Baptism in the Deep Blue Med Sea

Saturday June 16th was another red letter day for us as Dad got to baptize Frank, one of the two wonderful Nigerian students that went into the deep blue that day.

Frank is in the middle with (from left to right) Elders Yates, Gibbons, Neville, Dad and Ebi.

Here is Dad baptizing Frank as Elders Yates and Gibbons, our zone leaders, witness.  I missed getting the picture of Dad diving in the sea afterward, a thing he has always wanted to do, second only to actually baptizing in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

President and Sister Charles were there to witness the wonderful baptisms--and Dad breaking mission rules by swimming!  Even Senior Couples have that rule.  Too bad, but President was fairly good-natured about it.

We LOVE these wonderful converts!  Frank is actually from Camaroon, here on a futball scholarship.  He is only 17 so I got another seminary student!  Ebi is 32 and studying to get his MBA at the Inter College here in Larnaca, which attracts lots of Nigerian students.

Some of the sisters at the baptism, Sister Niebuhr, Antonia, Sister Kennedy and Lucy.

Rumianna Georgivi and her two daughters who are also my seminary girls, Kali and Eva.

Our three baptisms for June, Ebi, Frank and Victor.

Elder Neville taught these wonderful converts with Elder Wilderspin, but then they both got transferred.  Luckily Elder Neville got to come back to baptize Ebi, but Elder Wilderspin is far away in Athens.

Elder Gibbons approaches a beach goer that witnessed the baptisms just because he was sitting at that exact spot when it happened.

Another investigator ready to be taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Missionary work is amazing!

We love these beautiful converts, Antonia with Ebi and Frank.

We had our zone conference right there at our church right after the baptisms.

Elder Held holding up his well worn suit pants.  The picture doesn't show it very well, but the pant legs are totally bleached out and worn out from riding bikes and walking all over Cyprus and Greece.  These were a visual aid President Charles used to show how a great missionary wears out his life, as well as all his clothes, in the service of the Lord.

Elder Held leaves the middle of July for home, shown here with President Charles!

Great Danes!! All from the same stake in Denmark! Elders Jensen, Norgaard and Held.

Two more great elders, Nicholls and Yates, our district leader and zone leader.  We love these guys!

Elders Gibbons and Held.

The whole Cyprus Zone together.  This was President and Sister Charles last meeting with the Cyprus missionaries.  They leave for their beautiful England home in one week.  We will miss them greatly!

Sister Charles with the June birthdays, Radnoti and Nicholls.

WE LOVE ALL THE MISSIONARIES HERE!  WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO RUB SHOULDERS WITH THE VERY BEST, THE VERY BRIGHTEST YOUNG MEN THE LORD CAN FIND ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH TO WORK WITH US HERE IN CYPRUS!  WE WILL MISS OUR DEAR ELDER HELD PICTURED HERE WITH ELDER NORGAARD, TWO OF OUR FIRST MISSIONARIES TO GREET US AS WE CAME TO LARNACA.  YOU CAN EASILY SEE WHY WE LOVE OUR MISSION!


Mission cat of the week.  This looks like a black and white photo, but it isn't!

June Days

June 7th was transfer day for many of the missionaries.  Here is Elder Rahal, one of our original elders in Larnaca at the airport ready to fly to Athens.

Elder Psota and Elder Rahal before their flight to Athens. This will be Elder Psota's last transfer before going home to Switzerland.  He was also one of the original missionaries here when we came to Cyprus back in December of  2011.  They are just a couple of wonderful friends and servants of the Lord.

Dad with Elder Wilderspin, our amazing District Leader, at airport before departing for Athens.

Elder Wu, Wilderspin, Rahal and Psota minutes before departing and taking our hearts afar off to Greece.  Transfer days are hard on me.

Blurry picture, blurry feeling of good bye for a long time to some truly amazing servants of the Lord.  So I decided to do what every woman does in that situation and PREACH THE GOSPEL.....

to my cute hair dresser, Lucy.  She's from the UK and living here in Cyprus to try to lift the lady's spirits and make them feel beautiful.

It worked!  Now, to get her to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ that truly makes us beautiful inside and out.

An ancient castle high in the Troodos Mountains, at least a 1,000 steps upward to the top!



On the way to the top, with the Niebuhrs, and really feeling it.  In the distance is the Mediterranean Sea and the coastal city of Kerynia, Turkish side of Cyprus.

President Poudel of the Nicossia Branch went with us to the castle on the top. He is a student from Napal, who has been a wonderful Branch President and a convert of only two years.

He is going back to Napal after his graduation next week to baptize his wife and do wonderful things in his life and in the church there.  He will be greatly missed by all the saints in Cyprus.

Elder Nicholls turned 20, so we had a little party at our flat with our wonderful district.  Zone leader, Elder Yates eyes the flaming delight.

What's the deal with these candles NOT going out? Elder Jensen looks on and wonders if that is just hot air going on the brownie birthday cake, or if it's a little more...

He can't seem to get them out.

One last try with some tough love from Elder Yates!

Accomplished and ready to devour!

Elder Gibbons is our other fantastic zone leader and snaps a couple of pictures of the burning birthday blow out!

I wouldn't want you to think we party all the time.  Elder Nicholls and Jensen are a terrific duo pictured here with Panyota, one of the youngest members of our branch.

We get to accompany them on some wonderful member strengthening lessons.  This is Terisita's (on right) apartment,where we teach her and Annalizel once a week.

Cutie seminary girl, Eva Georgivi, with a little pet she said is really popular--can't remember the name of it, but she said our grand kids would know all about it. We will see.

Dad with an ancient CAT, picture of the week!

Elder Wilderspin and Neville are leaving

Here are a few pictures I don't think I put on the blog, so I am including them for the mothers of these wonderful missionaries that are being transferred on Thursday.