One Month in Greece!

Woah! Really? A month? I swear that sometimes the days feel like they are forever but it has already been four whole weeks! I guess it’s true what they say that time flies by when you’re having fun. I do really like Greece but I do want to mention that I do definitely miss Thailand more than I thought I would but it’s okay because I’m learning to love Greece as much as I love Thailand. With that being said let’s hop right into how this week has been!

Adventure day! We decided that since we usually explore the lower city that today we were going to explore the upper city! And since it was also around lunch time we decided to also find a place to eat as well. So off we went! As we were walking I realized how hot I was in the sun so I decided to take my jacket off and enjoy the warmth of the sun. After about fifteen minutes of walking we found this really nice place that was outside and in the sun! Everybody got pizza’s but since I wasn’t too hungry I decided to get myself a mango smoothie just solely because the menu was in Greek and that was the only smoothie name I could read. And when it arrived it was really, really good, granted I do have to say it tasted like apple sauce and not mango it was still really good and I would in fact order it again. After everyone was done eating we took a short hike uphill to get to this church/cathedral. Once we got there I didn’t want to leave. You could see almost the entire city, the bay and beyond. And since the sun was out and there was a place to sit it was gorgeous. It was another one of those few times where I felt truly happy. I felt like I could have sat there forever and I almost fell asleep as well. Unfortunately we had to leave about forty minutes after getting there because someone had to use the bathroom but I had a lot of fun just sitting in the sun, looking over the city and talking. Tuesday was the refugee center! One of the girls that we had kinda made a connection with came back and we got to talk to her for a little bit and that was really nice to see her again. But that day was a little hard because a lot of tomatoes came in so after sorting some of them for the refugees the rest of the decent ones we had to cut the bad parts out and then cut them up into smaller pieces. That did take a while and I did cut myself multiple times but we got through it. Plus I love it there, Demetri is the guy who helps run it is such a hoot. Even though he is always so busy he always has time to joke with us and it makes working with him so much fun. Wednesday I finally got to have my one on one with Antonis after it got delayed for four weeks. It was actually really good and I was able to forgive someone who I was holding a grudge against who I didn’t need to hold anymore. I felt so much lighter after that and I really think there was some healing done that needed to be done for years. This week was a little weird because we had our Sabbath switched to Thursday because Saturday we were going to help with our host’s family business. It was a little frustrating to have stuff switched up last minute but this is the World Race and that’s just how we vibe. You need to learn to go with the flow otherwise it is very hard to do a lot of things. Anyway, Thursday was filled with naps, food, movies, and friends when I saw them. Friday was evangelism day! This week we tried a different method of pamphlets instead of just going up to people and talking to them. That was a lot easier and a lot more fun. It also pushed me to step out of my comfort zone to talk to people and it worked! Along with the encouragement of Jaylynn of course. I mean of course not everyone wanted one or even spoke english and it certainly was discouraging when they didn’t want it or worse just looked at you weird and didn’t say anything. But my goal was to hand out all of my pamphlets and I did! I also got the opportunity to talk to a woman about what we were doing and what the pamphlet was about. Then afterward Naty, Ava, Jaylynn, and I got ice cream as a little treat! Since Thailand I have gotten a liking towards gelato and my favorite flavor is lemon because it is tart and sweet at the same time. Saturday we headed to a little warehouse/shop to help do whatever they needed. While we were there we packaged clothes, added price tags, folded clothes, and took little strings of the clothes. After working for about four hours my back hurt so much from standing and I had a lot of respect for the women who worked there everyday. But it was overall a nice experience. All the women there were so nice and I would do it again if I was asked. Sunday was the first of the month so church looked a little different. So instead of just a message there is singing, a message and communion. And since it is Greece and they are so fancy they use real wine and homemade bread for communion. A funny story is that when we first got here it was the first Sunday of the month and of course there was communion but at that time I didn’t know that they used wine so I thought it was just grape juice but boy was I surprised when it was wine! But even though it was pretty disgusting it was a lot sweeter this time so it tasted better. Also after church on the first Sunday there is always a feast so this time we were asked to make a dish so we made lasagna, garlic bread, and cookies. Even though it was a little stressful it was a lot of fun to be able to cook together with all of my girls.

Something that I have kept with me this week is a little devo that I did about patience. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself, each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 10:34. Don’t keep worrying about today, because it will be solved. Tomorrow has different worries so don’t stress about it today. Let God have you worries, and focus on what you can control. Listen to all around you, but think before you speak, and have patience before you get angry. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” James 1:19. Take a minute to talk to God everyday. He will refresh your soul, and lead you to a beautiful life. “He leads me beside the quiet waters. He refreshes my soul.” Psalms 23:2-3.

Someone you can keep in your prayers is my friend Emery. She was riding a scooter and broke both her fibula and tibia and can’t really move or do ministry anymore. So pray for quick healing for her and that it doesn’t cause her a lot of pain.

Adventure day!

Helping at a family business.

At the refugee center serving sandwiches and coffee!

Ice cream after evangelism😋