Heder Mission Moments

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Zone Conference and trip to Kakopetria and Kykos Monastery in Cyprus - March 15th 2016

Saturday, LeeAnn and Alinda and I drove up into the Troodos Mountains in central Cyprus to see a small village called Kakopatria. It got it's name from a tragic event when a young newly-wed couple went to the little waterfall in the center of town and as they stood below the falls, part of the falls gave way and the couple was crushed. So the name actually means, "bad rock." It is a quiet little mountain village that looks like it might be an Italian or French countryside. White plastered homes built tightly together, tripping down the steep inner slopes of a mountain valley. Red clay tile roofs and a couple of church bell towers dot the little valley. In the middle of town, it has been built up and kept up for tourists, with narrow cobble stone roads, shops and restaurants and hotels.

We also ventured over the top of the mountains, catching glimpses of the ocean on the Turkish side of the island, and then down to the Kikkos Monastery. It’s a large, active monastery tucked into the mountainside high in the Trodos Mountain Range. It’s quite large, probably housing more than a hundred orthodox clergymen. It’s well kept, beautifully landscaped, and completely adorned with brightly- colored murals and mosaics depicting biblical scenes and orthodox traditional stories. The painting and mosaics seemed to cover every interior wall that wasn’t otherwise covered with icons in the ornate frames of the typical, gaudy gold or silver. The chapel was perhaps the most ornate and opulent orthodox chapel I’ve seen thus far in Greece or Cyprus, complete with massive pillars and arched ceilings and more gold and silver plating than I’ve seen elsewhere. The churches are dark as a rule, lit by only small windows and some candles. Though the ceilings are adorned with paintings, and the walls are hung heavily with framed icons of hundreds of saints, the common and very deliberate design is a feeling of mysticism and the weight of ages. It is not a feeling of peace or joy. It is reverence by intimidation. It's dark. A complete opposite to the celestial room in a Mormon Temple, in look and feel.

It was a long, winding, mountain road going both directions, so by the time we got back to Larnaca we were famished. We picked up the Assistants, who had been doing an exchange with the Zone Leaders, and we took them to a little fish & chip shop in Larnaca that is owned and operated by a Greek woman who grew up in London. We got to watch her prepare everything from scratch, and it was the best fish and chips we’ve had since arriving in Greece. Our Assistants (being from England) were quick to tell us that “England invented fish & chips” and so they took credit for the taste. We then felt obligated to remind them that it was us "Americans" who invented liberty and bravery--to which they quickly responded by saying that their fish & chips taste better than our freedom and bravery do. It's a constant battle.

Bill O. Heder
Greece, Athens Mission

Hello Family,

I am always amazed at how insightful and what wonderful leaders these young men and women are. We had a great MLC last week and then headed off to Cyprus for Zone Conference. I loved the teaching and training we got to do. The missionaries are so great and so attentive to everything we share with them. President and I taught together and then separate. I am constantly impressed with their insights, and I learn from them and love to hear about their mission miracles. I have known these missionaries for over 8 months, and I've started to feel like they are some of my own kids. It helps me more fully understand, "you love the ones you serve" :)

President and I spent Thursday and before and after Zone Conference on Friday interviewing the missionaries in Cyprus. While President Bill talks with a missionary I talk with their companion. I love this one-on-one time to hear many great experiences and thoughts. One of the missionaries told me a little bit more about his conversion into the church. His family was against him joining the church and he was even baptized in secret (because he was legally old enough) and later went to his mom to ask permission to go to the temple and thought she should know. She said she thought he had been baptized because of the way he was acting differently. He continued to be a good example and eventually his family followed him and was baptized just one month before he left on his mission for Greece.

We enjoyed hearing from our senior couples in Cyprus, and our assistants talked about our new Facebook page. It's all in Greek and has been well received from many Greek youth here. The missionaries kicked off the Facebook launch with a white boarding activities in Syntagma Square where they invited people to write on a white board what they thought of Christ--and they took pictures with them. They talked to about 50 people and gave them information to look up more about our church; the hashtag for the event was "1000testimonies", and the other companionships in other places are doing similar activities to draw more people to the Facebook page. Our humanitarian video that we made has over 7000 views :)

I came home a day early from Cyprus so that I could pick Marie up at the airport after her basketball tournament in London. She was tired but had a good time in England despite the fact that the team did not win any of their games. Their best players had stayed home due to visa issues, leaving Marie as the captain. She met a lot of girls from all over Europe that attend American International Schools like the one she goes to in Greece, and she enjoyed getting to know the host family where she stayed.

Monday is a holiday in Greece called Clean Monday, the first day of Lent for Greek Orthodox Easter. The people (who are observing the holiday) don't eat meat and eat only unleavened bread and fruits and vegetables. They also have a tradition to fly a kite on Clean Monday. Lots of kites are on the road sides for sale. I took a picture of a huge, hand-built kite I saw while walking at a near-by park. The people asked me to take a group shot of them and their kite creation. They said that they had 200 meters of rope (not string) and they let it all out. I watched them pull it in and it was quite a project for at least 4 guys.

Happy Days!

LeeAnn

Pictures: Zone Conf. - great lunch from a lady in Cyprus who loves to cook for the missionaries, two best friends from England are companions, the assistants having some fun with the safety vests, celebrating birthdays, Kakopetria - quaint town in the Troodos mountains, a really old church that has some murals from the 11th through 16th century inside, and Alinda in a real colorful new church with bright paintings, and Kykos a working monastery, beautiful murals, Kites for sale and in the park, ACS Varsity Basketball team in London,

our assistants having fun with the safety vests

birthday love

best friends - now mission companions

successful Zone Conference

Church from the 11th to 16th Century with amazing art work below

At Kykos Monestary in Troodos mountains of Cyprus

the town of Kakopatria

Super amazing fish and chips in Larnica, Cyprus

It is a tradition to fly a kite on clean Monday in Athens

ACS Varsity Basketball Team at their tournament in London

Lots of kites at the park today

I talked with this family and they said that they had 200 meters of string/rope and used it all

love our sister missionaries

Sister Gorton organized our Zone Conference lunch in Cyprus

Cyprus missionaries

Working in the soup kitchen, feeding the refugees arriving in Greece - Mar 8th 2016

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

Live snails available at the local grocery store

Strawberry Season is a glorious thing

Successful Mission Leadership Council Meeting

Bike ride around the Olympic Stadium not far from our home

Working in the soup kitchen for Caritas - we fed close to 600 refugees

Its all so pretty and YUM!

one way to earn money

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Salamis, Famagusta and Pafos Cyprus - March 1st 2016

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.