Heder Mission Moments: Salamis, Famagusta and Pafos Cyprus

March 1st 2016

We’ve spent the past several days in Cyprus, on both sides of the Turkish border. On Friday LeeAnn and I and our daughters went with the Missionary Couples in Cyprus to visit a couple of sites on the Turkish side of the Island. It entailed a brief border stop and passport check, then driving for another hour to reach the ancient city of Salamis. It was a countryside of farm fields and flocks of goats rambling down hillsides and across the road with bells clanging.

As we have experienced at other border crossings, as soon as we passed the border station, we saw the difference between the countries. It’s in the language on the street signs; it is in the old and dusty cars and wrecks left at the side of the road. It’s in the run-down and vacant houses, the trash left on the street. Additionally, since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in the early 1970s, all excavation of historic sites has stopped, as have preservation efforts--at least on the sites in Turkish Cyprus that we visited. It was clear that if there wasn’t an economic foundation or incentive independent of the government, there was nothing progressing.

After strolling around the massive remains of Salamis, the coastal city where Barnabas was stoned to death, we made our way to Famagusta, a university town (perhaps the largest in Turkish Cyprus). We were starving, so as I parked, one of the Senior Missionaries stopped a passing student and made a new friend. From him we got directions to a local Turkish restaurant. It was early, but they accommodated us, and it was fabulous! So many favors; so many textures, and so much food! We passed around the dishes as they kept coming, until we were all stuffed beyond hope and far beyond good health.

After the meal, we found our way to the ancient walled city within Famagusta. It had been protected by a big moat--perhaps 60 feet deep and 200-300 feet across. The moat is now just a winding green valley outside the massive walls, but inside the walls is a quaint little town with shops, homes and restaurants--and also the large, empty hulks of abandoned gothic chapels (several of them). One cathedral had not been left to molder. Instead it had been converted by the invading Muslims into a mosque. A minaret had been built into one corner, the inside murals had been plastered over in white, and the inner floor carpeted. It is beautiful still, but in a different way. The stained glass windows allowed beautiful light into the great hall, and the very high, arched ceilings are awe-inspiring. We didn't go in, but we stopped at the doors and looked in.

It was a great weekend with the senior couples on the island of Cyprus, and we packed in as much as we could in several days. But we were completely exhausted by the time we got home to Athens late Sunday night. We straggled in from the airport, and it just felt good to be in our own space. The girls have become such old hands at air travel that they just walk through the airport like they own it. They no longer cower when the passport guard tries to stare them down. Their passports have enough stamps that they have international "street cred" with the boarder folks. A year ago I think I would have been embarrassed to admit that I was sending my 15 year old daughter off to London for a basketball tournament... and I still think that I'll require Alinda to watch "Taken 1, 2 and 3" before her trip to Paris--but other than that, I won't worry.

Bill O. Heder
Greece, Athens Mission

Hello Family,

We have been so blessed with baptisms in these last few months. (A lot for Greece anyway) We were in Cyprus for leadership meetings anyway, so yesterday we made a special trip to Pafos, on the Southern tip of Cyprus, to see a man who had been married to a sweet member of the church for 23 years finally be baptized. Many of the missionaries who have served in Cyprus in the last 10 or more years have known and tried to teach Bro. Whiting. Many former missionaries couples, sisters and elders will celebrate this great day with him and his wife.

At the baptism we got to meet two other friends investigating the church. One lady set her baptism date with President Heder. She had been unwilling to commit, but as she and her friend were talking to President Heder about how often we get to Pafos, he turned to her and asked her when she would be baptized, because that would be his next visit. So she chose April 30th, to be baptized in the sea. She later told me that she has been a friend of the church for almost 45 years, and now it was time.

The other man is from Finland. One night last week he saw the missionaries on the street and went up to them and told them he had been looking for them, but he needed to learn in Finnish. Not coincidentally, President Heder had just transferred the only available Finnish-speaking missionary to Pafos two days earlier, and that was the very Elder he found on the street! Tender mercies. We see yet again that the Lord is truly in charge of His work.

One other blessing that came from this baptism involved the assistant manager of the hotel that gave permission for the baptism to take place in the pool. She was so impressed with what she felt during the meeting (she attended the service) that she told the Branch President that she wanted to know more about this church and those fine young men that were so polite.

Life is good, oranges are in great abundance here and you can buy a hudge bag for 2 euro.

We make fresh orange juice for breakfast :) Love! Especially love our amazing missionaries!!

Sister LeeAnn Heder

Pictures: Salamis where Paul, Mark and Barnabas were missionaries, Barnabas was stoned there. Old church in Farmagusta and remains of an old castle. Early Christian basilica in Pafos with St. Paul's pillar where Paul visited Cyprus in 45 AD, he was chained to this pillar and whipped. It was rough being a missionary back then. The cherry blossoms and other Spring flowers are in bloom and the water in Coral Bay was sooooo beautiful blue.