My dear sisters thank you for all your encouraging letters, notes, emails and all your kindnesses towards our family this last year.
Despite the difficulties and "dead ends" we all experience in the fallen world where we are temporarily found, the lovely family our Lord has designed for us never ceases to be a source of all kinds of good and lovely gestures.
Just a few days ago Athens was holding the annual Marathon run. For those of you who know me, you would immediately know that this event would not exactly excite me. This year, in particular, I wished that it never happened. The day we had chosen for the annual women's meeting, Philadelphia 2007, was the same day the Marathon run would take place. And how would this affect our meeting.all the city of Athens was closed to every kind of moving objects.cars, buses, trams, electric trains as well as motorcycles. The only kind of transportation was the subway, and it would be convenient if it did not rain all week and during that day.
My prayer for the upcoming meeting was.. Lord, this is not about us or me or anybody we know on this earth.it is about You. We will gather because we are family, the family you gave us. If the Marathon run has closed the roads.I know you can open them and for this only I am praying. Make the way for my sisters to come, I know you can do it and despite how many come, I will still know that it was you who opened the way.
Sunday morning we arrived at the conference room of the American campus of the New York college in Athens. Perfect spot in the city, so perfect the Marathon runners run in front of it all day long!!!

The theme this year."The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be afraid"..what did Jesus do during his hardest times when it was difficult to accept His Fathers will and pain was almost unbearable. He went to the Garden. When fear overtook Him, He went to talk with the Father. How simple and sensible, yet we avoid it at all cost. We try everything else during the first seconds of a crisis.and then we go to the Garden.
So the conference room was decorated as a garden. Mary had worked very hard on this project of decoration. On every desk there was a small plant as a gift and a reminder of what we would be talking about. The program included testimonies of four sisters. Debbie from Dallas, Victoria from Kiev, Popi from Athens and Mary from Athens as well. They all shared their journey with the Lord. Difficult circumstances who brought them closer to God and witnessed how God delivered them and made them stronger and whole again. We had organized discussion groups following every testimony. There was prayer time and Debbie Poss lead us into wonderful hymns. There were Christian women from around the globe. Romania, Bulgaria, United States, Albania, Nigeria, Ukraine, Russia, Greece. Over seventy five Christian women and visitors once again met united by God's love, shared their faith and recommitted their lives to the Lord.




This was our sixth year to meet. I confess that every year I doubt, I think quietly in my head.will never do this again, especially when my sisters call to tell they cannot do what they have committed! Every single year the Lord tells us, you do what you can and I will fill in the gaps and just for your shake, I will flood you with blessings. I will make my presence so visible that once the meeting is over that very night you will be thinking how to organize the one for next year. And that is exactly how it happened.
We left New York College campus as if wings had grown in our back. Nothing in the whole wide world was wrong that night. There were sisters from both Church of Christ congregations. Many young women showed an interest and want to be part of the organizing committee for next year. Well this year we went a step further. Right before we finished everyone had a moment to say something special about the meeting. All we heard was.can we have a meeting twice a year?
Our lunch was perfect. Victoria, Ludmilla and Irini prepared amazing salads to compliment the rest of the prepared meal. I know how my messages can get a "little" too long. So before this one does, I want to tell you my dear "adelfoules" sisters in Greek, how grateful and thankful I am to the Lord for all He has done for the Christian women in Athens. How grateful I am for He has used you to bless us.

Thank you four your prayers and love. My prayer if for our Lord to shield and protect your families against evil. To bless you with His peace and joy. And I know He will.

From all of us in His Hand
Eleni