Update #8 Central Europe

So we were reading the Book of Acts…and we ended up in Greece to visit the Biblical cities of Philippi and Kavala (in Biblical times it was known as Neapolis!). 

Honestly, Greece was amazing and we saw so many unique sites in just one day. We all piled into the van at 7:00 AM, tired but stoked, and trucked along for about 4 hours until we reached Lydia’s Baptistery! It’s a historical memorial to Lydia on the land that she was baptized! We even got to touch the river that she was baptized in! It was so cool! Being able to stand in the area that she was baptized in was incredible!

Then, we piled into the van again and drove to the Philippi Museum, which was filled with historical monuments and statues from the Biblical period. Then, we walked outside to tour the ruins of Christian Philippi! This was so cool to walk the same streets and places that Paul did. We also saw the Philippine prison that Paul was held in. Honestly, this was so cool to see where Paul wrote Philippians. He wrote such an encouraging book of the Bible while withstanding discouraging circumstances. And if the weather was anything like it was today, Paul was probably pretty uncomfortable and sweaty. 😂 Anyway, seeing his actual prison cell really put the book of Philippians into perspective for me and gave the book an extra layer of meaning for me. 

After touring the museum, we had the BEST Gyros in the entire world. They were so delicious! 

Next, we were heading to Kavala. We all hiked up to a fortress way on top of the hill and saw the most breathtaking views of Kavala. We had fun climbing through the fortress, which was from the time of Paul! 

Then, we were free to explore the city! We roamed the streets, looking at souvenir shops, trying interesting Greek Frappes, and swimming in the Mediterranean! 

We then stopped in a cool coffee shop and bought coffee grounds!

For dinner, we accidentally walked onto the pier, thinking that’s where dinner was, but lo and behold, it was not the right destination. However, we got some great pictures out of the escapade! 

Luckily, the dinner location was quite close and we all tried amazing Greek food! However, Sophia was not a fan of harvesting the shrimp herself…

Now, the day has come to a close and we stayed in a great AirBnB. Experiencing Greece on our rest day was such an amazing experience! 

But don’t worry, it has not been all play and in the last few days since the last update, we have worked hard on finishing up our second VBS Camp! We have made great relationships and have been blessed with the opportunity to make an impact on these children though the Lord! ❤️

To my friends and family, I love and miss you so much! Also, you can rest assured that I have been diligent in closing my bags when walking around so I have yet to get anything stolen. Love y’all! ❤️

-Danyelle

Things to pray for: 

• continued strength, as I think a lot of us are starting to become very tired
• That our last VBS would be fruitful and make a lasting impact on these children!