by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | May 18, 2019 | Long Blog
Imagine that it is too risky to hold a Bible study in your room of a refugee hotel!!! Where better to gather than along the sea at an off season tourist beach with nature and sunshine all around. Here is a small group of Kurdish believers who want to come to our...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | May 2, 2019 | Long Blog
Sunday April 28 was Easter Pascha this year and it was very unique. Since 2007, we have had the famous Passover lamb, Anastasi Resurrection Sunday meal with our church family every year. This time our congregation decided to forego our tradition and join the...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Apr 16, 2019 | Long Blog
Our 4 year refugee ministry means being interictally involved in so many refugee families, we experience their struggles and challenges. Recently, riots broke out at a camp where many attend our church. It drew international attention and in the news broadcast it...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Mar 22, 2019 | Long Blog
Observation: Baptisms lead to more baptisms. Every time a new believer from the Middle East gets baptized, someone else requests also to be baptized. Last Sunday, five were baptized after waiting so long from Iran and then Turkey. They shared their stories,...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Feb 18, 2019 | Long Blog
If the rest of the year goes well like the beginning, it will be an amazing year. Two teenage sisters gave their hearts to the Lord and completed the baptism preparation lessons. Just two days before their baptism they were smuggled to another European country. We...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 31, 2018 | Long Blog
We wish you a very blessed and fruitful New Year!!! Please send donations to Greece Country Ministry...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 28, 2018 | Long Blog
Our Christmas December has been full of joy, celebration, thanksgiving and family. We hope that your time is special too. Here are some pictures of our family, refugee dinner, wedding and Sunday service party. We are very thankful for all that the Lord is doing and...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Sep 26, 2018 | Long Blog
Maria took off today with our grandson, Jason, with Gina, our daughter to fly to Manchester and on Saturday she flies on to Birmingham, Alabama to begin a tour of sharing in the south about the ministry celebrations. She will be based in Birmingham without the...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jul 12, 2018 | Long Blog
This little guy entered the world Tuesday morning the 3rd of July weighing 7lbs 6oz, 20 inches long. Gina and Simon Ramsden named his Jason Lucas. He is happy, curious, hungry, cranky, sleepy, and poop-y like all babies. Amazingly beautifully cute are some of the...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jun 30, 2018 | Long Blog
Thursday, we visited a sweet little 20 kilo boy who has kidney failure. His name is Hasan Every night he does dialysis for 8 hours while he sleeps. Their apartment is full of medical supplies and filters. They are a wonderful family. They come to church when...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | May 24, 2018 | Long Blog
Here is collection of stories that caused my heart to rejoice over the past three months. A wonderful Syrian mother who has attended our church for over a year invited Jesus Christ in her life this week. She said that from the first time she and her family came to...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jan 20, 2018 | Long Blog
This weekend participants are gathering from Cyprus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Belgium, Romania, Albania and Spain at our church for a 4 day training event called Community Church planting from the 22nd to the 25th. Raouf, Josh and Jose will be leading and the 20...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 22, 2017 | Long Blog
We are enjoying a great Christmas season with family, church, and refugees. We pray and hope that you too are experiencing a great time of our Lord’s love and joy also. Christi, Gina and Simon are here to join us, Kali, Maria, and Mike, for a week of serving...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Nov 15, 2017 | Long Blog
At the beginning of November, Kali, Maria, Fevronia, Soula and Ahmad got to present MIA Tribe ministry enterprise to the Prime Minister of Greece at the expo of Greek Social Coops in Athens. God gave this new work great exposure and notoriety from zero attention to...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Oct 12, 2017 | Long Blog
We are praising the Lord for a successful Total Knee Replacement surgery. Now the hard work begins to gain the flexibility for a strong joint. After an early release from the hospital because of progress, the home has been regression to the reality of recovery. ...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Oct 1, 2017 | Long Blog
Just a quick note from this week, the Refugee Challenge team came to Thessaloniki Anagenesis and had a great time engaging with our friends from Syria and other countries. They put on a workshop for job and business training. Around 18 showed up. Plus the MIA Tribe...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Sep 19, 2017 | Long Blog
September started by saying good bye suddenly to Demosthenis who was a solid presence, hymn singing, and dependable driver who came to faith late in life and passed peacefully. Then FMC Portugal team came and encouraged us by jumping in and blessing the refugee work....
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jul 31, 2017 | Long Blog
Since October of 2016, a small group of unemployed, refugees and migrants have been striving to start a Coop company for social benefit. The monster resisting their persistent perseverance was and is bureaucratic lethargy and governmental complexity. Lead by none...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jul 8, 2017 | Long Blog
Three amazing days in June 2017 with refugees and Arabic music concerts Thanks to FM Pastor Raif Azab from New Jersey and the Good News Team from Egypt for coming to Thessaloniki. It was a huge undertaking and the team here in Thessaloniki did great. It was a great...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jun 5, 2017 | Long Blog
I just found out that an amazing young man named Mohammed killed himself three days ago on the railroad tracks behind a refugee camp. I so enjoyed talking to him 10 days ago and I hoped to talked to him again. Unfortunately, I will never see him again. He is gone....
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | May 15, 2017 | Long Blog
Last week Pastor Raif Azab from Eastern Christian FM Church in Jersey City arrived in Thessaloniki for a few days and he asked me which Thessaloniki is this… number 1 or number 2. I thought to myself this Egyptian is really bad at geography. So I tell him...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Apr 8, 2017 | Long Blog
Another month zipped past and now Pascha Easter is before us. God has blessed us with an amazing month of connecting with new partners for ministry. (The refugees and displaced peoples in Greece continue to be our main focus.) It just seems like God is moving things...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Feb 22, 2017 | Long Blog
The Bible says “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Rom 10:15). Of course, all of you know that in Greek feet and legs are the same word. So I keep on asking God to make my legs especially my knees beautiful to bring God’s...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 24, 2016 | Long Blog
After four long years in Greece, one of our developing leaders, Ahmad, from Iran finally was granted Asylum status this week by the Greek government. His testimony begins at the 1.45 mark of the ITEC video above. He is yet another testimony of a refugee finding...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Nov 18, 2016 | Long Blog
Because our work in Thessaloniki practices the gift of hospitality very strongly and hospitality is the great heritage of Thessalonian church since the Apostle Paul, our whole past year of refugee ministry has been full of endless teams coming and going one after...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 30, 2015 | Long Blog
During the holidays, we have been traveling to the gas station near the border to make friends and give out NT’s to the refugees waiting there. Sometimes there have been 20 buses and about 1000 refugees just mingling around for hours and sometimes over night....
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 25, 2015 | Long Blog
Joseph and Mary slept in a barn which was better than the tents that the refugees sleep in. Baby Jesus was born without a doctor and laid in a manger. Many babies have been born in the refugee camps. I even heard of a baby born on a raft in the sea crossing from...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 9, 2015 | Long Blog
These past two weeks, I have seen refugees electrocute themselves, sow their mouths shut, hunger strike, attack a food truck, trash storage units, riot, and more declaring either let us pass or we will die here at the border. They are determined to pass and never go...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Nov 23, 2015 | Long Blog
Last week started on Monday with taking a team of 12 World Racers to the border to pass out cloths to the refugees rushing to get to Northern Greece. World Race is a gap year program and this great team is with us until the end of November. I took this picture of...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Nov 6, 2015 | Long Blog
Yesterday, I visited the border for the 10th time in two months. It is such a joy to help the refugees on their journey to a new life. In Greece the Christians and Non-profits are responding to the overwhelming flood of humanity. The average is 7,000 cross the...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Oct 23, 2015 | Long Blog
Everyday we hear first hand stories from the tragic drama of the journey of endurance of the Syrian and other refugees. A recent YWAMer at our guest hostel shared from her experience on the Greek islands. One refugee in clear English came splashing out of the Aegean...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Oct 8, 2015 | Long Blog
Yesterday, we joined the relief mission at the border with the team from the Evangelical Churches of Northern Greece. When we arrived, there were 20 buses in the cue, and I am guessing that in 5 hours, 2 – 3,000 refugees were served. It was non-stop mercy. I...
by Joel Miller | Aug 21, 2015 | General, Miller Blog
Both beginning and ending have their joys and challenges. Seemingly, we are either looking back or planning ahead these days. Here are a few paragraphs about some of these transitions. Presidential Inauguration Burundi is experiencing a beginning today. Pierre...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jul 9, 2015 | Long Blog
“The tipping point is the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible development.” This was the image that the Lord showed Jeremiah too. Chapter 1:13 “The LORD again asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see...
by Joel Miller | Jun 22, 2015 | General, Miller Blog
Burundi continues to be a country full of contrasts and contradictions. Many of our friends and students are fearful of the future and have either left the country or are waiting at home with their families. In the capital city Bujumbura, the threat of violence or...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Jun 18, 2015 | Long Blog
On June 12, a great group started from Lisbon and the FM church there. We are cycling the pilgrim trail to Santiago, Spain called the Camino. We are 17 cyclists and from Europe, America, and Asia. Algent Bregu and I are representing Greece and Albania. So...
by Joel Miller | May 22, 2015 | General, Miller Blog
Walking the Red Dirt Road This is my walk home from the hospital each morning and afternoon. Kibuye is a small community and this red dirt is everywhere (and on every piece of our boys’ clothing). I have gone many days without even getting into a car. We...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | May 16, 2015 | Long Blog
On April 29 was a conference at the university of Thessaloniki that was a sign for positive change for the future and tonight May 16 next to the university at Iraklis basketball court Ivanofio Tom Mahairas will proclaim the message “Power to...
by Janette Miller | Apr 25, 2015 | General, Miller Blog
A beautiful calm Saturday morning in Burundi. But things are not as they appear. As we drove the 2.5 hours down through the gorgeous mountainous countryside yesterday from Kibuye to Bujumbura, I kept seeing our beautiful normal Burundi. Lush greens, layers of hills...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Apr 21, 2015 | Long Blog
With excitement and uncertainty, I humbly announce that I have been accepted for Doctorate Research Projects of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Theology. Suddenly, I find myself at the school of theology making...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Mar 20, 2015 | Long Blog
From Argentina,the anointed man of God, Yonny Lara, brings the fire of a 19 year old Latino from a land of revival. As a inspiration to youth, God uses brother Yonny to raise up gifted new leaders of the next generation. Youth are the future. It is extremely important...
by Joel Miller | Mar 20, 2015 | General, Miller Blog
I probably should dedicate a post to each of these several events but that seems overwhelming at the moment. We have a decidedly first world problem in that our older computer has recently failed. Now we are sharing the laptop previously dedicated to homeschool and...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Mar 17, 2015 | Long Blog
On Sunday March 8th, one of the verses that I preached on was that in Genesis 47:10. It simply says, “Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” So under conviction myself to be a spiritual leader who blesses our political leader, I wrote this letter and sent it to...
by Joel Miller | Mar 12, 2015 | General, Miller Blog
A big secure house, the brick wall around it, our kitchen that comes with Moïse, the good food he cooks, meat, the cows that are killed for it, water to drink, and wash in, a filter to clean it and keep us healthy, shoes and clothes to wear, the rain that washes away...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Feb 9, 2015 | Long Blog
After two weeks of new government, Greece attempts to pull off a miracle out of desperation. Everyone is holding their breath and hoping for a chance to get through the huge mess. Youth and daring are on our side. Inexperience and lack of trust are against the new...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 31, 2014 | Long Blog
From Thessaloniki and Athens, we FEEL that this next year will be a WINNER …. everywhere and everyone FEELS it too. With great joy we would like to introduce a new team member to the FM work in Greece. Esther has joined Kali to fight the injustice of...
by Mike and Maria Long | Ministers in Thessaloniki, Greece | Dec 25, 2014 | Long Blog
Our family is all together in Athens this Christmas and we wish you God’s best this year. God has greatly blessed us and we pray that he blesses you too. We get to enjoy one another for a whole week here at Kali’s wonderful apartment. Christi came from...
by Joel Miller | Dec 5, 2014 | General, Miller Blog
Thanks to a generous donation from a family in Southwest Michigan, we are better able to care for patients at Van Norman Clinic in Bujumbura. It took months for their gift to make it through all of the levels of accountability in the U.S. and Burundi (and we are glad...
by Janette Miller | Nov 21, 2014 | General, Miller Blog
Meet Suzanne Pesak. She is a Dutch woman living here in Burundi with her family. She approached me this past spring with an idea. Suzanne had visited a hospital in Bujumbura and was concerned by the lack of basic care the patients received. Many people can barely...
by Janette Miller | Nov 11, 2014 | General, Miller Blog
The final week in October was fall break for our children and we took the opportunity to see some African animals at the Nairobi Game Park with some friends. We were flying to Kenya for our 3 day Africa Area Missionary Retreat for the Free Methodist Church that is...
