Greece: GP Summit

 Lots happened between posting as we traveled to Greece for a week of organizational meetings with the whole world-wide team.

Travel was challenging for many folks: the Lord put enough folks on our plane from Chicago to Toronto going to Athens that they waited for us. We were very grateful not arriving late to the GP Summit meeting.  

The conference enabled us to connect with GP folks we've met before as well as new friends in the organization.

Mornings were speakers and smaller workshops; afternoons mainly free time other than another time together before a late supper at 7:30.

Thursday we had a few options for site seeing so we enjoyed a guided tour of Athens: the Parthenon and museum. 

Fritz hung out with the teens and enjoyed his own sessions with them. 

Originally thinking that we would be headed back to Zambia we'd added two days on to the Greece trip so we could return on Monday and complete paperwork and shopping in the capital before continuing to Jembo.

So we spent Saturday in Athens visiting the Byzantine & Christian museum, followed by the War museum. On Sunday we drove to Corinth, visiting the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth that included the Temple of Apollo, remains from 6500-5750 BC; Lechaion Road, Basilica, and Bema seat where Paul was judged. 

After a great Greek lunch overlooking the site we had just spent a couple hours wandering around, we headed up the mountain to the Acrocorinth that the waiter recommended. Wonderful views, and lots of buildings to explore. However, we only had one hour before it closed.

A peek at the Corinth Canal on the return trip completed our day before heading back to Michigan.

Our return trip was complicated. Although there was a missions team coming from Athens to our connecting flight, none of us cleared customs/Immigration in time. Sadly this meant that we were not able to celebrate the 4th with family in the USA. 

 Fritz did earn a new country patch when we overnighted in Montreal [remaining in an airport does not earn a patch from Mom and Dad].  Almost overnighted in Toronto the next night but thankfully were able to get on a flight to Detroit where we rented a car.

While we were thankful to be back in Michigan we continue to wait for 2 bags to catch up.

We are finally adjusting to the time change again. Will post more soon and plan to send out a newsletter update as well.