The view from where I'm sitting....No Big Deal.

For those of you who don't visit my facebook photos on a regular basis (Specifically for Momaw & Popaw) :) I add this photo. View from the coffee shop. Amazing, right?

"Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay"

Bonnie and I are enjoying the beautiful weather we're having in Porto Rafti and are sitting out by the water at a local coffee shop. I am soaking in the smell of the Aegean that the slight breeze brings in. Give Greeks a little sun, and they will come. Even though very little (or no...) homework is being done, there is nothing better than enjoying God's creation. I'd say that's a pretty good excuse to procrastinate. We only have 6 weeks left in the incredibly country of Greece and are taking in every moment. Since it is finally warming up a bit, the moment classes are finished everyone disperses to somewhere outside. Loving. It.

Carnival!

Opa! Carnival is here!

This past weekend was the last weekend for the celebration Carnival! In summary, it is a celebration to get all the "crazy" out before Lent begins. With a lot of people gone for the weekend, there was only a small group of us who went into Athens to take part in the festivities. Three of us had been galavanting around Athens all day, so close to 8pm we met up with Mama J & Dr. J. In Athens, carnival mostly consists of people of all ages dressing up in weird, or not-so-werid costumes, goofy hats, or masks. You then proceed to walk around the streets of Athens throwing confetti in people's faces, spraying shaving cream on them, or the most common, hitting them with a plastic bat. As we would say, it's all very GREEK! Randomness at it's finest. We also met up with Deano, our friend and preacher from the congregation we attend, and he took us to a greek taverna. Greeks eat very late at night so most people go to eat, but we just sat and waited for the entertainment to begin. We saw many folk dances, heard many songs, and got to just see a lot of the Greek culture. It was so much fun! We even got to go up on stage and do the traditional Greek dances with them! We had no idea what we were doing but it was a lot of fun. Speaking of, this week the whole group is learning some Greek dances. A teacher is coming to the Artemis (our house) to teach us! So we were at this taverna till close to midnight and as we were walking back to the car we continued to get confetti thrown at us - and do the same to others! It was such a great night. Today is "clean Monday". All the stores are closed and most people go out to fly kites (no one knows why...) but its raining as of now so hopefully it'll let off so we can enjoy the traditions of clean Monday! Opa! Opa!

Thaneeses Making Colorie!

The Psomi That Changes Everything

Most times I've blogged, it's out of duty. The mere fact that I know of a select few who are, I am sure, waiting impatiently at their computers to see what wonderful words I have to share next. (That's you mom, and Melanie Barr.) But today I write because I want to share what has been some of my most treasured moments here in Porto Rafti. Something that is more than just seeing a great view of the water, or trying a new cultural food. Something that I can take home with me. Thanks to our future baker in the group, Kelcey, who I am grateful is friendly beyond measure. Shortly after we had settled in she became good friends with some workers at a bakery just down the street. No one knows how she builds these relationships so quickly, but boy am I glad she does! It was finally my turn (yes, there was a waiting list!) to accompany Kelcey early, I repeat EARLY, in the morning to the bakery. She had already been several times at this point and had talked and talked about how wonderful it was to watch Thaneeses bake bread at 5am, but even more so, to make some amazing new friends. So I went one morning for the first time. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had! They were already at work. Pastries were done. Bread was being created. Zoe welcomed us in like family and gave us her cappuccino (best one in Porto Rafti!) along with some breads for breakfast. The 2 hours of watching flew by. To sit in the back with them, hustling about, they talked to us and taught us some Greek words, as we taught them some English words. Kelcey just jumps in picking up dough and helping along the way. I did not realize how much these people affected me until I went back to the bakery a few days later to get a breakfast pastry. Zoe was so excited to see me, gave me hugs and kisses and was just asking how I was doing. Time and time again I return and am more amazed every time at their generosity and love for us. There is absolutely no reason for how they treat us, nothing to require them to be so incredibly generous or kind. They just are. It makes me think about how I treat others. Zoe and Thaneeses know nothing about us, but treat us like family. To go deeper, as Christians should we not be doing the same to everyone we come across? To treat them with such love, with no expectations, no requirements? Coming to Greece, I expected many things. So much to see, to do, to learn. But never did I realize it would be something like this. I could rant all day about these wonderful new friends, which I do... I wish you all could meet someone like this that will affect you so much. It is amazing how much a "stranger" can impact your life. How much WE could impact someone's life. :)