Day 1: Back in Action

I am back to Greece for the third time working for the same family as last year.
The kids were excited to see me and gave me big hugs when I arrived. They actually follow me around everywhere. Within 20 minutes of getting here, we all ate lunch. Tears and screaming came very soon afterwards and that's when I knew I was back. :)

I am dealing with some major anxiety and discontent (some of this could be jet lag...haha) right now with a few things in my life, including even being here. I'll just be open about that! I am reading and doing a devotional, "Calm My Anxious Heart," that I hope will put me back to the right mindset. I realized this morning that when you pray for something, that is usually when the Lord really tests you. For example, if you pray for patience, you will be having a situation coming your way that will call for a lot of patience. So I should expect that when praying to be more content and anxiety-free.

This story was in my devotional. I'll include it here:

Many years ago there was a monk who needed olive oil, so he planted an olive tree sapling. After he finished planting it, he prayed, "Lord, my tree needs rain so it's tender roots may drink and grow. Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers. Then the monk prayed, "Lord, my tree needs sun. Please send it sun." And the sun shone gilding the once dripping clouds. "Now send frost dear Lord to strengthen it's branches," cried the monk. And soon the little tree was covered in sparkling frost, but by that evening it had died.

Then the monk sought out a brother monk in his cell and told him of the strange experience. After hearing the story, the other monk said, "I too have planted a little tree. See how it is thriving! But I entrust my tree to it's God. He who made it knows better than a man like me what it needs. I gave God no constraints or conditions, except to pray, "Lord, send what it needs - be it sunshine, wind, rain or frost. You made it and You know what it needs."



Lord,you know what I need. So I pray that you would supply that!

Agios Nikolaus

We were about 5 minutes from this lovely sea port town. It was very cute and quaint! I got to go a couple times to walk around, eat, and shop! It was nice to get away from the hotel a couple times. :)


The little lake in the middle of the town. They said that the goddess Athena used to bathe in this lake. It was thought to be bottomless until Jacques Cousteau got to the bottom of it.


Some boats in the water


A cute lil church we saw!


As you can see, it was really windy! They need to call Crete, the windy city!

Ancient Civilizations

On my day off in Crete, I got to have a touristy adventure with Ashlen. We took a tour bus to the Palace of Knossos. It is one of the first and oldest Minoan civilizations in Europe; it was very cool to see and imagine people walking around there at one time. One thing I found really interesting was that archaeologists have discovered the Minoans were a peaceful people group because they have not found any fortress or fortification walls or anything else to make them think that they were ever in war or fighting with others. After the tour of Palace, we jumped back on the bus and went to a grape and olive farm. It is not harvesting time yet, so we didn't get to see them actually pick the grapes and olives but we did get to watch a video, try some good wine, and buy some awesome olive oil. After that, we got back on the bus and went to the capital of Crete, which is Iraklio, and got lunch and walked around and looked at the shops. It was a two hour bus ride back to our hotel, so we were slept on the way back since we were pretty tired from a busy day of touring Crete.


Getting ready to go!


Welcome to the Palace of Knossos


View from the Palace


One of the Palace buildings


Oldest paved road in Europe


Fresco of Minoan women

Living the Cretan Life

We arrived in Crete on the 12th and got back to Athens on the 26th. It was a wonderful two weeks but very tiring. I was a little worried going into this trip after being soo drained from Mykonos, but this was much better because we were at a really nice resort...that the family I am working for actually owns. It was great because we did not have to worry about cooking, cleaning, etc...We could just concentrate on the kids! Crete is not like a lot of the other Greek islands with the white and blue houses but it has its own beauty. It is a little more rustic looking with amazing blue waters. Cretan people have one of the longest life expectancies because of their diet and lifestyle so I did get to experience a bit of that while I was there...Well kind of....I did eat some of the Cretan food, very yummy...but....I think I scared some of the Greeks with my eating habits..haha. The resort had a buffet and I did not know how to control myself. And...Greeks eat practically nothing for dinner..maybe a piece of fruit...I kept trying to tell them that Americans eat a lot for dinner to justify my portion size. :)

We spent most of our day at the beach and then back at our own pool by our hotel room. There was entertainment at night that the kids and I enjoyed, but it also meant that I was with them till midnight every night...pretty late! There were two other American girls working with Greek families there and that was really nice to have. We got to sightsee together one day and hang out and do things with the kids together. Oh another cool thing...we went to another hotel a little farther down from ours in Eloundtha. This hotel was AMAZING! they had Greek night with dancing and lots of Greek food. Also found out that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt stayed at this hotel...Wow! I might have to use that one once in a while! haha

Here are some pictures!

View from our room


Sand castle pro with Ashlen, the other American. What are the chances that are names are really similar?!? By the way, the kids definitely left us to do this on our own half way through...pretty good if you ask me...


I let the kids bury me...There was sand everywhere!

Crete

I just got to Crete, the largest island of Greece...and yes, you guessed it...It is beautiful! Just wanted to let you know though...Internet costs a ton, so won't be writing much for the next two weeks. I'll post a bunch when I get back...

You can be praying though...

-Continue to be a light to the family and that I would be able to serve them and just let Christ shine through me
-Exhaustion..Yes, I am on an island but playing with kids all day does get tiring :)
-The nanny and I have become really close...So I hope to just continue building that relationship even more! Also, there is another au pair from America I will be hanging with, so pray for her, too!
-That I can enjoy my time here even though I am working. It can be difficult sometimes going to all these really nice ritzy places and wishing my family could have money or do these type of things...I do not want to be jealous or cynical

Ok, love you all lots!! Will post again in a couple week probably! :) xoxox

You Like Me...You really like me...

A flashback of a Sally Field's acceptance speech for an award in the 70's ran through my mind when I got an approval that the family likes me...."You like me, you really like me!" If you don't know the Greek culture...Let me give you a little tidbit. When you first meet a Greek (not in all cases), you will probably think that they do not like you and they can come across kind of standoffish, while somehow still being very very hospitable. My first time here, I thought this one Greek woman hated me and then by the end of the semester, i found out I was one of her favorite Americans. So this time around...I was not sure how I was doing with the lady that I work for. My job description had been so vague and I was hoping that I was doing enough but she had not really said anything so I was not sure and I was wanting to lean to the side that she did not like me. One night though, I was talking to Maria, the nanny, and she said she wants me to come back every summer...That was really nice of her to say! But then I told her that I was not sure if Anna, the mom, liked me. She informed me that she sees me playing and doing things with the kids and that she likes me, but I was not 100% convinced. The next morning, I was thinking to myself that I am kind of a "words of affirmation" person and that it would be so nice if Anna would just say one thing to let me know that I was doing enough or doing a good job. Well, maybe 30 min later, Anna and I are talking. She out of the blue says, that it was such a good thing to have an English teacher here this summer and that she wants me to come back every summer. Wow! Well, I would say that's a pretty good approval. She told me to think about it and let her know. Now I am not sure if I would come back again for the whole summer but it is definitely an option. So that is an answered prayer that they approve of me and that I am doing a good job!

Your Love Oh Lord

"Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide
I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings"

One starry night in Mykonos, I was reminded of this song as I sat on a ledge and looked out over the mountains and the sea. Creation screams the name of our Maker (Rom 1: 19-20) and how anyone can deny He exists when they look at such beauty, I will never know!
He is faithful, righteous, and just. Those three attributes sum Him up. No matter what, He is always faithful. No matter what, He is always righteous. No matter what, He is always just. His faithfulness is so great, that it stretches to the sky. His righteousness is like a rock, or a mountain. It is firm and steady. His justice flows in like the ocean tide. There is no doubt that the tide will come in, just like his justice will come.

We worship you Lord when we look at your creation because you are majestic and worthy to be praised!

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet..." (Psalm 8)