THANKSGIVING!!

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving this week. Mine was really awesome but we will get to that later.

Tuesday there was another metro strike so we did a lot of work just around our house and in the neighborhood. That night Elders Craig and Balser came down from Thess and stayed with us for the night.

Wednesday, me and Elder Balser went early and met up with Elder Albertson. We went and met up with President and went to get our Residency stuff all worked out. Because apparently we only have to do that if we are Americans so it was just us. After that we had interviews with President which went really well and I found out that I am staying in the same area here in Athens to train.

Thursday was a crazy day. To start we had a "Training for Trainers" meeting with all the other trainers in Greece. It was a good meeting. Then we went to the President's house for a Thanksgiving dinner. To start we did a "turkey bowl" or sort of we really just threw a football around on the street.

Then we had a killer thanksgiving dinner from Sister Heder it was really awesome.

So yeah that was a good day.

On Friday we had Zone conference and it was really a good meeting. We talked a lot about how we need to apply what we learn from meetings and stuff into our lives, that is so important. We may learn something cool but then the next day we forget about it we really need to make sure that we remember to apply what we learn everyday! (we also had letfover turkey sandwiches) 

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Saturday was a pretty chill day we did weekly planning and met up with some friends in the evening and actually had a conversation about religion which was cool.

Sunday was a good day. Church was good and I understood more again this week which was good. After church a member Heidi had all of the missionaries to her house for a meal which was good. It was falafel which was actually really good, and then Sushi, it was my first time with that too and I was surprised it wasn't actually that bad haha.

But yeah that was my week thanks to everyone for all of the love and support I love you all.

Love,

Elder Halverson

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WOW!

Hey Everyone!

How are you all doing? I am doing great.

I will start with last Monday, we were walking around and doing some finding as we were walking around we ran into some members from America. They were all women and they were very nice and stopped us. One of them asked if we could give her a blessing because she was really sick so we went and found a nice quiet place. There just happened to be a chair which was awesome and we gave her a blessing. It was for sure an interesting experience but it made me realize how grateful I am to be worthy to be able to do that whenever it is needed.

Tuesday we started an exchange and I took over the area with Elder Schafer from Switzerland. We had a good night. We went to a members house to teach a lesson. It was also the first time I have had crab it was actually pretty good.

Wednesday, this night we went back again and played soccer with our friends. This time went even better than the last time and they made sure we were coming back it is awesome. Then we got to the metro a little early but they had closed it early so we had to walk home. Luckily we were only two stops from our house and still made it home on time. Also to go with the title there is just this guy at soccer and he just yells wow all the time. I is really funny so yeah.

Thursday we went back to the Salvation Army. This time was really easy compared to other times because it was just pouring rain not everybody showed up so it was really relaxed and a lot easier than usual which was good.

Then Friday and Saturday were both uneventful days except for Friday we got a call and found out that both me and my trainer are going to be training new missionaries coming in the next transfer which should be fun! Also it was weird I asked a man if I could help him with some bags. He just said we could help by doing the cross and we just said sorry we can't and then he just started yelling at us to do it and so we just had to walk away as he yelled at us down the street haha.

Sunday, we had a good day in the Branch. I understood more in Priesthood in that I could actually follow the lesson which was good. It was the Allens last Sunday they are the Senior Couple that worked in the office so we had a meal with them after church and it was really good.

Today we went to Syntegma and looked around. We also got some pictures I will add, there was also, at the metro station, a little art gallery so we thought why not and tried it out. The thing is you can take pictures of the art just not of you with it whoops. But yeah a good day!

This week I have started to read more out of Jesus the Christ and wow we have such an amazing opportunity to have a Savior and Redeemer I want you all to know that I know that through Christ is how we will obtain true happiness.

Love,

Elder Halverson

A Mission Never Has Down Moments!

Hey Everyone!

It was a good week.

Tuesday was pretty exciting. We got a call on Monday night we were asked to go back to the refugee camp again this week and help out there again because the government gave them permission to have one more day to clean stuff out. We went and helped this time with all of the missionaries in Athens it was cool. With everyone there we moved stuff very quick.

After our service we went back had district mee​ting and then we had a mid-point training for all the trainees and their trainers here in Athena. It w​as cool and we also got to do it all in our p-day clothes which was cool.

Wednesday, was pretty uneventful outside the fact that we tried some soccer finding for the first time and it actually went really well. We made 9 friends and also got invited to come and play with them every week so it was awesome for us.

Thursday, we got to go back and help out at the Salvation Army again which was really cool. But again difficult because the refugees don't want what they don't want and are very picky but it was fun.

Friday, nothing super eventful happened just a normal day of stuff.

Saturday, went pretty well we went and did some finding at night and we ending up talking to this guy for 40 minutes. It was just a normal conversation but we talked about the church a little bit and we texted a little afterwards. He said he wants to come by church sometime so that was really cool. He spoke perfect English and Greek which was cool.

Sunday, was another good day. To start in the Greek branch we got a new branch presidency so it was a good meeting. Then after we had the oppurtunity to put on a sacrament meeting for students who were visiting from BYU Jerusalem and it was a very good meeting.

Well that is really it for this week. To end you guys with a good thought I want to share the new finding plan we have in our mission. It is called "Be the Message" and the main point of the finding is to do it how the Savior would in our shoes and also to make true friends not just people to teach. It is really cool but it is also tough to find people to teach that way. The point I want to make is that it is really important just to be friends with everyone because that is what Jesus would do. If we do that we will be so much happier in everything we do. I have seen it here in my mission already it is awesome.

Well I love you all,

Elder Halverson

Here are some more pictures from the refugee camp:

Hey Everyone! (Again haha)

Hey everyone,

Well it feels like it was yesterday I was sending out my last email - ha ha cause it basically was whoops. But as I promised this will be a short one for ya.

So Friday night we went to play basketball. We played with these two guys the whole night as a team of 4 and played a lot of games. It was cool. Then after we talked to them for about 30 minutes and they asked us for our Facebooks so we could be in contact! It was so cool. They were really nice guys so hopefully we can go somewhere with them.

Then Saturday to be honest really not much happened. We did do service around our neighborhood which went better than usual. But we are still struggling to meet the neighbors. 

Sunday was a great day though, we had our investigator Alex at church. It was super awesome. We also had 3 less actives at church. There was a guy from Canada there that was a Greek and so he knew Greek. He took over the lessons in Priesthood and Sunday school and just overloaded our investigator with information. It was stressful but luckily Alex is a good guy he was OK with it and is still interested. Then after church we had a lesson with Dharmen our other investigator and we taught really well but he is still just a bit skeptical. But we know when he starts to read the BoM it will be all good he just has to read.

Today we had an interesting experience whilst shopping. As we were waiting in line we were talking with an old lady about what we do here. Then another lady came up and in English asked us if we would give our lives for our church. We said yes, then she just said oh one day we will see and I will be there to see it, it was really kinda creepy but oh well.

Well that's all that I got, the church is true, and I know that the BoM is the key so never stop reading.

Love,

Elder Halverson

Here's a nice picture of the ocean for all you guys too, sorry I got no other pictures this week.

ΟΠΑ!!!

Hey everyone!

Well I am just going to apologize now this is going to be a long one because it has certainly been an interesting and busy week, but I promise the next one will be short.

Ok, so not this last Monday but the 23rd, we made a friend named Aley playing soccer. We are probably going to play soccer with him again on Saturday which is cool.

Tuesday and Wednesday last week were pretty uneventful days, but we did order some Domino's on Tuesday which was good.

Thursday we went and played basketball and made some good new friends which was pretty cool. They were really good at basketball.

Friday was a good day that night we went and played basketball again. This time we played with a girl named Emma and the Sisters. Emma has an interesting story. Basically she is a youth and was baptized this year but then her parents flipped out and made her remove her name from the church. She now has to report home every Sunday to make sure she isn't going to church anymore. It is really sad but she still reads the Book of Mormon and she loves the missionaries. She likes to hang out with us sometimes and she is really cool. It was fun it get to know her. 

Οχι day

Saturday, wow this was a good day it was a Greek holiday Οχι day. It is big holiday because everywhere closes. Luckily we had an activity at the church. It was a good activity about how we need to be strong in our standards and say no to stuff. -oh yeah οχι in english means no. After our meeting the church had some greek food for us and also some Greek music. We had a really good time. We have a crazy old lady in the branch who snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a plate to smash and yell opa because that is what they do. Luckily somebody stopped her but she still was shouting opa all night it was a fun time.

Sunday, was just a normal day with meetings at church and studies. It was a good relaxing Sabbath.

Spot of bible picture

Monday, was an awesome day we got a treat because President and Sister Heder took us to go and see Corinth and a cool city called Naphlia. It was really cool. At Corinth we went to the spot where they took the bible picture which was really cool. We also went up to a fortress that they had on the mountain there and you could look over the city and the ocean it was beautiful.

Then we went to this little city called Naphlia which was the origonal capital of Greece or where they declared their independence. We were able to go to a cool fortress and walk along the ocean it was amazing and really nice to see how old Greece was before they built up the concrete jungle of Athens. It was just nice to get out of the city. That is why I didn't email on Monday.

Tuesday, we had plans to do our shopping and emails. Just as we were about to go out the door we got a call that they needed help at a refugee camp. So we changed and headed out to the refugee camp. They were closing down the camp and they had planned on having a week to move out but it got changed to a day so we went over and moved stuff all day it was a great opportunity to serve.

​That night we started an exchange with Elder Cziesla who was over from Cyprus with his companion who was at the Leadership meeting so he was with us.

Wednesday, we had Elder Cziesla with us all day so we again could not email so other than that is was a regular day.

Today we had a lesson with our investigator Alex at the church. That went really well he is even going to come to church on Sunday which is amazing! Then we had companionship study with President Heder it was really cool we talked about the Atonement and how it is only going to work for us if we accept it.

Well I think that is it sorry again for the long one but it was a good week. Also this week I realized the importance of reading the Book of Mormon everyday some days were super busy and we didn't have time to do any studies but I was able to read just a chapter from the Book of Mormon and it is so amazing the spirit it brings to our lives.

Σας αγαπάω,

Elder Halverson

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