Monday, August 31, 2015

This week was a pretty calm week - hence the lack of pictures.  As I look back at my planner (yes I have to keep one to make sure I'm where I need to be - doesn't always work though!), We went to the airport three times, to Nicosia twice, to Limisos once and lots of meetings in between.  We like to stay busy and so it was a good week.

We had transfers and lost Sis. Linekar and picked up Sis. Loydsinger (phonetic spelling) from the German part of Switzerland.  She is brand new but her Greek is very good.  She is going to be a good missionary :)


Here she is helping to clean up after planning meeting.

We also had a zone meeting to train the missionaries on how to take care of their bikes.  There had been a lot of abuse and lack of responsibility concerning bikes.  You know from previous posts how much time and effort Elder Jacobsen spend on those bikes!!  From now on the missionaries are responsible to take care and fix their own bikes (within reason).  They all met with Pres. Heder (an avid biker) and he demonstrated how to change and fix flat tires, fix and lube the chain and many other bike related issues.  They are now armed with portable pumps and tire repair kits and the skills to make it happen - we will see.

We are busy getting ready for our big Family Search Fireside this Thursday, Sept. 3.  We are very excited and hope for a good turnout - more on that next week.

Today I am working on my English lesson for this week.  Our new primary president speaks very little English and the manuals and training we can get is all in English. I'm going to have the class learn the first lesson in the Primary 1 manual.  Hopefully it will help her and them with some gospel basics.  How blesses we are back home to have everything at our fingertips plus more.  I have come to realize how much I have to be grateful for and that it is the simple, little things that I take for granted.  As I sit in our planning meetings, which are done all in Greek, I get a glimpse of what it is like for new members/investigators to attend meetings and not know the language.  I so appreciate their dedication and commitment to keep coming.

The following pictures are from our planning meeting:


This is Panyiotis & Georgia - our Branch Mission Leaders.  They are also in our Temple Prep class planning to go in October/November.


Since I don't understand the discussion, I usually reading a lesson or the scriptures.  Here I studying  Daughers in my Kingdom.  Quite often I am trying to stay awake - it is mid afternoon and they always feed us a delicious meal right before the meeting.  Can't tell in this picture if my eyes are open or closed - probably closed!

Love to all - have a great week.



Sunday, August 23, 2015

This week was a fairly calm week leading into next week when we have transfers.  Elder Jacobsen did a lot of traveling back and forth to Nicosia but that has just become part of our normal routine.  The weather is still HOT and HUMID but everyone says that it will start cooling off soon - which cannot come soon enough!

We started the week with a field trip to the small village of Dochno.  It is the home of the mother of our Branch Mission leader.  It is amazing how they build these villages on the hillsides and everything is so close together.  We, as you know, love the narrow streets and quaint buildings.  How they did all this so long ago is amazing.



Sisters Linekar, Indelicato and Sis. Georgia in front of the local church.


The mosaics here are beautiful.


Did you know that McDonalds delivers??  Quite the business.


I buy fresh spinach each week for my morning smoothie.  Right now the water coming out of the tap is so warm that it wilts the greens so I have to put ice in it to cool it off!



Another quaint narrow street.

We had the opportunity to go back to Nicosia and speak today in church.  It was so nice to see all the members there plus some new ones that we got to meet.  The branch is growing which is exciting.  A family with the US Embassy just moved in and will be there for 3 years which will give them some wonderful members.  WE all think he is a spy but of, course, he can't confirm or deny.

have a great week and love your way!




Monday, August 17, 2015

Here we are in Institute watching the movie Legacy.    

             



This is a group shot of the last Institute class with the Binghams.  They will be dearly missed!


We have become great friends and since they also live in Utah we are already making plans to get together for some hiking and golf - wait a minute, I don't do either of those things?????


This is Edward.  He is from Egypt and is one of our investigators.  He is in Bill's English class because he has to learn English before he can have the discussions and lessons because we don't have any missionaries or members who speak his language.   He is very humble and comes to everything.  The Missionary is Elder Teal.



Sunday, August 9, 2015

GOODBYE!  This was a sad week as we said goodbye to 3 sister missionaries and one senior couple.  It will be very strange not have them here since they were here before we were and we have loved seeing and working with them.
Elder & Sis. Malzel are on the far right. They are from Austria.


Sisters Mueller, Deeley and McKenna are heading home to new lives.  They are special sisters that we have grown to love.  They say they will come visit us in Utah and we are hoping they will.

We had a fun zone outing and went up to the Troodos mountains to some cooler weather.  We visited a couple of monasteries there.  One has been there since the 700's.  






We hiked up to a couple of waterfalls which were beautiful.  Not quite Bridal Veil Falls, but nice just the same..

Said goodbye to this wonderful family from Tazmania.  I think I've mentioned them before.  Bro. Rogers served here 20 years ago and brought his family here for a 4-month vacation.  They added so much to the branch and the missionary work while they were here.  They will be greatly missed.  They not only visited but worked and served each Sunday they were here by teaching Sunday School, Primary and Priesthood lessons.


Attended the wedding of Rosalie & Stephen.  Rosalie lives and works here and Stephen just moved here from England.  It will be good to have another 'family' here on the island.


Today, Sunday, we got to go visit Jacob across the boarder on the Turkey side of Nicosia.  Once again, we were so impressed with this young man.  It was the Bingham's last time as they go home on Monday, the 17th.  Very emotional as they have been seeing him monthly for 18 months.  He is going to try to make it over for General Conference in October and luckily the Binghams will be there to help him with everything.  Someday we expect him to be in a leadership position in Nigeria or someplace - he is just that kind of person!

Hope everyone is well and doing good.

Kalamera







Sunday, August 2, 2015

Great Week!  This has been an amazing week.  We started out with zone conference here in Larnaka with a visiting authority, Elder Dykes, from the area presidency.  Fantastic is all I can say.  He and his wife taught us so very much.  His emphasis was on "applying" what we learn.  How we will apply what we learn on Sunday to the rest of our week?  How will we 'apply' what we read in the scriptures to the rest of our life?  How can we 'apply' living and sharing the gospel with those we meet?  Much food for thought.  He also stressed the importance of attending Sacrament Meeting.  There is a real emphases being placed on church attendance, especially Sacrament meeting and I can see why.  This is were we re-covenant and start new for the week.  It is were we make amends with the Lord and repent.  We thank Him for the blessings and tender mercies He has given us.  He also mentioned the common phrase:  I can or we can do 'hard' things.  He tweaked it a little to say:  Choose to do hard things.   It teaches me that I need to be willing to do before I'm asked not just do when I am asked.  Choose to take the more difficult road or path or choice.  I think that separates true believers and followers from the rest of us.  This will take a lot of courage and time to perfect, if ever.

Elder Dykes



President Heder 

Our Sacrament meeting today felt like the United Nations and we had a whopping 53 in attendance - almost a record (56).  We had to keep setting up chairs and finding more hymn books.  It was wonderful to have so many there.  Even with the confusion and little ones running around, it was great.  We had a family of 5 from Bulgaria come and stay the entire time.  They are coming to English class this week and said they really like the feeling in our church.

Below is a picture of Pres. Jacobsen's Sunday School class.  He had some Philippino sailors come.  They loved the meetings and stayed for the entire block.  One of them actually has a brother who is a member.  They were only here for this week but gave all their information so the elders can forward it on to the missionaries where they live.  They all said they wanted to hear more.  :)



Elder Lyttle (left) goes home tomorrow to Scotland.  Great Missionary.  Also pictured are Pres. Bingham and Elder Dastrup


Same group but with Sis. Bingham.




Went to a fun art exhibit entitle: A Sack of Clay.
Very interesting.


Just thought I'd throw this picture in of an egg on toast.  Have you ever seen a yolk that golden?  The picture really doesn't do it justice. Trust me - the brightest yolk ever!

Hope you all had a great weekend and that the week ahead is good.  Think of someone to share the gospel with - even if it is yourself!