Restful day...

It has been good after my long day yesterday to have a bit more of a restful day today. No 6am alarm for me! After spending the morning inside I decided to go to Carrefour (the supermarket) to stock up on a few things. It is a very handy 5 minutes walk from my flat and if all supermarkets across the world played jazz over the radio like Carrefour, it would be a very good world indeed (unless you don't like jazz that is). Earlier this evening I decided it would be a good idea to see my neighbours so I dropped in for a Greek coffee and a very limited conversation. I also met two more people who live in my building which was great! There was a funny moment when I was repeating their names (to make sure I'd got them right) and I pointed to the man and said άνδρας (ándras) which literally means 'man'. I obviously got lost in translation at some stage but it was a very funny moment! Please continue to pray that I get to know my neighbours. As you can imagine it takes a lot of effort because my Greek is very simple but it is well worth trying.

My local bakery just across the road

mmmmmm... honey rings

One of the things I've been learning upon entering a different culture is that you need to be pro-active in stepping out and just having a go. It can be very tempting to stay indoors, or only listen to or speak in English but that isn't going to help. My plan now is to get Greek lessons and see how much I can learn over the year. I was told by a Greek friend yesterday that I have a fairly good accent so it isn't impossible but it will take time and perseverance.

Tomorrow I am planning on going to the Glyfada Christian Centre in the morning although it feels that my home church in Athens is now likely going to be the 2nd Greek Evangelical Church. I'm looking forward to speaking with the pastor tomorrow about my decision and do hope in some way to be able to keep in touch with the people I have met. It is a decision made in light of the distance I live from the church but more so to do with my work schedule and fitting ministry around that. I know a ministry at the 2nd church which would work well alongside my teaching programme.

A few prayer pointers:

1. peace over choosing a church - pray I settle and that existing friendships deepen.
2. preparations for the school year - pray I get my head around what I am going to teach.
3. persistence with the language - pray I find a teacher and make progress in speaking Greek.

Green army! No... not Plymouth Argyle!
PAO stadium behind the trees

     

Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο! - Have a nice weekend!

A new phrase I learnt today from the receptionist in my school. It's a bit of a mouthful but once you get it, it rolls of the tongue quite nicely. Today has been a long day which began at 6am (alarm going off) and then began again at 6:45am (after me ignoring my alarm). As planned, I arrived at the immigration police and found my way to the EU department in the hope of getting my residents permit. It was another testing time as I was greeted by a man who clearly didn't enjoy his work (or gave that impression anyway). I tried my best to smile and be polite but to no avail! After being given another form to fill in I soon realised that I was in for a long wait. One hour later my number was called out and I greeted the man (desperately trying to make him smile) and eventually found out that I need to get another form and stamp and then come back next week! In my finest British accent I told the man how ever so grateful I was for his help and wished him a good day.

Interestingly I didn't feel frustrated with the situation, I just left with a greater awareness of how difficult it is for people seeking residence in Greece (especially those outside the EU). I was on the other hand quite excited about my new found hobby of stamp collecting, maybe one more stamp and I qualify for a free bottle of Ouzo!

This evening has been a good end to an overall tiring day. I met up with two friends from the 2nd Greek Evangelical Church and we went for dinner which was a really lovely time. We had many conversations about many things and spending time with friends in the evening is really helping me get settled. Please continue to pray for me in this, especially as I look to deepen relationships with neighbours and find a local church where I can belong. I am currently considering if it would be better to attend a church nearer where I am living.

Next week a friend from the 2nd church is going to show me some of the ministry that is going on during the week amongst refugees and the homeless community. Will look forward to sharing some news on that. Please pray that over the coming month I gradually work out a way that I can balance my teaching commitments alongside my desire to get involved with an area of Christian mission.

Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο! - Have a nice weekend!     

An evening by the Acropolis...

I've just got home after a really great evening having dinner with a friend by the Acropolis. It really does look amazing all lit up at night. One can just about picture all that Greek thinking taking place until someone stood up and said 'errrr... what about a democracy?' - 'hhhmm, yes, I like the sound of that!'. It has been great learning about Greek history and their certainly is a lot to learn. It has also taught me just how little I know about British history! I had another successful time at work planning lessons and hopefully by the end of this week will have all my lessons for week one at least in plan form. So far I've been leaving the school to go home for lunch but today I thought I would pay a visit to some friends who have just returned after visiting the UK. It was really great to see them and a real joy to catch up. I am extremely thankful for their support and help as I settle into living in Athens. They have very much been through the experience so it is great to be able to speak to them about making the transition into a new culture.

Athens really does look beautiful
as the sun begins to set

You can just about see the
Acropolis lit up in the background.

I'm looking forward to meeting up with them and other friends again soon! Please give thanks to God for friendships in Athens and pray that these grow over the coming weeks and months. Now, I'm writing this blog a bit later then usual due to my evening out by the Acropolis. It is currently a quarter past midnight (for Greeks however that is early!) and looming in the back of my mind is tomorrow morning. I need to make another trip to the immigration police. Thankfully I now have all my papers sorted and so it should be a simple (yes, simple) visit to the EU office to get my residents permit. Anyhow, this is the plan and God-willing I hope to leave around 6:30am (possibly earlier) to go and do this. Apparently the earlier you go the better. Will look forward to sharing news of this journey tomorrow (or if we're in my time later today!).   

A theatre next to the Acropolis.

Very thankful...

There are lots of things about today that I want to give thanks to God for. Firstly, please do keep praying for I am seeing answers to prayer each day. A prayer on my heart has been that my colleagues and neighbours would come to know that I am a Christian. How thankful and praising the Lord I was this morning when my first conversation with a colleague, ended in me discovering that he is a Christian! I also today (just in conversation) managed to say to one neighbour that I was going to church in the evening, then later in the day, to another neighbour that I was going to church. Please continue to pray about all this, but I am very thankful today for these conversations. These are little steps in the right direction and as one Chinese person put it once (I think) - 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' (how profound).

Recycling, the possibilities are endless!
Doing my bit for Greece. 6 bottles =

€0.02 (long way to go for my millions!)

 





I made good progress with my lesson planning today, another three lessons done (or at least in a plan). There is certainly a lot of new information to take in, but I am reassured by my director of studies that I'll be fine. The school have been extremely welcoming and I know it will be a place where I will be learning (maybe just as much if not more then my students!).

I'm steadily beginning to know my way around and starting to see the assuring presence of the known. That is, walking to work and thinking, 'I've seen that before' or 'this is the right street' (that one feels good). It's all very comforting to know your way. I've definitely learnt that we so often come to take our surroundings for granted. The familiar too quickly becomes over familiar! Being thrown into the unfamiliar has given me a great opportunity for learning and a very valuable experience.  

One other unfamiliar I've been introduced to since living in Athens is my new church. The Church Mission Society pointed me in the direction of the Glyfada Christian Centre as a church where I could serve and look to get involved in mission. The experience of attending a church very different to what I am 'used to' has been a challenging experience but a good one. I was warmly welcomed on Sunday and this evening, as planned, I went to the weekly Bible study and prayer evening. I was again welcomed warmly and only after two visits I already feel like I know people at Glyfada. Again there were differences in style of the meeting but more importantly there was a deep hunger for God's word, a genuine love for one another and desire to worship God in every aspect of daily life. Please pray that I would settle at Glyfada CC and in all the unfamiliar and sometimes dare I say uncomfortable times, God would use these experiences to draw me nearer to Himself.
 



Time to start planning...

Arriving this morning at my school, I received another friendly hello (Ya su Jonathan!) from the receptionist. It has been fun to practice my Greek and learn some new vocabulary, although remembering this new vocabulary is another thing altogether! More tales of my Greek speaking adventures to come. I have now received all my class schedules for the school year! This looks quite daunting but my approach will be very much one week at a time. I have decided to plan all my week 1 lessons this week (that's about 15 lessons) so that I am as prepared as I can be going into this term. Please pray for me as I seek to do this. Also pray on for my relationships with colleagues. I would really like to get to know the teachers and staff at my school and hope that it will become clear soon that I am a Christian.

Time to start planning

This is also true for my neighbours who I am really enjoying getting to know. The lady from the flower shop who kindly taught me how to make Greek coffee yesterday offered to make me another this evening. As I sat there with my coffee and cake (and my phrasebook) I learnt a few more words. Occasionally she would spring a question on me -  what's that? - errrrrrr - it's a cake and a coffee (in Greek of course).

It's funny, I now know what it must have been like for all those English language students I met when helping with the Explore Bible study at Ebbe's. I remember thinking (no offense intended) that people learning a foreign language have an almost childlike demeanour, It might be due to the fact that having a limited grasp of the language means they have no choice but to converse in a very simple and slow manner. Not only this, but they are also far more dependent on the listener to help them as they desperately seek to construct a meaningful sentence. I can now see myself in this way. My attempts (often failed attempts) to speak the language has made me seriously consider getting lessons. I'm going to explore this a bit more and talk with some friends (English) who have been in Athens what they might recommend. Will undoubtedly have more Greek language stories to share in the coming week.

Another chapel on the way up
Lykavitos.

View over Athens. You can just
about see the Acropolis.

    



















Tomorrow evening I am God-willing going to attend the weekly Bible study at Glyfada Christian Centre. I am looking forward to seeing people who I met on Sunday again and it will also be a great opportunity to get to know the church better. Please pray that it is a good time both spiritually as I feed on God's word, but also relationally as I seek to make friends and find a church community to whom I can really serve and belong. I have been at St Ebbe's in Oxford now for just over 7 years and so as you can imagine joining a new church community feels like a strange process. Essentially we all know that God's church are the people of God (1 Peter 2:4-6)! Yet please pray that I do settle quickly into a local church and find a place where I can continue to grow in my faith.    

1 week in...

It is strange to think that this time 1 week ago I was sitting on a plane flying to Athens, now I am sitting on a chair blogging in Athens! My first week has been full of challenges but also many things to be thankful for. I have received a really warm welcome from my landlady, friends, the Glyfada Christian centre and today my school where I will be working. Above all I have been kept secure in the knowledge that wherever I go - God is with me! Over the last week I have felt a bit like an urban explorer making my way through the unknown.

I am now officially in Greece!

There have been many obstacles to contend with, the language barrier, unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar supermarkets, oh and not forgetting, the tax office! But praise God that slowly (very slowly) I am learning more Greek each day, my surroundings are getting more familiar, I now know that the supermarket has two floors! Oh and I am officially in Greece after tax office success! Give thanks to the Lord for answering prayers and please continue to pray for me as I adjust to life in Athens. God-willing by the end of this week I should have all my paperwork sorted and will be able to leave that to one side (for now).

Today was my first day at the language school and it was a really good time. After my success at the tax office, I got a taxi and arrived at the school in good time. I was welcomed into the school and spent the morning chatting through many things with the director of studies. I was made to feel very relaxed and it was good to get a clearer understanding of what I will be doing over the year. Lessons don't start until the 18th September so I have a good length of time to read and prepare for my lessons. I was actually getting excited last night as I pondered how I might teach some of my lessons. So long as I concentrate on the level criteria for my classes, I pretty much have free scope when it comes to teaching. I would really value your prayers at this time as this is my first 'real' teaching post, if I can put it like that. Please pray that I settle in to the school, get to know my colleagues and above all do my work to the glory of God!

Discovery of the week! Bread and milk
from the bakery across the road - €2.10
  

Monday is market day!

 This evening is a slightly milder 28°C so I might venture out for a short walk. Thank you again for all your prayers and I hope that everything is going well where you are.     

 

 

First Sunday...

Today was my first Sunday in Athens since arriving and I set off nice and early to travel to Glyfada (a bit further south) to attend the Glyfada Christian Centre. The journey takes just under an hour and involves two metro lines, a bus and a little walking. Due to not being 100% sure where the church was, I got a taxi from the nearest metro and just about managed to communicate where I needed to go. The only slight issue was that my driver directed me to the Greek orthodox church, however thankfully it is very near GCC. I was about 30mins early but decided to go in anyway, upon entering I received a really warm welcome and stayed and chatted with a member of the church while the band rehearsed.

Lots of people soon started to arrive and I was made to feel very welcome and at home by everyone. Now I was expecting the service to be different to what I'm used to (and it was!) but on reflection I am looking forward to experiencing a different way of 'doing church'. What was clear to see is the Pastor's passion and love for God, and a community of believers who are seeking to follow Christ and live and obey His word. As I thought a bit more about attending GCC three questions came into my mind:

1. Is this somewhere I can grow?
2. Is this somewhere I can serve?
3. Is this somewhere I can belong?

My answer to all these questions is an emphatic yes! I am really looking forward to getting to know people at GCC and also seeking to gain a bigger vision of who God is and how I can serve Him with who I am. The underlining message I took from today was 'It's not about me, it's all about Him!'

Please pray for me in all this. I met some amazing people today and also was deeply humbled as I listened to stories from people who are going through really tough times. I hope to attend the weekly Bible study on Wednesday and wait and see where God directs me. Above all please pray that as in the words of the apostle Paul (Philippians 2) I would:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. 

 Tomorrow morning I start work at my school. This is both an exciting time as I learn more about what I will be doing, but also an unnerving time as I step into more unknowns. Praise be to the one who is before me, at my right hand and so I shall not be shaken (Psalm 16:8). More news tomorrow!