Heder Mission Moments: Trip to Thessaloniki - Lunch outside in Dec. in the Plaka Dec. 14th, 2015

One of the constant drains on a mission president’s time and energy is dealing with the owners of missionary apartments. From decades of rent conflicts around the world the Church has learned to use local attorneys to review and draft all leases. (At least that’s supposed to be the policy.) Since arriving in Greece I’ve found at least 6 different forms of lease contracts at play in Greece--and perhaps more in Cyprus, only a few of which our local attorney saw before they were signed. So we’re dealing with a constant variety of surprise claims. For example, in one case we have a lease that says we will pay by automatic bank draft by the 5th of the month. But the owner calls and demands cash payment--and says that’s what’s always been done since we started the lease. (No!) Another lease says we can terminate with verbal notice one month before the end of the contract term. Upon notice of our termination the owner suddenly claims we owe him for income taxes that were not paid as part of the lease payments for all the years of the lease (7).

Then there is the angry former landlady of an apartment in Cyprus. She now lives in England and says she is altogether too busy to be bothered by these kinds of things--but demands satisfaction. She claims that the last senior missionary couple who lived in her property broke furniture, lost keys, scraped the walls and broke windows. The couple (still here serving in this mission) has presented pictures showing the apartment in perfect condition when they left. She was a dream landlady during the lease; love notes and well wishes every month. But as soon as we said we would not have further use for her space, she lost it. When her demands and accusations failed to convince us to stay or give her more money, she claimed insult and Christian injury and sent some 50 pages of copied emails to President Thomas Monson at the Office of the First Presidency to demonstrate how she had been mistreated and abused. A few weeks ago I received that package of copied emails in the mail, along with a letter from President Monson’s secretary asking me to deal with it. I’ve read all the emails and talked to the senior missionaries involved and can tell they did everything they could to be civil. Nonetheless, this owner cannot be convinced that the couple possesses any redeeming qualities.

I sent her an “olive branch” letter that I thought would make Dickens weep with envy and Ebinezer Scrooge beg to be my friend... but her bitter reply says I may have overestimated my skills. I’ll end up paying her some more money. It won’t make her an ally. It won’t win us friends from those she poisons with stories of Mormon treachery. It will just mean we paid her more than fairly. It also means that when my writing doesn’t do the job, there’s always cold, hard cash… Sometimes, at least in the short term, the right has to wait to prevail.

Bill O. Heder
Greece, Athens Mission

Hello Gang,

I have the wonderful opportunity to visit teach a lady that lives in Crete, and another that lives in Rhodes. I do this usually with skype, I-message or e-mail. I get to see one of them this week as Sylvia will spend one night in Athens on her way back to see her family in the States. She lives on the beautiful island of Crete with her husband who works at the military base there. We went over in August to meet them and show support. While there we had sacrament meeting together, and as we left Bill gave approval for Sylvia's husband to conduct a weekly sacrament service for the members and few visitors to the base on Crete. They have met a few more members on the base since and are great missionaries. Sylvia met a lady at the school where she volunteers who is a member, and now some Sunday's they have up to 8 people meet at their home for Sacrament Meeting. Small and simple things . . . My other friend, Shannon lives on the island of Rhodes and doesn't have the chance to go to a sacrament meeting either. We are working on how to give her the chance to Skype into a sacrament meeting in Athens. In a town not far from Thessaloniki there is also a wonderful young lady named Abbie who's husband is on the professional basketball team for Kavala. I'm hoping to improve her contacts with church members as well. It doesn't matter where in the world we are, sisters have a common thread and an immediate connection. Lucy Mack Smith said, “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together”

Speaking of basketball (sort of) Marie made the varsity basketball team here at her International School. A few of the girls on her team are recruited and on scholarship so she was a bit nervous about try outs, but we just told her to go for it. The coach speaks English during practices but with such a strong accent that Marie is still trying to figure it all out.

We spent the weekend up in Thessaloniki and the best part was interviewing our great Elders and Sisters serving there. Part of the afternoon included helping them decorate two Christmas trees for the Branch building. At church on Sunday one of our newest missionaries gave his first talk all in Greek.

For part of Saturday we went explored the old part of Thessaloniki, the fortress walls, the open markets and sampling the legendary Bougatsa. (Thess, is known to have the best in Greece--it's sheets of philo wrapped around a creamy custard filling.) You can buy a huge piece for 1 Euro--approx. $1.20.

We meet a very nice family owned business, where we couldn't resist more amazing pastries (at Christmas they go over the top) or their unique spices. The markets are the craziest, busiest, stir of sights, smells, and sounds. The fruit and flower markets were definitely my favorite part.

That night the manager of our hotel referred us to a near-by family restaurant with traditional Greek cuisine. The food was great but what was even more fun was watching our own "Big Fat Greek Christmas Dinner". It was just what you are thinking; lots of noise, hugging, kissing both cheeks, laughing, toasting, eating, toasting, more food, more hugging and kissing, and more food. The waiter just kept bring food out, it was amazing. We left thinking we should have videoed it, but then you have probably seen the movie and know just what it looked and sounded like.

EARLY this morning was great as we had an opportunity to Skype with Bill's brothers and sisters and parents at their annual Heder Family Christmas Dinner. It was the first time Bill and I have talked with his siblings and in-laws since coming to Greece, and we both loved it. Families Rock!

Cheers, LeeAnn