Heder Mission Moments: The Parthenon and our new Senior Couple

April 23, 2016

While up on top of the Parthenon yet another time with our great new senior couple the Larsens, who are going to serve up in Thessaloniki, we ran into some more church friends who were on a cruise. She started talking and I said,"I know who you are, you are my favorite youth speaker Diana Hoelsher" she laughed and said yes. We then had a great chat and I told her that in preparation for my last Zone Conference I had just listened to her talk, "Sleeping through Gethsemane" she has a very distinct voice and it was so fun to run into her and her 3 children and 3 other military families from Germany that were with her. They did not know really where to go and so they joined our group and I showed them the hidden old town of Annatheotica at the base of the Acropoli and then took them to a great gyro and sovlaki place for lunch. Even when we are walking around seeing the same things on Mars Hill or the Parthenon the thing that is always different and now the best part is the people I get to talk too. Wearing a badge that marks me as a missionary gives the perfect opportunity to talk and tell lots of shop workers and tourists why I live in Greece and what my badge represents.

I had conversations with a couple with a new baby and met their whole big extended family from Germany. He left the conversation telling me that he liked Mormons a little better now and would keep an open mind. A shop keeper took a card and said he would look online at more information about our church and a waiter who was very grumpy when he started serving us at lunch was happy and joking with all of us after serving us lunch and having Diana and myself tell him why he should look the teachings and see why it makes us so happy and why it is different. He must of thought we were a little crazy but he definitely saw that we were having good wholesome fun and we loved our families.

Later this same day back in front of our Acropoli church I said hello to a homeless lady that is always sitting on the front steps of the Greek Orthodox Church next to our church. She told me she couldn't talk to me because it wasn't safe to talk to me and I told her I was just trying to be a friend and see if she needed anything. She didn't know what to say, I just told her that I hoped that she was happy and having a nice day. Maybe next time she will want to say more, I can tell she has a story to tell.

Last week at our small branch in Helandri our Greek members had their first chance to listen to conference in Greek. We also had a couple listening in a room in German and another elderly grandma member listening in Spanish in the office and 4 of us were listening in English. All at the same time. At the end of the conference session we all came together and had brought things for a potluck lunch. Sharing thoughts about the messages that we had heard and enjoying lunch. The members love to get together because once they leave the church to go home they don't have that support in their neighborhoods.

I wrote this awhile ago but haven't been around to send it out. President Heder sends his love, we have been soooo busy with all the right things. Up in Thessaloniki last weekend and then off to a Mission President Seminar in Germany. That really recharged our batteries, great training and so fun to share with other mission presidents and wives. Austin is visiting and having a great time with his sisters.

Love and Hugs,

Sister LeeAnn Heder

P.S. These pictures are for Dad Heder so that he can feel like he visited the Parthenon without needing to be there in person. So fun to run into church members from all over the world in Athens that are on vacation :)