Merry Christmas from Cyprus! I thought I would write before the craziness begins...
I hope this finds you all well and enjoying Christmas and all that goes with it: family, friends, yummy food, sweets, and of course, the real reason for the season, celebrating Jesus and His birth.
If you scroll below, you can see pictures from this month. Donkey Kong, Hutchinson Family laughs, Christmas Caroling, Repairing Tim's surfboard, Christmas play, and more...See for yourself =) Enjoy.
Settling In.
I am finding Pafos more and more like home. Last week, Tim took me to open a bank account, and he put me on their car insurance. I still need to learn how to drive on the left side of the road in the right side of the car with a stick shift with my left hand...oh boy, please pray for me (and Tim, too) - He will be my teacher - we will start soon, hopefully. My room is cozy and more like 'my room.' Right now, my closets are being used to store Christmas presents for Darlene and the girls - so fun! I can walk to the bakery, the grocery store, the bank, and the post office from our house. It's great being in the middle of a city. I started running in the mornings (not EVERY morning - I wish) to get some exercise - it's great to see the surrounding neighborhood, and yes, it's totally safe. Also, I've been practicing my Greek in the bakery - it's so much fun! I can't wait until I start my Greek classes in January. I will have class every Thursday from 3:30-5pm. Greek is Latin based, like English and Spanish, so I think it should be pretty easy to pick up.
Calvary Christian Church.
I am so thankful for our church. We have been singing some Christmas carols, mixed with our normal worship songs on Sundays and Wednesdays. I can't believe Christmas is here! It is great to have Tim back from his trip to Germany and France. As far as the kids go on Sundays, Darlene is so faithful to lead the Sunday School. They enjoy a teaching from the Bible, along with crafts and snacks. A few families have traveled to England for Christmas, so we are few but strong for these next couple weeks. Please pray for their safe travels. One of the women in our church, Sula, is praying about starting a Greek Sunday school here on Sundays. Please pray for this. The Greek Orthodox church is very set on tradition that the thought of learning the Bible in English is almost wrong in their eyes. Sula's heart is to teach Jesus and relationship. God has to be the one to break down these walls. Pray that she is encouraged and that God will open these doors, if it's His will.
Being Away From Home.
Yes, it's hard during this time of the year...especially since it's my first Christmas away from my family. It's so cool how God has prepared me to be here, though, down to every last detail. Here's a funny example: Here in Cyprus, the flats (houses) get very cold inside, and heating is quite expensive. We just learn to layer our clothes while inside. Well, growing up, if any of us in our family was cold, my dad would just say, "Go put on another sweatshirt," as if the heater was never an option. I was laughing about that today. So, thank you Dad for preparing me=). And Mom, thank you for being the one to save us from frostbite and turn on the heater every once-in-a-while...haha!
Rain.
There is a bad drought in Cyprus, so we have all been praying for rain. The city only turns on the water 3 times a week in the homes. Thankfully, most houses have water tanks for storage when the water is turned off. We have not run out of water, yet - Darlene says that it's like how God multiplies the loaves and the fish. He is our Provider. All that to say, it's pouring rain right now, as I type!!! Thank you Jesus! The storms here in the Mediterranean are so amazing! Water funnels over the sea, huge bolts of lightning, chunks of hail, resounding thunder...now it feels like Christmas =). Please continue to pray for Cyprus and the drought - come summertime, it could be a big problem depending on how much rain we get this winter.
Upcoming Events to Pray For...
- Abby dances tomorrow actually (Tuesday, December 23rd) in a government show.
- Christmas Caroling Outreach on Wednesday, December 24th.
- Christmas Dinner.
- Our health...Darlene and Emma are quite sick.
- New Year's Celebration with the church.
- Safety for the city of Pafos during these times where many party and make unwise decisions. Street racing is very popular - pray that the roads are safe.
- Vision for the Calvary Christian Church.
- Possibility of 2 students from Calvary Chapel Bible College in Germany moving here to get involved with the large, unreached youth population (junior high & high school ages).
- Tim, Darlene, Abby, and Emma.
- My heart, that I would be willing and ready to do whatever the Lord asks.
- The Jesus is made real in people's lives here in Pafos, and in the entire Island of Cyprus.
Thank you so much for reading this.
I pray you are blessed. I want to thank each one of you who are supporting me financially and prayerfully - it is such a blessing to have your support! I miss all of you back home, but I am thankful for what God is doing here. May the Lord bless you this Christmas and New Year's.
Reply to my email if you get a chance - I would love to hear from you all, too.
Love from Cyprus, Lindsey
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