Getting to the Refugee Highway Partnership in Athens Greece

A Christ follower should always keep in mind that Satan trembles at the thought of dedicated followers of Jesus getting better equipped to bring the message of hope that our world so desperately needs.  Thus begins our story…..

 

Refugee Highway Partnership (RHP) roundtable  31 January 2022 – 4 February 2022 in Athens Greece.  This is an important annual event that gathers Christ followers across Europe who are working to welcome the refugee/immigrant/asylum seeker to Europe.  It’s a group that we, Swansons in Sweden but also our Serve Globally colleagues across Europe, are passionate about.  We always learn so much when we gather with like-minded individuals from all walks of life who want to be part of an important movement across Europe that works to welcome the foreigner whom God has brought to us.  It’s our biblical mandate.  It’s our passion as we follow Jesus.

 

We learn together.

We pray together.

We laugh together.

We cry together.

Sometimes we even dance together.

RHP in Malmö 2020 ~ just before Covid crashed into our world

Worship at the RHP in Malmö 2020

Excursions in Malmö 2020 ~ such fun memories!

 

Serve Globally colleagues helping out in Malmö ~

So we should not have been surprised when the obstacles came up ~ one by one ~ to prevent us from attending this year’s gathering.  A priority in our mission has always been to include those who have a refugee highway story among those who gather at these roundtables.  Armed with 2 eager volunteers, we began the process of registering for this year’s gathering in 2022.

 

First obstacle:  covid vaccination records.  One of our guests was having trouble with the local health authorities to make sure all 3 of the vaccines were properly registered under the name of our guest.  Lots of prayer ~ God provided.  Covid pass came through in the last minute.

 

We found another guest who had papers to travel, and hurried up to make sure the registration was complete.  Yes!  And covid pass available for this second guest.  Yes!  Now just purchase a plane ticket for the 3 of us and we’re ready to go.

 

Honestly we had come up with plan A (we get to Greece for the meeting), Plan B (we can’t get to Greece so we find a retreat center here in Sweden and participate online), Plan C (we can’t get to Greece so we kick Steve out of our home and he travels while the 3 of us hang out together and participate online).

 

Plan A it was!

And then….the hurricane winds blew around Malmö and Copenhagen, which then closed the bridge over to the airport in Copenhagen on Saturday night.  We went to bed knowing the bridge was closed.  But they were suggesting it could be open by 8.00am Sunday morning.  With a flight at 9.55am, would we make it?  Go to sleep!

 

Sunday morning we woke up..  Bridge is still closed.  Canceled our hotel reservation in Athens, rebooked with KLM.  Went to church, said good bye to our pastor Peter and celebrated with our congregation.  Tried not to get blown over by all the wind that was just in over abundance in our city.  Picked up 3 passengers, 3 suitcases, and sat at a hotel by the train station in Malmö waiting to make sure we had a hotel in Copenhagen and for the bridge to open up once again.

I think that, in retrospect, we really needed to be comforted by these words in worship before we went into all the hassles and frustrations of the next hours...

Saying good-bye at Wesley ~ the sun was out, fika was outdoors but wow, we really had to hold onto our paper plates and coffee cups!

Picking up my guests in hope that we could get across the bridge...

First suitcase in the car....we think we're on our way!

Bridge opened.  We had a hotel.  Bye bye, Sweden!

Hello, hotel in Copenhagen airport.  At least we’re on the right side of the bridge this time.  ETD:  Monday morning from Copenhagen to Athens, should get there in time for the opening session of the roundtable.

 

We walked over to the airport and decided that, to avoid stress on Monday morning, we would do our covid tests at the airport that evening (Sunday).  Covid tests: check!  All negative.  Check!  Eat a quick burger at the airport and head back to the hotel.

 

And then we received this text message from KLM:  your flights to Amsterdam and on to Greece for Monday are cancelled….due to high winds and bad weather in Amsterdam.

 

Obstacle #?? (by this time I’m beginning to lose count).  What to do?  It’s Sunday evening.  We have negative covid tests.  We’re in the hotel.  But can’t get to the conference.  A quick call and we cancelled the KLM flights and rebooked with Lufthansa for a 6.00am flight to Frankfurt then connecting on to Athens.  Quick, girls…get to bed!  Get some sleep!

Kastrup at 03.30am....even the covid testing station isn't open at this time!

All checked in and ready to go thru security ~ this feels good!

Thumbs up!  We're on our first flight to Athens!

  

3.00am on Monday we’re back at the airport, checking in for our 6.00am flight.

All is well.  So thankful to God that we did the covid tests on Sunday night (the testing center only opens at 4.00am!)

 

On our way!  Rejoicing!!  God is good!!!