A Greek Odyssey

It’s the 2nd day of a new year. I am sitting in Athens airport, waiting for a flight to the island of Lesvos (or Lesbos as it is also known). I am lucky..I get to fly. The vast majority of people coming to the holiday island are not coming by jet...they are risking their lives in sheer desperation, fleeing terrorism, civil wars and worse.
Each day and each night, people like you and me hand over their life savings to people smugglers to take their chances on the Mediterranean. They are frightened. Their kids are petrified. Many do not make it. We have all seen the pictures.
For those who make it to Lesvos, it is only the beginning of their journey.
Like you, I saw the news reports and heard the numbers. After a while the scale of the refugee crisis in Europe could not be comprehended. We went back to our lives.
At the end of last year, I made a (very quick) decision to be of practical help in a small way. I have travelled to Greece for the month of January to volunteer with the organisations helping refugees as they land in Lesvos. I cant fix the “big issues” but if lending a hand helps one soul..then it’s one more than yesterday.
I’ll be honest, I am nervous. I don’t know what I will be doing but I do know that it is likely to be the most emotionally challenging thing I have ever done. Tears are guaranteed..every day! There is no handbook for this but I hope that by writing this blog, I can give testimony to what is going on..and try to stay sane at the same time!

Flight is being called…more later..