Roller Coaster Vacation

Since Terry and I spent two weeks in Greece and the boys had various things they were involved with, we didn't have time for a big family vacation.  But I wanted to plan something fun and different.  So we decided to head to Cedar Point to ride roller coasters.  The kids didn't like any "scary rides" when they were younger, and Terry and I swore off taking them to an amusement park until they were old enough to really enjoy it.  Time got away from us, and we almost waited until we were too old to enjoy it!

Joseph couldn't get off of work, but we bought a plane ticket for Rebecca and picked her up on the way as a surprise to the boys!  This was our first time all together since her wedding, and it was so fun!  We camped at East Harbor State Park.

The campsite was nothing to brag about, but the kids enjoyed tossing a frisbee around in Lake Erie, and we drove down the road a ways and saw a cool lighthouse.

We spent two days at the park, riding roller coaster after roller coaster.  Rebecca doesn't like heights, but even she enjoyed them!  Terry and I had to take Benadryl and Ibuprofen in fairly large quantities. We gained a new appreciation for the phrase "more fun than people oughta have!" Terry, Nathan and Rebecca actually blacked out on some of the rides.  Caleb read that the trick is to tense your core like fighter pilots do.  

This is the first one we rode.  It was intense and very jerky.  I started worrying whether I had made a bad mistake planning this trip.

But then we discovered the GateKeeper - a wing coaster that we all enjoyed!

The most fun thing was just being together - we even managed to play games while standing in line:

I decided that our fun little trip sort of symbolized our lives together - ups, down, twists, turns, fears, joys, yelling, waiting (lots), but most of all speed.  Life goes by so fast.  There's nobody I'd rather spend it with than this bunch!

My Friend, My Friend

We heard the phrase "My friend, my friend" over and over again during our work at Gateways2Life.
Even those that knew no other English seemed to know this phrase.  We found ourselves using it when addressing the children we were caring for as their mothers took showers and did laundry.  It sounds so much friendlier than "Hey, you!"

One of the things I will always remember about this trip is the friends I made, and I wanted to record some of my thoughts about them here.  I already talked in my earlier post about some of our Greek friends in the town of Panagouida.  But we also got to know some of our fellow workers at Gateways2Life.  Vanessa was a favorite of our whole team.

She was from Brasil and had traveled with YWAM in many dangerous parts of the world sharing the gospel.  She was bold in her faith and so good at showing love to the refugees.  We tried to learn as much as we could.

We all had certain women and children that we became attached to during our time there.  My favorites were a little boy named Hamid and his mother and aunt.

Hamid was a handful but also loved to give kisses.  Mary Bond said she thought he would either be the evangelist or terrorist of his generation.  I try to pray for this little boy and his family every day.  I can pray for the refugees in general, but my heart seems to work better in specifics.

I also try to pray for Ikran and her daughter, Sabrina.  She had so much joy for being in a place like Moria.  She hopes to end up in Minnesota.

And I pray for Menach, her daughter Lara (pictured below), and the rest of her family.  Menach would cry when talking of Syria.  I could tell she had so much pain over what had happened to her country.

And I pray for the Greek staff at Gateways2Life.  It is challenging work.

Efcharisto

Efcharisto means "thanks" in the Greek language.  But it means so much more!  It is the same word as "eucharist" - literally the holy grail of Christianity.  One of Jesus's last directives to his disciples was to eat the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of Him. When we remember, we have joy, and we give thanks. Here is an interview with Ann Voskamp about this concept.

Once I knew this word picture, I never forgot the Greek word for thanks, and I tried to remember to use it as much as possible.

We met several Greek folks in Pangiouda that embodied grace to us and for whom we say "Efcharisto!"

First, this bakery owner who greeted us with a huge smile each morning! And another one each evening when we came by for gelato!

Second, our wonderful hosts at the Cosmopolitan.  They were always quick to offer directions, invite us to local events, and do some handyman fixes in our rooms.  They treated us like friends more than customers.  We hated to say goodbye.

And lastly, the "Olive Oil Lady." She owned a store selling items made of local olive wood.  When we first met her and she asked where we were from and where we were staying, she said "I will make you some cake and pies this weekend."  We told her we would be gone early on Saturday and Sunday, so she surprised us by delivering homemade goodies to our hotel EXTRA early!  She baked for us again the next week just out of graciousness.  I know this isn't communion bread, but I was reminded of the eucharist and efcharisto. 

She came by the following morning just to say goodbye.  There were hugs all around.  

Efcharisto, indeed!