The end has arrived, and we have all left Athens.

Yet part of me remains.

As I sit reflecting on everything God has done this week, I find myself carrying the faces, stories, and prayers of people I may never see again on this side of eternity. What began as a mission trip became something much deeper; a reminder that every person is longing for the same thing: to be seen, known, loved, and accepted.

One of our final ministry opportunities took us into a homeless encampment in Athens.

Nothing could have prepared us for what we encountered.

The feeding program is led by a man whose own story is a testimony to God's power. Once trapped in addiction himself, he found freedom and recovery through Jesus Christ. Today, that miracle fuels his passion to serve others who are struggling with homelessness, addiction, and hopelessness.

As we listened to local perspectives, we heard frustration from many sides. Some local residents and immigrants who have worked tirelessly to build a life here expressed anger toward those living in the encampments. They see people who seem unwilling to work, waiting for circumstances to change while others have crossed continents, taken difficult jobs, and done whatever was necessary to survive and move forward.

The tension is real.

But standing there, I was reminded that beneath every social issue, every addiction, every poor decision, every excuse, and every wound, there is a human heart longing for belonging.

We all carry that need.

Some seek acceptance through achievement and good works. Others look for it in relationships, substances, success, approval, or communities that promise belonging.

I understand that search more than I wish I did.

In my twenties, I walked a path of addiction and unhealthy relationships, desperately seeking something to fill the emptiness inside me. It wasn't until I encountered the love of God that the chains began to break. The need for approval. The pursuit of relationships. The desire to prove my worth. One by one, God revealed the idols I had built my life around.

Some habits, like smoking, took longer to surrender. But God patiently taught me that anything I depend on to satisfy my deepest need for love outside of Christ eventually becomes an idol.

Whether it was money, houses, accomplishments, relationships, children, or drugs, none of them could provide what my soul was searching for.

Only Jesus could.

Scripture tells us, "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). We would not even know what love is if God had not first demonstrated it to us—through creating us, pursuing us, and ultimately through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.

That truth came alive for me in the encampment.

God highlighted one woman in particular.

Her name was Irina.

She didn't look like she belonged there.

She had beautiful chocolate-brown hair pulled back neatly, kind eyes, and wore a simple green linen jumpsuit. When our eyes met, she smiled, and immediately I felt God's love stirring in my heart for her.

I sat beside her and listened.

She shared how she had fled a rural community after experiencing domestic abuse. Her 21-year-old daughter, now pregnant, is married to an abusive husband who recently broke her arm. Irina's heart aches for her daughter, yet she feels trapped by shame and uncertain how to return home after living on the streets.

As we talked, tears filled her eyes.

Then she said something I will never forget.

"Our group is different."

She explained that many organizations come through and preach at people. But our team sat with them. We listened. We asked questions. We learned their names. We cared about their stories.

That is something Pastor Iman has modeled beautifully. Through years of faithful ministry, he has cultivated genuine relationships within this community. He sees people not as projects, but as image-bearers of God.

After lunch was served, I walked only a few blocks away and found myself standing in a bustling farmer's market filled with families shopping, laughing, and enjoying a normal Saturday afternoon.

The contrast was striking.

Two worlds separated by only a few streets.

And yet God is present in both.

God is working here.

Our final medical clinic was equally special.

This time I served on the spiritual counseling team. We met a woman named Ida who had been suffering from severe neck pain for nearly four months.

As we prayed, I felt prompted to read Matthew 10, where Jesus commissions His disciples and sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God, heal the sick, and minister to those in need.

Ida listened carefully.

She believed.

She received.

And God moved.

By the end of our time together, her pain was completely gone, her strength had returned, and she was filled with joy. She left eager to tell others what Jesus had done for her.

Watching her walk away reminded me once again that Jesus is still healing hearts, bodies, and lives today.

Our final day ended in the most beautiful way imaginable.

With a baptism in the ocean.

One of the youngest members of our team, Abby, who is just 14 years old, sensed a gentle prompting from the Holy Spirit to be baptized.

Without hesitation, she said yes.

After speaking with her mother, Abby entered the water surrounded by the young women on our team and two spiritual leaders who prayed over her and celebrated this step of faith.

Rose and I watched from the shoreline as the waves rolled in and the sun reflected across the water.

It was holy.

When I spoke with Abby afterward, she told me she felt God's love in a deeper way than ever before and experienced a tremendous increase in faith.

What a gift to witness.

As I reflect on this week, I can only describe it this way:

It felt like stepping into the pages of the Book of Acts.

The Bible is not merely a historical record. It is alive and active, and God is still moving through ordinary people who choose to believe Him, follow Him, and say yes when He calls.

Thank you for coming on this journey with us.

Everything you have sown through your prayers, encouragement, and generosity has helped make these moments possible. Seeds have been planted. Lives have been touched. The Gospel has been shared. The sick have been cared for. The lonely have been seen.

And I believe the harvest is only beginning.

My prayer for you is that the love of God would increase in your life and in your family. May you know more deeply the height, width, depth, and length of His love for you.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

With gratitude and love,

Jenn

Please do not post picture or stories online without permission. Names and photos of the people engaged are confidential. 

If you would like further follow-up on any of the stories I've shared,  I'd love to connect with you.  God bless you all!!

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