Our Cyprus Christmas 2011

My friends for the week are Henry and Israel, two wonderful Nigerian investigators that actually showed up for church on Christmas Day.

Christmas was amazing!  We ate so many dinners with different branch members and loved every bite!  Rumianna is an amazing Bulgarian sister that can cook anything!  She and her family had us over with all the elders and another Bulgarian family on Christmas night!

 What a party! It was a seven course Bulgarian meal with salmon and turkey and at least ten other dishes. The branch president's wife, Rosie, is pictured here second to the left and is expecting their first child any day now.  They will be a great parents. Pres. Ivanovi is at the head of the table by Virgil. President made the bread for the meal.  It was amazing!

Monday was Boxing Day, which they celebrate here in Cyprus and we were invited to the Philipines apartment for a wonderful dinner. Pictured here is our sweet sister, Leah, and her aunt (not a member) working on the meal.

 The elders pictured here at the Philipine's apartment were complaining of being too full, but loved every second of the five HUGE meals we had in 48 hours.  We love trying all these interesting dishes.

Our final meal was at a restaurant owned by an Iranian member of the branch and his family.  We enjoyed a Persian meal with beef and chicken kabobs, rice, Greek salad with lots of multi-language friendships. These little 8 year old girls are part of the Iranian families--Rebecca and Meika. Both girls can speak six languages for different reasons. Phillipino (one of their mothers), Polish (from a grandmother), Greek from school, Iranian (Persian?) English and German from another relative.  It is truly amazing as they are very fluent in each! 

Here is part of the meal and an Iranian investigator, Abuss, that the missionaries taught after the meal.  He speaks English, so we had wonderful dinner conversation with him about Christianity and our church.

 His sweet wife, Sarah is lonely and doesn't speak Engish, but I felt a special connection with her and her children.

 Here is Dad at this incredibly long and tall arch here in Larnaca, a symbol of the Goddess Aphrodites.

 We took a little excursion to the sea to watch the wind surfers on the only windy day we have had here in Larnaca--reminscent of our Oklahoma home!  The wind, not the surfers!

Some olive trees date back at least a 1,000 years here in Cyprus.  What an adventure it all is!  Every morning before we go out, we pray that the Lord will put us in the path of people He has prepared to hear the gospel.  Every day we have these incredible experiences that help us know the same God who created these olive trees centuries ago is guiding our lives and helping us fulfill this truly amazing missionary call to serve here in Cyprus.
                          WE LOVE OUR MISSION!