Lesbos Tour

Before we started planning for our trip, I did not even know anything about the island of Lesbos and could certainly not have located it on a map.  I knew that refugees were coming to Greece by boat, but frankly I never considered their path.  I had no idea that there was a Greek island just 4 miles from Turkey.  Now that I've been there, I've found that I was not only painfully ignorant of geography, I was also not very informed about the refugee crisis.

In our five days there, we enjoyed some of the beauty of the island in our down time.  But I was also haunted by the suffering of the refugees and of the Greek people (who have an economy in the toilet and a version of Christianity that is mostly tradition instead of relationship with God).  I learned a lot by talking to William and Geeta Splitberger, who are experts on this crisis and also by reading the book "Seeking Refuge:  On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis" while I was there.  I highly recommend this book!  It handles the subject of refugees and immigration from a Biblical standpoint. I also recommend a trip to Lesbos if you ever get the chance!  It's a beautiful place with very kind people.  The kind of people who welcomed the refugee.

"Hide the fugitive; do not betray the refugees.  Let them stay with you, and be their shelter from the destroyer." ~ Isaiah 36:4

Here are some photos that show some of the charm and beauty of this island.  First these photos of Mytilene's fortress and harbor.  Mytilene was visited briefly by Paul in Acts 20.

Mytilene is the biggest city, but we stayed in the town of Panagiouda, which is the closest to the two refugee camps, Moria (now almost all men), and Kara Tepe (families).  Panagiouda is a charming little town, with little outdoor restaurants all along the waterfront, cute little hotels, several Greek orthodox churches, and a fun little swimming hole:

We also visited the little town of Skala Sikamineas.  It is one of the towns in the north that is very close to Turkey.  Many refugees landed first here. It was so pretty:

There was also a stark reminder of the crisis in the little harbor - a rescue boat:

And on the hill above, a lookout in case a rescue is needed.  

And a hillside full of lifejackets - see this post.