Heder Mission Moments: Working in the soup kitchen, feeding the refugees arriving in Greece

I went down to one of the far ends of Athens this morning to finalize a lease on a new apartment in one of the new areas that we opened up recently in our effort to energize the proselyting in the mission. This new area requires almost a hour drive from the mission home if the attempt is not made during any kind of traffic congestion. Keeping in mind the the mission home and this apartment are both located within Athens, and that the entire area of Athens could fit within the same area taken by Orem and Provo, you can get an idea of what thin roads, (mostly one-way) and lots of cars and motor scooters can make of a morning commute.

Once there, I was met by the attorney for the landlord, the real estate agent and the landlord, a Greek man and his daughter, who had brought with them their own portable photocopier in order to fully document the deal. I felt like an attorney again, and that wasn't necessary a good thing. After months of dealing with things that really matter, like how to help missionaries see themselves as successful and make sure they feel loved, and how to help the Greek people see that there is a better, more hopeful and purposeful way to live--it kind of took the air out of me a little to have to pull out three copies of a lease and all the other supporting documents and forms, sign, witness, discuss, etc. and shake hands on a lease contract.

I took Marie early to her school this morning to catch a bus to the airport for her basketball team's trip to a tournament in London. You'd think that going to London would be the dream of most 15 year old girls. While Marie is happy for the chance to see London a little, she is pretty sure their team is going to get demolished in the tournament, so it's a bitter-sweet kind of thing. Their best players are not able to go because they were scholarship players or didn't have the right visa to travel, and that leaves her as point guard. She's not yet a fan of pressure :) But she sent back some cool pics of Big Ben and a double decker bus on the streets of London, and said she's doing great, so we'll hope for the best! We miss her when she's gone.

Bill O. Heder
Greece, Athens Mission

Hello,

Sometimes snails will try to climb up the long flight of steps in our front yard. I look at them and think, "you are clearly going the wrong way, the dirt is over there." I then will pick them up and move them to a shorter path back to survival. Today at the store I saw my little snail friends in big bags next to the garlic and onions - yuck ! Seriously? I need to talk to my Greek friends about this delicacy.

Alinda and I were visiting one of the Refugee relief centers this week, compiling what items we can get from Germany to help their needs. As the temperatures are warming up thousands of refugees are arriving in Athens from the Pierias Port each day. More than 10 times the volume of last year this time. But they have closed the borders in Macedonia etc. so there is no place for them to go for the time being, the camps here are full and the needs have just escalated, and we are working on getting hygiene kits and more supplies to many, many organizations in need. I am working with a senior couple in Germany who are called just for Refugee relief, they organize getting the supplies on a truck and on the way to Greece. Lots of great humanitarian projects in the works. One will involve the students and faculty at the school the girls attend. They will help put together 1000 hygiene kits that we need to send to Rhodes. The missionaries will assist and it will be a great way to involve the community.

The newsletter is late this week, I am blaming it on a Facetime call with Brooks last night, which distracted us. But it was great and he always makes the girls laugh. Thank goodness we have a way to stay in contact with each other because it is so hard to be so far away from the boys. We even ended the call with family prayer, and even with the distance between us the bond we feel as we brought our hearts together in prayer was wonderful.

Alinda and I have been at Caritas again today and we helped in the soup kitchen. She moved some things around in her schedule so she doesn't have school everyday, and it is allowing her to have some great humanitarian experiences before she goes home. When we arrived 1 1/2 hours before the lunch meal there was a long line already out the door. We spent a very busy 5 hours serving food, taking the trays and cleaning the plates and cups as fast as we could so that they could be used again. Alinda dried over 600 bowls, cups and utensils. The chef had prepared a mass of pasta, and many were asking me what the meat was. As Muslims, many won't eat pork or any meats not prepared the right way, and I could see that they were relieved when I told them it was beef. They were very gracious, many families and beautiful babies and children. We had 3 bags of toys and stuffed animals but they went quickly. I had an opportunity to talk to many of them as they came through the line. Many of the refugees from Iran and Afghanistan could speak some English. Several of them asked me how to say a few things in Greek. I thought to myself, "Wow, the missionaries would love this, Sister Heder is teaching Greek." The room was full of people that spoke many languages and all we could do universally was be polite and smile and many of them put their hand to their heart and gestured a nod and a thank you. I found myself really looking into their eyes searching for their story.. And the way they looked at me was so direct and honest. I had a lump in my throat and felt for their situation, wanting so badly to be able to do more for them. They don't want to be stuck here, but the boarders are closed, the camps are full and not a good situation, and they are not sure where they are going next. All they know is that they had to leave Syria because they would die if they stayed. They are demonstrating faith in an unknown future, but they have hope that somehow it will work out. My heart goes out to them. In four hours we fed close to 500 adults and around 80 children. Great day!

Love,

Sister LeeAnn Heder

Pictures: Snails at the grocery store, yuck! I will take strawberries over snails any day, bike ride over at the Olympic Plaza, Soup kitchen day, pastry love- we only took pics this time :) bought some healthy bread sticks, Sintagma square - a man trying to earn money for his healthcare, mission leadership council at the mission home