Elder Teal has moved areas. We had expected he was going to stay near Athens for the next 12 weeks, but that's not the case. He has been transferred 520Km North to Thessaloniki (Thess) if the name sounds familiar, its because the Apostle Paul wrote a few epistles to the Thessalonians.
He has a new companion Elder Lyttel from Scotland. The area is much more Greek speaking, so it will give him a chance to hone his language skills. Although he may well speak Greek with a slight Scottish lilt after the next 12 weeks ;)
What's your new area like ?
"Yeah it's really lovely, it's such a pretty town. The people are nice for the most part as well, and willing to talk, even if they're not interested in the message. In Athens everyone was just so busy all the time, but there things are more relaxed. The Greek is going well, I'm at the point where I can do a full street contact by myself now which feels good. Sometimes I have no idea what someone is saying, but that doesn't matter because I know what I need to say!"
How do you find people?
"We just set up a white board on a stand in the street, and talk to people. Elder West (senior couple) did the picture for last night..... I sent pictures to mum of some of our ideas for the future, I'm excited for it. The people are so curious, so it helps to make them stop so we can pounce on them with the message ;) Sometimes I'll be talking to someone or a couple, then other people will walk over to see what's happening. before I know it I've got 6 or 7 people listening to my broken Greek about the Restoration, it's great. A lot just tilt their head upwards towards us, which means no, and keep walking, and some just say "Orthodox" and keep walking. I'll talk more about that in the letter I intend to write this afternoon."
"By the time we finally found a bus it was half 9 and we weren’t even sure if it was going to the right place. Elder Lyttle asked a man on the bus who was a bit scary looking, but he turned out to have been placed there as an answer to our prayers. He and his son got off the bus (which wasn’t their stop) and walked with us for about 20 minutes, practically all the way home. They will have had to walk back to continue their journey. As we walked Elder Lyttel got the Dads details and I talked to the son and gave him a Book of Mormon, which he said he would read. It was such an amazing miracle. I was worried we weren’t going to be able to find a way home because we were so lost, and the Lord put people right under our noses (literally it was a full bus) who were willing to walk us all the way home, and also hear our message. Later Elder Lyttel joked about how they probably weren’t real or were angels… We definitely saw the hand of the Lord today, and I’m so grateful for our entitlement to heavenly help and guidance when we are doing the Lords work. I’m grateful for our two 'angels from Georgia' (Near Russia not US) who helped us get home..
Ps we placed 20 copies of the Book of Mormon this week.
This journal entry was from Sunday 12/10/14, Fast Sunday.. The day members of the church choose to sacrifice food and donate the value to those in need, it is also a time to petition the Lord for you hearts desires. Guess what missionary parents pray for ? We don't believe in coincidences.....
"Coincidence, the lords way of helping and remaining anonymous"
