Help Refugees in Greece

GapFill.org is partnering with Bridges.org.gr in serving refugee families in Athens, Greece! The mission of BRIDGES' is to serve refugees by addressing their unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs with a holistic approach so they may be integrated, empowered, restored, and equipped to become contributing members of society. BRIDGES' work with individuals and families from Syria, Iraq, and the Kurdish Regions of Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey.

Bill and Joyce Turner were fortunate to visit the office of BRIDGES in Athens, Greece in 2022 where they witnessed a true Christian family in action. Since the beginning of 2023, BRIDGES dedicated their newsletter updates to stories of miracles where each story had the opportunity to have a glance into what God is doing supernaturally and naturally, coordinating time, people, and principles in order for His will to be done. Many of the stories have become a source of encouragement and inspiration where God has intervened in the lives of people from the Middle East but also in the lives of the BRIDGES’ staff as they must walk by faith that God will provide in personnel and funding and supernatural intervention in the lives of the people they serve.  Please email Joyce Turner at joyceturner@gapfill.org if you would like to be on the BRIDGES’ mailing list as we are not allowed to share many of these stories directly due to safety reasons.

The BRIDGES’ team is even more grateful to God this year! In the middle of all the changes, unemployment, homelessness, and humanitarian crisis, they stand and continue because of the grace of Jesus who called us and all of their supporters (that includes you the GapFill.org donors) who obeyed Him and continue to support them in great faithfulness. As Voula Antouan (co-founder of BRIDGES) mentioned, “People tend to think it is risky to walk by faith but there is no greater excitement than finding refuge and safety in His plans.”

The BRIDGES’ team would like to ask for your prayers due to the instability in the Middle East, they expect hundreds of refugees to come again through their door. The camps on the islands are again full. In Samos only, during the last 2 months the number increased from 500 to 5,000. The nearby camps are again full with no space for more accommodation. Thank you for your prayers for wisdom, clear direction from the Holy Spirit, discernment, more workers, and enough funding to be able to increase the number of the BRIDGES’ personnel.

The BRIDGES' family want to thank the GapFill donors for your continued prayers and support and for partnering with God's vision for watering the land of the Middle East and Europe.

About Founders Ilias and Voula Antouan

Bridges was started by a Syrian, Ilias Antouan, and his Greek wife, Voula Antouan. Together, in 2013, they felt a burden that thousands of refugees were soon to come in Greece. That burden was indeed a prophetic call and, in 2014, Humanitarian Initiative Bridges was founded. Just one year later, in 2015, more than 850,000 refugees flooded to Greece. Since this time, Bridges family has faithfully served these precious people with a holistic approach, backed by the belief that the spiritual and human side of the person go hand in hand. Bridges fights for the belief and the motto that “your life is precious, start from the beginning!”

 You can learn more about Bridges by visiting bridges.org.gr or by reading the following article by Nations Media.