Last Zone Conference

 The count down has begun and every thing seems to be our last whatever.  We had a wonderful zone conference and mission tour.  It is always so nice when all of Greece is able to come together and we can see those missionaries that we haven't seen for a while.  We had Elder Alliaud and his wife come for the tour.  It was wonderful to spend time learning from them.  

The mission got three new Greek missionaries from the England MTC.  That is a big deal since we are such a small mission. When they arrive, we go to Mars Hill for a testimony meeting.  That is where Paul preached to the Athenians.  The new missionaries share their thoughts in Greek.  It is amazing how well they are able to speak Greek in such a short time. 

Mars Hill, new missionaries and the Acropolis in the background

 

Elder and Sister Nelson, our mission leaders and their daughter

I always laugh when I see all the suitcases the missionaries have to haul around for the transfer.  It is a lot of logistics to get everyone where they need to go and big slumber parties with mattresses on the floor, etc.  After one night of everyone in their sleeping arrangements for zone conference, we found that more blankets would be appreciated.  Some apartments are too hot and some too cold.  We ate at a Greek restaurant with Elder and Sister Alliaud.  It was nice and we had the place to ourselves.  Most Greeks don't think about lunch until late afternoon and then they eat dinner about 9 p.m.  It is so counterintuitive to how we have lived in the states.  

We were very blessed to have missionaries stay with us.  This is breakfast time.  They slept on the floor on mattresses in the living room.  I had to smile when I got a call from one of the Elders that stayed with us returned to Cyprus and showed me his apartment on face time.  He asked how he could arrange his apartment to make it more homey like ours.  We love these missionaries.  I was very proud of one Elder while staying with us, saw how to make bread.  He showed me a picture of his beautiful loaf that he made after learning how I made mine.  

Greek Missionaries serving in Athens, Crete, Cyprus, and Thessaloniki

They announced that the missionaries would be singing in Sacrament meeting.  They sang in Greek. Wha. I gave up on learning Greek.  I can't even tell if someone is speaking Greek.  Totally failure and one of the missionaries told me that I wasn't rolling my "r's" when I said Kalamera which is good morning.  The one thing I can say with confidence was busted. 

Making gingersnaps

This is the last night before the Elders headed to Cyprus.  Elder Paez likes gingersnaps enough that he ate the brunt ones but then we made a batch together so that he can make his own because this is probably the last time I will see him.  Zone Conference was a great uplift and faith promoting time.  We loved having the missionaries stay with us and will remember how much we loved connecting with them. 

I Am So Far Behind

 Time is really slipping away and I have not stayed current with the blog.  I was just reading some of the things I first entered into the blog and it seems like forever ago.  Life has changed.  We have figured many things out.  We can handle getting lost or sidetracked.  I still don't read labels in the grocery and just grab whatever looks like something that I think it is.  It is weird to repeat seasons and remember what it was like a year ago.  A tourist family was asking about our mission in church today and I said that it has been really hard for me but so worthwhile.  The man mentioned leaving grandchildren which is definitely a challenge but you do it anyway because there are so many blessings, perks, amazing discoveries and a strengthening of all your beliefs that God is in charge and knows exactly who you are.  

We are closing the paper work on our projects that were started a year ago and are done as we get ready to go home.  The German office reminds us that we want to leave a clean slate for the couple to follow us.  There is a couple called to replace us but they are still working on papers to get here and who knows when that will be.  We packed our bags, closed up the apartment and headed to Ioannina where we have had a project called Habibi.  They are a center close to a refugee camp.  My favorite memory is an African lady that had a full Sklavenitis bag ( grocery chain in Greece) on her head as she walked back to the camp.  No hands were used to balance the bag.  I wish I had a picture.  

Habibi is a place where the refugees can learn skills like woodworking, sewing, bike repair, etc. 

Cement blocks were on the ends for weights

Gathering place.  It used to be a furniture store. 

We went to Ioannina afterwards and walked around.  We had come here with other senior couples for a retreat the year before.  It is a lovely place to visit with a fort, lake with an island, lots of shops and bougasta, a custard filling between phyllo.  

We then headed to Larissa where the flooding occurred earlier in the year.  We were able to retrace steps from our visit before and see what it looked like with the water gone.  Places where the lamp post light was the only thing above water was now dry with grass around it.  We visited a warehouse that distributed food and necessities to the flood victims. 

They were planting flowers in the park that had been completely submerge.  It was good to see that life was moving forward and healing was taking place. 

We then drove to Sindas outside of Thessaloniki to an apartment complex that had housed university students.  It had been abandoned and then turned into housing for Afghanistan refugees that were women lawyers, judges, etc. when the US pulled out the military.  They were being relocated mostly to Canada but some were still waiting after 2 years for all their papers, etc. 

We went to Serres where there is a refugee camp and Lifting Hands Int. is located near it.  We have helped with the community center. We were excited that Hayley Smith was there during our visit.  She is the founder of Lifting Hands.  We got to see all the camp engaged in sports and games.  It was great to watch how happy everyone seemed as they had a place to gather outside of the camp.  

We drove into Thessaloniki after dark and tried desperately to find a parking place near our hotel.  Google wanted us to go down a barricaded street.  Needless to say, we were so grateful when we were parked and ready to go to sleep after a very long day in our nice warm hotel. Very warm.  

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece.  We visited several NGOs and did apartment inspections with the missionaries.  It was nice weather unlike the rainy weather we experienced a year ago. 

The paintings are self portraits of the women that come to Irida...a women's center for gathering and learning English, and other skills to help them cope with where they are.  

Celebrating Chinese New Year.  They served free homemade dumplings in honor of the Chinese holiday. 

We love our young missionaries.  They are resilient and full of energy.  They don't give up. 

The breakfast at the hotel was amazing.  I wanted to try it all.  

We went through mountain ranges that were beautiful and snowcapped as we drove home.  We happy to arrive and find all well in our nice missionary apartment. 

We got home in time for me to go to the Relief Society Valentine Activity.  We learned how to make Moussaka, and then make valentines.  We had a delicious dinner and lovely time visiting.  

This cute lady had a stroke a year ago.  She was determined to get movement back on her left side.  She faithfully exercised and changed her diet to bring down her blood pressure.  Then she found out because of the stroke that she had cancer.  She had treatments and took medication.  She was determined to get better.  She just prepared an amazing dinner for our zone conference of 40 by herself.  She loves to serve the missionaries.  She is a driven woman, and an angel to our young missionaries.  

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. 

--Denis Waitley 

We are grateful for this opportunity to see so much good in the world mixed with all the challenges and heartache of being in a new country, new language and unknown future.  The world is on the move and we have seen a small corner of it happening.  I wish we could wave a fairy wand and let everyone see what we see.  I know it would touch everyone's heart like it has ours.  
 

 

Adventures in Greece

             

Karababa Castle in the city of Chalkis.  There are two Russian canons of the 19th century in the battlements.  I don't know why they are there but they make it seem more like a fort. 

The castle that is there now was built upon the remains left from the Roman period and was designed by a Venetian so it looks more European than Turkish. 

It was very strategic and had great views of the surrounding area.  

This last building was a museum.  It was very interesting because of all the pictures, diagrams, and artifacts. I would rank it up there with my top 5. 

We went over the Negroponte Bridge to the Island of Evia.  It is the 2nd largest island in Greece.  The interesting thing about the bridge that I didn't take a picture of is that it has a tidal phenomenon.  There is a swift change of water direction every six hours that they say is created by the moon's pull. 

Agia Kyriaki Church outside of the village of Kambia

Holy Water Outside the church

The Church is built into a cave

Leaving Evia and going over the Euripus Bridge which is a new bridge connecting the island to the mainland and is a cable stayed bridge crossing the Euripus Strait. 

This entry pretty much sounds like a travel loge. I think the thing I came away with from this day trip with our other senior couple is the idea that there are so many wonderful things to learn about in Greece.  It is a beautiful country and you never will know what you will find until you go and see.  That is why I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  You never know if it is true unless you put it to the test and see.  I have had so many wonderful experiences that tell me God is real and in the details of my life.  This mission has been a big challenge for me and unlike anything I thought it would be, but now that I have done it, I recognize that I have been so blessed by wading through the hard things and seeing that I can contribute and accomplish things we were sent here to do.  Come and see.