May 17th 2016
Hello Family and Friends,
What can I say? The wedding was a fairytale, Austin and Chloe shared such a beautiful day with us, and the temple ceremony was the highlight. The week in the U.S. was full of so many delightful things. Grand babies top the list, and a trip to the new City Center Temple; Michael was ordained a high priest (new bishopric counselor); the wedding shower; meeting Chloe's great family; making flowers for the wedding with Chloe's delightful Grandma; family time--but definitely not enough talk time; running into a few friends but not having nearly enough time to get in touch with everyone that I wanted to say hello too. I thought about all of you, but the time went so quickly. I still feel bad that I couldn't spend more time with Bill's Mom and Dad, and family. I love you all so much, and I appreciate all of your love and support in coming to see Austin and celebrate with them. Thank you!
Just over a week ago we were on a plane headed back to Greece. 22 hours later we arrived, happy to be met by Dad who was so glad to see us. A bit fuzzy with fatigue and still spinning with all of the wedding excitement, we tried to tell Dad all the details--but it took a couple of days to get it right. The weather in Athens was gorgeous, but even so, we just really missed the grand babes and of course their parents, our orphan son Brooks and the newlyweds.
The next morning we were all up bright and early. The girls had school and I had to get things organized for a Zone Conference in Athens. The conferences are always great, but I must say I was having a bit of jet lag.. It's a miracle I could stay on my feet long enough to lead my part of the discussion on "Teaching People not Lessons." Luckily I had prepared my notes ahead of time, and at least during the discussion, I was with it. But then the conference ended and the fog rolled back into my head. Somehow I got home... But then the next morning we jumped on a plane to Cyprus for the next Zone Conference. While there we also got to spend time with our new senior couple in Larnaka, the Cranneys from Lindon, Utah, as well as the sister missionaries. Then I was on a plane back to Athens, leaving Dad there for several more days to complete missionary interviews, temple recommend interviews and other church and mission business. I needed to get back home to help the girls, whom we had left behind when we went to Cyprus. I also needed to meet some visitors coming in from Crete.
This week will be full of meetings with a couple of charitable organizations, one is a women's shelter called the Melissa Group, that helps women and children. The other group, Praxsis, has a garden project in their shelter for unaccompanied minors and they would like my help on how to design it. So we're going to see if we can get some members and missionaries and a big group of MBA master students from BYU (coming the end of May) to help make it happen. We also have a hygiene kit humanitarian project that is happening at the girls' high school on Wed. where the students will have a chance to come and make kits. The school and the faculty are excited about this project and the chance to contribute to the Refugee crisis. I am excited about having a project that involves the community and a chance for them to see good things that our church is doing.
Our Syrian Family friends who we met in Athens are in need of our help our prayers: they have been waiting patiently for their asylum interview. Meanwhile, for reasons we can't understand, they have been purposely ignored and put to the bottom of the waiting list by the people in charge. The group of people that they have traveled with since the border have all gotten appointments along with private housing and most of them have even received notification of the country they will be resettled to, but not this wonderful family. Rawad, the oldest daughter still has injuries from a bomb and has suffered intensely with pain making it hard to sleep and eat. She has visited a few doctors who will see her and they say she should "learn to live with it." This family is incredible, intelligent, and full of faith, and they need our prayers. Melena (a wonderful young returned missionary that has been helping them--sent me a message that exclaims how much she wants to help them. She said, "I feel helpless! But then I remember that I believe in a God of miracles. I know that He loves this family and will take care of them! He wants the best for them. So I ask you to add your faith to ours and join us in supplication of our God to guide their path, that the organizations, governments and people who have a say in their fate may be susceptible to God's will and that it may be helped!"
Sister LeeAnn Heder
Pictures : Reunion with the grandbabes, some of Austin and Chloe's bridal photos, visiting the Football office and having a senior moment with Austin - the Kaufusi brothers and some of the coaches and staff, attending the new Provo City Center Temple - (Brooks had a class he couldn't miss), back in Athens and Cyprus the day after we got home for Zone Conferences, the fun shower we had for Chloe in Grandma Pats amazing garden :)
More pics from the wedding day next letter.
Hello Family and Friends,
What can I say? The wedding was a fairytale, Austin and Chloe shared such a beautiful day with us, and the temple ceremony was the highlight. The week in the U.S. was full of so many delightful things. Grand babies top the list, and a trip to the new City Center Temple; Michael was ordained a high priest (new bishopric counselor); the wedding shower; meeting Chloe's great family; making flowers for the wedding with Chloe's delightful Grandma; family time--but definitely not enough talk time; running into a few friends but not having nearly enough time to get in touch with everyone that I wanted to say hello too. I thought about all of you, but the time went so quickly. I still feel bad that I couldn't spend more time with Bill's Mom and Dad, and family. I love you all so much, and I appreciate all of your love and support in coming to see Austin and celebrate with them. Thank you!
Just over a week ago we were on a plane headed back to Greece. 22 hours later we arrived, happy to be met by Dad who was so glad to see us. A bit fuzzy with fatigue and still spinning with all of the wedding excitement, we tried to tell Dad all the details--but it took a couple of days to get it right. The weather in Athens was gorgeous, but even so, we just really missed the grand babes and of course their parents, our orphan son Brooks and the newlyweds.
The next morning we were all up bright and early. The girls had school and I had to get things organized for a Zone Conference in Athens. The conferences are always great, but I must say I was having a bit of jet lag.. It's a miracle I could stay on my feet long enough to lead my part of the discussion on "Teaching People not Lessons." Luckily I had prepared my notes ahead of time, and at least during the discussion, I was with it. But then the conference ended and the fog rolled back into my head. Somehow I got home... But then the next morning we jumped on a plane to Cyprus for the next Zone Conference. While there we also got to spend time with our new senior couple in Larnaka, the Cranneys from Lindon, Utah, as well as the sister missionaries. Then I was on a plane back to Athens, leaving Dad there for several more days to complete missionary interviews, temple recommend interviews and other church and mission business. I needed to get back home to help the girls, whom we had left behind when we went to Cyprus. I also needed to meet some visitors coming in from Crete.
This week will be full of meetings with a couple of charitable organizations, one is a women's shelter called the Melissa Group, that helps women and children. The other group, Praxsis, has a garden project in their shelter for unaccompanied minors and they would like my help on how to design it. So we're going to see if we can get some members and missionaries and a big group of MBA master students from BYU (coming the end of May) to help make it happen. We also have a hygiene kit humanitarian project that is happening at the girls' high school on Wed. where the students will have a chance to come and make kits. The school and the faculty are excited about this project and the chance to contribute to the Refugee crisis. I am excited about having a project that involves the community and a chance for them to see good things that our church is doing.
Our Syrian Family friends who we met in Athens are in need of our help our prayers: they have been waiting patiently for their asylum interview. Meanwhile, for reasons we can't understand, they have been purposely ignored and put to the bottom of the waiting list by the people in charge. The group of people that they have traveled with since the border have all gotten appointments along with private housing and most of them have even received notification of the country they will be resettled to, but not this wonderful family. Rawad, the oldest daughter still has injuries from a bomb and has suffered intensely with pain making it hard to sleep and eat. She has visited a few doctors who will see her and they say she should "learn to live with it." This family is incredible, intelligent, and full of faith, and they need our prayers. Melena (a wonderful young returned missionary that has been helping them--sent me a message that exclaims how much she wants to help them. She said, "I feel helpless! But then I remember that I believe in a God of miracles. I know that He loves this family and will take care of them! He wants the best for them. So I ask you to add your faith to ours and join us in supplication of our God to guide their path, that the organizations, governments and people who have a say in their fate may be susceptible to God's will and that it may be helped!"
Sister LeeAnn Heder
Pictures : Reunion with the grandbabes, some of Austin and Chloe's bridal photos, visiting the Football office and having a senior moment with Austin - the Kaufusi brothers and some of the coaches and staff, attending the new Provo City Center Temple - (Brooks had a class he couldn't miss), back in Athens and Cyprus the day after we got home for Zone Conferences, the fun shower we had for Chloe in Grandma Pats amazing garden :)
More pics from the wedding day next letter.
I sent her message to my missionaries but thought I would involve my family as well. We love you all and are so grateful for your love and support and faith.
We just finished another round of zone conferences (so soon after LeeAnn's return that she was only partly awake for some of it..) and then I had several more days of meetings and interviews in Cyprus afterward. The theme for our conferences was "Our Mission & Message" I started out with a picture of Vince Lombardi and his famous quote from the first day of the 1967 Greenbay Packer's training camp, "Gentlemen, this is a football." We talked about getting back to what we were called to do: preach repentance and baptize converts. With all the service projects, all the different finding methods and all the efforts to get Facebook contacting and a Greek national page for lds.org up and running, I have felt that the missionaries needed to be re-grounded in their purpose--because ultimately, no other pursuit will be fulfilling. So while times are hot and hard, I told them I needed them to do more, not less. I promised them that they are made of eternal material that needs to be stretched.
It was wonderful to be with them again; to see their enthusiasm and feel their faith and desire. It's a blessing daily.
Thank you all for your support of Austin, Chloe and the family in my absence. You're the best.
Bill O. Heder
Greece Athens Mission
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| Hugs for the grand babes |
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| Senior football moment with Austin |
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| Zone Conference Cyprus |
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| Athens |
