It is the simple things that often lead to the greatest impact. For the project Ek Neou in Greece, one of the areas they seek to help the women in their care is by providing language classes in Greek and English. One tool that comes in handy is the children’s books Mr. Men and Little Miss by Roger Hargreaves. They provide the women easy access to useful vocabulary and grammar rules alongside fun pictures.
One of their favorite go-to stories to teach from is Κύριος Κανένας (Mr. Nobody). In it, Mr. Happy, a very smiley character, feels a water drop on his head one day as he walks outside and looks up to find a nearly transparent and colorless man sitting in a tree, weeping. He asks the weeping man who he is, and the man replies, “Nobody.” Mr. Happy declares, “But everybody is somebody!” Then he brings Mr. Nobody to a wizard who gives him color again.
Another way Ek Neou helps the women in their care is by running a shop (bookstore). It gives their beneficiaries opportunities to work and engage in conversations with those who walk into the store. One of their newest employees is always willing to try new things and grow but is also at times unsure of herself. With the Greek language lessons and encouragement from the team, she has found greater confidence to greet customers and initiate conversations. And as she continues to gain skills and confidence, we pray that, with God’s help, her life will burst forth with light and color as she sees that she is somebody who is loved and cherished. This is the sincerest hope of our team for all the women in our care.
Outside of this sweet story, our team has also seen a growing eagerness and openness to the gospel in our Bible studies, and many of the women and children are slowly adjusting to everyday life.
As the team in Greece begins 2026, we invite you to join us in prayer over the mental health struggles that many of these women continue to face, for continued wisdom to meet these women where they are at, to help them heal, and to find more professional counselors to help them work through their trauma. In all these things, we hope that all these women and children will see that they are all somebody loved and cherished—not just by our team, but also by their heavenly Father.
____________________________________
This story comes from a ministry partner supported by The Freedom Challenge, a movement dedicated to advocating for and empowering women and children in vulnerable situations. The Freedom Challenge is a ministry of OM, working together to bring freedom, justice and the love of Christ to communities around the world.
Want to keep up with and pray for OM’s ministries? You can sign up to receive our prayer newsletters here.
