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At the base of the Acropolis is Mars Hill, a rocky hill known for Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens. It has an awesome view of the city spread out below, but it was a pretty surreal experience to be standing on the place someone as faithful and courageous as Paul. I think Christian and I both were near tears to be there, thinking of the people who embraced the message and the ones that scoffed. At the time he spoke here, the city was full of idol worship and philosophers and debauchery. He told them that they were worshipping many gods who would do them no good. They even had an idol that represented the “unknown” god just to have their bases covered.

I really didn’t want to pay and walk to the top of the Acropolis but I was very glad I did just to be able to stand on Mars Hill.

Paul in Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,[a] 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst.   Acts 17:16-33

While Nic and Liz were still here we visited the Acropolis Museum and the ruins of the Parthenon that are there. The Parthenon is a former temple that sits up on the hill that is the Acropolis, and is dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron.The museum was very interesting and it has many, many artefacts from ancient Greece. It is built above the old city and has glass floors so that you can see what is left below. There are many tools and statues, some there are only parts left but there were many that were still intact. You could probably go 4-5 times and still not look at everything.

The Temple of Zeus – Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός, Naos tou Olympiou Dios is a huge ruined temple in the center of the city that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. The columns that are left are huge in diameter and height. It is a little strange here, to be walking around the city shops and busy streets and come upon ruins standing. But then you realize that there is basically another city underneath that has been covered with time. There are some shops that have glass floors, or portions of the floor that is glass that allows you to see the ruins of a building or interiors of buildings that were there so long ago. Athens is definitely an interesting city to visit. Also, at the entrance of the ruins of Zeus, is the Arch of Hadrian. It is believed that the arch was built to celebrate the arrival of the Roman emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city.

There is an obsession, that has it’s roots in the Grecian times of debauchery, of the male genitalia and of sex. There are naked statues of men, of which we cannot pass by without a running commentary by our three year old grandson calling out the anatomically correct word for that particular body part. He calls them the “nasty statues”. It is pretty funny! Almost all statues and pictures of females are fully dressed, but even the warriors that went to battle were most often naked. So in many of the tourist shops you will find items that emphasize said genitalia. Bottle openers, whiskey bottles and many other things that I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have use for! I guess it’s the novelty to take back for some people. I think the souvenirs we will take back will be more of the eating kind, or rocks!

Arch of Hadrian

Without my glasses on I bought this water, thinking it was mineral water. Of course the blue glass bottle caught my eyes, even though I couldn’t read it. Nasty! Tastes like carbonated pickle juice! Daniel says it is made from a certain Pine tree sap and is pretty popular here. Eeww!
We had to say good bye to Nic and Liz yesterday. They should be back in NY sometime this evening. It was sad to say goodbye, but we did have a great time together. Pictures to come…!

Yesterday was the first day of school for Amos and Lydia. Lydia went to a French school in Niger but this is Amos’s first school. I was told not to take pics and make a big deal so as not to get them freaked out. So I took one while they were having breakfast! Jessica asked Lydia if she could take a pic just before they left but Lydia declined!

They had a good day and at dinner last night Grandpa asked Amos if he was ready to go back again in the morning. He replied that he went today and that was enough! But they both cheerfully went this morning and have decided it is pretty fun.

Yesterday we traveled by train approximately five hours to Meteora. A place with huge outcropping of stone cliffs in the middle of a small town. On top of six of those are monasteries, there were at one time over twenty. The remaining six have been kept up and parts of them open to the public, as there are still monks living there. Yesterday we went to one and today will be visiting the others before we go back on the train this evening.
We haven’t been able to adequately put into words the awesomeness of our surroundings. It is an amazing life God has given us and such a blessing to be able to see His wondrous works, especially getting to share it as a family. These are just a few pics from my camera, will post more when I get back to Athens.

Life here has been going by slowly I guess. We had visitors from America last month and were very busy. It was good seeing our friend and we hated to see him go. We made new friends that we hope to see again.
Most of the bean farmers have their crops in, just a couple are still drying their beans. It was a very good harvest for both the beans and the peanuts. Just a side note about peanuts….
They are so abundant here and sell for a good price. They are mainly used to make a kind of sauce for over cassava or matooke. And I am guessing that not everyone gets to eat it because of the cost of peanuts. But they do not know what peanut butter is. Crazy, isn’t it? Becca, who works for me, went to the Dr last week and he told her she needed more protein. I was talking to her about ways she could get more protein and I mentioned peanut butter. I’m surprised, because I see people grinding it in the market that nobody knows peanut butter. But they don’t, she looked at me like I was crazy. So I opened a jar of our peanut butter (which we buy at the supermarket) and gave her and Sharifu a taste on a spoon. They thought that was the best thing! So I gave her a jar and told her to eat it on bread. She was very happy. I think maybe we should start producing peanut butter and getting it to the schools!
Rice is being harvested and dried right now. So far it is also looking like a great harvest.
Raelee and I had malaria again a few weeks ago, we are a little quicker now recognizing symptoms, especially in her, and got on treatment quickly. She was better in three days, I took a little longer to recuperate. I think there were a few factors that caused us to have it again and we are trying to change things. I had taken the mosquito net down from the front door because the dogs kept tearing it but now realize we really need to have it up. Raelee is going back on her original preventative meds and Christian and I have to take ours sooner than we were.
I think I have been struggling a little with culture shock again. I don’t think you ever stop, not as long as you live in a culture that is so different from what you know, and is so hard to figure out! We are getting ready to have a break, going to see our sons, daughter-in-laws and grandbabies. We will be gone for three weeks and I think it will be good. Get perspective back!
While we are gone, the dogs are going to be trained. For five weeks actually, and our workers think that’s pretty funny, the dogs going off to school!
Last Monday we took our good friend Salima off to University. She was so excited to have the opportunity to go to college. She wants to be a social worker or something in that area. She’s a great girl and very gifted in working with children. I will miss her helping me in Sunday School, she’s our singer and motivator!