Εβδομάδα 36: 🎉🐢🏮⛰🍫⛪

Γεια σας σε όλους!

It's still goin over here on this side of the world! This week has both consisted of a lot, but also at the same time not a lot. Sister Campbell and I have decided to make it a goal of ours to get these branches self-running. Honestly without missionaries here, the branches, or even the church, wouldn't exist. Which means most of our missionary efforts are now geared and focused towards strengthening the members and getting all these less-actives back to church! 

Highlights from the week: 

• BIRTHDAY PDAY! 🎈🎉 I hit the 2-0 and rang in the new decade by hiking to the highest point in Athens, Λυκαβηττός, with all the missionaries! That was a pretty sweet view! Never woulda thought a year ago I'd be celebrating my 20th birthday in GREECE of all places! so that was one for the books ;) later in the afternoon, the missionaries threw a little surprise party for me so all together it was a fun memorable day! AND sister C had the missionaries wish me happy birthday in Cantonese too, so one of the elders learned the whole happy bday song in Cantonese to sing to me 😂 I guess that's what I get for being the "Chinese" one haha

• found 2 giganto turtles and couldn't restrain ourselves from not holding them haha

• we got called as Young Women's Advisers for the Greek and English branches and were asked to be involved in any youth activities so we went to a Chocolate Festival! 🍫🤩

• we visited a solid amount of less-actives. Some of which haven't been visited or contacted for months! We visited them and brought them pictures of temples with our favorite scriptures on the back. They told us they were thankful for reminding them that Heavenly Father loves them ♡ we've got French, Greek, and English speakers which made for a good variety of using google translate, exercising the gift of tongues, and just trying to carrying the Spirit with us into every one of these families homes. 

• Dr. Alonzo Gaskill (a Worlds Religions BYU Professor), Dr. Clark Anderson, and President Anderson held a huge 4 hour religious forum where they taught us about the backgrounds of Greek Orthodoxy, Jehovah Witnesses, Judaism, and Muslims. They held this to instruct us on and to help us understand other's faiths. We have many things in common with them actually. With this knowledge we will be able to find common ground and build bridges that will hopefully open their hearts to accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 😍

INVESTIGATORS UPDATE

☆Μάρκος- we had a few more video lessons. He's still really awesome but has started to get a little weird. He was taking screenshots of us during our lessons and at the end he pointed to his cheek asking for φιλάκια (kisses) from us and we're both praying that he doesn't turn weird on us 😅🙃

☆Άνα- she's SOLID and basically with us everyday and loves to learn, study, and understand the Book of Mormon. Plus such a good missionary ready! She continues to want to be baptized but needs permission from her mom. She recognizes the truth and is so in tune with the Spirit. She shared with us that every time we pray together she gets goosebumps and she doesn't know why! 😇

☆Έυα- a friend that Άνα introduced to us and a new investigator! We had an incredible, Spirit testifying 1st lesson with her and she is eager to continue learning! Her an Άνα speak fluent English and Greek so we get to switch backs and forth 😎

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT!

D&C 50:41-42

"41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost."

It used to be really cool to be part of the tribe of Judah, but now all the focus is on US, the tribe of EPHRAIM, to take the gospel to everyone!

Being part of the tribe of Ephraim is a SACRED calling. We are called and meant to GATHER ISRAEL in the LAST DAYS! And we are living in the last days! 

The Bible does a good job of telling us what happened when when Christ came, the Book of Mormon does a good job of telling us the WHY part. It is the tool and evidence we have of the Restoration of Christ's church. Somehow and someday the Savior will pave the way for all to hear the good news we have to share with the entire world. EVERYONE will know it soon! As members we don't have time to waste, there's no room for slacking here. There is not just a message to be brought to the world but a message we wear everyday of our lives. We should ALWAYS leave someone with a positive view of us and leave them better than we found them. And if we aren't doing that, then we a hurting the work more than hindering it. I testify of the vital role we hold to bring the gospel to ever kindred, nation, tongue, and people. With the Lord with us I KNOW we can accomplish the greatest work on this entire planet!

Okay well I love you all and thanks again for all the birthday wishes that made my day extra special! 💕 Till next week! Είστε ασφαλείς και να θυμάστε να χαμογελάσετε! 

Lots of love,

Sister Gale

**So the surprise party...the senior sister missionaries came in to where the sisters were on the computer (on an upper floor in the church) and told them they needed to evacuate because the carbon monoxide detector was going off. So, the missionaries started going down the stairs, as they neared the front door, one of the senior sisters said, "Wait, we need to go through this room and out the window!!" Kaylee's first thought was, "but the front door is right there, but, SURE!! I'll go out the window!!" As they entered the room, there was the Happy Birthday Surprise...she was most definitely surprised!!

Pics!

1-8 Birthday spent up on Λυκαβηττός! Plus finding some turtles

9 finding in some colorful neighborhoods 

10 splits with Sister Rounds

11 chocolate festival 

12 made a fun mission map for Sister Anderson's bday

13 Greeks getting either really creative or really lazy

14 my favorite scripture 

15 trash clean up service