After making Kubba months ago (and struggling with it!), we decided to try making Baklava, one of the most common desserts in Iraq and Greece. It was certainly more successful. Although it is a long and time consuming process with lots of fillo dough and butter! Here's the recipe we used: https://natashaskitchen.com/baklava-recipe/
Borders. The flight from Mytilini to Athens forty minutes. The flight from Athens to Frankfurt three hours. Means to pay for an airline ticket and valid USA passport gave me the privilege to travel efficiently, freely without fear, in the light of day, with any possessions I want to carry. The flight from Athens to [...]
Everything and Nothing Today, I did everything and nothing. That’s what keeps running through my head as I reflect back on my first day. I can’t possibly put into words what it was like - pictures, videos, things you read before you come - nothing described it the way I experienced it. And listening tonight [...]
In Greece, we have begun working with a large refugee community in a small town in the north. We will be going back regularly with teams to help with a refugee preschool program, adult English classes, and even a science and engineering workshop for refugee teenagers. Here at SGI, God has blessed us with an [...]
I never thought of my students as backward or from an undeveloped country. They all had smartphones when I still had a flip. And if their paper was a bit too short, they were certainly tech-savvy enough to try to change the margins or font size by fractions of an inch. That was why I [...]
From one of our short-term team members, Brian Haney, Maryland: One of the highlights of the trip was getting to play soccer with the boys for most of the day one day. As a former soccer player, I was floored to do this. Soccer itself is the universal sport and language. Just seeing the excitement [...]
Adnan's Story Adnan has lived in Athens for about a year now. Like many others floating in the ancient Greek city, he's from Syria. But that Syria doesn't exist anymore. He's been able to work some for the last few months helping medical personnel and teaching about mental health issues relating to trauma. He's a [...]
Back to the Islands The refugee crisis in Greece is often portrayed as connected to the war in Syria. And while Syrians do represent the majority of refugees in Europe, our team spent last week on a small Greek island in a camp that is incredibly diverse. We met refugees from as far east as Bangladesh, as far [...]
Math is Too Hard! My favorite memory is of meeting Ari, a Syrian refugee. He was 16 years old and brilliant. As an engineer, I began asking him if he would like to study engineering. He said, “No, math is too hard” So I began asking him questions about math assuming he was struggling with [...]
A large refugee camp on a small Greek island needs help! We're looking for a team of 2-4 young men to go serve for 1-3 months. Responsibilities will include moving tents, passing out food, playing volleyball, and being the first impression of Christ to refugees from over 20 countries. If you are interested in recruiting a [...]
