Greetings from Greece,

We began the day in Macedonia where Paul had his vision, Acts 16:1-10 and Lydia was converted. She was the 1st Gentile converted to Christianity outside of the Kingdom of Israel. We began the day with our Sunday Worship service by the traditional place on a river where Paul had ministered and converted Lydia. There is a beautiful church on the site that we visited and is filled with lots of great artwork and stained glass windows.

We left there and bussed to Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), a modern city next to the water where the streets were filled and lots of people. It's election day and they were all commiserating about how they were going to vote. Unfortunately, while Paul ministered there, nothing remains of his visits.

We left Thessaloniki and drove for a long time on a narrow country road, most of us asleep, to Verio (Berea), where Paul ministered in the synagogue, which no longer exists. He did, as tradition has it, also teach in a public square used as a forum for philosophers, where there is a monument that embodies some steps that he was reported to have stood on while he taught.

After we left Verio, we drove for another very long time, stopping briefly for lunch and then onto Meteora, near Kalambaka, where there was once 21 monasteries, 6 of which still exist today. The Monasteries and one convent, are built on the tops of rock pillars, or outcroppings from the surrounding mountains.

We visited the convent of St. Stephen, where they didn't allow any pictures, but it was very beautiful. One of the monasteries, Holy Trinity, the left picture above, was used in the making of two James Bond Movies.

When we left Meteora, we stopped on our way to the hotel, at an Icon Store where we learned how to make Icons and some bought things you'll soon get to see.

We're done with a great dinner and off to bed. Keep on praying, we'll be home soon and all are still healthy and enjoying our time together learning more about Scripture.

Night

Doug