Εβδομάδα 66: expanded tech access

1st off NO I am not home but yes we have just turned into an instagram mission this past week. aka we got this "expanded access" update and have all social media and basically our phones aren't really restricted anymore like normal. It's weird having social media back but it's another way that friends and fam back home can be strengthened and uplifted by hearing about mission experiences! I'm not just a missionary for the people I serve here but also for all those I love back home!

Well guys it's hecka hot and we might die of heat stroke before Corona gets to us. Some of the shops opened up and we went to Jumbo (dollar store rendition of IKEA) with the elders and loaded up on summer things to keep us sane everyday. Needless to say the office is now jazzed up with a basketball hoop and mini golf plus a pool may or may not have also been purchased. Senior couple isn't gonna recognize it if they ever come back haha. Our thing this week has been making strawberry lemonade popsicles (or ice lollies as the England peeps would call em). We've been getting real good at cooking lately since we'll have district meals quite often nowadays and love to grill. 

We smashed out another only Sunday meeting and our new FB page is doing insanely good. We've even got other missions asking us to teach them our ways of getting non members to join their pages. Secret is 0.00005 of the population are members so it ain't too hard haha. We had interviews with President via zoom calls (since he's stuck in Albania till he finishes in June) and he told us that Greece is doing the best online missionary work outta all 5 of our countries and he is way way impressed. We also received a letter from Elder Uchtdorf basically telling us missionary work will never go back to the way it was before and we're gonna live and learn from these experiences we've been having and continue applying them. Sure hope I don't end my missionary in quarantine tho. We're also hoping we'll actually have church again starting June 7th. The new sisters are still having trouble getting here because of travel bans so we might only have 4 sisters left when Sister Mathis finishes in a few weeks. We're still in contact with our contacts from our recent FB ads and are continuing to do lots of less-active phone calls. Still reading the Book of Mormon with Jhoe, he's awesome as always. He isn't sure if he'll be able to return to Cebu because of travel craziness but if he can he is very excited to get baptized!

Life has been great. Sister Mathis is even greater and I am thankful Heavenly Father has blessed us with this time to serve Him together. 

"And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me."-Alma 29:10 

There's reasons to be grateful in all circumstances! The Lord is so merciful to us. 

Work like it's up to you but pray like it's up to Him.

Hope everyone has a fantab week!

PICS!

1 Sista Mathis :)))

2-3 getting artsy again 

4-5 "ice lollies"