We're in Greece!

Contact info:
Cell phones: Calling from the US dial 011-30 then our cell phone number
Mike 698-169-4082 Peggy 697-966-1835
For international calling card try www.callingcards.com
Temporary mailing address:
c/o Hellenic Ministries, 12 Lydias St, Athens 11527, Greece
Skype name: mikeandpeggy79
Email: mikeandpeggylowe@gmail.com
Our web albums: http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeandpeggylowe

We arrived without incident in Greece and have been busy acclimating to this new place that we will call home.

We are staying in the most beautiful house that I have ever seen here. I especially love this view from the living room out into the courtyard-more green than I ever saw here last time. We are enjoying the peace and quiet and beauty of this location while we spend most of our days running around trying to get settled.

Our friend and fellow Greek missionary, Alex Macris, has been our personal shopper and chauffeur these last 10 days. So far we have purchased cell phones, registered for Greek tax numbers, bought a car (although we don't have it yet-waiting for the government papers to be done), begun the process of applying for a resident's visa and have been apartment shopping.

It is good to be back in Greece. It's not nearly as disorienting as it was last time we were here. It's nice to remember things, streets and some Greek words.

Hard to believe that it was just two weeks ago today that we were loading our house into the 20' container in our driveway. Today Mike and I took a walk around the neighborhood looking for places for rent. Imagine someone dropping you off in downtown Chicago and telling you to find a place to live, either there or in any of the surrounding suburbs. How does one choose? We don't quite know. We're considering all the possibilities. It's easier to get around downtown Athens (HM office) by foot but very difficult to find a parking place. It's noisy but there's always some action to be had just by walking the streets. Or do we live in a quiet suburb outside of Athens. A long drive (40-50 minutes to the office) but a quiet neighborhood and plenty of places to park and even some green spaces. Or by the sea-a long car trip to the office, but an incredible view!
Adding to our confusion is that everyone we talk to has a different opinion about it! We feel it's like looking for a needle in a haystack BUT we are certain that God knows just the place that's best for us. So we go through the day, reading the classified adds (in Greek), searching but mostly just trusting God to lead us. It's quite a combination of action and faith. Personally, I'm all for Him just sending me an email with our new address!

We are so grateful to God that everything went so smoothly getting us here, for the gorgeous temporary accommodations (with DSL), no sicknesses etc. and we continue to wait on Him to sell our home back in Wheaton and to provide us with a new one here. These words, sent to us from our realtor, have been an encouragement to us this week:

To be related intimately to our Father is to trust him when things are difficult, the money is short and the future unknown. He has promised that he will see that we have all we need. He commanded that we not dishonor him by worry, murmuring, grumbling or self-pity like the pagans do. For the fruit of the Spirit is love of God, joy in trusting him, and peace, which is freedom from anxiety. Remember Phillipians 4:6-7

Thanks again friends for partnering with us in this ministry. We look forward to the days when all the "settling in" is done and we will be more able to participate in ministry