The Mission Office

So much good work goes on at the Mission Office, thought you might like to see it. Sister Erickson can be seen knocking on the door of the office which is on the 1st floor. It is always a lovely place to visit, because Elder and Sister Smith have created a calm working environment.

Church in Patra, Sunday 26 July

What a wonderful experience in Patra! We were told that there might only be missionaries present at church. It turned out that there was standing room only, with twenty-one people in attendance. Elders Bradshaw, Brown, Steinvoorte, and Sebald gave everyone such a warm welcome. It was obvious as we met with them, that these elders were firm in the faith. Because of this, they invited the spirit. Elder and Sister Taylor, and President Charles and I enjoyed a potluck lunch with the elders.

Patra

In the top left-hand corner, you can see in the distance a beautiful white bridge, which spans the Aegean Sea on its way from Patra to Nafftaktos. The other pictures are views of Patra, where we have four missionaries serving.

At The Airport

Up at 4:45 for the airport run. We will be doing many of these for the arrivals and departures of all of our missionaries. Elders Burgon and Schmaal have finished the course, kept the faith, and now return with honour.

Mars' Hill

Every departure we follow in the footsteps of Paul and climb to the top of Mars' Hill. There, we bear testimony and sing the songs of Zion. It is a good time to hear from the departing missionaries and to say our goodbyes. Local people and tourists will often gather to listen in. It was especially wonderful, as the sun was setting, to sing in Greek, "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again."

Leonidas Statue

At every departure dinner, President Charles will relate the story of Leonidas and the Battle of Thermopylae. Every missionary will recieve a small statue of Leonidas. Leonidas was a king of Sparta, who with only 300 soldiers held back a vast Persian army. Blocking the pass long enough so that the rest of the army could escape. The statue is rich with symbolism, representing the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.

Leonidas Lunch

The day of the Leonidas Lunch, traditionally held for departing missionaries. This time it was for Elders Schmaal and Burgon.
A wonderful start to the day, we couldn't get the oven to work. No panic, just chickens to roast and potatoes to cook. Thankfully, a lovely sister called Cynthia came to the rescue. With Sister Erickson on dessert, and a prayer in our hearts, we all came together. Elder and Sister Smith did a wonderful job in clearing up after the lunch.

Sister Missionary Meeting

Sister Erickson and I organized this meeting while the brethren were having a priesthood session. We spent some time getting to know one another. Sister Erickson taught us the birthday song in Greek as well as some Greek phrases. We practiced together and finished by singing "Teach Me To Walk in the Light," impressively in Greek.

The Centre for Young Single Adults

We went to the Acropoli branch for the YSA outreach activity. There were over 20 young single adults in attendance. The senior missionaries, the Checketts, Taylors, and Johnsons were absolutely fantastic in preparing a delicious hawaiian haystack meal. We played a fun game called spoons. Then we each shared a principle of the gospel that is dear to us.

Sister Lilly at the Airport

Στο Καλό, Αδελφή Λίλυ!

Elder and Sister Smith

The office runs like clockwork because of Elder and Sister Smith.
The picture on the bottom left proves that we really are serving in Athens.

Cyprus Zone Conference July 2009

The presentation by the zone leaders, Elders Amundsen and Arnold, was very good. Again, it was on techniques to find. More time was given to role play, and that was helpful. We had fun with the hygiene presentation, chanting "one Man United, two Man United..." (instead of "one Mississippi...") The Liverpool fans particularly enjoyed this. ;)
Elder Wondra, area seventy, and President Neil, president of the Albanian mission, joined us for part of the conference.

Cyprus Zone Conference July 2009

Thessaloniki Zone Conference July 2009

Excellent presentation given by Elders Potter and McPhee on "We prepare, and the Lord finds us the work" (D&C 84:85).

Thessaloniki Zone Conference

Thessaloniki Zone Conference July 2009

Our First Zone Conference, Combining All of Athens

President and I told our conversion story, and then I gave a presentation on health, safety, and grooming. The assistants, Elders Ruckauer and Meister, and the zone leaders, Elders Deppe, Kelley, Hickey, and Southwick, gave a presentation on finding techniques. Then we all did a roleplay.
During a pizza lunch, we watched a film on driving safely. It was quite sobering, and made us all think of being safe and looking after our companions.

Athens Zone Conference

Athens Zone Conference

Athens Zone Conference

Athens Zone Conference

Greece Athens Zone Conference July 2009

This is the name of the church in Greek. It is found on the side of the Halandri building, where we held our first zone conference.

Dan and Janice Hegerhorst

Dan and Janice befriended us at the MTC. They took us to the Timpanogas Caves, and we joined them at the temple for an endowment session. They will be serving a mission in Uruguay as the office couple. These two made our stay at the MTC the most lovely experience. We felt as if we'd been friends forever.

MTC Pictures

The Beautiful Provo Temple. What a view to look at each and every day.
The picture of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ is so life-like, that it captures the imagination, and you feel that you're right there with them.

In Front of the Famous MTC Map

We watched all the Elders and Sisters with great joy as they stood in front of the map, pointing to their missions. So, of course, we had to do the same.