Thessaloniki- Greece

What to say about Greece? Different language, different culture and different food! And I’m loving it. Touching on this a bit, automatically I feel like a second class citizen, not being able to even say “excuse me” on the bus or in the stores. This is the first time I’ve felt the effects of a language barrier before, but I’m learning some words and Greeks are so expressive (like the Italians) that I can tell what the conversations are about by their faces, hands and voice fluctuations- especially the women!

That being said, PRAISE GOD music breaks down these barriers. The first Greek church service I attended was a Wednesday evening service, I just prayed that God would give me the words to some of the songs and sure enough the next song they played was “How Great Is Our God” ahhhhhh I love this song and I got to sing in English and worship the Lord while everyone else was worshiping in Greek. Then “These are the days Of Elijah” played and I felt at home. With each church service I am experiencing the awesome power of music, not only to create a mood or atmosphere to experience God’s presence but how a recognizable melody (no matter the language) can plug you into the Spirit and suddenly you can find a sense of home, no matter your location (around the world or not). At least, this is my experience.  Music can bridge the gap, so to speak and is one of the unexpected blessings I’ve encountered while being in a foreign country. The sermons have been translated for me as well- all new for me too, to be listening to two people at once, I wasn’t sure who to look at, the pastor or the translator. The youth have been so gracious in helping out here, translating for me during the services. The teenagers in the youth group are really a great group of kids, multi-talented, who love Jesus and have warmly welcomed me while I’ve been in Greece.

White Tower

The Greek church family I’m beginning to know and love have been nothing but warm and loving towards me. The physical church building itself is very modern and beautiful inside. The congregation is just as wonderful, you know it’s a good church when you are able to feel at rest so quickly. They have included me in their summer time plans and have been so sweet in inviting me on outings. I’ve been spoiled with taking in the historic sights of Thessaloniki, swimming at the beach, shopping at the farmers market and eating more 95% home cooked meals. The food is a whole other post but you can look at the slide show for now, it’s just blowing my socks off. 

Speaking of food, Maria, the church’s coordinator and I discussed what I could make (food wise) for the 4 day conference (Equipped for the Last Days) coming up next week. Looks like deviled eggs is one of the recipes I’ll be doing. The conference has some great pastors coming to speak, including Pastor Bob Forseth, whom I’m excited to see from home and Kris and Laura Dakas from Albania, which I’ll be traveling up north with after the conference. They are expecting over 200 people to attend the conference and expecting the Spirit to fall in an amazing way, as have been the norm at past conferences.

It’s an exciting time at the Pentecostal Church Thessaloniki and I’m blessed to be a part of what God’s doing and plans to do at this conference in Greece.

God Bless, 

British Food!

England gets an unnecessary bad rep for cuisine. It's not France I'll give you that but I enjoyed many of the local dishes during my stay there. First things first, breakfast tea in the morning with natural sugar and a little milk became a routine for me. As it is Jess's way to start her day. Due to my stomach's incredible desire/need to eat as soon as I wake up, I've always started my day with breakfast so it was easy to include a cup of tea to that. Tea with cereal or toast/crumpet with butter and marmalade was the breakfast I had frequently.

Sunday after church it's typical in England to have a roast dinner. Beef, lamb, chicken, pork roasted for a few hours with vegetables and depending on the protein different sides and sauces are prepared along with it. The dinner picture here was a beef roast with peas, broccoli, cauliflower, fried stuffing, fried potatoes and Yorkshire pudding with brown gravy.

Typical English dessert that is just as warm and comforting as the roast dinner is sticky toffee pudding with custard. Ooey gooey moist sponge cake that is made with finely chopped sweet dates and prunes- looks like chocolate cake. It's served covered in rich toffee (caramel) sauce and surrounded by a smooth creamy custard. Definitely, a recipe I'll be trying in the future. Two other popular desserts are; a waffle with fruit syrup and ice cream and rhubarb ginger crumble with warm custard. The crumble through me for a loop at first, I couldn't figure out the sweet yet punch of flavor I was getting from the crumble. It wasn't quite like the ones we make at home. The flavor packed more of a punch and left this great taste in my mouth. It was the ginger. This is also served warm, which gives you the warm fuzzes inside and every bite is savored till the very sad end!

The fish and chips are unreal! I tried them just as the locals do with a sprinkling of vinegar on the fries and no tarter sauce. Exquisite, I love England's fish and chips more than USA's. Nice large piece of cod that is breaded lightly and has this amazing flavor and is so crisp.  Saveloy sausages (pork sausage) are traditionally sold in fish and chip shops too. Sometimes fried in batter, I opted for the less fatty option but delicious too. Three of us girls got take away (their phrase for take out or to go) fish and chips and ate them with the crinkly paper and all, in front of the TV, relaxing after the long day.
Mushy peas is another traditional side dish to fish and chips. It pretty much takes like pea soup, made from peas that are soaked overnight and usually flavored with mint- not bad.

The porridge was something I didn't get to try (oats) but just love the word porridge and takes me straight back to my childhood playing "olden days" with my younger sister. I've never seen something like this in the states and porridge is actually on the menu of a popular local restaurant chain in London, Pret A Manger. Porridge with honey, or compote or by it's self. Kind of cool-I think:)

Jess, my housemate, loves food as well so we set out to try all different kinds of food while I was there. London has such a mix of people from all over the world, it's so great! I had the opportunity to enjoy Peruvian food, Jamaican food, Chinese food, traditional English pub food, traditional afternoon tea and a British candy bar called the double decker (bus). Didn't have time to try the Lebanese, Portuguese or Polish foods but something tells me I'll be coming back to England :)

Working at the Hub Coffee House, I got to try anything I wanted and experiment. I came up with a second fruit drink that used mango concentrate and wild berry tea. This looked like a sunset in the blender. Beautiful and the taste-soooooo good. Josh and I were pretty excited about this combination too. Working there also brought new terminology and foods to my attention. Like Marmite, brown bloomer (brown bread), jacket potato, Ploughman's sandwich (butter, cheese, caramelized red onions and rocket) toasties (sandwich toasted on a grill) and beans on toast.

Me, Amanda and Josh

Can't say how blessed I was to work at this coffee house, along side such fun, welcoming Christians. God certainly knows best. Many people have prayed for me in regards to my missions trip and one of their prays I feel I'm getting a hold of is the part of "God going before me".

Me & Jess

Choosing the people I'll be staying with, the situations I'll encounter, the friendships I'll begin and the memories I'll make. Can't help but be blown away as I start to get a glimpse of His work and the good He as for me. Glory be to Him, my loving Father and Powerful Savior!!

God Bless,


- The Greek part of my adventure has begun!

Serving

The Oasis Church in Waterloo has some pretty interesting history. All I had to do was inquire about the colorful stain glass window in the sanctuary and the history of the church unfolded.  The bright blue cross draws your eyes inward as the people draw your eyes outward. The man touching his top hat on the left is Abraham Lincoln and there in which lies the history.

Spire

William Wilberforce, a British politician, evangelical Christian and leading abolitionist in the late 1700's - early 1800's, used the church as a base for his anti-slavery meetings. In 1876, Abraham Lincoln's family and friends donated the Spire to thank the church for their inspiration and support in the battle for the emancipation of the slaves in North America. The stain glass window is a more recent addition to the church. Continuing the theme of freed people etc.

Brown Bloomer Toasted With Beans

I hope my history buff friends enjoy this little historical tidbit- back to food. This also happens to be the location of The Hub Coffee House where I've been serving for the past two weeks. Never would have imagined that my first short order (in the real world) experience would be internationally. Beginning in London, were locals are accustomed to putting warm baked beans on toast or a dark brown savory spread (Marmite) that tastes like concentrated soy sauce on toast or eating something they call a jacket potato for lunch- baked potato cut open and topped with baked beans or just butter and cheese or with a tuna & mayo mixture. Of course I'm trying all these London specific delicacies as I'm here. Food is a great way to learn about different cultures. 

Pantry and prep are for food

There are only 5 paid employees at The Hub Coffee House, the rest of the staff are volunteers. I've had the complete pleasure of working along side, joking around with and getting to know two of the employees, also my brother and sister in Christ, Amanda and Josh. It is a really fun work place and I've enjoyed prepping for and making salads, sandwiches, pizzas, paninis, jacket potatoes, wraps and toasties. Even during the lunch rush when the tickets are printing out back to back, it all makes for an exciting vs. stressful atmosphere. Haven't ventured over to the coffee side much. Sorry to say, this Seattle girl isn't a competent barista yet. My younger sister Jacque, has me there- she makes a beautiful latte! I have done a little bit of experimenting with their fruit frappe drinks and so far so good. With a craving for something fruity the first combination I tried was with a peach concentrate, ice and lemon grass ginger tea (that has been brewed), mixed together in a blender. Really tasty, lovely paring of fruit and floral flavors with the citrus lemon grass flavor hitting the taste buds first then the sweetness from the ginger and the bright fruity peach flavor as the finish. It was a team effort, my flavor paring and Josh's preparation technique. So much fun!

Amanda & me (Food Side)

Josh posing (Coffee Side)

The Coffee House has been around for about 10 years now and has quite a good morning coffee and afternoon lunch crowd. Mainly patrons from the Oasis Church/School campus and the local office buildings. I'm having a great time, praise God!

For St. Mark's Church I had a meeting with the youth pastor, who showed me around their youth cafe/ afternoon hang out spot, Infuse. Infuse is located in the crypt below the sanctuary of this very old church. It is one of the neatest spaces ever, everything is brick, the ceilings are curved and there are arches everywhere. They have put a modern twist on the decor, white walls, red and black furniture and lots of stainless steel- very cool. For the days Infuse is open they set up board games, Foosball and air hockey tables, Wii and play appropriate films.

Infuse order window

Melanie and I discussed their current menu selections, food and drinks and how Infuse wants to be set apart from other cafes in the area. The point was made that kids can get crisps (chips) and fizzy drinks (soda pop) anywhere, so Infuse wants to offer healthful snack options in addition to fair trade chocolate and coffee products.

I took an evening to brainstorm some affordable and healthy ideas and presented them to her the next day. Most of the American snacks I came up with she had never heard of. Things like trail mix, Chex mix, corn dogs and Italian sodas. I really encouraged her to do fresh made popcorn. The flavor options are endless, there are even whole specialty stores that only sell popcorn- to prove my point :) Melanie introduced me to a Max, a 15 year old who wants to be a pastry chef and is looking into attending Cordon Bleu. We talked food, culinary school, traveling and I told him about the adventure God has me on right now - hopefully it was encouraging to him.    

Two different and exciting ways to serve these churches, God is just so good!

God Bless,

Pray for London

Youth riots are breaking out in different pockets in and around London, for the past 3 days. Burning buildings and cars and general vandalizing. There is activity within 2 miles from where I'm staying. The jails are full, (250 arrested this weekend) so there is really no consequence for the their actions. Officials are considering using water cannons on the youth. The catalyst was a previous gang member who was shot by police for no apparent reason a few days ago. The next day there was a "peaceful" march protesting the injustice, now it's turned into youth using social networking sites to organize looting events on the main streets.

Please keep the youth especially, in your prayers.

God Bless,

Stephani

Evidence of God's Grace

Serving in London was a later addition to my European itinerary, in fact it wasn't added until after I got back from New York. A good friend of mine and sister in Christ was planning on working/vacationing in London about the same time I wanted to begin my Europe missions trip. I thought was why not begin my trip possibly serving in London and visiting with her as well. Just so happens that the Chefs for Christ NY team has done loads of mission trips to London in the past and still keep in touch with their friends out here. Putting two and two together I had my NY friend Stan, get in touch with his London friend Jess, to see if she could accommodate me and if there were any serving opportunities in her local church. Walla! Jess researched some serving opportunities with the churches and organizations nearby and I booked the plane ticket! A place to serve and a place to stay, boom boom, God opened the doors and I'm here.

Passport stamps

There have been some slight hiccups so far, as it were, or more so things that have tested me. First would be entering the United Kingdom. This is only the second time I've been out of the states and on the immigration form (think that is the name of it) I truthfully noted missionary as my occupation-bad idea. This added an extra half an hour to my airport stay. The immigration officer asked me the nature of my stay and serving and had me sit aside, while he took my passport to his supervisor to get my entry approved. He told me technically I shouldn't be allowed into the UK but he's permitting it under the guise that I'm only going to be visiting these churches. Interesting experience but oddly enough I didn't sweat it, the thought that came to mind was "God's in this" and mentally I didn't even go down the road of what if they don't let me in? Praise God! Don't be too impressed because I soon lost my cool, the extra time the approval took caused my shuttle service driver to give up waiting on me and by the time I reached the exiting terminal he was gone. Uh oh, back and forth I walked, looking at names of every sign the drivers were holding up. The free internet access didn't work on my lap top to get a hold of Jess so I finally rang her mom and she called the shuttle company to go back and pick me up. Phheeewwww! This time I was prepared with a phone number, address and some local currency, all of which I didn't have in Belize when this happened there. 

Saint Mark's Church

Next, the serving opportunity fell threw the day before I left for London (coffee house under renovation) so I've been scrambling to set something up, my heart is serve while I'm here not just be on "holiday". Jess has rang a few churches but just showing up has been the most fruitful. Like I mentioned in the previous post, Saint Mark's church was open to me serving there and I'll be talking a more consulting role with them, suggesting new menu items for their cafe. Similar to what I did in Belize, adding new recipes to the meal rotation for the teams.
This Tuesday I ventured out on my own for the first time on the bus to Waterloo to visit Oasis Church. They run a cafe as well and I popped in to speak in person about possible volunteering there. The Hub Coffee House, to be exact. Just a brief email the night before that they positively responded to and I simply walked in ordered a iced mocha and asked for the assistant manager and he told me how the church got started (very interesting) and I told him about my training and what God has me doing this year and within 5 minutes he are putting me on this weeks schedule. Josh (assistant manager) and his boss were just praying about getting some extra help for the cafe because loads of people are on holiday right now and they were even thinking they would have to shut down the food part of the cafe because of the lack of staff. I'm an answer to their prays too. Boom, once again God provides!
While I was there observing how they make the sandwiches, pizzas etc. I was reminded of how awesome it is that I get to take this small skill/passion of food preparation and travel the world, meet God's people and have a blast, it's just too cool.  Before even emailing Oasis Church I was telling Jess that I had a feeling that something might happen there, only going off the fact that the ministry I served in Belize is also named Oasis. Sure enough, and it's not about being right, I'm learning what it means to step out in faith trusting God's provision, that He has gone before me and His plans are for my good. Amen! Thanks once again to those who are praying for me at home. I'm a blessed woman, what can I say :)