I Ate So Much Pizza and an Elder Scored a Goal

Monday, March 5, 2018

Elder Muller and  Elder M.

Hello Everyone!

Welcome baaaaack to the one and only blog of Πρεσβύτερος Μούλερ (see I can say that because there are plenty of “Elder Mullers,” but there is only one Πρεσβύτερος Μούλερ, so HA!

Anyways, it has been a quick week in the City of Italians that never seem to stick around. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Elder A. could make a lot of money on an Anti-Italian spray. He seems to be very good at getting rid of them. :)  (Editor's note: Elder A. has had two Italian companions!)

P-day, 26 Feb 2018 - Elders A. M. and J. Playing Risk

MONDAY: Okay, everybody hold on to your trousers (once again, too many Brits on this island), and get ready for the most epic and hilarious and most typical story brought to you by the Paphos Elders. So, P-Day ends at 6 pm. We are supposed to have completed dinner and all other P-Day activities before this time. The remainder of the evening is meant to be used as proselyting time. We were running late this day. So, we were finishing up dinner at 6:15 at Pizza Hut, Elder M., Elder A., Elder J. and me. I had the phone in my pocket, and it started to ring. I had just taken a bite of food, so I gave the phone to Elder J. to answer. It was the zone leaders (a set of missionaries tasked with overseeing a larger group of missionaries called a zone) calling about some stuff. The first thing Elder J. says, "Hey Elder C.! Yeah, we are just eating at Pizza Hut with the other Elders right now." At this point, we were all waving our hands and mouthing “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” (sorry, Mama), and so Elder J. realized what he had done and said "Oh....wait...no we're not. We're not at Pizza Hut...I mean we are, but.......uh…yeah." We were all dying and crying of laughter then. So yeah, I think Elder C. just hates us now (just kidding, love you, Elder C.! P.S. I'm really not apostate, I swear). So that was our day, lol.

TUESDAY: We walked to Karavella (bus station) and picked up Elder A. Elder M. had a meeting in Athens, so we were in a trio for a day. Elder A. made a really good flyer for our upcoming St. Patrick’s Day activity, and we ate gyros for dinner. Gyros are amazing, if I haven't said that a million times already. We also had English class with E. today (the Sampsons couldn't do our normal Friday appointment), and Elder A. got to experience that. It was once again amazing. She is absolutely hilarious. I have a new nickname now too: Χονδρός, which means “fat.” So yeah, kids are always honest about how people look. SO, HA, I AM RIGHT, I AM GETTING FAT.

WEDNESDAY: Not much happened today except language classes. They went well, and we had fun. We walked to Lower Paphos and did a service project in Elder A.'s area. (We have walked up and down Paphos almost every day this week. We are dead.)

THURSDAY: Elder M. came back to Paphos today, so we dropped Elder A. off at the bus station pretty early, and I also got my package from home (thanks, Mama!). Elder M. loved the pictures of Παναγια και Χριστος, Holy Mary and Christ. You can tell you are growing up when the best gifts ever are socks and dryer sheets #softtowelsandclothesareimportantOK

Goodies from home!

Dryer Sheets!!!!

We went BACK down to Lower Paphos (aka Kato Paphos, Κάτω Πάφος, or the other Elders’ area, whatever you prefer) and had dinner with the Sampsons, the Kato Elders, M., and E. It was celebrating TRAINING GRADUATION!!!!! Heck yeah! I am finally done and not a greenie anymore. E. pretty much ate her own weight in pizza, and it was such a good dinner.

FRIDAY: We did service at the horse farm for the last time with Elder J. We did service at the charity shop by our apartment, and it went really well. We were able to set up more service for this week. Elder J. was able to speak Danish to one of the workers who is from Norway. He was very happy. :) I also found out I have Scripture Scouts on my USB stick, and I freaked out (learn more about Scripture Scouts here). We love Scripture Scouts. I actually spoke about them in my farewell talk. Some of my earliest memories are listening to them in the car as I went with my mom around town. I also cooked tonight. I made tuna sandwiches, INCREDIBLE, I know. Just call me Julia Childs, Jr. I also wrecked Elder J. in Egyptian War 4-0.

SATURDAY: It has been five months of being a set apart missionary today! It doesn't feel like that long, but it also feels like eternity. Time is warped on a mission. We went to Kato Paphos again today. We went to G.'s for breakfast, and he was expecting the Sampsons as well, but they didn't come. He makes these sandwiches using pizza crust as bread. He made three HUGE ones, and we had to eat ALL OF IT. We almost threw up from eating so much. Then, we had studies at the Kato apartment, aka recovering from eating so much. We then had football finding, haha. We played for an hour and a half with R. before anybody showed up. Then, we played for two more hours. Elder M. hurt his ankle, lol. Elder A. is cursed with injured Italians apparently. Don't worry, Elder M. is fine. 

So Much Food!!

Such delicious food!

We did it! We cleaned our plates!

SUNDAY: We had to go to church very early this morning because a member called us as they were walking to church and said they needed us to come right then and open the church. Why? They reeeeeally needed to use the bathroom, lol. So, I got to play my piano music for an hour before church, which was really nice. Elder J. taught Sunday School, and that is always a riot, haha. I seriously want to create a BYU TV show called The Branch, and it would literally be just like The Office but located in Paphos. I love this place. We said goodbye to Elder M. today (he transferred early due to leadership meetings he needs to attend in Athens). I will miss him so much; he is hilarious and a great example. 

Elder Muller and Elder M. (who is Italian)

So, we have had Elder A. with us again. We are always having a blast when he is around. We practiced the Passion Play. It is the Crucifixion of Christ that the Catholic Church puts on, and we play Jewish Guards that beat Christ and take him to Pilate. It feels so awful and strange because of how different they view Easter. But, it is a great way to show that we are Christians and helps us build community ties here in Paphos. It is also great to see European kids hearing John Bytheway for the first time (learn more about John Bytheway here). They died of laughter, haha. (Mama included John Bytheway talks in my package!)  We did a big twelve-week review together at night. We talked about how we have grown, what we do good, and what we can improve on. For me, I need to work on patience, and in the words of Elder J.: "Sometimes you need to sit down before you fall over." I hate sitting down because if I sit down that means I'm not out helping people. I love working here in Paphos and as a missionary.

Sunday night unwinding!
Elder J. and A.

Elder J. (Danish) and Elder A. (French)

Something I learned this week is that it is possible to walk and not feel your feet anymore. It is also possible to take a weakness and make it a strength. In Ether Chapter 6, it reads: 

“3 And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.

4 And it came to pass that when they had prepared all manner of food, that thereby they might subsist upon the water, and also food for their flocks and herds, and whatsoever beast or animal or fowl that they should carry with them—and it came to pass that when they had done all these things they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God.

5 And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.

7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.”

I love these verses because I liken them to myself. The light is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The barges are us and our testimonies. The biggest thing I learn from these verses though is this: God sent the waves and the storms. They were swallowed up in the depths of the sea but never faltered. Why? Because their testimonies were strong. God knew that they would make it. Heavenly Father sends us storms to guide us to our "promised lands" or our better selves. He knows we can make it, but in order to do so, we must be "tight like unto a dish" and lit by the Light of Christ.

I love you all and miss you!

- Elder Müller 

Elder Muller made dinner using Elder A's recipe!

Elder M. with the owners of Gino's