Storyline Fall 2018

Beyond
Borders:
A Love Story
Written by Terry Schmidt
Love and compassion know no borders or boundaries and
the telling of our stories is what opens the spigot through
which it flows freely.
I had a vision years ago about leading a team of women on a
short term mission ... especially women who think they couldn’t
or wouldn’t be called to a cross-cultural experience. But the
timing and/or opportunity for an appropriate service never
quite fell into place. When I heard of this opportunity with
TeachBeyond Borders to teach English in a day program to
women from the refugee camps on the Greek island of Lesvos
my heart squeezed a little. Men and women from the Middle East
have fled their native countries leaving behind their homes, their
livelihoods, their businesses, their relatives to save and spare
their families from unspeakable violence and inhumanity in wartorn
countries, to escape oppression and death threats, to find a
new and safer life of freedom. Who among us would not love our
families enough to sacrifice everything for their safety?
A team of women could offer the women living in the camps
comfort, compassion, understanding, empathy while providing
practical needs – like English instruction that might help in the
immigration process, a meal, laughter over shared activities, an
opportunity to share and hear each other’s stories. All this in the
name of Jesus … showing His grace and mercy and hope.
And so the journey began in January, as God drew a team
of ten women aged 26 through 67, the majority of whom
had never had a significant cross-cultural experience.
We met regularly, planning activities, learning how to teach
conversational English, immersing ourselves in cultural training
to more fully understand the ethos of the women we’d be
serving, and fundraising the dollars needed to get us there. And
in July we stepped foot into Panagiouda, a tiny fishing village on
the island of Lesvos, and the apex of our journey began.
The surprises, joys, and pinnacles of this journey have been
threefold …
Love and compassion know
no borders or boundaries
and the telling of our
stories is what opens the
spigot through which it
flows freely.
The support we as a team have received, not only financially but
through prayer and encouragement, from our home church,
but especially from the women of FAC, has been completely
overwhelming. Our women have been filled with compassion,
not only for our team members but for our mission to serve
and for the refugee women themselves and the plight they find
themselves in. More than 30% of our dollars raised came from
the women of FAC, through the Women2Women ministry and
women at large. Our women also donated nearly 100 pounds
of toiletries for refugees and made over 30 videos that brought
messages of encouragement and support to our dear ladies
on Lesvos; messages that let these women know they were
not forgotten, their stories had been heard, and they were
being prayed for. It is my hope and prayer that this partnership
in the gospel spoken with Christ’s love will bring a bridge of
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