Εβδομάδα 73: final stretch 🇺🇸❤💙

I got to see my recent converts Kourosh and Nafas again! Their 3 kiddos are still just as cute as I last remembered too. We got to tell them it was their turn to attend church next week and they were pretty happy about that. It's so weird to think some people haven't had the sacrament for months. And yet I haven't gone a week without it this whole Corona time. Right now our church meeting is limited to 11 people so 1 set of elders goes with a set group of members that change every week. The other set comes to our place and we watch the Athens online church, have the sacrament, and then have lunch all together. And it'll most likely be the Sunday routine the rest of the transfer as far as it looks. 

We still aren't allowed to do any street contacting which hasn't been too great because generally that's how we would find new people to teach. But in our weekly beach cleaning we can talk to people who approach us and believe it or not there are a good amount that do. Most just wonder why the heck 7 young people are fully dressed on a beach picking up garbage when it's mid 90s outside. Sometimes I wonder the same lol. But the greek people really respect and express much appreciation for our efforts and some even offer to help or request other beaches for us to do service at. This week a really big guy in the tiniest speedo came up to all of us to see what we were up to and we held a decent convo with him as we were trying to contain our laughter. No shame in Greece man haha. 

We had to say bye to our beloved President and Sister Anderson. I cannot even say enough positive things about them. They are 2 of the most Christlike individuals I have ever met and have inspired and impacted me in ways I will forever be thankful for. I'd believe it if someone told me we are called to a specific mission President because Heavenly Father sure did bless me immensely by allowing me to serve with them as my leaders. Even though they lived a few countries away in Albania, they always ALWAYS made sure we felt their love. There's not a doubt in my mind they were called by revelation. 

Now we have President and Sister Burden from England. I'm excited for them to see how incredible of missionaries they've got. They planned to visit us Greece and Cyrpus 1st on their mission tour but our countries are still pretty tight on travel so they can't get in. I hope I'll actually get to meet them though because they seem really sweet. 

This week's little spiritual tidbit comes from the Come Follow Me reading from last week. I can't count how many times I have read these chapters speaking of Ammon's missionary work. But something new stuck out to me this time and it was the faith of King Lamoni's wife! She trusted Ammon and the Lord and didn't lose that faith the entire time waiting for her husband to arise again. 

I find that sometimes my faith starts off strong and then as I approach a "deadline" or time just wears on for a while my faith sometimes starts to dwindle! Whether it be impatience or another conduit of doubt I think we can all learn from the example of King Lamoni's wife and try to be firm faith until the last second when the miracle comes.

Don't let your faith weaken, it's often in the last hour, the final straw, that we see the fruits of our faith. 

For the 73nd time,

Sister Gale

ps. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!! 🇺🇸❤💙

PICS!

1-7 Another pday hike to the castle where a ton of Turkish people used to be imprisoned by the Greece government