about how they got there, where they were from and where they wanted to go. We laughed at silly drawings, language barriers, and how terrible I am at making bracelets. These young women showed passion and determination.” Tracie wrote, “We played games, made bracelets, and shared time together.” She added that she was “especially touched when two of the girls made bracelets for me and my two daughters back home,” which she hoped would “plant seeds for their own hearts for missions.”

Hearing Testimonies by Refugee Believers. As we met with some former Islamic refugees who are now believers and heard their stories, it served as a fresh reminder that God is working in the lives and hearts of refugees. Missio Dei is real (this is God’s mission). For me personally, even though I had been blessed by these stories before, I felt as though I heard some new parts that underscored God’s persistent love even more for his lost sheep. Especially hearing Sahar’s story again (and that of her mom for the first time), these stories served as a reminder that there are other “Sahars” that are out there waiting to be reached by the love of Christ!

Workers for the Harvest Field. The fields are ripe for harvest, and we praise the Lord for those refugees who are coming to know the Lord. However, many more workers are needed to serve in a wide variety of ways, including evangelism, discipleship, relationship building, business as mission development (literally helping to create jobs), and creative collaborative church planting. Demonstrating the love of God through kindness, spending time, relief efforts (food, clothing, etc.) and more are all important and vital, missional bridge-building tasks.  Specifically, please pray also for one couple who are ready to commit to the “next steps” in this process, but also pray for the Lord to raise up a harvester (church planter) “from the harvest field” (a refugee), and for two other missionary units to be raised up as team members.

Continued good, cooperative efforts among the Christian missionaries in Greece. We know that Kenn and Lisa Dirrim helped to create a positive and collaborative environment among believers and missionaries in Greece. Please pray for this spirit to continue, and for Greek national churches to see more and more ways to partner with what the Lord is doing near where they live. We believe that good relationships among all these missionaries and believers will provide a positive environment as we send our first missionaries there to be “partners in the gospel” (some of whom may be excellent initial mentors us).

For the Lord to build His Church in Greece among Refugees. This was part of our constant prayer. We know that God is reaching refugees. We see Him working through the stories and testimonies we heard. But there is a need for churches of all kinds to be started among them, both ones that stay in Greece and those that are started and then replanted in other countries or locations. Robert suggested that we may need to “redefine what ‘church’ looks like.” It “may not always look like a building or a traditional church,” he wrote, “but it will always bear His fruit because God germinates the growth.” Please join us in prayer that God will build His Church, and that we would be wise, timely, and relevant in the way that we join Him in what He is doing!

By November 2024, EFM had made a commitment to launch seven of the nine fields that were under exploration. Those seven fields are now moving on to the prayer and pre-launch planning phases. Meanwhile, we are currently still sending Luke 10 Exploration Teams to consider other potential fields, one of them being unreached people groups in Southeast Asia. You can learn more here.

A 10:2 Prayer Trip is an annual trip to the mission fields where EFM has committed to sending missionaries. Teams are asked to pray for the soil (Matthew 13:1-23) and pray for the workers (Luke 10:2). Teams are sent or guided by sponsoring regions/yearly meetings of the new EFM fields that have been leading exploration. 10:2 Prayer Trips will target appropriate communities for prayer walking and interceding that “the Kingdom come, and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in those places.

In October 2024, a 10:2 Prayer Trip took place in Ecuador. The following is a report written by team member Maria Giron.

There were six total on this team: Edwin and Maria Giron (EFM Missions Mobilizers), Jose Olivas (Missionary from Mexico Yearly Meeting), Grace Anderson (NWYM Future Missionary), Silvia Florina (FSW), and Rosie Nilo (FSW).

Our team arrived in Quito. The Prayer Team visited and prayed at the following locations. These are all Shuar communities or cities with Shuar presence. They were: Taisha, Yas Nunka, Nunka Nunkui, Macas, Sucua, San Joaquin, and Mendez.

Jose asked the team to go visit a Shuar man that he met at a bus ride going to the Shuar communities deep in the jungle. This Shuar man told Jose that he would like to hear more about the message from God. When the team arrived at his hut, he was not home; even though he was not there, the team started praying for this family and prayed for the whole community; while praying, a woman came, and she was the daughter of Jose’s friend. She introduced us to the whole family, and she offered for Jose to come to teach the word of God to the entire family. What a way for God to confirm that he wants Friends to be part of the ministry of reconciliation between the Shuar people and God.

The team walked across a river to a community where Jose started a kid’s ministry. Even though that day was not the usual day that Jose goes to teach the Bible, while the team started praying for this community, many kids came running to greet us. We had a beautiful time playing, teaching, and praying for these kids and their families. They left very happily after we gave each kid a lollipop. We all fell in love with these precious Shuar kids.

• The team prayed for the souls in those fields. Those who have not heard about Jesus.
• We prayed against spiritual strongholds that blind people and prevent them from coming to Christ.
• Please pray for those who have heard and accepted Jesus that God will raise strong leadership from these few believers.
• Pray for more workers from the US to team up with Jose.
• Pray that more Shuar would be receptive to accept and follow Jesus.

We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative.