Τι Έγινε;

Γεια σε όλους,

Λοιπόν μια άλλη εβδομάδα έχει περάσει και ακόμα συνεχίσει να πάει πιο γρήγορα και ακόμα αγαπάω το έργο πιο πολύ κάθε μέρα! 

Alright so lets get to it. Last Tuesday we did some finding. I also was able to try my first μπουγαστα which is a really famous desert here in Thessaloniki. It is really good. And I may or may not have fallen off my bike for the first time.

On Wednesday in the morning we did service on the streets. I was able to help an old lady cross the street. Yes I actually did it. We also had some good conversations. Then we visited a less active family. It was pretty fun and interesting they are a bit lost but want to start getting involved with the church again. I hope that we will be able to help them. They gave us φακές which is lentils and it has some stuff with it. The Greeks now are fasting and so they don't eat meat. It is one of the things they eat around this time of year and it isn't to bad. That night we did some basketball finding and were able to make some friends that invited us back to play with them whenever we want.

Thursday we went out to do service and some guy yelled at us in English to come and have a drink with him. It was actually really cool. He had lived in Philly for a couple years and we had met his wife on the street on Wednesday. They wanted to thank us it was cool. That night we went to visit our neighbors and it was super cool. They are funny they also gave us some Greek nicknames so they could remember us. I am Haris and then my comp is  Γλυκουλης which means little sweety it is really funny. 

Friday we went and helped out at Salvation Army. We also were able to do some basketball finding again in the evening which again went well.

Saturday in the morning we went and did soccer finding with the other Elders and all the youth in the branch. Which is just Orestis the branch presidents son. It went really well and we played with some 18 year olds that were really good so it was difficult. Then we went and had lunch at Brother Todi's house. It was really awesome he is such a good guy. 

We then got up on Sunday morning to a beautiful day. We even did part of companion study on the balcony but then things took a turn for the worse. It got super windy and rainy. So we had a fun ride to church in the rain in coats and suits. I would say it was a really good adventure. After church we had a linger-longer which is basically just a lunch with the members. It was cool. That night we were doing another whiteboard and not even 5 minutes into it we started to have a conversation with a guy about the Book of Mormon. It went well. For me it felt like maybe 20 minutes but I turned around and the Sisters had left with the whiteboard. It had been about an hour and half it was crazy. We are going to be having a new investigator this week. 

That was my week. It was great. Something that I have really realized is how amazing the atonement really is. Because every one of us has it offered to us. Nobody is more fortunate than another. It is something really neat to be able to have in our lives!

Σας Αγαπάω,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

συγγνώμη για το μακρύ μήνυμα.

P.S. Sorry I don't have any pictures this week I will make sure I get some for next week.

Thessaloniki!

Γεια Σας σε όλους!

Παράξενη εβδομάδα ήτανε όμως ήτανε πολύ καλή ελπίζω ότι ήτανε το ίδιο για σας επίσης! 

Well it was a good busy week so lets get to it.

Monday was a great day we met up at the church with some other missionaries and we played volley for hours it was sweet. Then that night Elder Gaskill accidentally grabbed the wrong phone at the church and had grabbed Elder Goodwin and Forsey's phone so yeah we eneded up having to figure that out for our evening but we were just happy we didn't leave the church without a phone which was good. 

Tuesday I had a fun last day in Athens. For lunch we ordered some pizza to have a good last day. We each had a pizza. Then we headed to teach mission prep to Nikos. His mom surprised us with lunch of a porkchop and potatoes it was really good. But after that I was full! Then we had to head to a dinner apointment with Hami and Oddyseas. We had some greek salad and then a big peice of pestichio, which is like the greek lasagna, and that was good. Then she came out with a huge plate of chili con carne and that just about killed me but it was really good. Then she brought out some greek yogurt for dessert and I just had to pray I was going to be able to finish it all - haha - but it was good. I am really going to miss those two they bought us little souveneirs as well it was awesome! Here is a picture with them:

I got up early on Wednesday Morning and headed to the airport to come to Thess. The trip went smooth and uneventful which was nice.

​This is my new companion Elder Nelson he is from Highland Utah so I have another great comp from Utah. He just finished training so yeah I again have a lot of work ahead of me this transfer but I am excited.

Thursday was a good day. The Sisters in Thess had invited the Elders to come help with English class just to figure it out. We told them we could come help. As we were hoping on the bikes to head to the church we got a text saying that we needed to teach, and good luck. So yeah we taught English class. It was for sure interesting. We will see if we end up doing that again. 

Friday I got to meet a member Brother Matrapazis he is super cool and just a great member. He has a short tounge and so he is pretty tough to understand sometimes.

Saturday in the morning we went and played soccer with the other Elders and Orestis a member in the branch. He is really a cool kid. That night we had a BB-Q at the church which went well. We had one of our investigators there and I got made the "grill-master" 

We had a good Sunday. We went to church. We had about 10 people there. I also gave my first talk in Greek it was great but I struggled a bit at points but overall it was good. That evening we had a whiteboard along the "Beach" which is really just a boardwalk. It went well. We had someone say they wanted to come to church and he gave us his number it was really cool.

(The other Elder had to run to the bathroom and missed the picture its to bad)

But yeah overall a really great week. This week my talk in church was about planting and nourishing our seed of faith. I focused on the fact the if we read our scriptures and pray daily then come to church every week we will be blessed and have our faith grow into something great!

Σας Αγαπάω,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Goodbye Athens

Γεια Σας!

Well it was another busy week but another good one!

Last Monday we had a meeting with Vasilis, one of our investigators, he is an interesting guy and a former member of the KKK. We don't know to much about him other than he wants to learn about the gospel and change. We are trying to help him out.

Tuesday we had to bolt from District Meeting to do mission prep with a member, Nikos, he is a really cool guy and is planning to serve a mission in about a year after he finishes with the military which is really cool he is such a cool kid. Then we went to a lesson with Hami and Oddyseas again. We were able to answer all of Oddyseas' questions. It was cool. He knows it is true there are just so many problems with being baptized into another religion - which sucks - so we are going to have to see if we can help them out.

Wednesday was an interesting day. For some reason Elder Gaskill was needed for an exchange so we dropped him off. Elder Zizzi was sick so we had to find something to do inside that day. Which wasn't super fun but I got a lot done that I needed.

Then Thursday we had a good day. We went to Salvation Army in the morning and helped people find some clothes. Later in the day we had a lesson with Maria Rapti. We helped her to understand why she couldn't pray to Παναγια (Virgin Mary) so it was quite fun.

Friday we went to the friendship center. Elder Gaskill taught an English class cause I still can't teach English haha. We also did weekly planning.

On Saturday we had a meeting with a member at Sklavanitis, a really big grocery store with the best food court ever. It was good. Then we were able to have a meeting with Stamatina a less active who was banned from missionary contact for reasons better not to be known. We were told to give her a second chance and so that is what we did. Her Mom and Dad are really cool. We were told that she had questions but she didn't seem to have any so it was weird.

Sunday we had church. Hami came to church for the first time in years with her son it was really cool! After we had a meal at Presidents house which was really good as well.

Today we are emailing early because later today we are going to the church to play volleyball and eat. I also have to pack cause I leave for my new adventure on Wednesday!

Recently I have been thinking a lot about why we do the things we do all the time. Such as read the scriptures every day and pray. I mean I knew it brang blessing but people have asked me questions and I have thought about the specific blessings and it is amazing. I would invite you all to just take 5 minutes and list some blessings you get from doing these simple things and you will be surprised what you find!

Σας Αγαπάω,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Time Starts to Fly!

Γεια σας!!

Well this week was just amazing. I hope that all is well at home or wherever you may be.

So lets get started it was a busy week.

Tuesday we had a good lesson with a less-active, Hami, and her non-member son, Odyseas,  it went really well. Odyseas is interested in coming to church sometime which is really cool. Now we just have to get his mom on-board and it is all good. 

Wednesday we had a busy day. We had one meeting at a members house. All went well with her. We also are organizing to do mission prep with her son Nikos which is really cool. After that we met up with another missionary and went to teach an investigator in French because Elder Zizzi can speak french. That was cool. Then we had a lesson that evening with our neighbor. It was so cool to see the message of the restoration touch him. He also makes us Greek food now which is also really cool.

Thursday we went to Salvation Army and helped out there. In the evening we had a lesson with a member, Alexi, and his non-member girlfriend, Anna, they are from Ukraine and really cool just a little lost.

Friday we had a lesson with Photis which didn't go to well. He is just going to be our friend from now on which is too bad. He had a real testimony. But what can we do?

Saturday was another great day. We started with another lesson with the french investigator. Who then after came with us to a baptism of one of the 8 year old from the branch. After that we went out to a Mexican restaurant with some youth and their friends it was cool. In the evening we got our transfer calls! A week from Wednesday I will be heading up north to Thessaloniki I am excited.

Sunday was a good day. We had a meal with all the members and missionaries it was nice.

Today we went out again with Elders Forsey and Goodwin. We also went with Emma, who has an interesting story, she is really cool and showed us around. She took all the pictures so now I just have to wait for her to send them.

This week in sacrament meeting we talked about the Plan of Salvation and the Family Proclamation. It was really cool and made me so grateful for what I have in my life, and lets me really know what to strive for. You guys should read Elder Oaks talk from conference it was good.

Λοιπόν Σας Αγαπάω!!

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

pictures:

From that cool place we went to last week

Τι να Κάνω

Hey everyone!

Sorry no letter last week internet busted and I wasn't able to send out my usual email. 

So this may be a longer one cause I have two weeks to cover.

Tuesday the 6th and Wednesday the 7th we weren't able to do to much with meetings and stuff. But we did have interviews and I will just say I am not super excited for President Heder to leave this summer. The good thing is that we still have a while left.

Thursday the 8th we worked at the Salvation Army and were able to help hand out clothes which was good.

Friday was Zone Conference and it was good and we learned a lot about how we need to do finding. It was just a good day.

Saturday was a rainy day and we weren't able to do much because it rained. But we actually were able to meet with a couple friends which was good. 

Sunday we went to church and then we had a lesson after church with a former investigator named Photis. It went well his only problem is he is gay so yeah we will have to see if we can't work around it.

Then last Monday we had an adventure we were doing some emails and the power shut off so we had to go on an adventure to another email place to let our families know all was good. So yeah it was all good.

Tuesday we had a meeting with another former investigator Vasilis and it went well he is a good guy. He used to live in Texas and is a former member of the KKK but don't worry now he is a good guy. He made sure we knew a black man is his best friend so yeah that was interesting.

On Wednesday we had a meeting with Maria Rapti who is an investigator of some sisters in Athens. She is now our investigator but has been investigating for 2 years. Her only problem, that we know of, is that she drinks coffee. We said we would help her and she was more than willing. We hope all goes well.

Then on Thursday we went and served at Salvation Army again and gave out some clothes.

Friday we did a lot of work at the Friendship center and it went well. I was able to do a lot of language study because I don't know any other Language but English and Greek so yeah.

Saturday we had a meeting with a less-active and also a meal with a member. 

Sunday we went to church and had a good sabbath and visited a friend.

Oh yeah and today we went to a little area with a great temple. It was really cool. I will get some pictures out next week.

Overall a great two weeks! I hope all is well and you all continue to see the hand of the lord in your lives cause it is always there! I love you all.

Με Αγάπη,

Πρεσβύτερος Χάλβερσον

Wow time just flies!

Elder Gaskill, Elder Halverson, and Elder Zizzi

Hey guys!

Well this week has been a good week nothing to eventful has really happened. But this next week we have a lot of good stuff coming up.

This week we had two lessons. One was with a former investigator. I invited him to be baptized it was really cool cause it was my first time. He has some issues he doesn't want to change. We will have to do some work with him cause he knows it is true so it will be fun.

I was able to have interviews with President and Sister Heder this week. I loved my interview with both of them.  They are inspired and love all of us.

Love,

Elder Halverson

Mom Note: Elder Halverson had internet trouble today.  He was able to send a quick email to me and Clint.  Thanks for all your prayers and love! I am so grateful for Sister Heder she always takes amazing pictures of all the missionaries!!

Poseidon's Temple

Hey Everyone!

Hope that you all had great weeks mine was in a way pretty uneventful.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had an exchange. I went to Aigaleio with Elder Rickard which was good. It was good to get to know him a little better as well. Also on Wednesday me and Elder Gaskill went and picked up Elder Zizzi our new companion. He is a cool guy. He is 20, from Arizona, but has lived all over the world and speaks 5 different languages. He is a great addition to our companionship.

Thursday and Friday we worked a lot at our new Friendship Center that we have in Athens. We were there so Elder Zizzi could teach Italian and French so yeah. Also on Friday night we met with one of our new friends named Vasilios. It was a good visit. We will see if he will progress at the moment I am just not sure.

Saturday we did a lot of finding and I was able to have a couple good conversations but nothing to big yet. 

So then on Sunday we went to church. Then we did studies and stuff. We couldn't really go outside because there was a HUGE riot everyone was there so the streets were empty and we couldn't go where the people were so yeah not much to do.

Today we went to the temple of Poseidon with our new investigator Vasilios it was really cool so yeah.

It was a good week. I would just like to leave with a thought. As long as we have desire we will be used for good in Gods work! D&C 11:8 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be done unto you; and, if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation.”

Love you all,

Elder Halverson