Deep Breaths

Camp, Touring, and the Big Move

Hello everyone,

This will be our last post for awhile, because our computer is being boxed up tomorrow morning to be shipped back to the States. Obviously this is a very exciting and stressful time for us, and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers as we deal with all the last-minute complications of an international move. Our biggest remaining hurdle is selling our car, so please help us pray that we can get that done soon.

This update concerns our recent misadventures with a team of students from Lee University in Tennessee, who visited us here in Cyprus for just over two weeks. During the first week, we were conducting our summer youth camp at Governor's Beach. We had a great turnout of kids this year, and the Lee students served as additional camp staff, which was a great blessing to Leia and me. During the mornings, the Lee students conducted small group sessions with the campers, focusing on helping them to explore and develop their gifts in a variety of ministry areas (music, art, drama, and media). Our afternoons were spent frolicing in the waters of the Mediterranean, and then Leia and I led the evening services. All in all, it was a fantastic week, and everyone bonded very well and had a great time together despite the minor linguistic difficulties and cultural differences (not to mention the 100-degree heat!)

The following week, Leia and I took the team to a variety of places around the island. We visited museums, archaelogical sites, local craftsmen, an Orthodox monastery, a mosque, a Roman amphitheater, the supposed site of the Apostle Paul's scourging, and (as if all of that weren't enough) a waterpark with some pretty awesome slides. We also had a couple of incredible mezze meals (one Greek, one Syrian), plus a wonderful Filipino meal at the Filipino church in Nicosia, not to mention the huge spread that Leia's parents provided for us on the last full night of the team's stay. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience (although we were completely and utterly exhausted by the end of it), and it was such a joy for me to be around some Americans again (and hear lots of good ol' Southern English being spoken), and for Leia to meet some new friends who will be in Cleveland ready to welcome her back to the States. So, to Bob, Josh, Joe, Tyler, Brett, Ben, Daniel, Jenn, Rachel, Emily, Jessica, Gayle, and Mamie, we say thanks again for giving us such wonderful memories.

We'll leave you with some pictures from the past couple weeks. Please feel free to comment, as we will still be checking the blog once or twice a week until we leave. See you all at Wal-Mart!

–John

Scenes from the camp morning groups: Media with Joe, Jenn, and Gayle

art with Rachel, Emily, and Brett

music/ worship with Tyler, Mamie, and Daniel

and drama with Josh, Ben, and Jessica.

Dr. Bob Bayles, working hard for the money.

The ol' swimming hole.

Paul's pillar and environs.

Part of the art and architecture at Kykkos Monastery.



The whole gang at Agros village.











Back row: Emily "I'm Not Pregnant!" Chenoweth, Gayle "Hold the Pork" Myers, Bob "Sleepy" Bayles, Ben "Cheeky" Winder. Third row: Jenn "Word" Delfin, Daniel "Rico" Parker, Josh "Utah" Allen, Tyler "Can I Just Say..." Yosick. Second row: Rachel "Black Cannon" Murray, Mamie "Blackjack" Murphy, Jessica "Hello? Anyone Still Here?" Dane. Front row: Brett "Rubik's" Gallaher, Joe "Pasty White" Williams.

posted by John and Leia @ 12:16 AM