Cyprus has an aura of natural beauty. The fields have been tanned, from the start of what feels like fall weather- a nice 67-70 and sunny each day. The majority of the plants maintain a purpose of edibility… and produce grapes, pomegranates, oranges, or some other delicious thing…or non delicious, but useful thing like olives. The national monument might as well be a snail, since there’s so many, and the donkeys stop cars to grab some food from the driver in a casual exchange.
The location we are staying at projects a quaint, small town atmosphere. Everyone knows their neighbor, and the area remains ‘unknown’ to many…which although pleasant , doesn’t make it an easy hitchhiking location…which is also the norm here. On an average week, you can call up the pharmacist to open his store, which he will, after he’s finished feeding his sheep, to hand you some self-prescribed medications. Chatting with the mayor about environmental politics while sipping juice boxes also happens.
On Monday’s, about 92 children show up for a cultural course on how to make traditional Cyprus foods which is a lot of fun because you just have 92 rambunctious kids, and add in a few rambunctious team members, and you have chaos. Many other groups come throughout the week to learn traditions and keep these ways alive in an ever changing world. Some traditions that are covered in the course are the production of olive oil, coffee bean roasting, making bread, or rolling out pasta.
This month looks different from our typical ATL (ask the Lord) months, because we have a host. It’s been a little more ‘hands on’ as we have been doing projects like weeding, helping with farm work, harvesting olives at the vineyard, fixing roofs and fences, shoveling walkways to lay cement, and painting. There’s also been opportunities to go to the town and attend various bible studies or young adult gatherings with students who go to one of Cyprus’ 22 universities. We’ve heard stories from some of the students who study here from Iran, Sudan, Afghanistan, etc. as they share amazing eye witness accounts of the magnitude of our God which has been one of my favorite things looking back at this month!!
Pray for the Island of Cyprus, for the hosts living here and the disciples they create along the way, and for the owners of the hotel who are believers and doing good things here. Love to you guys!
