Εβδομάδα 45: Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Fast one this week was. Although it didn't seem like we did a whole lot since we were busy advertising everyday all week for the Jenny Oaks Baker concert that we'll be having tonight! Lots and lots of caroling and handing out flyers. Really hoping we have a good turnout because we were in charge of getting a whole 200 seats filled, crossing our fingers on that one. It also has been weirdly warm this week and super rainy. Didn't feel like Christmas time. But we aren't complaining cus if the weather is as bipolar as it has been it'll be back to cold this week :(

Since we had early transfers and the schedule was crazy we ended up having to Skype into Zone conference instead of flying to Athens like normal. Bad idea. The connection was terrible and we couldn't see nor hear anything clearly. So we ended up making pancakes during the call and having a district breakfast in between the words we could make out from the sketchy signal haha. Funny memory. 

We've been actively continuing to teach Κυριακή and it has been such a joy! We had the senior couple, the Harrops, join us in a lesson retouching and going more into depth about the restoration and apostasy. Κυριακή had several questions that we were able to go straight to the scriptures to help her understand. The senior couple doesn't speak Greek and sometimes we forgot because we'd be teaching and continuing talking to them and then they'd laugh and say, "you're still speaking Greek, remember we don't understand" haha. One thing I loved that we discussed with Kiki was how Christ is the CENTER of everything we do and teach. Also the fact that we know that the godhead is made up of 3 district beings and that God is not just some higher, greater power, but that He in fact has a body of flesh and bone as does His son, Jesus Christ. Here's some really cool word play in the scriptures we used to teach Kiki. So the word stone, or rock, in Hebrew is אבן. The Aleph, א, is the 1st character in the Hebrew alphabet and represents God or Heavenly Father. The Bet, ב, combined with Nun, ן, means Son in Hebrew, or Jesus Christ. So when we are told in the New Testament in Luke 6:48 to build our house upon a rock and not sand, we should build it on a foundation made of the Father and the Son. Then another example in the New Testament is when Christ tells Peter in Matthew 16:18: "And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now here's the other cool part ;) So Peter, or Πέτρος in Greek, means rock. Meaning the church will be built upon a rock or upon the Father and the Son, the source of all revelation with Peter, a rock, as President of the church, who represent the Father and the Son here on the earth. So learning this ancient language is pretty sweet when things like this click together and it all just makes perfect sense. After that lesson with Kiki she was just beaming repeating over and over again,  "αυτήν την εκκλησία είναι αληθινή!" (this church is true!) And then she kept telling us how amazing it was that she understands the Restoration and Apostasy now and she doesn't get how anyone else could live without having this knowledge! Oh it was so great. I forget sometimes how blessed am I to have been raised in the gospel, knowing the truths I know from day 1. I couldn't picture not understanding these concepts. The church is true people! It was yesterday, still is today, and will forever being true!

Funny thing: Sister Vennerholm and I were walking down along the Christmas music filled boardwalk and someone was singing "Santa Clause is coming to town". The Greek was to say Santa Clause "Άγιος Βασίλης"... which directly means "Holy Bill". So basically they're all singing "Holy Bill is coming to town" hahaha. Sis V and I were laughing about that for a good while.

On Sunday we had an all Christmas music program which really brought the Spirit. All us missionaries have some sorta musical talent so we all contributed and put on the entire program. I also got to play a piano arrangement of "O Holy Night"! At the end of the music program, President Tanto bore his testimony as well as read The Living Christ. I'm actually thankful my parents made my sisters and I memorize this before our cruise because it is SO GOOD. I was even able to translate the entire address Greek to English with the super high up vocab, plus I've been trying to memorize it all in Greek now. I especially love the last part, "He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." That cannot be stated more perfect, He lives! I hope we can remember and celebrate His birth as the true meaning of this Christmas season.

Καλά Χριστούγεννα! (MERRY CHRISTMAS)!!

με αγάπη,
Αδελφή Γκεϊλ

PICS:

1-4 Light the World/ Jenny Oaks Baker convert advertising! The center lights up pretty dang well! 

5-8 King Phillip ΙΙ's tomb adventure for pday   

9 Stillos family asked for a picture of us so we printed one off and this is where it went haha

10-11 adventures riding in flooded streets