Greece
(AMG/MNN) — Greek state workers, angry over austerity plans, launched another
general strike Thursday in central Athens.
Protests
are mounting against government plans to cut jobs and wages to meet conditions
for international loans. The Federation of Finance Ministry Unions plans a
nine-day strike beginning Oct. 17. The
work stoppages will affect government services, transportation, hospitals, schools
and tourist sites.
Next week's Parliament vote on the plan is slated for October
19. The months-long upheaval has taken
its toll on the work of AMG International in Greece.
The country's financial distress has had a severe impact on AMG International's
ministry hospital, St. Luke's in Thessaloniki. Since most of the country's workers are
insured by the government, the bills for treatment have either been delayed or
unpaid.
Fotis Romeos is the
AMG Coordinator of Eastern European Ministries, Evangelism, and the Cosmovision Center. He says earlier strikes made transportation an issue for
one of their project teams that was hosting
coworkers from 18 different countries.
However, the greatest
challenge now facing the ministry is not the upheaval, but the trial of a
believer who has been accused of proselytism. Romeos writes, "Damavolitis
Emmanuel, an evangelical Christian and the father of six children from age 30
to 11-years-old, was charged with a violation of the Greek anti-proselytizing
law. He was found guilty after a trial and sentenced to four months in prison
and 840 Euros fine."
The Court of
Appeals of Rethymno in Crete convicted Mr. Emmanuel and sentenced him to four
months in prison and a fine of 840 Euros for allegedly proselytizing another
man between 2004 and 2006, convincing him to become an evangelical
believer.
Romeos is
concerned because "the Greek courts are busy to control the religious
beliefs… This is why we do believe that our crisis is not merely financial,
but it is primarily moral."
Pray for Greece. This week is very crucial for a series of decisions which are being developed at European level leadership concerning more
severe measurements regarding financial crisis. Pray that AMG will faithfully continue
to convey the message of hope to Greece.
