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!

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.

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