ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΛΕΣ ΓΙΟΡΤΕΣ!!

Well I hope that everyone had a great holidays but the crazy thing is here in Greece the holidays don't stop after Christmas they just get bigger and they won't end until the 7th or 8th of the month everyone keeps telling me different things. But I had a great week

Monday and Tuesday were full of celebrations, it was a great couple of days and we were able to have a good time and most of all I got to see my FAM!! Here is a blurry pic from Christmas dinner!

Wednesday was a miracle day! So the plan was we were going to have 5 lessons for the day which was going to be awesome and then as we went throughout our day all were canceled or went bad except for 2, so we go out at the end of the day to do finding at a whiteboard and we each me and Elder Roffler had the opportunity to teach a lesson and it was so awesome to see that the Lord blesses us in ways that we don't expect!

Thursday we had an ok day, unfortunately Najeemb who had his baptismal interview that day came and told us that he would no longer like contact and then walked away, it was disappointing but we know that one day he will accept the Gospel. 

Friday we had a good solid day of work and I don't remember exactly what happened.

Saturday was awesome, we met up with a lot of friends and had a farewell party for a member of the Branch he will be going to England on his mission it is exciting, he will be the first Greek missionary in a very long time! Then we also met up with a new friend he is called Ali, and he is super good and just wants to do good in his life it is super awesome and he just wants to learn how to be a better person.

Sunday was a great Sabbath day we had so many unplanned opportunities to share the gospel. And then in the evening we met with a man Alexandros. He is such a humble man that wants to have the blessings of the gospel so that he can see his wife and daughter again it is just amazing!

Then today we had some good new years celebrations with all of the missionaries and then with the members and it was just overall a great day!

Then here is a pic of the singing that we have been doing a lot this week with the holidays!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΑΩ ΠΟΛΥ!!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The Greek Word for christmas is Christouyenna (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ)(sorry if you can’t read that).  It means the birth of Christ and that is so great to remind everyone just like in English that Christ is the biggest part of CHRISTmas.  When I think about Christ’s life I think about how selfless he was and how everything that He did was to help people, to lift them up to make their day better any way that He could.  He is the light and with his life He showed us how we can share that light with all of those around us.  That is the purpose of Light the World it is to share the Light with all of those around us and it can be with things as simple as a smile to make the difference in someones day.  I would like to share a quick story about and experience I had.  We were doing our day of service activity and we decided that we were going to go and just have fun give out hot chocolate and socks and have some games with music.  So that is what we did.  It was amazing we were all just happy and the people all around us were having a good time.  That lead to having a man named Najeemb talk with us and he is now going to be baptized.  That day was one of the happiest days of my mission so far.  I know it is because we were able to share happiness with others.  It was so cool to see so many people light up around us.  I know that as we strive to Light the World all of the time we will be able to draw closer to The Light itself which is Jesus Christ, I know He lives and that he is our Savior and Redeemer.

Love, Elder Halverson

ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ #2

Καλά Χριστούγεννα σε όλους!!

Hey everyone! Well to start off I just hope that everyone has a great Christmas this year!

This week was a great one on Tuesday we had a great day planned we had two lessons planned for the evening and so the first was from a girl who called us from a pass along card and so we were pretty excited and so we go to meet up with her and we just start talking but she just wouldn't talk and as you know I am not the biggest talker and it was just super awkward but then it all went good when we started to talk about the Book of Mormon which was good and she said that she would read and we scheduled to meet again to teach her more and then our other friend showed up for our lesson with him and she just sat there and we had no idea what to do so we just started our lesson with our other friend and luckily the Sisters for some reason just showed up in the same spot and saved us from that awkwardness and they are going to be teaching her now which is great but it was just a funny night that made us laugh. 

Wednesday was just a great day we went out in the morning and I was able to teach Greek class to some refugees and a member came to help me out which was really cool we had a good lesson, then we had another lesson with Najeemb and just we saw how prepared he is from the Lord and it just is so cool to see his hand in the lives of others! Then that night we had an activity with the members! We went to Syntagma square and sang Christmas songs with the members and talked with people it was a good night and a great way to end the day!

Thursday we had a great day we went around with some cookies to visit our less active members and it was good we actually went and knocked on ones door and he answered and let us in! It was amazing we were so excited and we sat down started talking and then from the other room this guy just comes in and started yelling at us and the member and just told him he can't get involved with us again and then kicked us out so yeah that was fun. Then we had a lesson with Najeemb and then with a young guy named Nikos who is interested in learning about the church and especially why we believe we had a really good spiritual lesson with him that was just amazing!

Friday was another good day of work for the week and I don't remember what happened exactly.

Saturday was a miracle day! So we organized to meet up with a guy named Mike with his wife and daughter and so we go  and they had already read part of the Book of Mormon that we gave them and just loved it and they want to learn more and just to learn more so that they can draw closer to their Savior it was just so amazing! Then that night we had the branch Christmas party which went well.

Sunday was a great Sabbath and we had a good program at church and then after we went and did some caroling and it was just a good day.

Today my comp gave me my Christmas present and traveled with me to the track so that I could run it was great!

Well I hope that you all have a great Christmas and never forget the reason behind the season!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΑΩ ΠΟΛΥ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΑΚΡΟΠΟΛΗ

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!!!

So on Tuesday we had a good day we got some practice in for our Christmas Musical evening on Saturday and then we had a good evening of finding! 

Wednesday we went and taught some English and then in the evening we went and did a whiteboard and we decided to try a new place me and my comp and so we went and it didn't go to well until the very end and I got to talk to this lady and it just came to my mind to say hey I want to tell you I believe that families can be forever and you can know that too and she was just like "oh really I would love to here about that I have no time but here's my number" it was so cool. Oh yeah this day I also got to try some sushi for the 1st time it was pretty good.

Thursday was an adventure so we went out in the morning to do some service and we started moving these metal bars and we were moving them, we were doing a chain and handing them down and all the sudden I saw some blood on one of them and I look at the guy in front and he isn't bleeding then I think oh I don't know what is going on then my comp called me over and he got cut pretty bad and our friends there helped us clean it up then we went to the hospital and he got some stitches so it was a pretty fun day and in the evening we taught English and got the presentation ready for our Christmas Music Evening.

Friday we had a great day we had the friendship center and taught some English and then we did some caroling at night.

Saturday was a good day we did service at the beach in the morning with the youth to light the world. Then we had that night the Christmas Musical Evening and it went so well we had about 10 members there and 40 non-members it was so cool and most left with Books of Mormon and a lot came to church the next day it was cool.

Sunday was a great Sabbath! We had a meal with the Senior Couples, in Athens we have a senior Sisters couple and one is from Albania and has a daughter that lives in Greece pretty close to us and she came to church to help her mom give a talk in Greek and then we were able to go with them to dinner and we are going to be able to meet up with them it is super cool!

Then today we went to the Acropolis it was a blast!!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΑΩ ΠΟΛΥ!

ΜΕΓΑΛΑ ΘΑΥΜΑΤΑ!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!!!!

Well I hope that you all had great weeks and are having a great time Lighting the World! My week was awesome and we had some pretty amazing miracles.

Last p-day was fun we met up with the missionaries at the church and we had a fun day playing Volley and some b-ball with pizza of course. Then in the evening we went out with Hedy for Elder Fasa's last day and went and found this crazy place that was all decked out for Christmas. here's a pic sorry it is a bit blurry.

Tuesday was a good day so we left early so that Elder Fasa could get to the airport on time and then I was able to spend the day with the APs and it was a great day then I got my new companion that night it is Elder Roffler he is from Switzerland and he is a great guy we are going to have a great transfer!

Wednesday was a great day we planned our Zone Training for the next day and then we also had a lesson with Najeemb, so we had the restoration lesson on Tuesday which was one of the best lessons ever and then we met up and he told us the story of how some lady had tried to tell him that he should stay away from Joseph Smith and his fallacies and he told us how that is when he decided that he knew it was all true and that he wanted to follow his heart! It was so awesome he will be baptized on the 22nd of December if all goes to plan. 

Thursday we had Zone Training which went well and we were able to have some good training.

Friday we went to the soup kitchen and then we met up with Micheal our Less-Active friend and had a very good discussion about how God loves and supports each and every one of us. Then we had a meal with the Finlaysons and some Elder Schafer who had come back to visit.

Saturday we had another huge miracle. So about two months ago or more I met this girl at the center and we talked a lot and she really wanted to learn more and so she gave us her number and when we tried to call her the number didn't work. But she thought a lot about what we had talked about and then on her own she sought out the church online by herself! It was awesome and we received her information and met up and it was awesome her name is Georgia and she told us that she wants to make a change in her life for the better and just sees something good in us and wants the same for her life!

Sunday was a great day we had a good Sabbath Najeemb came and told us that he found a job! and that he has never been happier in his life than he has been the past two weeks it is amazing to see the gospel changing lives!!

Today was a great day we finally got a deep clean of the apartment and it just feels better and then got some haircuts it was a good relaxing day! 

This week something that has been on my mind a lot is the scripture from 2 Nephi 2:25 which says "men are that they might have joy" and that is how it is for us every day we are meant to have joy and just thought about how life is tough it really is and it has its ups and downs but we always need to have joy even through our hard moments because that is God's plan for us and that is why he sent us His Son Jesus Christ. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Αγάπη μόνο,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον  

ΦΩΤΊΣΤΕ ΤΟΝ ΚΌΣΜΟ!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ!!

Well it crazy it is December already!

So last Tuesday we started an exchange and I got to go back with Elder Nelson! It was way fun and we were able to do some good finding that night and then in the evening we ordered Pizza and coke cause I made him a deal if I ever weighed 150 again on my mission I would drink a coke with him and well the day finally came haha.

(sorry its a bit blurry)

Wednesday all of the metros were on strike and most of the buses so we had a fun day walking around Athens and we got to teach a couple of guys in a park on the way which was cool. 

Thursday we had a good solid day of work and we also got to teach a couple of lessons, one with Maesum who is from Syria and has lost everything and it is so cool to see him change as we talk about the gospel, and then we met with Fransis who is from the Philippines and is a very cool guy just looking for the truth which is really cool .

Friday we went to the soup kitchen and then afterwords we went to the Hospital so that Elder Fasa could get an MRI for his back and that was basically our day. Then that night we got transfer calls, Elder Fasa is going to be leaving and going to Cyprus and then Elder Roffler from my MTC group is going to come and be my comp it is going to be a party!

Saturday we did our Light the World day of service and it was so fun and so awesome to see everyone just light up as we would talk and have fun. Then I was also able to meet a man named Najeemb he is from Afghanistan and he speaks perfect English and we talked and he just hung out for a long time cause he said that he just felt good and at peace around us and it was so good and he said that he would come to church!

Then Sunday was a great day Najeemb and Maesum came to church! It was so good we had a lesson the first hour with them about God and how he is our loving Heavenly Father and how prayer is how we communicate with him and it is was so awesome and the Spirit was so strong! Then we kicked off Light the World with the members!

It was such a great week and I would say especially with the Christmas coming up just to think about the reason behind the season which is Jesus Christ! He is the reason and that is why we should try as best we can to give as he gave and to Light the World! I love you all and hope that you have great weeks!

Αγάπη μόνο!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Ο ΝΑΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝA!!!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!!!

So it was a great week and so lets get to it.

So last Monday and Tuesday we just went crazy and handed out flyers for the Jenny Oaks Baker concert that we had on Tuesday night. Tuesday we had to go and print more flyers and we went to this 3-D print shop cause it was the only thing we could find and he let us use his printer and then turns out that he was an official Dude there is apparently a religion called Dudeism and he was a dudeist priest. Then that night during the concert I was out on usher duty for the last half and I was able to talk with the security guard about what we believe and gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he would read it in a month and we told him we would be back to follow up it was really cool!

Wednesday, I kinda forgot what happened this day to be honest whoops.

Thursday, we had a great day we were able to meet a contact from the friendship center named Maesum he is a really good kid and started asking us about Jesus it was really cool and the gospel can help him so much, he comes from Iran and has lost his whole family and it is sad but it is so good just to know that the message that we have can change his life forever so we hope things continue to go well as we meet with him. And then to end it all off we had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner from at the office couples house it was really cool, and just made me think of how grateful I am to be so blessed in my life with so many things and most of all for my family and the opportunity that I have to serve the lord!

On Friday we had an exchange and I was with Elder Ala-Jaaski it was a good day we went to the soup kitchen and cleaned dishes all day and then at night we went and did a whiteboard and all the sudden the whether decided to take a turn to the cold side and I turned into a Popsicle and one guy even tried to sell me his coat it was pretty funny.

Saturday, in the morning we had a youth activity which went really well and then we had a whiteboard in the evening which was pretty good until this guy came and just started dancing right next to us then we had to move but it was a fun night. 

Sunday, we went to branch council before the meetings and got to discuss missionary work in Athens and then we had a great day at church and had a great lesson with the youth about Helaman 5:12 and building our foundation upon Jesus Christ cause he will never fail us. Then we had a baptism and Nikolas was baptized! It was very cool because me and Elder Balser found him together and it was cool to see him be baptized. Then we had dinner at the Hom's then a music whiteboard in the evening and just had a great way to cap off the week!

Then today we went on a "zone" activity (Thess was missing) but we went to the Temple of Poseidon it was really cool and pretty windy but it was cool and we got to see a lot of cool beach which was cool.

Well I love you all and hope that you have just fantastic weeks!

Αγάπη μόνο,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΑΛΒΑΝΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΛΙ!!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ

Well what a week it has been!

So last Monday we went out to do a whiteboard and things didn't go to well I got yelled at by some crazy guy for a bit and then some guy tried to tell me to come with him to the Telestial Kingdom cause living a life of sin is just so great but I was able to share some good testimonies and just realize how thankful I am to God for the testimony that he has given me that nobody can take away!

Tuesday! we flew to Albania for the MLC and our flight got delayed and two cars went up in flames on the freeway so we got a bit delayed but it all ended well with some really good crepes so we were all good and I made friends with a lady on the airplane and she said that she was going to go and read the whole thing!

Wednesday, we had our MLC with President Johnson of the Europe area presidency, it was awesome and an amazing experience to be there we were also able to have an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for lunch which was really awesome. 

Thursday we had a great day we went and did service for a day in Albania at an LDS charities wheelchair place and we took the bus and the bus driver told us to get off at the wrong stop and so we got stranded in the middle of nowhere in Albania but luckily one of the guys had the places number and they gave them a call and they show up with 1 jeep and there are 8 of us and they just say "get in" and we piled in and left it was pretty fun.

Friday we had our Zone Conference with President Johnson and it was amazing! I love especially when he told us that to be like Jesus Christ it is pretty simple we just have to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and then we can be like him sounds simple but is so tough but it is a good goal just to always live the gospel!

Elder Halverson and Elder Nelson

Saturday I was HOME!! I got to go back to Thess it was awesome the best part was I was able to go and see Dimitri and Brother Matrapazis! They are doing awesome and it was so good to be able to go and do an exchange with the DLs up there and see the city and how things are going.

Elder Halverson and Dimitri

Elder Halverson and Brother Matrapazis

Sunday was a great Sabbath and to top it all off we were blessed with a spiritual fireside from Jenny Oaks Baker in the evening and she played with her family if you don't know who she is look her up on youtube she is a very good violinist.

Well that is my week I love you all and hope that you do amazing things this week!

αγάπη μόνο,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

πω πω τι εβδομάδα ήταν αυτή;

ΓΕΙΑ!!!

Well it for sure was a crazy week yet again but for sure a good one!

Tuesday we went out and met up with two new friends which was pretty awesome and so we go and we are meeting with Giannis and we are trying to do the how to begin teaching and so we ask him a little bit about what he believes and that turned into something really interesting and then at some point he was crouched down in front of us as we sat on a bench and just started telling us how he talked with animals and gave us an example of how he would talk with a cat it was for sure interesting but we know the gospel can change people so we hope things go well! Then after we had some good music finding down in the Center.

Wednesday, well we taught English class in the morning and then in the afternoon we taught some lessons and they went well! We were able to teach Stavros who is an older Greek man and he really likes our message the only problem is that he just takes them all and is like yeah that is what is right and then we are like ok will you do it, and he is just like well I don't know I don't have much time it is kinda funny but he said he is going to read this week which is awesome!

Thursday it rained a little bit but than that night we were able to go out and have some good finding after teaching English Class in the evening.

Friday we went to the soup kitchen and then we went and met up with another friend named Giannis he is a really good kid and we have now got a good relationship going.

Saturday we had interviews with President and then we went out and played soccer with Giannis and some other missionaries and their friends and it went really well and at the end we were able to answer a lot of questions that Giannis had about the church and it was a really cool experience. 

Sunday was a great day so Veli and his family came to church and that was awesome and they were able to witness a confirmation which was just awesome! Also we show up at church and there was a huge group from BYU Jerusalem and I was able to see a friend from home that was cool but also pretty weird and everyone just knew people that I knew not going to lie it was pretty weird being in Greece and having been away from that for so long but it was also kinda cool to see what a small world. Then that night I had a great experience doing some finding I was talking to someone about the restoration and it was super cool and the spirit was there as we talked about the 1st vision and after he was like "wow that is really cool, do you do the cross?" and I said no and then he didn't say another word and just walked away so that was pretty weird.

Today was just a chill day we went to the church and played some ping pong, but sorry no pictures this week sorry.

Αγάπη μόνο!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Picture Alicia got from her friend with BYU Jerusalum

Elder Halverson sent me this today it is from a couple of weeks ago.  They look happy!

ΔΕΝ ΞΕΡΩ

ΓΕΙΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ!!

So it was a good week yet again haha!

Tuesday was a good day we were able to go to the Thornton's house for dinner for Elder Fasa's kinda welcome back party or dinner it was really nice and we had a really good time they are good people.

Wednesday was a good day we had two meetings, one with an Albanian lady named Alma who just loves learning about religion and said she would like her and her daughters to come to church which was awesome! Then we met up again with Veli and his family and talk about the Book of Mormon and the gift of the Holy Ghost it was a good lesson and the spirit was definitely there which was cool! Then that night at a whiteboard I met a man named Ayan also from Turkey and I taught him all about temples and families just right there in the middle of the square which was really awesome!

Thursday, was just a good day of missionary work talking with the kosmo.

Then on Friday we went to the soup kitchen in the morning and I got to know a guy named Hugo pretty well he is from Argentina and so by the end we had it worked out he would just speak to me in Spanish and I would respond in Greek and we had some interesting convos. 

Saturday we went out to the market and met up with Giannis and talked about the BoM and how it answers the questions of the souls and he said he would read it and also how he really likes the church it was a bit weird cause he just talked about nature and so it was a bit confusing but good. Then we went and a dinner appointment and Hedy's house which was awesome! Then we had a lesson that night with Ayan the guy I met on Tuesday and we were able to talk about God's plan for him and it was really cool to see the Spirit bear testimony to him as we were talking you could just see in his face that he was feeling it and that he loved it. 

Sunday we had a good/crazy day. So Elder Fasa met this girl named Zoe at a whiteboard a couple days before and she came to church and it was a good fast in testimony meeting but some things were said that she didn't really like and then for the last our we taught the youth and talked about receive personal revelation which we thought was going to be really good then we showed this video that I maybe the mistake of just reading about and not watching and it talked about the standards we have with movies and with drinking coffee, which don't get me wrong are not something bad, but for a first time investigator it is a bit much and so that was just the start of the digging of the whole and then my comp just kinda left me there to hang dry for the rest of the lesson (30 minutes) and not gonna lie it was a bit rough but on the bright side she said that she was going to come back in two weeks once she is back from vacation so I guess it didn't go too bad.

Then today was a good day we did a lot of cleaning and then we went to the Acropolis Museum and it was really cool.

So that was my week it was pretty exciting this week God definitely does guide his work no matter how many mistakes we make!

Σας αγαπάω πολύ!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

a selfie with me and my quick greek food last night, μπουιουρδι (Boradi)

ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗ ΖΩΝΗΣ!!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ!!!

Well this week was a good one!

So Tuesday was transfer day and so we dropped everyone off at the airport in the morning and then I spent the day with Elders Ala-Jaaski and Neuendorf and we went out and did some work and then it started to rain and so we got stuck in doing some Facebook work and making some schedules which was awesome;)

Wednesday was a good day we had a busy day doing service in the park in the morning, teaching English and then in the evening doing a whiteboard it was a good day and we were able to meet a lot of people that day which was really cool.

Thursday we went out to Mati again and we cleaned up some γιαγια's house it went pretty quick and it was just a good time doing service and the γιαγιαδες were very grateful which was awesome! Then we went out for dinner with Hedy one of the filipino members and she took us to a place that had the biggest gyros I have ever seen like they were bigger than my head it was pretty cool. 

Then Friday we had Zone Training which I was able to organize and put together and it went really well we had a good time and our training went really well and we talked a lot about how the most miracles are going to come as we serve the lord with all of our hearts in love.

Saturday was a good day. We were doing a whiteboard in the middle of the day and as we were doing it this guy walks up and just tells me that he is the only God and later goes on to tell me that he is actually Zeus so that was really interesting. Then in the evening I got to teach my first family! It was super awesome they are from Turkey and want to learn how their family can be together forever which is awesome!

Sunday was a good Sabbath day and we had a great day at church and then a good time doing some finding activities in the evening overall a great day.

It was a great week this week. I love the work and I love my God!!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΑΩ

Πρεβύτερος Χάλβερσον

here is a pic I look at the bottom of my shoes and  caterpillar was born there you can see the cocoon thing and the little caterpillar

ΜΙΑ ΧΑΡΟΥΛΑ!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ!!!

Well hey this week was great so let's get to this!

Tuesday we had district meeting and afterwords we had a meeting with Ellis. He is just a stud and told us he is struggling to change but that he has got the desire. So we are pretty excited because he actually wants to change! Then we met up with a guy that used to investigate the church and he said that now he is ready to be baptized. We are pretty excited!

Wednesday we had some plans fall through so we did some finding for about 3 hours. It was so awesome I was able to find so many people who wanted to learn about the Book of Mormon and Families it was awesome!

Thursday We met up with a couple of friends and then we started an exchange that night with the APs. I got to go out with Elder Richardson. We started by teaching English class and then we went out and did a whiteboard. It was fun.

Friday we had MLC. Oh yeah Wednesday we got transfer calls I will be staying and be Zone Leader with Elder Fasa from England I am pumped. After MLC we had another meeting with Ellis which was awesome!

Saturday we met up with a member that we had met, who was visiting from Italy, and was wondering if he should go on a mission. We were able to talk with him. He called us from the plane telling us that he had an interview with his bishop to start his papers. It was awesome!

Sunday was great we had church and then after church we had a musical evening about families. I was able to help narrate. It went really well.

Monday we went out and explored. It was a good relaxing day.

A mission is so awesome. It is something that I love so much cause I get to tell people every day how much the church has helped me. It is awesome to see how as I get to share my testimony everyday it grows. Go and share what you know cause it helps and is awesome!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΩ 

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΕΥΡΕΣΗ!!!!!!!!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!

Well my week was just amazing and just so full of good stuff.

So last Tuesday we started an exchange and me and Elder Gaskill were able to go back to Piraeus with Elder Nueundorf it brought back lots of memories and not much has changed since we left which is kinda funny. But what was crazy is we went to do finding on this road that we had walked so many times before trying to do finding and this time we have some great success and were able to give out some Books of Mormon which was so cool.

Wednesday we got back together and had a lesson with Ellis who is just our stud of an investigator who wants to do good in his life. Then we did a whiteboard afterwords with some other missionaries because our lesson fell through. It was going so well until the police showed up and lied to us telling us it was illegal for us to proselyte in Greece, which we can they just kicked us out anyways which was fun.

Thursday was a good day that night we headed out and did music finding and it went really well we had a lot of good conversations and it was cool.

Friday we did service at the soup kitchen. It was pretty fun we were able to make friends with someone who has started to work there and will come every week which was cool. They are going to read from the Book of Mormon! 

Saturday was a great day. All of our lessons canceled but that night we got a call and were able to go and watch the game of a member in the branch who was playing. We were able to sit with his dad it was super cool to be able to get to know him better. He is such a good guy and does everything for his kids it is super awesome. In the evening we had a whiteboard that went really well. I don't know just recently we have been very blessed. I have been able to share the gospel and my testimony so much more than usual which I just love!

Sunday was a great Sabbath we were able to have a very short sacrament service and watch both of the afternoon sessions of General Conference. Oh man it was awesome to see I really love conference. Then we were able to go and do more finding! I don't know this week was just awesome and filled with blessings we were able to do a good amount of teaching and also finding and talking with people. Over the past couple of weeks things have been happening here in Greece and it is amazing to see the hand of the Lord in His work!

Today we had a good lazy day, we came to the church today and played some ping-pong. We played a lot of around the world just reminded me of the good 'ole times with the boyz playing sting pong. It was just fun.

I love you all have a great week!

ΜΕ ΑΓΑΠΗ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Us doing email

The game on Saturday night (it was the best track I have seen since leaving home)

ΓΕΝΙΚΗ ΣΥΝΕΛΕΥΣΗ!!!!!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!!!

Well it was just a great week so lets get to it.

Last Tuesday we started our exchange with Elders Amoz and Ala-Jaaski. Elder Gaskill and I stayed in our area with Elder Ala-Jaaski who is from Finland. It was a good day and we got to teach English Class that night which went pretty well.

Wednesday we got to go out to the Friendship Center for the refugees and to again teach English this time it went really well. We then switched back and got to teach Awesome a lesson. It was super cool we had taught him the same lesson before and he was very skeptical and did really like it but this time we were able to teach him and he accepted it and agreed to ponder and pray about our message which was just awesome. That night it was Elder Gaskill's year mark and for our dinner we bought gyros and went and sat on Mars Hill looking out over the city at night. It was super cool. Then we asked this guy to take our picture and so he did and as we are leaving I told him to have a good vacation turns out he actually lives here and was from Latvia. His name was Remus (and he looks just like a blonde version of Remus Lupin from Harry Potter) We got talking he was cool then he let us know he moved to Greece from England for some "health reason" haha too funny, but he was super nice and had a nice camera and offered at the end to take our picture with that and to send them to us it was awesome!

Thursday was a great day we got to go out in the morning and help out in the park and to talk with one of our investigators about coming to church which went well. That night we went and did some Voice of the Lord survey finding and it was just a good time.

Friday we went and helped out at the Soup Kitchen for a good chunk of the day. That night we went and did a whiteboard and asked people what the world needs. It was a good question. Then we ran into a member that night he was just a sweet old man and it was awesome we ended up taking him with us to General Conference the next night it was a cool experience.

Saturday we did a whiteboard in the middle of the day that went surprisingly well and then that night we were able to go and watch General Conference it was awesome I loved being able to hear from those inspired. One of my favorites was David A. Bednar's talk about just being united in Christ it was really awesome!

Sunday was a good day of church. After church we were able to go as missionaries of Athens to do a music finding activity in the center and it went really well and we ran into some members right before we left for conference who took our picture.

We were able to watch the Sunday morning session of conference and I loved President Nelsons talk especial his response to "are you a mormon?" haha.

Today was good we went again up to the hill above the city to celebrate with Elder Gaskil's group for hitting 1 year it was really cool it is super pretty.

Just overall a great week! I love you all have a great week!

ΑΓΑΠΗ ΜΟΝΟ 

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΒΡΟΧΗ;?;

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!!

Well it was just a great week and I hope that I haven't forgotten everything that happened.

Tuesday was a good day we were able to again head out to Mati to clean up the fires it was good and we were able to finish cleaning up our 3rd house.

Wednesday we just had a good solid day of work.

Thursday we had a lot of lessons we had one in the morning with our friend in the park and I got to use the jack-hammer again it was fun. Then we met up with Prince and Awesome and we had great lessons with both and the Spirit was really strong. 

Friday we went in the evening to do Family Home evening with Jessie-Anna and her sister who is going to be baptized at the end of the month, but we showed up on time and she said she would be 20 minutes late so we went out to do some finding and just down the street we started talking to this guy from Albania, so we are up on the curb and he is down in the street and we are talking and he wanted a book of Mormon so as I step down to give him one the car right next to me just starts going off and I didn't even touch it but luckily he still took the book of Mormon and a card but we couldn't get his number cause the car went off but oh well hopefully he will read it and give us a call.

Saturday the rain started to come down really hard this day and so we almost remade our plans of going out to the market but instead we just decided to go for it. And we went to the market and the first person that we talk with is just a great guy wanted the book of Mormon and we will be meeting up with him tomorrow! Awesome blessings!

Then we had a great Sabbath day we had a talk from a recent convert who had no preparation before hand and he gave the best talk that I have ever heard in Greek, he talked about Charity and how it is something that we need and something that Jesus Christ showed us so perfectly. Then afterwords we had a lunch at the church and it was great I love being part of the branch family here in Greece! So then after that Elder Gaskill came to our companionship as his companion was transferred so we are now in a trio. Then that night we were able to meet up with Jack the magician and we showed us some tricks we talked about the church and then at the end he shared with us that he really enjoyed our talks and learning about the church which is really awesome!

Well that was my week we were blessed today as the rain finally stopped. But I hope that you all have a great week!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΑΩ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Sorry no new pictures this week but I have some more for last week

ΣΥΝΕΛΕΥΣΗ ΖΩΝΗΣ

ΓΕΙΑ!!!

Λοιπόν κοιλίας ξέρετε πως πήγε η εβδομάδα μου, αλλά να σας πω, είχα μια υπεροχή εβδομάδα!!

So Tuesday we again were able to go out and to help with the fires and do some clean up so that was fun, and then we taught a HUGE English class which was just awesome and that was the start of a great week!

Wednesday we again went to the friendship center and I taught English again and this time the class had doubled in size which was crazy but really fun. Then that night we went to the center and did the Voice of the Lord which was again more fun!

Thursday we did some weekly planning and t hen in the evening we went out and did a whiteboard!

Friday we did some studies and some preparation for Zone Conference and then we met up with the Thessaloniki missionaries and did some small exchanges with them it was good to see them all again!

Saturday we had Zone Conference and it was great! Me and Elder Balser were able to have a super good presentation about finding joy in the journey and especially in missionary work if you want to look up President Nelson's talk "Joy Cometh in the Morning" we just talked about how important the relationships with our Companions, Ourselves, and with God really are and how they help us find joy. Then that night we went out and did some music finding and it went really well it was some of the best finding that I have done in my mission and we are definitely going to be doing it again but it was really cool. 

Sunday, a great Sabbath day that we were able to end in the best way with another great whiteboard with a ton of success finding people to teach!

Today was awesome! We went out with a lot of missionaries because the old office couple came to visit so we went to Mars Hill and then went out exploring the center together it was really fun a ton of people stopped us and we ran into a lot of members. 

Well I love you all have a great week!

ΑΓΑΠΗ ΜΟΝΟ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον