"...Two or Three ... There am I in the Midst of Them."

I made an unofficial promise that I would try to write an email home every P-day on my mission, but I gotta be honest-- I haven't been holding myself to it. Last week was pretty rough, to be frank, and it was difficult to convince myself to take the time to write an email.

However, I have come to the conclusion, it's alright. As much as it is for me to tell stories to those at home, friends abroad, or even those serving beside me, it stands on top that emails are my opportunity to share my thougthts and allow me to process the past week. Also, while I was home, my mother helped put a book together of my first mission emails and I got to say... that was pretty cool to flip through. The reason I didn't write an email last week, was I didn't feel that I had anything uplifting to share, even if that meant to myself. Without a doubt, there were good things that happened, but it was hard to give light to them in my mind and it felt better to just leave them in my journal (which was starting to get a little dusty until I used it as a mouse pad... then as it's original purpose).

The work in Crete has come to slow pace. In times, I felt the ball was rolling but I found myself saying things recently such as, "The ball is stuck on a rock!"

On the mainland of Greece, beautiful work is being done there. Honestly, it excites me to see the progress being made in Athens, and in Thessaloniki. Things are happening that in my time there we could only dream of! It's truely wonderful! The last few weeks, we've had the opportunity to do exchanges with the missionaries in Athens and Thessaloniki. Elder Jenkins and I have had the chance to observe what they are doing there, and take notes of things they have tried that yielded success.

Now, on Thursday, we return to our area after some exchanges in Athens, and Zone Conference on Tuesday. We had to take it slow due to some health issues (turns out, traveling and flying on a weekly basis gets tiring in many ways!) until we make it to Sunday.

In our little reserved hotel room, Elder Jenkins stood in front of the congregation of one-- which was me and commenced Sacrament Meeting.

Do you know how easy it is to find yourself saying, "What are we doing wrong? What is the point?" when you see that? Really easy.

But I will testify to you, that if you make that effort during Sunday Meetings, regardless of the numbers, you will learn something.

I have learned more in the second hour of church recently than I have ever in my life. Not to discredit my prior teachers-- but this experience provides a unique place to grow in connection to the Spirit.

I don't know if Elder Jenkins reads my emails, but I have to share something he said that was so profound as we sat on one of the hotel couches.

"I've realized the reason I come to church is completely different now. I used to think a big part people came to church was the social aspect." {Not an exact quote}

But oh my goodness, the "quickening", to use a word from Come Follow Me (which originally says 'becoming alive' in the original Greek)!

The quickening of the Spirit in these the Sacrament meetings! There was a friend in another area of the mission that felt that feeling you get when coming to church and attributed it to the members of the branch. How could that only be? We had only two members attending last sacrament! One was me, and the other is the guy I need to stay sight and sound with at all times! Hardly a 'social' situation.

Because that isn't what church is. Church attendance is opportunity enlightenment of the soul and renewal of our baptismal covenant as we partake of the sacrament. I think coming into complete appreciation of it is something that we will gain full appreciation of on the other side of the veil of life.

Keep in mind-- I have expressed the difficulty of work in Crete, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of kind people on Crete. Just not many ready to receive the Gospel. Elder Jenkins and I were walking down a usual road and came across a group of young kids smoking. It's very common place, but this group was particularly loud. A middle-aged man past them and asked, "Aren't you pretty young to be smoking? Does your mother know you are?"

The youth said some pretty rude things to him and he continued on his way, I think to avoid getting slandered any further.

"I understand, sir, your feelings," I wanted to tell him. How difficult it is to try and do the right thing and have consistant moral standards. Why do we do such things to ourselves?

Because Truth isn't based on the popular opinion.

God has given us the godly trait of obtaining true faith and testimony through the Holy Spirit, of which is barer of truth. Faith and feeling the Holy Spirit is difficult to quantify or explain since its' attributes are of Godly origin.

"Telos pandon"

Last week, P-day was one unlike any other I have ever had. We had a group of about 21 people all go to the Temple of Poseidon in Athens! I guess I should had said first, last week Elder Jenkins and I spend time in Athens for Zone Conference, and we had a preparation day like none other. It was really cool to see so many missionaries and was nearly a shock since it was such a large contrast to Crete. The Mission President's family was there, someone I had never spent a preparation day with. It was really fun opportunity to shoot some photos and try some videography, which videography is something I'm trying to rekindle in myself, since its much more satisfying to me.

I could probably talk about Zone Conference for hours, but one moment that stood out for Elder Jenkins and I was when I asked how we could apply some things that are available for other areas but not ours. A quote from that discussion was, "You guys and (Member names redacted) are pioneers there. It's gonna be hard."

I think that's okay. That just means the harder I'll cry the day Crete gets it's own branch.

My brother got married this week! I got to watch some of it via my mother calling me, and it was great. My family asked me to record a "toast" for the part were the siblings share stories or feelings, and my family encouraged me to do a "roast" and kinda tease them. That was the impression given to all the siblings, but I guess my sister and I are the only ones that took this opportunity fully without realizing.

But hey, my brother liked the video so that's what matters haha! Elder Jenkins and I hard a grand ol' time making it as well.

Some of you might have heard the BYU Jeusalem Center students are coming to Greece because of the war in Israel. That is correct-- and no-- we will not be interacting with them very much. I am certain we will get to see them though. The war in Israel is pretty hot-talk right now, and unfortunately some missionaries have actually lost friends because their friends were so stressed about it. Alas, we are doing okay. Our buddies down in Cyprus are okay too.

I love you all! The weather is starting to get a little more on the chillier side, so not too bad!

Elder Dylan Hansen