Metaphors For Meteors

Athens in October!

I'm excited to share that I will be part of Orangewood Church's Missionary Team to Athens, Greece, this October, 2016! Thank you to all who supported me in this endeavor in years past-- I could not have been part of this amazing team without your support, and hope that you will consider helping me get there again this year. To see some photos from last year's trips, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

Why I Go

Several years ago, I traveled to Greece at the end of a Missionary trip to Turkey, and met the Pastors and ministry leaders that serve in Athens. While there, we visited the churches we partner with in ministry and listened to their leaders share their vision for the Gospel of Christ in Athens and the surrounding areas. Through hearing their stories, and getting to know them over time, I have become an active supporter and partner in the ministry of House Damaris, a home for women who are victims of trafficking in Greece. This fall, I plan on serving at House Damaris, assisting the ministry team and residents in a project, and also to meet with others serving in ministry in Athens to offer support, encouragement, and physical help with the ministries they are running within their communities.

Who We Help

Currently, we assist the ministries of The First Greek Evangelical Church, Athens, their daughter churches in the communities of Exarcheia, Glyfada, Aghia Paraskevi, the Iranian Church of Athens, and House Damaris-- a ministry for victims of trafficking in Athens. Because the needs are great, and the laborers are few, each one of these groups looks forward to our arrival and the physical help we can provide, along with the encouragement in Christ we bring.

How You Can Help

The cost of airfare, lodging, food, and transportation for this trip is $3000.00. Currently, I have paid $1300.00 towards these expenses, and must raise the remaining $1700.00 in support. Will you consider helping me meet my goal of raising the balance of $1700.00 by September 20th?

How You Can Partner With Me

Financial Support

You can make a tax deductible donation online or by mail. My goal is to raise $1700.00 by September 20th, 2016.

To Give Online:

Just click the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser, then follow these easy steps:

1. Enter the amount you would like to donate in the "Give" field.

2. Select "missions" in the drop down menu titled "select a fund"

3. Enter "Vicki Taylor, Greece" and your name and address in the "optional" field, then enter your email address in the field provided.
4. Click Continue; if you already have an account, you can sign in. Otherwise, click "continue as a guest"

5. Follow the screen prompts to enter your payment details.

6. Click "Give"

You will receive a receipt for your tax deductible donation. Orangewood's giving site is secure.

Here is the link to Orangewood Giving:

Orangewood Giving

To Mail a Check:

Mail to:

Orangewood PResbyterian Church
attn: Missions/Vicki Taylor/Athens
1300 West Maitland Blvd.
Maitland, Florida 32751

Prayer support

Please pray for our team in these three areas:

Health and safety as we travel
That we might serve Christ and the community well
That our Heavenly Father would use each of us as the hands and feet of Christ

If you would like more information, or have questions, please email me at vtaylor@orangewood.org and I will get back to your right away!

Thank you so much for your interest and support!

Vicki

Please see below for pictures from our 2015 trip.

Athens 2015

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Meeting with old friends...

Sorting through gifts for children and supplies.

Heading to Victoria Square to work on a project for the First Evangelical Church in their efforts to minister to the refugees in the city.

We spent a day talking with refugees and gathering information with the help of an Iranian pastor, who interpreted for us.

We compiled all of our information into a photographic essay for the church to use as a way to help their congregation have a greater understanding of the ways they might minister to them.

We were shown an apartment the church had recently purchased to use as a place where refugees might have some of their needs met. The apartment would need cleaning, outfitting, and then have places for children to play, mothers to nurse babies, a place to shower, charge cell phones, etc.

So much to be done...

On to the Olympic Ping Pong Stadium to hand out toys and activity books collected by the church to the children of families being temporarily housed there.

We visited the Greek Bible College, where Joe delivered a message to the students during their chapel, and we toured the construction site of their new building.

We met with Dina, the director of House Damaris, shared a meal, a time of prayer, and were able to give her a much needed laptop to use for her ministry.

The church had collected toiletry items for adults and children, and we assembled the bags and prepped them for distribution to refugees.

We visited the churches in Glyfada. Aghia Paraskevi, and Athens.

We met with Dina and the House Damaris team to hear more about their ministry and find out how we might best help them in their ministry to those who have been trafficked in Greece.