Sister Gale in the Greece Region of the Adriatic South Mission

All I gotta say about our pday Meteora trip is it was breathtaking and that feeling that your on top of the world couldn't have been more literal. God's creations are beautiful. I couldn't help but remember the primary song "My Heavenly Father Loves me" and the simple lyrics I sang as a little primary girl. We are loved by a divine being that does all things for our benefit and our happiness! Alma 30:44 "...The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." In case y'all didn't already know from any past stories of talking with the Greek people, they can be pretty challenging. For example, Tuesday morning. We decide to do some street contacting early in the am and said good morning to this old lady carrying a bag of grocer...

Hit 1 year since I left home sweet home this Wednesday! Wowza, fastest year of my life by far. I mean, I still don't know what I'm doing, but if there's one thing I know for sure it's that our Savior, our big brother, Jesus Christ, lives. My testimony of Him, and His divinity, has been magnified and strengthened in ways I could have never imagined these past 365 days. I love my mission and I love my Heavenly Father for letting me serve Him! I took Sister Ahlström to meet Γιώργος this week! We asked him if he had been sharing what he'd been learning from us and the Book of Mormon with his daughters, one of which is in Athens and the other in Μύκονος. His response was pretty funny. He tells us that the people in Μύκονος wouldn't listen to the message we were sharing because they are so wicked it's basically hell. So uh yeah, that escalated quickly haha. It's kinda sad when we continually meet with people who aren't progressing and they feel like anot...

Our Mount Olympus adventures was SO. MUCH. FUN! We hiked up with Elder Blackhurst and Turner for a whole 5 hours and probably experienced all 4 seasons during that time haha. Man have I missed hiking! Sister Vennerholm had never been hiking before so she didn't know what to expect and was a little wiped a few miles in but we kept her going promising her the view would be worth it and boy it was. I am very grateful to have been raised to appreciate nature and the outdoors. Looking at the view, how could anyone not believe there is a God?! It is too breathtaking. Tuesday came and went and so did Sister Vennerholm :( Sad day seeing her shipped off to Cyprus. I flew to Athens to meet up with Sister Kruger that night to finish up our STL training for Zone conference on Wednesday. Being split STLs is a little tricky putting together training but we made it work. I love zone conference, especially this last one. I've decided it's basically like we get a bonus mini general conf...

Our pday was spent in IKEA taking pics in as many mirrors as we could... the things you find entertaining as missionaries haha. We hung out with the elders again tho and had lunch together while playing some card games so that was fun.  This week was like a sandwich of good, some bad, and ended good :) On Tuesday we had another great lesson with Jhoe with the help of Elder Anderson and Elder Nye again. This time they taught the gospel of Jesus Christ! Again, Sister Vennerholm and I kinda just listened in and put in our comments and testimonies when given the go so it was really good. And then the Elders asked if we would extend a baptismal invitation so we said sure and went for it. I asked Jhoe in what I thought was pretty simple English and then we were all quiet waiting for an answer. And then after a kinda intense/ awkward pause, Jhoe said something in Bisaya to the elders and they start laughing. Sis V and I were way confused and then the elders informed us that Jhoe had ...

新年快樂!!  恭喜發財!!  well 1st off, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! 🎎🏮🐉⛩💮👘🎉  It was a good one, this week :))) I just gotta share how amazing and thankful I am for the miracles technology brings! I've recognized 10 fold how this is absolutely a tool the Lord has blessed us with to bring about His work in these Latter days. In D&C 90:11 we can see, " For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ ." I'm witnessing this prophecy be fulfilled full time, with a front row seat, everyday. Particularly with our friends we're teaching right now! Lemme explain. Kourosh, Nafas, and fam So first, our wonderful Persian family! They are so so close to their baptisms and always ask about it, I love it! We have been able to skype in a seni...

Γειααα ξανά! Anddd yet another week came and went. Sister Vennerholm and I just realized we could only have 2 more weeks together which is sad stuff because we love serving with each other, having a best friend in a companion seriously makes your mission either fly by or just drag on. Maybe Heavenly Father will bless us with a 3rd transfer together but... Θα δούμε! Little tender mercy happened during my exchange with Sister Campbell on Thursday. We were walking back to the church after doing some finding with the Elders along the sea and these 3 men say, "hi sisters!" as we walk by them. To other missionaries NOT in Greece this is probably pretty normal but here that literally NEVER happens, because no one knows who we are. We turned around really excited saying hi back to them and asked them if they were members. They said, "yes we are from the Philippines!" So I was automatically 10Xs more intrigued haha. 1 outta 3 of em was a member! I told them I had a ...