Mission Update

So, Zach had quite the week last week. Here's what he sent this week, with some questions for his dad at the end:

So...this week was interesting...I need to start from the beginning...

When Elder Astle was first here in Greece almost a year ago he had to go into an emergency surgery to remove a cyst from his...behind part...and the Greek Doctors didn't do a very good job and cut some things that they shouldn't have cut. So, it has been a very slow and uncomfortable recovery for Elder Astle especially since he wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to do to help it out. So he had been in contact with the regional mission doctor in Frankfurt but nothing was really happening. Everyone assumed that he would just get better, and he was, only very slowly. So, Wednesday night we got a call from the new doctor in Frankfurt and he asked a lot of questions about other things that Elder Astle may have experienced and it turns out that this cyst may be a result of some other problem. So, this doctor said that there might be a chance that he may go home since no missionary should have to put up with what he's been through for that long. So, we had an appointment to go see another doctor on Friday. Well, Thursday morning this doctor calls again and this time there is more likelihood of him going home. We went to the Mission Office to get money for the doctor and to talk to President but as far as we knew if he was going home it wasn't going to be an immediate thing. Thursday afternoon, another call from the doctor, Elder Astle will be going home to see American Doctors. We get a call from President and we go back to the office where Elder Astle talks with his parents and stake president on the phone with President. The Assistants took us home and we both packed, with the help of most of the missionaries in our zone who came over to say goodbye to Elder Astle. Friday morning at 10:05 Elder Astle got on a plane and was gone. 24 hours and he was gone! It changed so fast! It wasn't like he was in any more pain or anything it was just this new doctor came in and it was over. BIG SURPRISE!!!! Now, I mentioned that I packed as well, I am now in Sepolia, in the center of Athens in a 3-man with Elders Anderson (8 months out from Ogden) and Theodosis (6months out from Texas). Big change, new branch, new investigators, new apartment new everything, and only for 3 weeks! (transfers are in 3 weeks). Sepolia is in what most people call the ghetto...which is true. But I like it a lot. We get to do more street contacting here and I'm enjoying my new companions and I kind of consider it a vacation in a sense; I'm not district leader anymore, I'm not even senior, or even junior companion, and it's only 3 weeks until transfers...I can just enjoy the work with no stress at all! Of course I still work hard but I don't have the leadership responsibility, and I get to serve in the center like I have always wanted to try! But I still wish Elder Astle was here and hadn't left but, it was time for him to get his problem looked at by someone who actually knows and cares. We aren't even sure yet what he has. So, that was the news for the week.

Whew, I'm dead tired. I've been fighting off something for weeks now and since I haven't been getting my normal sleeping time and because of all the changes it finally caught up with me. I woke up yesterday with a cold, not too bad but definitely annoying. And to top it all off we got up early today after a rough night's sleep and we went to Delphi! It was pretty cool. I don't know the historical significance but it was your usual ancient Greek ruins. On the way back we stopped by a small monastery and checked that out, very interesting. It had a little bit of a crypt and a few (not-as-friendly as you would think monks) and yeah. I have a ton of pics so I'll probably burn a cd soon.

That is the news for this week.

How's this economic crisis going right now? It is hitting Greece REALLY hard. Most people think that something drastic will happen soon if the government can't take control and do something.
It's starting to hit me that my time here is coming to a close. Sister Monsen goes home in 3 weeks (Sister Monsen was in Zach's MTC group) and then I only have 6 months left! Ahh! Dad, how was it like for you getting close to the end?

Well, I'm in a pretty thick fog right now so I Love you and will talk to you next week.

Zach