Greece Day 3-4

Sunday morning we had the opportunity to go to church.  We were able to listen to the Greek service with headphones - one of the team members said it was kind of like watching a Chinese movie - you watch the mouth of the speaker move, and then you hear the message in English.  Definitely an interesting experience.  The interpretation was broken at best, so it was rather difficult to follow the complete thought of the message, and there were times that the translation left me wondering if the actual message was theologically sound, but I chalk that up to trying to put Greek words into English on the fly.

The service also included communion - which they do every week.  People stood and gave testimony, read verses, or prayed.   Then we took the elements which were bread and wine.  It is always fun watching the faces of the team members as they realize this is not the grape juice they had expected.  As an aside, I think the wine is a powerful representation of the Spirit's work in us as it "burns" on the way down.  You can sense the wine traveling down your inward parts.  What a picture of being "filled" with the Spirit.

After church as we were planning to leave for downtown Athens, a torrential rain began.  Seems normal for us, but I was told by many that it was very rare for it to rain in Greece this time of year, and definitely not that much.  Well, it rained most of the day, so we were able to see the museum of the Acropolis, but we did not go to Mars Hill or the Acropolis - just took pictures from afar.  Costas Tsevas did an excellent job keeping our group alert as many were very tired.  We hope to return on Tuesday.

Sunday evening I was able to skype with a group from Michigan that is heading to Guatemala next Saturday.  It was wonderful being able to hear their enthusiasm for a trip next week - all the while experiencing the trip this week.  At 1:00 in the morning I skyped with the group that went to Guatemala in April.  They had a service this evening (6:00 US time) and so I was able to speak to the group and to the congregation very briefly.  It was, as it always is, exciting to participate with the body from a distance, yet I longed to be there with them all.

Monday we worked at the Cosmovision Center (CVC).  Odd jobs, just things to help them make their place look nicer and prepare for other groups.  In the afternoon we went downtown to work at the main office - the ministry to unwed mothers, the radio ministry, and the accounting part of the organization are all housed here.  We met with Theodore, the head of the radio ministry, and he shared with us their vision for reaching Greece and the countries around them.

Monday evening we went to Cape Sounio and visited Poseidon's temple.  We were not able to see the sunset because of the clouds in the distance, but the moonlight over the ocean was beautiful.  Fotis shared with us legend and personal stories that challenged us to "change our sails" that others might see the victory that Jesus brings, and to pass on a heritage of faith to our children.

By the end of the day, I was ready for bed - since Friday morning at 7:00, I have only slept about 12 hours, so I am exhausted.  Looking forward to a good nights rest.