Εβδομάδα 38: A wild one

Καλημέρα σε όλους!

It's been an interesting, random week with the ups and downs but that's just mish life for ya!

I think we've finally got family home evening going in Athens! As in more than 5 people are actually coming! Most of the time we just play card games, or Greek Monopoly which is way fun.

I got to meet an investigator, Κωνσταντίνος, for the first time. His story is CRAZY. As in crazy times some. We went with Elder Kirkman and Ioannou after saying bye to Elder Amoz and Gaskill since they were headed home (definitely gonna miss them AND they're Greek but I'll see em in the States!). It was pretty hectic trying to get to Κωνσταντίνος' place because we were already late and it was a ways away with the metro. So we decided to go with a taxi which was an adventure to flag down. It was pretty funny seeing Elder Kirkman try to wave them down and get rejected, either because it was just a normal yellow car and not a taxi or the empty taxi's had somewhere else to be. Also learned that if you hold you hand out with your fingers closed and not spread out in the high-5 way it's super rude to Greek people. So gotta be careful about that. We eventually made it to our appointment but first Κωνσταντίνος' story. 1st of all, he was in prison for 8 years and still has 2 years on probation. He was a former drug addict and also in Mafia. While he was in prison, he met a guy named Paul who was always reading a book. So he eventually asked Paul what he was reading and it was the Book of Mormon. He later received a blessing from Paul and in the blessing he was told that one day he would find the Book of Mormon and it would change his life. (Might be just a little convinced that the Paul guy is one of the 3 Nephites just sayin' haha) 9 months ago he met sister missionaries and that blessing came true and his life has never been the same. He LOVES the Book of Mormon. He wants to be baptized but still has to wait till he's all good with the law. Right before we started the spiritual thought we had prepared to share, Κωνσταντίνος turned off the main light so he could turn on the little bulb lamp he had in the middle of the room. He definitely set a spiritual mood haha. We shared Mosiah 24:13-16 with him and his wife and it was going all good but then he got in a tangent and was asking if it was a sin to think other women are beautiful. We were helping him understand it wasn't but where his thoughts went after that could be, and then he started bringing up past sins and was getting in a debate with Sister Campbell. Then Elder Kirkman stepped in and shared Alma 39:9 which was perfect and we were able to wrap up the lesson. Κωνστάντιος said the closing prayer but beforehand asked what my name was again and had such a hard time saying "GALE!" Is my last name really that difficult? Since it's not the 1st time Greeks have struggled pronouncing it until I show them my name-tag and they squintingly read out and pronounced "ΓΚΕΪΛ" really slowly as if it's foreign. 😅

NAME DAY! 🎉 Another interesting thing about Greece is name day! It's just as big, if not more celebrated than someone's birthday! You get huge discounts and so on, just thought that was super interesting. If they celebrated that in America we'd need a LOT more days in the year haha.

Guess I'm married now! I taught at the friendship center on a split with one of our senior sisters, Sister Fullmer, since Sister Cambell was busy doing residency legal stuff. My class was again full of Turkish people and 1 Cameroonian. After my class wrapped up I was making phone calls and one of the men that was in my Greek class came up and asked me if he could have my number, in which I said sorry I was using my friend's number and don't have my own. Then he asked, "you have Facebook?". Which I said I don't have haha. And THEN, after being disappointed for not receiving any contact info from me asked, "you are wife??" To save myself from any future awkward conversations I nodded saying yes and pointed to the elders standing nearby haha. Then he said, "oh okay" and finally walked off. So now he probably thinks I'm married to either Elder De Jonge or Hawkins, whoops!

We planned and threw together a last-minute Halloween party in 24 hours! 🎃👻 We introduced caramel apples to the Greek people, and the European missionaries, and they LOVED it! Unfortunately they don't have caramel here so we had to hand make it with the mimic American ingredients we have here, but it turned out really yummy! Elder Pascuzzo, being the healthy Italian he is, commented as we were making our caramel apples, "this is the most American thing I have ever seen. Making healthy apples unhealthy!" Hahaha, it's funny being around all these foreigner and how our cultures are polar opposites in some ways.

We had leadership calls on Thursday night and I'm going to be an STL (Sister Training Leader) with Sister Vennerholm and transferring to Thessaloniki! 😍 So I'll be headed back to my training area next week! I'm SO excited to be with Sister Vennerholm and we both already know each other decently well through the few times we've had exchanges together!

ALSO we had complete downpours and we got drenched by the cars driving by hitting the puddle of water in the streets haha. I found out how comfy crocs are but also how bad of idea it was to wear them in the rain... they do NOT go together! I was slipping and sliding all over!

Spiritual thought is from Isaiah 46:4 this time!
"And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."

A simple but powerful verse. I testify that Christ is our big brother, He is our Savior. The only one who can carry us through, lift, and remove the burdens we carry. All Christ asks is to just hold on to Him. He loves us more than we are capable of understanding and He knows us more personally than we know ourselves.

Hope you all have a great week!
Love you all!

Love,
Sister Gale

PICS
1 Sister Mathis was in Greece for the day and we met up with our friends for dinner

2 turtles just chillin everywhere!

3 the dogs were barking at us from the roof!

4 saying bye to Elder Amoz and Gaskill 

5 teaching Greek at the friendship center