Last ZC with the Heders

Γεια!

Well this week was really good and pretty eventful! 

So last Tuesday, we ran around the city trying to find service. The last person in the charge just said "go online", so that was fun. Then we went and saw Brother Matrapazees for his B-Day. It was great. We went with him to the Hospital, Elder Celestini had just had surgery so we went and saw him.

Wednesday we had work at the warehouse. In the evening we ran to Brother Todi's house and gave him a haircut. Then afterwords had a good English Class.

Thursday was a good day we did a lot of planning and studies. Then in the evening we saw our friend at the University. After that we went with Brother Matrapazees to do service at a graveyard. We got rained on and so we ran inside and had a good conversation with the man we work with about the church. he gave us someone else that we could go to and help every week it was really awesome. With all the rain the streets flooded a bit. Luckily we were in service clothes and were able just to get soaked and walk through the streams in the roads it was fun.

Rain Flood on Thursday

On Friday we had a good day and finished up some work before heading to Athens in the evening.

Saturday we got up early and had our final interviews with President Heder. We had a Missionary meeting with President Kearon of the seventy. It was really good he shared a message about how baptism is a gift that we have to give to everyone and we need to present it as such it was really good.

Sunday we got to stay for Church in Athens it was good to be able to see everyone there. After Church we had the Heder's last Zone Conference. It was really amazing they will be missed, but I am also excited for the changes coming our way. President Heder shared something with us it was that we need to never stop seeking for truth, or improving we just need to always continue on. I loved that! Then we headed home and had a mix up with the flights. We ended up having to get a later flight. I was able to talk with a man the whole way home and taught half of the Restoration it was really cool.

Then we had a good lazy day today and maybe took a nap or two since we didn't get home until after midnight. Then also I was able to run 8 miles it was sweet!

Well I think that is it!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΑΩ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

 ZC and Visit from Elder Kearon

Another Busy One

ΓΕΙΑ!!

Well this was a great week, the hand of the Lord can be seen every day!

Tuesday was an interesting day, we got asked on Monday,by a random guy, to help out. So we went with him and he just dropped us off and left. Later another guy came and it turns out we were helping him set up a message shop. Hopefully we can go back sometime. He wants to come to English class which is awesome!

Wednesday we went to the Warehouse and had a good time there. We had some good conversations about the gospel. Then that night we had English class. it was awesome. We had a new student, which is Brother Matrapazees, so we are going to have some good times!

Thursday we headed to the Graveyard again to help. This time we cut up and moved a giant cherry tree that had fallen down in the storm a month or so ago. It was fun.

Then Friday was an awesome day! We met up with a guy that we had met on Monday named Haralambos. He is now our new investigator, he is so awesome, he is a former Greek Monk but is still young. He knows they are wrong it is awesome. He is also going to teach us some taekwondo it is so awesome! Then later we met up with our security guard friend at the University and it went really well. He is prepared by God to receive the gospel. We hope that we can introduce it in the right way.

Saturday was a crazy day. We went in the morning and had a unsuccessful soccer finding. Then a meal with brother Todi. Then we went home and headed back out to meet up with Dimitris who had just got back from vacation. We ate some really good Greek food, oh man it was so good, just some potatoes and pork but it was so good. That evening we had an activity about the plan of Salvation. It was so awesome! 

We had an awesome Sunday! We had church and it was really good. We had two of our investigators there and Maria Stilo came again with her daughter! it is so awesome to see them come back to the gospel! After we had a meeting with the ZLs in Athens on Skype and talked about the mission transfer a bit and what we as leaders need to do to prepare. That night we met up with a referral from a senior couple in Cyprus. We met up with this man, Kostas, and his wife, Eleni, and they took us to an international food festival, down at the beach, it was so cool!

(Yes Dad that is some Pelmeni for you from Russia)

That was my week it was awesome and I saw the hand of the Lord every day! It is there just look for it!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΩ!!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΕΡΧΕΤΑΙ ΤΟ ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ!!

ΓΕΙΑ!!!

Well it has been a good week but things are starting to heat up here in Greece, I mean you know the feeling you get when you get into the car after it has been in the sun forever, well that is just what is feels like to go outside, and people say it is going to get hotter phew, we will see how that goes.

So last Monday, we went and visited a Less-Active Family the Stilo Family. They are great they are from Albania and are good people, they just struggle with commitment. We are seeing change in them which is cool, we hope that is will continue.

Tuesday we had a good day with District Meeting. We had another meeting from Brother Todi and we decided that we were going to have one of the first ever Greek district meetings. It was really cool and was good to have a member involved in our meeting. 

Wednesday we had a busy day. We started with some help out at the warehouse, which was some really good work. Then we came back and yes I just had a giant salad for lunch just look at the picture. That night we taught english class which was also good as well.

Thursday we went and had a meal at Brother Todi's house. After we traveled to meet with a former investigator, with Brother Todi, named Iota it went well and we hope to continue to be able to meet and have good lessons.

Friday we had a busy evening we went and visited a lot of people. We saw Brother Matrapazees it was sweet, then we went and visited our security guard friend Jimmy at the University, and then we went and visited the Branch President's wife and dropped off a gift of cookies. They had a baby just a week or two ago. It was an awesome night but we biked from one side of Thess to the other but all good fun.

Then on Saturday we did some soccer finding with Orestis again. It was good this time Elder Carroll came with us and so we got some pictures...

Sunday was a great day we had a special European Conference. We showed up and it turns out they didn't have any Greek translation so I was fortunate enough to do it. It was a good it was from an area 70 in the area of Europe and Elder Uctdorf. It was really awesome about ministering and how it all starts with a Testimony of Jesus Christ! Which is just so true nothing starts with the work of the Lord or service without a Testimony of Jesus Christ which brings the charity for all of those around us.

Today was just a good day going around Thess! Man I love this city and these people and most of all the message that we have for them!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΩ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΜΕΤΆΘΕΣΗ!

ΓΕΙΑ!!!!

Hey everyone! Well it feels like I was just doing the same thing but some different stuff happened this week so let see...

Last Tuesday was Elder Cziesla's last day in Thessaloniki. So we spent our day going all around Thessaloniki to say goodbye to everyone. It was good we got to see Brother Matrapazees, Brother Todi, Dimitris and the Stilo Family. It was a busy day also with District Meeting. 

Wednesday we dropped off our companions in the morning and then me and Elder Albertson hung out together for a day. We had the job of sorting through the Sisters' HUGE area book and split it up accordingly for our areas. Elder A is still having a rough time with his ankle, he met with the doctors this week and they told him he has got no ligaments left in his ankle.

Then Thursday Elder Forsey came up to join me from Athens. He is a way cool kid from Arizona! Then we went out and met with our friend Dimitris. It was good for Elder Forsey to get to know him so they are now friends.

Friday was a good day we got to go visit Brother Matrapazees. It went well he really wants to help us out with lessons it is cool.

Saturday we went back to the graveyard and helped out there. Then we went to visit Fortune for the last time before he leaves for the summer for work and it was so awesome to see what a testimony that he has I will miss him. Then that night we traveled out with the Senior couple to visit the Koutouri family. They are members that live a ways from the church. They are awesome they have been some of the longest members. It was cool to get to meet them.

Sunday was a good fast Sunday for us. Then in the evening we went and visited with one of our friends Basilios and it was cool to get to know him. We may have potential to start teaching him which is really cool!

Today was a good day we went up to the castles again and we had a good time. This time we got lucky and they were open so we got to go inside and look around it was cool!

Ο Κύριος οδηγάει το έργο του και μπορούμε να δούμε το χέρι του καθαρισμένα ελπίζω όλοι εσείς μπορείτε να το δείτε.

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΩ

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΚΙ ΜΙΑ ΑΛΛΗ!!!

ΓΕΙΑ!!!

Alright so it was a really good week this week and a lot of stuff happened so it is probably another long one!

So last Monday after email and stuff we went up to what is called the castles at the top of Thess, with our Friend Dimitris, it was cool, and good to get to know him a bit better.

Then on Tuesday we had a good District Meeting. Brother Todi came and helped us out, and also made us the meal for the District Meeting. It was cool. Then afterwords we went and visited Brother Matrapazees and we helped him out by giving him a haircut! It was good fun.

Brother Matrapazees haircut

Wednesday we did some sport finding with Dimitris in the morning. Later in the day we had the last German class! (I may or may not be excited to start English class.) We also got a call from the other Elders to inform us that Elder Albertson had rolled his ankle and was maybe going to be stuck inside for a while.

Thursday we had a fun day with service. We went and helped a friend who is a gardener at a graveyard and we had a giant rainstorm a week ago that had wrecked it. So we had to clean up a lot of stuff. It was fun to smash some headstones! We also were able to see Fortune again before he leaves for the summer. He is doing good and going to keep reading and praying!

So on Friday we got to go the warehouse and help them move a lot of clothes around. Then we went later in the afternoon and had dinner with the other Elders. They had been stuck inside for a while so we paid them a quick visit.

Saturday we went by the graveyard again to help. We are making some good progress but still have a lot of work ahead of us. Then that night we made some good friends with people down at a little corner shop it was way cool. 

Sunday we had a good day! We had a visit from the Heders it is going to be there last time up here in Thess. It was good and we were able to have a good meeting with them. President shared a great message with us on how we need to prepare in every little and small moment so that when the big moments come we are ready and that God will always be with us. It was good.

Today we just had a lazy day cleaned and got ready before inspections. We also got ready for the transfer on Wednesday/Thursday. Just to know I will be staying where I am and Elder Forsey from Arizona is going to come up and join me. I am pumped!

ΣΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΩ!!!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΜΕΘΥΣΜΈΝΟ

ΓΕΙΑ!!!

Πολλά έγινε λοιπόν ας το γράψω!

Alright so last Monday we had Family Home Evening. We had 5 nonmembers come and only one was an investigator it was really awesome. We are meeting up with them again today!

Tuesday we had district meeting. After we started an exchange with the other Elders here in Thess. I was back at it with good ole' Elder Nelson! That day we were able to meet up with Fortune again. It went well it is cool to see how the gospel really changes your life when you are willing!

On Wednesday we continued our exchange with some good finding then we headed up to Brother Todi's for lunch. We were able to have a good lunch that just grew and grew as you ate it, it was so weird. 

Thursday we got rained out for all of our activities so we did some finding for most of the day. When it rains everyone goes inside it is just weird there were like no people anywhere but we now know our area a lot better which is good. It gives us a better chance of not getting lost.

Friday we had a busy day. We went to the warehouse in the morning and helped out there. Then we came back and headed to Brother Matrapazees. We had a good time with him. Then we went to visit with Dimitris who is the Sisters investigator but in a week we are going to start working with him. After we went with him and did service on a beach and just cleaned up a bunch of trash it was good.

Then Saturday we did some soccer finding in the morning that went really well. We got told where we need to go to do some real good soccer finding. After we had a lesson with Fortune again. Just as we were getting started an American missionary from another church brought this guy up that was super high. He just wanted help but long story short he started freakin out and tried to choke us. Then a huge Greek man came and just slapped him and he ran away so we didn't unfortunately have a lesson with Fortune but hopefully next time.

(Not my Blood :/)

Where he tried to chock me

Yesterday was also a great day I got to skype with my family for mothers day. We also had a pot-luck at the church that went really well and we had 2 investigators there. 

Well I think that is it for the week it was a great week! 

Σας αγαπώ,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

ΚΑΛΉ ΕΒΔΟΜΆΔΑ!!

ΓΕΙΑ ΣΑΣ!!!

Well it was a good week and I remembered my planner so I can remember what happened this week.

So Tuesday we had a good District Meeting. Then later that day we went down and did some finding at the Beach which isn't really a beach but a boardwalk. It was fun. That night the Zone Leaders came up from Athens so we could do an exchange on Wednesday.

Wednesday we had an all day exchange with the Zone Leaders. I was with Elder Menis who is from Italy he is a really good guy. We did some good finding as well we just made so many friends and ended up giving out a Book of Mormon as well. It was cool.

The next day we headed down to Athens! So on the way in the Athens airport I was sitting there waiting for my little bag and I started talking with this guy next to me. We had a really good conversation about the church and I gave him a Book of Mormon. He gave me his card, it was really cool. We will be meeting up sometime this week. That day we had interviews with President. They went well. Then that night we got to chill at the AP's apartment and so I got to hang out with Elder Goodwin for a little bit it was awesome!

Friday was Zone Conference! It was really good. At Zone Conference we were taught about prayer and what it really means to pray to our Father in Heaven and to work with the Spirit to have the best prayers that we can. It was really cool.

Saturday was an interesting day for sure. We had gone to visit Brother Matrapazees and that went well. But then we had an amazing bike ride home. So right as we left the rain started to just come down in a wave. It was so ridiculus we were soaked within a couple of minutes. We were with the other Elders cause we were going to grab a bite to eat. Out of nowhere Elder Albertson just biffed it trying to stop and then my comp Elder Cziesla fell as well trying to turn to hard around a corner it was for sure an adventure!

Sunday was a good Sabbath Elder Cziesla got to skype his family a week early cause his dad had something to do with church the next Sunday. So that was pretty much our day after church!

That is it for the week!

Σας αγαπάω

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον