Oxi Day 28th October 2008

So we became a part of the Greek culture this week as we celebrated the national holiday "Oxi Day" with Mike's tutor and her family. We visited with them at their house and heard stories of Greek history. We watched Irini cook some traditional Greek dishes and then we rushed to the center of their town for the local parade. All of the school children march through town and it is a big deal. The parade route was lined with people four or five back waiting to see their favorite kids march by. It was a new adventure for us that we were excited to be part of. Thanks to Irini and Efthemis, Dafni, Giorgos and Anna for letting us join their family today.

Residence visa granted

Last week we sat before a committee of six Greek officials and were finally granted approval for our residence visa. We had begun this process almost a year ago at the Greek embassy in Chicago. We reapplied upon arrival here in Greece and have been waiting since March for news. The visa should be ready in about 20 day and then it expires January 1, 2009. So as soon as we get the visa, we will need to reapply for another annual visa!

We are thanking the Lord for this. Because we have been granted this visa, we do not have to leave the country every three months,as most of our fellow missionaries do, for a visa exit. As you can imagine this saves a lot of time and money and stress. We are the first HMers to ever receive such a visa and we are thrilled. Just another affirmation that this is where God wants us to be.

Thank you so much for all your prayers with us for this. Another mark of God's faithfulness to us.

A new granddaughter

We are so excited to share with you all the news that this week Mis and Paul were granted custody of Hannah and she will come to live with them beginning this Sunday, October 26th!! She is five years old and these pictures are from when she came to spend a weekend with them a couple of weeks ago. It has been a very long process but she will come home soon!

We are all so excited and can hardly believe it all! If you want to know more details you can check out their blog at http:/coloradobennetts.aboutmybaby.com.

They are still anticipating the arrival of their other daughter, Amelia Faith, 17 months old, from Guatemala one of these days hopefully before the end of the year.

We are all so thankful to God for His hand in growing their family. They have been waiting for almost five years now to bring a child home and we have all learned and grown in our faith as we have watched God directing His plan for their family. Please continue to pray for all of them as their are many transitions to come in the days ahead.

Crew on the Morning Star

We had an interesting time this week. Peggy and I were asked to work as crew on a trip with the Morning Star, which is the HM sail boat. At first we thought we would decline because we had just started back to school but then we figured why not. We had never been out sailing on the boat and thought it might be a nice get away. We changed days with our teachers and off we went on the boat to a town called Limni on the island of Evia.

As we got to the town, Alex told us how he has been to this town many times but had seen no response in sharing the gospel here. We got off the boat and headed into town looking for a bakery for some bread. Along the way, we stopped and talked to two men that were sitting at a table drinking coffee. As he was talking I noticed that the man had a necklace. Now since I don't yet speak Greek, I just told him in English what a nice necklace it was. He responded back to me in English and asked where I was from. It turned out he had lived in the states for 30 years and had come back to Greece 5 years ago. As we talked he asked what we were doing here and with whom. So I told him we were working with a mission organization reaching out to Greeks. He didn’t say much else and so off Alex and I went to get bread.

Latter in the day, Peggy and I went out for a walk. We had just begun our walk and ran right into this same man. We said hello and the next thing you knew this man was telling us his whole life’s story. Next he told us how here in Greece the Greeks don't want to know anything personal they just want to give their opinions. And that if you say anything out of the ordinary, they won’t listen. At this time we shared our faith with him and what we know as the truth and he thanked us and we both went our separate ways.
As we were walking I told Peggy that we should give him a Bible or at least see if he would like one. When we got back, I went to see if I could find him but no luck.

The next day was our last day and so I carried the Bible with me thinking that if I saw him I would give it to him. I went walking through the town, but it soon became apparent that he was no where to be found. As I went back to the boat I began to pray for this man and others like him. When I reached the boat, they sent me out for ice so I put the Bible away and went on my errand. And sure enough, what do I see on my way back but this man. Now he calls for me to come over to talk and sit down with him, as I realize that I needed to get the ice back to the boat. So I asked if he would wait for me because I had some things to share with him. When I got back to him, he and I started to talk like we were close friends and I shared my faith and my passion for the older people in Greece. I explained to him that I did not want him to be left out of heaven and how important it is to have Christ in his life. As I walked away from him, he told me he would read the New Testament and watch the Jesus DVD that I gave him. As I left I prayed that he would come to know the Lord in the same way I do.

Alex commented on what a God thing this encounter was as this was the first time in the 15 years of him visiting the island that we ran into American Greeks! Please pray for this man, for God to work through His Word to make an eternal difference in his life!

We're back!

We've arrived back in Greece after a very busy two weeks in the States. We very briefly got to see only a few of you but were so grateful to be in town when our new grandson, Griffin Michael, was born and to be able to see all our kids and other families. It was a great but hectic time and we are glad to be getting back to "normal life" here in Greece. I never would have dreamt this would be "normal" living for us but after almost 11 months here, I think we are finally feeling at home.

I, Peggy, have started back at language school. I am re-taking Level 2 Greek, which I took in the Spring but spent most of the class trying not to cry because it was so intense. This time around, there are no other students in the class, just me and the teacher. Not sure yet what I think about this. It makes it easier since I don't have to worry about feeling so stupid in front of others, but harder in the sense that it is only me and her. No time for distractions or learning from listening to the others answer the questions. Oh well, just trusting that God knows best and trying to keep my head above water. It is nice to not be so new to the material and to realize that I did actually learn a little last time!

Meanwhile Mike has been busy working with the HM team out at Porto Astro as we are preparing for the visit of a very special HM donor. We are likening it to when the kids got married and suddenly we needed everything done at the house that we had put off for years. Needless to say, he has been quite busy, doing maintenance, building windows, rolling out astroturf for the soccer field, repairing things etc. He will be staying out at the property this whole week and then will begin studying Greek full time again with his tutor next week, we hope.

The pace of things here continues to swirl as more and more people are visiting and considering ministering with us here in Greece. We have lots of planning to do for the year and years ahead. Just two weeks ago another couple joined our HM team from the States, Matt and Nikki Gulley and their six month old daughter. We are looking forward to getting to know them more and to helping them get settled here. We have laughed as we recalled our own first days and are glad not to be the newest kids on the block anymore! Please pray for them, settling here is difficult!!

One other really exciting thing going on here is that we are planning for a "Hope Center." A building was donated to HM that we are hoping to use for a pregnancy care center and perhaps as a refuge for young girls to escape the sex trafficking life. We are very early in the development stages, but I am going out to see the building on Tuesday and can't wait to see what God has in mind for this ministry.


OK, off to finish homework and get ready for the week ahead. Mike is already at a meeting to get the week's agenda. Blessings to you all. Thank you so much for partnering with us. We are privileged to be the hands and feet of Christ here in Greece through your love and support.

Officially homeless!

We finally sold our house in Wheaton and are now officially homeless! It feels great! After 14 months in a depressed real estate market and three sales contracts, we closed on our family home of 22 years this week on Wednesday while we were back in Wheaton. Praise the Lord!!

This means we return to Greece without the burden of mortgage and utility payments and without the concerns of trying to manage a vacant property.

We are overwhelmed with RELIEF and GRATITUDE and a touch of sadness as we remember the happiness of the days spent in that house raising our family. Tears and joy mixed together. We find that common these days!

Thank you to all of you who have prayed so faithfully with us about this. God has been faithful to answer our prayers. We have learned to continue to trust Him and His perfect timing, even when we don't understand it.

Finally, thank you to all of you who have helped us so much while we weren't here to take care of the house. Thanks Michael and Nisha for managing it and troubleshooting for us. Thanks Sheryl and Rebecca for the great job you did marketing the house and for the agonies you shared with us! Thanks Don for negotiating the legalities of three contracts. Thanks Mom and Dad Bollweg for the multiple clean up jobs you did. Thanks Mom and Dad Lowe for your vigilance in checking up on the place daily. Thanks Don and Bob for your help with inspection issues. Thanks Espo for shoveling and mowing. Thanks dear neighbors for your help, bible study friends and sisters for the clean up job and the list goes on and on.

While at times it felt like we were alone in this, God provided for our every need. Thank you dear friends. Thank you Heavenly Father for your love and care for us. We are blessed!

Griffin Michael Lowe is born!

Our second grandson, Griffin Michael was born on Saturday August 30, at 5:02 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 12 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well and are settled at home already. Mike and I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to be here in Wheaton to meet him at his birth. We are enjoying time with family and will be heading back to Greece in a few days. Thanks for all your prayers, what a precious gift from God!