For Elder Matthew's Mother

A few days after your son, Elder Matthews, arrived in Larnaca he turned 20 and was no longer a teen! We celebrated at District Mtg.

Can you spot him in this long line up with Elder Christensen at the head?

I suggested that he might react to the stuffed lion for the picture, and this is what I got.

There is something angelic in his eyes. Even more than what a mother can see.

Even though he has been out such a short time, he is already a great teacher and bears a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Someone taught him well

to work in the kitchen willingly,

to be obedient,

to love the work,

to love others,

to have fun,

to enjoy the journey,

to endure the hard times, and to always be polite. I guess it must have been you!

Thank you for making him a great young man and for sending him to us!  Much love, the Christensens

Amazing Greece!

Our dream of going to Greece finally happened when we got to fly to Athens for the Senior Couple's Missionary Conference last week.

Amazing sites

and equally amazing fellow missionaries

made the conference so enjoyable,

delicious,

interesting,  (President Freestone working at his desk)

 and totally worth the time and expense. We made such great new friends, and laughed and shared all the wonderful things that each of us are experiencing as we serve the Lord in Cyprus and Greece.  Eleven couples came to the mission home to share and cry and laugh together. President and Sister Freestone were amazing hosts to take us in and feed and serve and love us all.

The Watsons from Utah

The Maxwells from Ireland

The Smiths from Utah

The Vargus from California

The Elks from South Africa

The Colemans from London

The Clarks from Canada

The Colliers from England

We won't forget our stay in amazing Athens

or this handsome little beggar

or his little brother, who were hard to resist,

or the many cats.

Venturing out on our own, the Cyprus couples borrowed the mission van and traveled to Delphi one day.

Words seem insufficient to describe the wonder of this place situated high on a mountain and rich in ancient Greece history and mythology. 

Dancing where they danced and performed,

remembering what it must have been like to live at such a time,

2500 years ago, made us wonder at their civilization now in strange ruin.

At least something living came out of the ancient dead to greet us!

Our time in Greece was perfect, yet it somehow made us quite content to fly back home to our little island in the Mediterranean to finish up the remaining seven months of our mission for the Lord.

Building Zion in Cyprus

Isn't it interesting that sometimes you have to travel oceans and continents to find the people you may have known pre-mortally? Such are these wonderful friends, the Georgevas,

or these sweet sister missionaries, Sister Rumbach and Almeida,

these amazing elders,

even brand new ones straight from the MTC in the USA,

ones who have been out longer,

or clean the church with us.

Some we feed every Sunday,

some serve us,

but they all have this incredible spirit,

this goodness and innocence.

Some may be a little strange,

but wonderful.

Some we get to teach,

and enjoy,

and remember,

and keep in our hearts.

forever and ever, amen!