our favorite country
At the end of August, we landed in Athens, preparing to stay a few nights with the beloved staff at the Greek Bible College. Initially, going to Greece, we were seeking any open doors to get a visa that would extend beyond our American travel visa (90 days in a 180 day period).
Given our previous visit to the Schengen zone (specific but not all countries in the EU) in June, we already had close to a month of that visa used up. So this left us approximately 81 days to legally be within the country of Greece and her neighboring Schengen neighbors. 81 days to possibly figure out if we could extend our stay.
Our Inital Hope
Our desire was to attend the modern Greek language school at Greek Bible College that was additionally offering insight on ministry and culture. Could not be more perfect of a school right? Learn the language AND get insight on effective ministry and cultural practices. Well unfortunately for us, time had another plan. By the time we found out about this option, the embassy was booked until November 1st…For us to get this visa we would have fly back to the Chicago then and apply and cross our fingers that the visa would get approved in time for the school to start. Oh yeah, AND the embassy was closing the first week of November for the rest of the year for the holidays….. talk about time crunch. LOL
So we discovered within 48 hours our hopes to stay and live in Greece were not for this time of life. But we already packed our backpacks, sold our car, I quit my teaching job in Michigan, got rid of EVERYTHING in our apartment, bought a one way ticket to Greece. So now what?
Well first, ALLOW THE PEACE OF CHRIST TO WASH OVER US!
We knew that God gave us His YES to do everything I just listed^. To follow Him. To trust Him. To be open and willing to leave America and to possibly never return (genuinely we had settled this in our hearts). We had settled with the Lord, we are your servants! Take us and do what You see fit.
So as wild as it sounds, it’s really not that wild… considering the God we serve. God had only given us His yes, he didn’t tell us how or why or what was gonna happen once we got to Greece!
So, now what? We keep in step with trusting and following Jesus!
After a few days at Greek Bible College, we set out to our next destination. Three hours & a taxi, train, and another taxi later, we have found ourselves in this sleepy beach town of Vrachati. Our airbnb is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, this is a 10 minute drive from the ancient Biblical sight of Corinth for all you Bible nerds.
We went the car-less route, so we get around town on foot or on bike (complementary of our LOVELY airbnb host). We were only steps from coffee shops, bakeries, and markets- making this one of the most accessible locations we’ve stayed in. We took an easy 15 minute walk or 5 minute bike ride to the beautiful pebbled beaches that surround this peninsula. Our days literally consist of $2 coffees and pastries, easy strolls around town, spending time with the Lord, meeting new people, and enjoying the scenic beach views.
So we lived in the space that felt like endless summer.
After settling in, changing our mindset, knowing we will most likely only be staying in Greece for 2 months. We were swept up in the peace of Christ. Wanting to be grateful and thankful that we GOT 2 WHOLE MONTHS in our fav place.
The main word the Lord had given us for our time in Vrachati was hibernation. We had found ourselves in a season to find a unique kind of rest in Jesus.
This season was sweeter than honey & with simply one main priority: keep in step with bearing love. A time to focus on loving the Lord and loving one another. Funny how that should always be the focus, yet we needed to step away from the hectic pace of life to come back to the foundations of our faith. Thank you Jesus.
Our time in Greece was unexpected yet exactly what was ordered by our Heavenly Father.
Sweet, simple, and heavily reflective. So much that I am not taking the time to process here and now all that was experienced on the daily. The culture and friendships we made during this short visit were so seamless… That of which made the greatest impact on our time. The people, the traditions, the culture, and the beauty that every day held in such a unique way.
It is so weird for us to think, if we would not have stepped in faith to go to Greece, we never would have gotten to Dallas, TX where we are now? Is that the Lords humor?? Leave for Greece and end up planted in the South?? Thats all for another post…😂😂
I have one takeaway for you.
We as a people need to apply these two passages to our lives immediately! Not in fear but in FAITH, that the ways of the Lord are far greater than what we could ever plan, ask, or even fathom. This goes not just for personal desires but in our case, our longing to do ministry overseas in Greece. I will leave you to your meditation:
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
Proverbs 27:1
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
James 4:13-17
In Christ,
Cosette & David
