A Mama's Perspective

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." 

Mother Teresa

Today, I went to the Gevgelija Refugee Camp, with Zo.

It was a hot day - much hotter than it has been in the last couple of weeks. With temperatures passing 90 degrees, I felt a little silly lugging 10 blankets to the store house; however, everyone over here knows that winter is coming and the camp is not prepared.

By the time Zo and I unloaded all of the diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, baby shampoo, and blankets from Ethelina (our van) and our friend's car, we were pouring sweat. We had to then wait in the storage house until the UNHCR planning meeting was finished, with the hopes that I would be able to get a pass to enter the camp.  We weren't sure when we drove the two hours to Gevgelija, this morning, if I would be approved so quickly.

After only about a 30 minutes, a man from the NGO (non governmental organization) we are working with, returned with good news!  He had a badge for me!  So, Zo and I piled into his car for the 1 1/2 mile ride to the refugee camp.

The first thing Zo noticed is that the bridge he was unable to cross last week, was now completely empty. No refugees anywhere to be seen as we drove the streets of Gevgelija.  The man told us that the camp would be "mostly empty" now, as a train had just departed, carrying 1,000 men, women, and children north, to Serbia.  He also said that now that Hungary was closing its borders, the refugee path had turned west in Serbia, and cut through Croatia and Slovenia, Austria, and into Germany.

I had my camera with me, and my cell phone, and a small bag of bite-sized Snickers I had brought from the States.  I really wanted to take pictures, so that I can show people back home the conditions of the camp and the faces of the real people who are making the trip from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, etc in search of safety or a better life. But, honestly, when I walked up to the camp, I felt gross pulling my camera out of my purse. I didn't want to take pictures of people who are struggling so greatly...I didn't want them to feel like animals in a zoo....I was torn. Completely torn. So didn't take any pictures as we entered the camp.

The first tents we visited were the Family Rest Area tents.  They have been set up by the NGO we are working with, to give children a place to play and relax, give baths and fresh diapers to babies, and to give their mothers the ability to rest.  On the back walls of the tents, were pictures that the children have drawn, while they wait for trains or buses to take them to their next stop in their journey. I was so moved by the pictures of smiling children and families that the children had drawn. Smiling faces. Happy sunshine. Houses. Trees. Childhood. There, I could take my camera out and grab snapshots of the beauty and simplicity of childhood, even in the midst of an absolute mess.

Then, the volunteers showed me where they are bathing the babies. It's a great little system that is helping families. However, it will only be possible for the next 3 weeks or so. After that, the weather with change and the ability to bathe babies will be gone - unless we/they are able to come up with a way to warm up the water (they are currently using bottled drinking water) and keep the babies inside somewhere warm to change them.  It is a definite need.

A precious little girl was so afraid, and unhappy because the water was cold. The women volunteers were quick with a smile and let her pick out the dress she wanted from the pile of clothes.  Her tears dried quickly as the women dried her sweet little body. By the time they were done, she was smiling and chatting in her native language.



The only other pictures I felt comfortable enough to take were these:

A tent where refugees waited for the next train (they are running 4 trains a day, holding 1,000 people each). The situation is quite fluid, because of all of the countries that are involved.  The ever-changing open borders vs. closed borders, and the ebb and flow of refugees makes planning and organizing difficult, to say the least. One of the NGO volunteers, who has helped in refugee situations in other places said, "this one (situation) should be over relatively quickly - maybe one year or so." That didn't sound comforting, at all.


And an Afghan man and his son, who were travelling alone.  He was trying to wash his son at the hand washing station - which is not sanitary enough for little ones. He was very grateful when the volunteers took him and his son to the baby bathing/changing station.  When we left, his son was having his diaper changed (a much-needed task) and he was smiling.

A couple of things for you to consider, with us:

1) how to keep the babies warm while they are bathed.  They do have some electricity available, but I'm not sure to what extent. This sign was posted directly behind the tent.

2) there is a need for some type of playground equipment, if possible. Could also be indoor play equipment, for use when the weather changes.

3) other needs include:  kool-aid type powder that has vitamins in it, to add to the water bottles for the children, extension cords (the Macedonian kind - we can buy them here for $5-10), garbage bags, bottled water, and CHOCOLATE (that was a big hit with the kids!)

If you feel led to donate, please contact me!  We can also receive boxes of supplies, at a physical address in Skopje - though please understand that shipping is quite expensive.

In closing, I must share one of the things that hit me the hardest. The moment when, a man from an NGO said, "I've worked in crisis refugee situations in Bosnia in 1991, and in Kosovo in 1999, and others.  Do you know what's missing here?  Do you know what we need?  The Americans. They are not here.  We all know that if the Americans were helping, we wouldn't have all these problems."  I cried most of the way home.

This weekend, we will go to Skopje to get more supplies. And next week, we will return to Gevgelija.

Gevgelija Refugee Camp

“All human wisdom is summed up in two words – wait and hope.”

– Alexandre Dumas

Zo is home from Gevgelija, where he took diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Camp.  Here are his first thoughts, as he told them to me. Please understand that he hasn’t had time yet to process what he saw/experienced, so his thoughts are a bit raw and scattered. It was an emotionally taxing day, to say the least.

REFUGEES:  The camp was expecting an influx of 2,000 refugees today. Instead, they received over 12,000. By the time Zo arrived, at 11 am, they were completely out of food. 

It was a mixture of men, women, and children, from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. Just today, the camp volunteers processed (a fancy term for writing peoples’ names on a sheet of paper) 50 infants.

VOLUNTEERS:  There are volunteers from several NGOs (non-governmental organizations), as well as the Red Cross, the UN, and police/military forces from Macedonia, and the UN. They were maintaining order as best they could, given the fact that there were, at any given time, 5,000 refugees and 25 officials patrolling the wire fencing.  When refugees (including entire families) would jump the fence and run, the military police, in full swat gear, would chase them down and return them to the camp so they could be processed according to UN requirements.

CAMP:  The camp is an open field, approximately 2-4 acres, that is surrounded by wire, with a large rolling gate at the front.  There is a second gate on one side, where the refugees enter, from Greece. Inside the camp, while Zo was there, were about 2,000 people, with another 2,000-3,000 on the Greek side, awaiting entry.  There were also 1,000-2,000 people standing in groups on a bridge in Gevgelija, awaiting transportation via bus to Serbia. Another large group of people were at the train station, on one side of the camp, awaiting trains that never came.  On the news, last night, it was reported that the Railroad Union had gone on strike today; however, there was no official word from them.  Whatever the reason, there were no trains.

TRENDS:  Zo asked one of the women, who has been volunteering at the camp for two months, if she is noticing any trends. She said, at the beginning, it was mostly men, but recently the number of women and children is increasing. She also said that the numbers are growing, not dwindling. He also asked her about their greatest needs and she said the following:

• Shoes
• Warm Clothes
• Women's Hygiene Items
• Blankets
• Stretchers
• Wheelchairs

WHAT NEXT:  We have no idea. Honestly. We talked tonight, and decided to sleep on it and talk again tomorrow.  Zo is definitely going back.  And we have more diapers and wipes to take, but it seems like such a small drop in the bucket, when the need is so great.

A couple of things that he said:

1. The secular groups are not providing what the refugees need most – hope. 
2. There needs to be more civilians there, because the refugees show a lot of fear and mistrust of the people in uniforms.
3. Many of them speak English.
4. It seems to be a safe place, other than the risk of stampede, which is quite high.

This is all, for now. We will continue to update as we learn more about the situation. Please continue to pray for the refugees and for the people who are trying to help them.

Hands & Feet in MK

One of the songs we sang during Ignite Kids @ Cornerstone was “Hands and Feet” by Audio Adrenaline.  Great band. Great song.

I’m reminded today, of the chorus, 

“I wanna be Your hands. I wanna be Your feet. 

I’ll go where you send me. And I’ll try, yes I’ll try, to touch the world like 

You touched my life. And I’ll find my way to be Your hands.”

For us, in Macedonia, that first big opportunity will be on Thursday, when Zo will travel to Gevgelija, which is at the border with Greece, and the main crossing of refugees into Macedonia.  Gevgelija is a 2 hour drive from our home in Bitola.  He will be visiting the refugee camp, in order to deliver diapers, wipes, and diaper rash crème to the families staying in the camp. 

We found out that the camps are now closed to outsiders, unless you are registered with an approved NGO.  They are also closed to outside children. Therefore, I will stay home with the kids and Zo will go in our stead.

If you are looking for a tangible way to help the refugees fleeing from ISIS, it’s not too late to contribute to the diaper/wipe fund. We hope this will be our first of several trips. 

$141 will buy 1,000 diapers and 1,000 wet wipes. All money donated will go straight to buying diapers, wipes, and diaper rash crème.  Will you join us and donate to this relief effort?

If so, please follow this link to the Cornerstone Church online giving page. Be sure to choose “Naskov Macedonia Fund” from the drop down box. 

http://www.easytithe.com/dl/?uid=corn1186217&quick=1

We will update on the progress of Zo’s trip as soon as we are able.  Thanks, in advance, for your prayers and your financial gifts.

First Blog Evah

Well, it’s 6 am, the day after Labor Day (in America), and all through the house, not creature is stirring, except the kitten that is trying to get in our kitchen window.  Looks like a good time to write our first blog!

We are settled in Bitola, Macedonia!  Praise God!  Let me give a few highlights of the travel fun that got us here:

Road Trip – When we left NC, last Wednesday, our first task was to complete a road trip from Rutherfordton to Washington DC.  So, 7 busting-at-the-seams suitcases, 2 excited boys, one not-so-excited dog, one determined husband, and I piled into a rented minivan and were off!  Everything went swimmingly. Really. Amazingly. It did.

Dulles Airport – We arrived at the drop off curb and decided the best course of action would be to unpack the entire van at the curb, then have Malachi and me wait for Zo and Joe to return the rental van and ride the shuttle back, so we could drag everything inside the airport and to the ticket counter. Of course, I don’t stand around well and Malachi loves a challenge, so the two of us decided to get everything inside all by ourselves.  Malachi took three 50 lb suitcases, (which were as tall as he is), his carry on and his backpack. I grabbed the 4 other suitcases, 3 carry ons, my backpack, and the dog cage (which, thankfully was on wheels).  Man, were we a sight!  We made choo choo train noises and stopped every 20 seconds to pick up a bag that fell over or rest, but we made it to the ticket counter.  (Shout out to the lady that helped Malachi the last 50 feet!) Wish I could’ve taken a picture, but obviously, my hands were quite full!

We got everything checked in (including the dog, which was my greatest concern b/c of all the struggles we had getting her paperwork completed) and only had 30 min before the flight boarded to regroup.  Boys were jumping off the walls at this point.  Fun times!

Dulles to Istanbul – 10 hours and 40 minutes of paaaarrrrtttyy…Not. Actually, it was a very good flight. The “lowlight” was when a poor, 20-something girl got sick and puked on the aisle next to our seats.  That was around hour 2 of the 10 hour flight.  Even though a flight attendant walked by every 30 minutes, and sprayed some flowery smelling junk on top of it, by hour 9 of 10, it was pretty awful. Something along the lines of “eau de puke with flowers on top.” Ugh. But boys did great (this was Malachi’s first time on a plane and Joe’s second).  We are grateful for such an easy flight.

Quotes from Istanbul Airport –

“Why do the women here dress like ninjas?” – Joe

“Is Roxy ok? And where in the heck is she?” – Me

“I’m grumpy.” – Malachi

“Me, too.” – Zo

Istanbul to Skopje – Piece of cake flight. By the time we were up, we were coming back down again.

Now was the “fun part” – getting through customs and immigration with 2 exhausted boys, an insane dog that has been in a cage for almost 30 hours without being let out to go to the bathroom for the last 17 (I’ll let your imagination take you from there), 350 lbs of our stuff on wheels, and a nervous wife, who is just positive something will go wrong and they won’t let the dog into Macedonia. (Unfortunately, “faith” is not my strongest gift. Actually, I don’t even think it made top 10)  Poor Zo. J

No kidding you, I had a manila envelope with 25 documents proving Roxy’s health, wellness, and overall awesomeness that I had gotten signed by the vet, the USDA in Columbia, SC and anyone else I could find that seemed “official”. We dragged ourselves up to the man at customs, and this is how the conversation went:

Man: “Hello. Where are you coming from?”

Zo: “America.”

Man: “And the dog?”

Zo: “America.”

Man: “Have a good evening.”

Yup. That was that. He didn’t even ask to see the stack of papers. Didn’t even pretend to look at them. I thought seriously about demanding he see all of the proof that I had gathered (pride is a struggle for me), but quickly thought better of it, smiled sweetly and continued on my way.

We arrived! Safely. Soundly. And gratefully. Now, onto the next step of our adventure…..