Cyprus is Where It's At!

My first friends in Cyprus!  Rosie and Rumi are from Bulgaria and moved to Cyprus just two months ago. We had a fun Saturday afternoon doing a service project at the branch president's house. His cute little wife is on the left and they are expecting their first child in two weeks.  Great converts and great cooks! 

The elders take a minute to pet the dog before beginning to haul at least a ton of white rocks to the back yard for landscaping.  We gave out long before they did.  Wonderful young men!!

 Elder Christensen and Mario trying to fixure out the watering system.  The beautiful Mediterranean Sea is in the back ground.

 A romantic moment for Mario and sweet Rumi. Their property ends at this field that borders the sea--so, so beautiful! The couple and the Mediterranean Sea.

 Our first Sunday at church brought us lots of joy with so many Phillipean sisters who work here and send all their money home to their families.  They only have Sundays off and they spend three hours with the branch.  They speak broken English and the amazing unspoken language of the Spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ.   We love them already. Vanentin, another Bulgarian, is pictured with them also and is 2nd councilor in the branch presidency.

 Elder Christensen at Larnaca Bay with the British Navel Station in the distance.

As we drive through the countryside, we discover little villages and picturesque settings. Cyprus is dry most of the year and has many of mountains--Troas Mountains, I believe.

This is a small, but typical Orthodox Church that seems to frequent every cornor. They invited us in to attend Mass or just to look around. We did attend in the church next to our apartment.  It was amazingly huge and ornate with many older Cypriots attending. Their traditions (Greek Orthodox) are so strong here that it makes one wonder what could ever break that huge barrior to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are praying for a miracle.