Merry Christmas! (Καλα Χριστουγεννα!) The Walthall Family in Athens for Christmas

Our family on a cold Sunday afternoon at the Acropolis


It's been a real delight to have all of our family in Athens for the Christmas holidays. After a few anxious moments on leaving the US for Athens (at the onset of the "ice storm" throughout the midwest) Erica, Tara & Isaac made it safely to Athens December 11.

Have a blessed Christmas!
Merry Christmas! (Καλα Χριστουγεννα!)

Thankful to be Home (Athens) again from Bulgaria

As you can see, the train cabins were extremely small... cozy, rather.

With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, we settled for eating a snack in our bedroom/kitchen/dining room/living room.

Mom and Dad and I at our Thanksgiving dinner. It was no Turkey and Dressing, but we were still Thankful.

Dad and I took a walk around the Hotel complex; it was a very nice area.

These are some trees that we thought would be perfect for Christmas trees. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring them home...


Mom just before we checked out of our hotel.

Passing the time while waiting to go to the train station.



Mom and I are new best friends, and I explained to her that "this is what best friends do" (take pictures of themselves)



Me eating dinner... ha ha



Dad eating dinner


On the way home, Mom passed the time by listening to Christmas music on her ipod, and playing a game of Sudoku.

Praise Him...God opened the door! We are back from Sofia, Bulgaria

"All Aboard!"

Well, to say the least, we are glad to be back in Athens with our new 90 day tourist visa stamp in our passports! We left for Bulgaria late Wednesday night (11 pm) and arrived in Sofia 14 hours later in a "fog." Literally, it was foggy, but also we were a bit "foggy" our selves after spending a good bit of that time on the train sleeping. I don't know what it was (maybe the dramamine we took), but it seemed like we had a tough time waking up and staying awake.

I'd have to say that Sofia, under the "fog" of day or night, was a depressing place. We didn't get to see much of the city except by way of taxi from the train station to our hotel which was located on the outskirts of Sofia...about a 15 minute taxi ride. Supposedly, Sofia has mountains near by, but the fog prevented us from seeing across the street, much less to the distant mountains. We had heard of "stories" and "warnings" of Bulgaria so we just stayed in our hotel for the next 24 hours or so until we got back on the train Friday afternoon at 5:30 pm...again in the darkness and disguise of "fog."

However, when we got to the Hotel, we were pleasantly pleased. Actually, it was hotel/sports club with a beautiful heated indoor pool that the Wadewitz's took advatange of . For our evening supper, we ate at the hotel restaurant which also turned out for a nice meal for everyone. I was, of course, hoping for turkey and dressing, but I settled for beef stroganof over rice instead. And, even though there was no pumkin pie to be had in Bulgaria, we did not let that deter us from sampling some of Bulgaria's finest deserts. "Sweet deserts" translates well in any language!

On our return train trip...before we reached the Greece border, I must say I was a bit apprehensive about crossing back over into Greece. Would they stamp our passports? Would it go smoothly for us as it had gone for others we know who have recently made this same trip? I thought I would continue reading a book I had started while on this trip to pass the time away instead of "fretting." The book I was reading was "Created for Commitment" by Ms Johnson (founder of Bible Study Fellowship) and while perched on my bunk on the train, I opened the book to the next chapter. It was the chapter concerning her calling by God to go to China. The scripture was;
Rev. 3:8 "I know thy works; behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou has a little strength, and has kept my word, and not denied my name."
It was as if God had spoke..."I have set before you an open door and no man can shut it."

I showed Claudia and Caitlin the verse and we all praised his name for his faithfulness and his provision...God was going to "open the door" to Greece for us! What a relief! What an honor it is serve such a God as this.

So, we are glad to be back in Athens to say the least. God is faithful!

talk with you later...

serving the Lord with gladness,

Gary and Claudia Walthall

Gorgeous Greek Sunset

Monday, November 19, 2007

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1

Fact is stranger than fiction...Spending Thanksgiving in Bulgaria? Nov 22-23

How do you say "p u m p k i n p i e" in Bulgarian? Ha ha! Yes, we are going to spend Thanksgiving in Bulgaria. I guess it's no stranger spending Thanksgiving in Bulgaria than Greece. The problem is... Neither country will have pumpkin pie and turkey and dressing!

Just wanted to let you know what's up for next week...we are schedule to leave the country for a few days because our 90 day tourist visa is about to expire. So, we've decided to take an overnight train from Athens to Sofia, Bulgaria arriving Nov 22 (Thursday) in Bulgaria. We will stay one night in a hotel and then return to Athens November 23/24. On our train trip, we will be in a family cabin which has sleeping berths for 3. From what we've heard they are comfortable and cozy.

Why Bulgaria? Good question. We had earlier talked about going to Albania via a flight to Corfu, Greece and then taking a ferry ride to Albania for the day. As we considered the potential risk of the ferry not running due to weather/high winds, it seemed a bit risky. It's not that unusual of weather delays happening with the ferries. Additionally, we know some people who have recently made a couple of successful "turn-around" trips to Bulgaria (ie ministry people who work for Campus Crusades), so we decide on the "sure" thing...especially for our first "turnaround" trip.

Anyway, when you're sitting down next Thursday for a great Turkey dinner, just think of us. We'll probably be eating Bulgaria's finest "goulosh." Ha! Ha! By the way, what kind of food do they eat in Bulgaria? Maybe we'll come back with some good Bulgarian recipes that we can share with you. LOL

But, on a serious note... you could pray for us in this manner...
1. pray for our safety. Bulgaria is known to be a bit on the rough side.
2. pray that our return trip back into Greece will go smoothly (ie. that they will stamp our passports without noticing we have not been out of the country for 90 days.)

Praise to the Lord for, "He will not let your(our) foot slip-- he who watches over you (us) will not slumber." (Ps 121:3)

Gary

PS. when we get back from Bulgaria, I hope to post some pics and give you an update on our trip

Men's prayer group UPDATE

God continues to amaze me. Our prayer group meets on Tuesday nights and because it was raining I thought it might keep some of the men from coming. At this point, I would say I do not have a good feel as to who is really going to be "firm" in their commitment to come each week. The prayer group(or, planning committee) is still very much a work in progress so it's hard to predict who will come or not. At 7pm there was just 3 of us, but shortly after, 3 more men came...then, 2 more...then, 1 more. By about 7:30 we had 9 men show up and three of those were "1st timers." Praise the Lord for his provision in bringing these men to us.

There is one man in our group (an Iranian named Shahin; aka Tony) that has been so instrumental in bringing men to our group. In two weeks, he has brought to the group 6 Iranians who profess Jesus Christ as their Savior and have converted from Islam to Christianity.

I must say, due to the complexion of the group (3 Americans, 1 Nigerian and 5-7 Iranians)that communication at times is a bit difficult. The Iranians speak English to varying degrees...some good and some not so good. I did spend some additional time explaining to the new men about BSF. However, due to the language barrier in terms of "complete" understanding, it was probably helpful to "repeat" the basic information about BSF and our purpose as prayer group.

Tuesday night we did pray as a group for BSF and for some personal things as well. It was a great night to see these men...from so very different cultures, praying for a common cause...praying for the "good work" God has called us to do for Him. I find it amazing how I can feel such a bond and connection with complete strangers except to know that we are all "brothers in Christ" and that we are indeed, "united" in Christ.

Here are some of the prayer requests that we prayed...
1. MORE MEN... to join us in our prayer group. More men from different cultures (ie. Africans, Indonesians, Philippinos, Americans, Asians and GREEKS, etc).

2. VISION...to see the "big picture" of BSF and what it can be in the future and what it can mean for Athens. Pray that men will see the "value" of BSF.

3. GOD'S TIMING/WISDOM... wisdom to know when to begin presentations/introductions

4. STRENGTH/ENDURANCE/PATIENCE...any "good work" will require all of these; strength, endurance and patience. Pray for an encouraging and positive spirit in all things.

will write more later...
thank you for checking our blog and when you get a chance, please pray for our success.

Serving joyfully in Athens

Gary

Mens' Prayer group growing...An Iranian Connection

It's Tuesday night and I just got home from a long day. The men's prayer group met tonight and we had a 5 men come (plus Guenter & me)! Praise the Lord for his abundant provision! Two weeks ago our 1st prayer group meeting consisted of 1 man (Sam from Nigeria). But, last week Guenter and I met with Tony (aka Shahin) along with his friend Shahram to talk with them about BSF and about our prayer group. They are both from Iran and have converted from Islam to Christianity. Tony, a vibrant and outgoing believer, brought with him tonight 3 more men to our prayer meeting! We were so thrilled to see the Lord at work by bringing to us Christian converts from Iran. Thank you so much for your prayers back home. Prayer really is the answer to this "good work" that the Lord has prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10).

Athens is a very diverse culture with many foreigners; Africans, Indonesans, Filipinos, Iranians, etc. We still have much work to do, but we pray the Lord will help us connect with the right people/leaders among these various cultural groups and that they will be drawn to BSF. I believer tapping into these various ethic groups will be key to our success. Only through prayer and by God's hand and provision, can these various groups (normally separated) come together under one roof to study God's word. I pray it will happen.

joyfully serving the Lord in Athens,

Gary

It's Greek to me!

Shhhh! Is he asleep or, just resting his eyes?

No, I'm studying modern Greek(or at least will be in the near future). I'll be taking Greek language classes beginning Monday for 4 weeks (Nov 5-30)at the Athens Center near downtown. Classes meet M-F from 1-4 pm. So, I'll be busy for the next 4 weeks. I've been in the country for over 2 months now and all I can say is "hello" and I can order Coca Cola, but that's about it. So, it's time for some more serious effort in learning the language. Wish me luck!

Family pic on Mars Hill; the location where the Apostle Paul is believed to have preached in Athens and declared to them, "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." Acts 17:23

Eating in Athens...yum yum!

These are Gyros that we ate for lunch at a fast food restaurant called Πιτα Παν (Pita Pan)



This is a traditional Greek dish called Μουσακας (Mousaka). It is made with potatoes, eggplant, ground meat, and one more mystery ingredient (ha ha).





















This is a meatball dish that was served in earthenware with a tea light underneath to keep it warm. We thought this was quite a unique and interesting presentation. Vaguely resembling a volcano, Gary says, "Stand back! It's gunna blow!" (ha ha)









Here is a table which consists of kabobs, which is pita bread with sausages, tomatoes, and onions. The white sauce that you see on the plate is τζακικι (tzaziki) , make with yogurt, cucumber and garlic; it is sooooo delicious! Also on the table is a traditional Greek salad which consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, feta, and drizzled with olive oil.

These are just a few of our favorite Greek dishes and are always eager to try new and interesting Mediterranean food.

Women's BSF presentation tonight

Tonight, as I write, the women's prayer group is having a BSF presentation in our apartment. Many of these women have been praying for BSF to get started in Athens. Presentations are a means to introduce people to the concept of BSF. As they hear about BSF and it's vision, they will decided to register for the upcoming Pilot class. A Pilot class is just a mini-BSF class which will last for a short 5 week period. This is away to have them try BSF for a shorter period of time to see if they want to continue. We trust as people will come and begin to study God's word for themselves, they will "see" the benefit of being involved with this type of study. The Word will sell itself.

For those reading this blog, please pray for our success in Athens.

Love and Blessings
From the Walthall's

Greetings from the Walthall's in Athens, Greece

October 2007

Greetings from the Walthall’s in Athens, Greece. Or, as the Apostle Paul would say, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The key word for us since we’ve been in Greece is “beginnings.” We arrived in Greece late August armed with a purpose and a call to bring God’s word to the people of Athens through the means of BSF. We are so excited to be here and to begin a new work for the Lord. Of course, none of this would be possible without God’s hand on us making a way as we try to find our way around, find an apartment, enroll our daughter in school, and just try to adjust to a new way of life in a foreign country.

We have so much to be thankful for as we see God working and orchestrating events and people to make things happen. We have indeed found an apartment which we love and now feel like home. And, the Lord provided an apartment near a Metro station so we can more easily get around Athens without a car.

We love being in Athens, but like any new place and new culture, we are learning to adjust. There are 2 key phrases we keep reminding ourselves of; 1) “it’s not wrong, but just different,” and 2) from the Wizard of Oz, “we’re not in Kansas anymore.” One major adjustment has been with the traffic. Since Athens is a densely populated city with what seems to be more cars than people, it can be a dangerous place for a pedestrian. There have been a few “close calls,” but God has protected us from our ignorance to the “rules” of traffic.

However, there are so many things we really love about living in Athens. The food, the traveling neighborhood markets which bring fresh produce to your local area, the weather (dry arid climate with some rain in the fall and winter), the metro system, the historical setting of Athens with the Acropolis and the Plaka (a busy tourist area with small shops and lots of sidewalk cafes or restaurants near the Acropolis) are just a few of the things that make Athens so special. It seems like each day we are here, our love for Athens, the people and the culture continues to grow with our understanding and assimilation.

When we arrived in Athens, the women’s prayer was already intact, but nothing yet for the men had been established. However, like with any new “beginning” it means starting small, but God has been faithful to provide. As of late October, we now can praise the Lord in providing us with one man (Sam from Nigeria) who will join Guenter and me in praying for the future of a men’s BSF group in Athens. Small beginnings does not bother me, because all great movements usually begins with just one or a few. And, in our case, it’s not just one or even a few, but a few + ONE = Unlimited. What good work God has called us to begin, He will see it to completion. For with God, nothing is impossible.

While each day generally brings some challenge for us, I continue to rely on God’s word and his faithfulness to provide. I said, before I came to Greece, that I’d climb any mountain if I knew it was what God wanted me to do. Well, we’ve had a few hills to climb along the way, but God has been faithful to get us over each bump. Psalm18:29 has been a verse I continue to remind myself of, “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” All I can say is, we are here to do God’s work and thankfully, He will carry us up and over any wall or any hill that comes our way.

Well, like any work for God, we need your prayers. Here are some specific things you can pray for us:

1. God to continue to draw new men to the prayer group.

2. Continue success for the Women’s BSF introduction presentations.

3. Continued assimilation into the culture, including learning the language.

4. Successful “turn around” to Albania before our 90 day visa expires (on or about Nov. 21)

5. Caitlin (our 17 yr old daughter) would be a Godly example to her non Christian friends at school.

Grace, peace and God’s blessing to you all,

Joyfully and thankfully serving the Lord in Athens, Greece

Gary and Claudia Walthall