What a wonderful weekend we've had! Saturday we went to our Sunday beach (okay now that we've found a CHURCH, we no longer go on Sunday - see?) and found it almost deserted. NOBODY was in the really choppy water and there was nobody in the sunbeds either. When Sophia came to take our drink order, I said "where are all the people?" She said, "It's called September!" It was QUITE a workout to swim in that chop and the snorkle masks were no good - the water was too murky to even see - several times I got salt water in the top of my snorkle tube - yuck! But it was a glorious day nonetheless. By the time we left to walk down to the taverna for lunch, there were about 8 people on the sunbeds (they have 24) and traffic was beginning to pick up. At the taverna (for the 2nd time in a row), the manager said "To koritzi?" He was asking where Tori was! Last time I said she was in the USA (Ameriki in Greek) and he says "Ameriki?" I then told him (in Greek) she was my GRANDdaughter - not my daughter. Koritzi (here's your Greek lesson) means GIRL so when you want to say daughter you just say MY girl! How about that!
We came home after a gorgeous lunch and quickly showered to wait for our electrician to come and hopefully set up the TV. It's SO complicated with these concrete walls! We have a 100 foot cable running across the living room and dining room (until he gets a long enough drill bit to go through a foot of wall) but we HAVE some TV channels - clear as a bell - and some are even speaking English!
I baked some Anzac biscuits - google em - they are a fantastic cookie recipe we got from our friends Chris and Ian. I added some raisins cause these are for the kids tomorrow! OH YES - and about the kids - the pastor asked us to sit and soak a bit more - till the church members figure out who we are - before we go back and help Micky on a more full time basis. Micky, of course, is very disappointed because she was looking forward to being able to go to "big church" herself sometimes. But we totally understand! My goodness - when we wanted to volunteer at our church in Texas, we had to go to a Saturday morning meeting, fill out long forms AND agree to a background check. Unfortunately, there are predators even in church - and no ministry can afford to be too careful! So, for now, we're baking our cookies, hugging the kids after church AND sitting and soaking - hey that is NOT a bad thing!
Got up this morning at 5:15 (UGH) and left the house at 6:30 for our 2 hour drive to church. We FOUND IT TODAY - first try - what a great feeling! During the service, Pastor Rick
called US up to the front to help pray for all the children! Here are some of the children - girls, of course! Left to right - I don't know the 2 "white"girls - could be visitors. In purple top is Patience (11) and her sister Abigail (5) - they belong to Pastor Rufus and Beth from KENYA! Next is Naimachi (my little 4 year old princess), her sister Chiwe (11) and Aleruche (7) - our Nigerian girls. While I was praying for Chiwe and Aleruche, I was getting some very discreet love pats - especially on the African baubles hanging from my dress! Of course, it just had to be that during the sermon, Pastor Rick made mention of the cookies I bake every week - inviting people up to the fellowship hall after church. AND the kids ate every last one of them - so none made it up - tee hee!
called US up to the front to help pray for all the children! Here are some of the children - girls, of course! Left to right - I don't know the 2 "white"girls - could be visitors. In purple top is Patience (11) and her sister Abigail (5) - they belong to Pastor Rufus and Beth from KENYA! Next is Naimachi (my little 4 year old princess), her sister Chiwe (11) and Aleruche (7) - our Nigerian girls. While I was praying for Chiwe and Aleruche, I was getting some very discreet love pats - especially on the African baubles hanging from my dress! Of course, it just had to be that during the sermon, Pastor Rick made mention of the cookies I bake every week - inviting people up to the fellowship hall after church. AND the kids ate every last one of them - so none made it up - tee hee!After church, we went to the classroom to give Naimachi her dollie - oh my goodness! Now I'm going to have to make one for Aleruche - she kept hugging her too!
THEN we went upstairs to fellowship and we met Abi (a handsome young man from Iran) and his wife Carolyn (a missionary from Canada). We also met a young couple with the cutest twins ever (they are about 3 months old - a boy and girl) from IRAN! We met Elizabeth from PITTSBURG, PA - married to a Greek Aussie!
I had a long chat with Pastor Rick while Poppy was getting hugs and kisses from an angel! 
Pastor Rick and his precious wife Lori were missionaries in Hungary for 13 years. About 5 years ago (maybe a few more), they became aware of Zsolti (the spelling isn't right - but it will help with the pronunciation). He was a preemie who had some fluke things happen which left him blind. Because he was a gypsy baby (anybody hear about Madonna's flak with the gypsies?), he was not given proper treatment - this condition could have been cured with surgery early on. So, he was tied to a bed and when Rick and Lori found him, he was in a filthy carseat. He could not sit, stand, walk, talk. Obviously there were other problems - who really knows the abuse he suffered! But he was REALLY taken with Glen! Rick and Lori were prevented from adopting him until a year ago and they say he has really come a long way. He now walks, is responding to some forms of sign language. He has a lot of medical problems and even exhibits some autistic tendencies. But Poppy really loved all the kisses and when mom and dad tried to take Zsolti from Poppy, he hung on like a baby monkey hangs on to its mama. It was a HOOT!
Pastor Rick and his precious wife Lori were missionaries in Hungary for 13 years. About 5 years ago (maybe a few more), they became aware of Zsolti (the spelling isn't right - but it will help with the pronunciation). He was a preemie who had some fluke things happen which left him blind. Because he was a gypsy baby (anybody hear about Madonna's flak with the gypsies?), he was not given proper treatment - this condition could have been cured with surgery early on. So, he was tied to a bed and when Rick and Lori found him, he was in a filthy carseat. He could not sit, stand, walk, talk. Obviously there were other problems - who really knows the abuse he suffered! But he was REALLY taken with Glen! Rick and Lori were prevented from adopting him until a year ago and they say he has really come a long way. He now walks, is responding to some forms of sign language. He has a lot of medical problems and even exhibits some autistic tendencies. But Poppy really loved all the kisses and when mom and dad tried to take Zsolti from Poppy, he hung on like a baby monkey hangs on to its mama. It was a HOOT!We walked down to Plaka after church and had lunch with 2 of our favorite ladies. Micky is from Belgium and Sheila (married to a Greek) is from Sri Lanka. 
We had such fun chatting and eating - in the shadow of the Acropolis.
We had such fun chatting and eating - in the shadow of the Acropolis.What an amazing group of people God has brought into our lives. We were both struck by the fact that this church is just FULL of refugees - Greece is still a country that will let them in - and we have a Helping Hands ministry that gives food and clothing to them. I want to talk soon about some English classes - something I know I can do.On the book publishing front - I received a phone call from a cover design lady - but quickly found out that she doesn't do children's books. I've mailed in my first round of edits, rewrites and comments - but the deadline isn't till the 15th. So ahead of schedule, I am! (Probably will be the first time - tee hee)
We're all into planning for the visit of 8 friends from our church in Abu Dhabi - going to Zakynthos again. How fun is that!
I trust all of
you are blessed - there's more than enough to go around!
M
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