Osborn Visit, Birthday and Orthodox Easter

 

Elder and Sister Kiddle at the church entrance. Larnaca, Cyprus

The seasons move on.  New flowers dominate the landscape and the fruit trees are growing new fruit.

 Oleanders are in full bloom in the neighborhoods and along the motorway.   

Olives are forming on the ever present olive trees.   Another tree that is really common is Carob.  A little carob syrup on a breakfast crepe is a nice touch.

Oranges blossoms have given way to new fruit forming.  I miss the amazing scent of the citrus blossoms but the fruit will be wonderful.  

We took Divine, a sweet member of our branch, to Western Union to help her transfer some money to her family in the Congo.  It was a large sum of money for a little 23 year old working super low paying jobs.  She saved it over the last two years. She wants her mother to be self reliant and her aunt who is now single and lost her home in a weather event, needs a new roof.  She was very nervous to pack around the money before sending it off to her family.  She was happy when it was all done.

We have been tasked with organizing an island youth conference.  The plan is to go to the Troodos mountains and stay two nights and enhance their appreciation of the youth theme and participate in the activities of the area .  "I am a disciple of Christ".  We had made a tentative booking at a facility in the area for lodging and decided we needed to go have a look.  Here are photos of the Platres Valley Houses and related facilities.  The poor owners were dealing with a huge water leak in their main building the day we came to inspect. They said it would take a month to recover.  We trust all will be in order when we come at the end of the month.

For our zone activity associated with our recent Cyprus Zone Conference we went for a hike near the Stavrovouni Monastery on a mountain peak above Larnaca.  We drove to the peak where the monastery and a small church are located and hiked down the mountain and struggled our way back up.

Elder Huhtala (Finland) and Elder Paez (Sweden)

Stavrovouni Monastery

The story is that a piece of the cross of the Savior's crucifixion was brought to Cyprus and is kept at this monastery.

Our dear friends, Toby and Debbie Osborn, who we visited about a year ago in the Azores stopped in for a three day visit "on their way home" after their 18 month service there.  We enjoyed a visit to their mission about a year ago and enjoyed time with them as we shared some of our favorite parts of this beautiful island.

Inside Lazarus Church, Larnaca during Easter services.  Easter services that pretty much last all week and more.

John and Gina Angeletta (John is the Pafos Branch President) invited us to join them on a boat excursion to an amazing pristine part of the west coast of Cyprus called the Blue Lagoon.  I don't think I have ever seen water more blue.  Some of us actually got wet.

We visited the Turkish Occupied area of Cyprus  - Salamis and Famagusta - always worth a highlight.  

We always find something new to see.  On the road to Salamis is this ancient church named for Barnabas (Paul's companion) who apparently was from Cyprus.  Next is a Mosque near Famagusta we had not captured previously.

We took advantage of the golf cart tour of the Ghost City and saw more of it than we had previously.  This stretch of 6 km of some of the most amazing beach you'll find anywhere is fenced off from the abandoned, deserted hotels of 1973 Famagusta.

Taking a break from the hot sun near Saint Nicolas Cathedral (now converted to a mosque) in the walled city of  Famagusta.

People can't live in the Ghost City but there are a few inhabitants.

We made another stop to the charming mountain villages of Lefkara and Kato Drys.  We acquired a lovely lace piece as a wedding present for Eva and Rayco as we prepare for their "wedding" later this week.  More to come about that next time.  I also got a refill of their amazing local honey.

We made a stop at the amazing Kourion ruins.  Columns, arches and mosaics.

Somebody had his 73rd birthday this week and we had a little birthday party at the church with Osborns and some of the members of the branch.

Something for everybody at Easter.   The church ceremony with candles and in parallel the crazy pallet based towers that create a rowdy bonfire with fire works going off out of control.  I guess it involves the adolescent part of the society so all can celebrate the most important event in history.

Preparations at a number of sites across the island.  We read somewhere that there were 110+ fires across the island!

The effigy of Judas Iscariot is at the top of the fire.  It was an amazing thing to experience.

It is simply impossible to share many of the events and activities that are a part of our day to day lives here, but we try.  It is an experience we will long cherish, and at the center are the people we have come to know and love, not the least of which are the fine young people we serve alongside.  Their devotion, knowledge and our relationships with them that we have nurtured delights us and restores our faith in the rising generation.  Such a blessing in our lives.  Until next time, God bless.