From Καλά Χριστούγεννα to Breaking Everything!
I've got to be honest-- this is the my first Christmas waking up, going outside, and hearing a singing Priest from an Orthodox Church 2 blocks from our apartment. We literally stepped out of our apartment, and it was almost like he was standing right next to us, it was that loud. Honestly though, I've really enjoyed seeing a different culture and people. It's hard, but it's special to be away from home for Christmas to see how everyone else celebrates it.
Καλά Χριστούγεννα!! Merry Christmas!
Something I've begun to notice, is things break all the time here. It sounds unfortunate but it's honestly funny at this point. I think it's funny for them too sometimes. During sacrament, we heard something fall in the kitchen and just shatter. While at a resturant, the waiter turned around too quickly, rocking the glass on his tray to the ground, shattering it. He just had a face of, "Crap. Oh well," and continued on his way to clean it up. Actually sometimes here, if the meal was good enough, they will take the plate and shout, "OPPA" and proceed to smash it on the ground. I don't think it happens very often because I haven't seen it yet, but I have verified that it is indeed a thing that is done.(I've been writing this throughout today, and just barely I've heard at least 2 glasses shatter just today!)
Last Saturday, we spend a bit of time putting these, I guess, traditional cookies into bags to give out to refugees in a local camp. But despite our best intentions, we found out we couldn't give them out in the camp because they don't have an expiration date. So, on Tuesday, we met in a park and split off to hand them out. It was actually my first time doing splits, because there are a lot of French speakers in this part of Athens. Elder Paez and I are the only two that really speak any French, so we split to cover more ground. Elder Gerrick and I began to travel to our location we wanted to pass them out at, but we didn't make it far before he spotted an elementary school. Without hesitation, we walked up to the school and knocked on the door of the office. K wish I could take a picture of their confused face when we said we had a bunch of cookies to give them. By the end of the extange and 40 bags given to this school, we were out the door and walking back to the meeting place in less than 20 minutes. It was supposed to take at least an hour, I think. But it was a great experience. The funny thing is we still have so many left from the other groups, we literally have no idea what to do with them.
I mentioned it in my last email, but I bought a musical instrument! It's called a Baglamas (Μπαγλαμάς). I'm still learning how to play it, but despite that it has a beautiful found. You can see them around Athens. At first, we went to a store and the guy there wasn't the nicest. It was a clean good looking store, but it just didnt feel right. However, Elder Paez and I spotted another store literally across the street. It was a smaller music store and was covered in saw dust. The guy working was quiet but very kind, and the longer we spent there, the more comfortable he got with us.
I finally asked, "Okay, I'm basically brand new to string instruments, what's a good one to start out on?" He proceeded to take Baglamas off the wall, and started playing them for us, explaining the wood and how it was made because he literally made a bunch of them. It was like a subtle reminder from my Grandpa's wood class as he explained the woods and construction. Finally, he had both of us face the wall, he played his three favorites in sound, and had me pick which I liked the sound of most. I said the first and second were my favorite, which I guess wasn't helpful cause it was the two I already expressed interest in. I picked the one I liked the look of more and he was super cool through the whole transaction. He also got my email to send me a pdf on how to play scales. What I learned from this was, if something feels off but the right thing to do, wait. It might be the wrong moment. After the first store we went to, we waited to make a purchase till the next store. Because now, not only do I have a Μπαγλαμάς, we've made a friend. We actually saw him later this week too, and it was a lot of fun to talk more about music.
For our whiteboarding activity, the sisters decided to do something a little different and give an opportunity for people to make Christmas card for loved ones. We didn't have as many people come up, but the people that did really had good hearts. I really think this is why we are encouraged to do different activities for finding people. A routine is good to a point, but varying from it mat give you more opportunities to meet new people and bring the light of Christ to different areas. People that thought we were having them make cards for other people were expecially open to talking with us. I think we might do a finding activity based around that.
We had a Christmas Missionary dinner on Saturday, and I volunteered to make some Crepes. Which meant, we needed to find a pan to make some. Thus, the hunt for a crèpe pan began. I think we walked around our area going into stores for quite a while, in missionary terms of time. We walked into like 5 different stores to find this thing, but finally, we found it! It was unfortunate that the crepe was a little thick, but it still tasted really good at least.
We have become great friends with someone named Judy, and it's hard thinking about getting transferred. I am just worried that when we leave, the new missionaries won't stay in contact with her. That's probably the hardest part about transfers, but the best you can do is pray and do what you can with the time you have. It really teaches you to value the time you have. Elder Huhtala and I had an awesome Helping Others in the MTC about God speaking through prophets, and we had a lot of excitement to teach about Joseph Smith cause Brother Turner's character he was playing asked about it. But, we had to go out to the field, and we may never teach that lesson. That's what being transfered is going to be like but a bigger scale I think. I just hope I can stay here a little longer.
On our way to a Christmas lunch on Friday with the other missionaries, we, of course, took the metro. Usually it's fairly quiet, other than the random guy always playing the accordion every other day. But as we were riding to the church building, there was a man that wouldn't stop looking at us. Finally I met his eyes, and he pointed at my shoes. To this day I have no idea what he was pointing at, but then he pointed at Elder Paez' tag. He recognized the title of "Elder". I kept thinking he was saying something, but I realized he couldn't speak. He was deaf, but really interested in who we were. So here we were, on the metro, trying to explain who we were to a man who we couldn't even have read our lips because we are required to wear masks at all times. We showed him the Book of Mormon, he began flipping through it, and nodding. We gave him our number and he got off the next stop. Unless he contacts us, we don't know his name, his phone number, or what that interaction meant to him. But that is our job as missionaries. To be out there, to meet people and be present, and be there for people who need the light of Christ.
Honestly, Christmas day was the quietest I've every seen Athens. Almost no one was driving, and we could actually have a seat on the metro when going to Halandri (the church building). After a hymn-filled sacrament meeting, we went to a members house. I haven't eaten that much food in years. It was very very good, and I definitely had to loosen my belt after that. But honestly though. I couldn't express how much this member has done for this mission. She always makes sure the missionaries are taken care of, and fed on special days. She always buys a cake for any missionaries birthday. She will never admit it, but she is one of the most caring people in the entire country of Greece.
I usually save my studies for my study journal, but I really felt like sharing this. In my mission, I interact with people of the muslim faith every day. So of course, I looked into what I could find about it. I would encourage you to watch this devotional or read the pamphlet the church has made on it, because I really have felt closer to our muslim friends. They have so many similarities to us, it is truly worth admiring.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/video/interfaith-relations-videos/2022-01-0010-byu-islam-conf-elders-bednar-gong-muslim-faith-1080p?lang=eng
There is a lot I couldn't include because today was so busy, but I will explain more in the next email. Basically we go to the park twice a week to talk and play chess with Albanians. We don't understand much of what each other are saying, but I think they really like us for joining them. Hate to leave you on cliff hanger, but get ready for my next email I guess! Haha!
Hope you all had a good Christmas!!!
Elder Dylan Hansen