These are the elders & Sister Johnson having our Christmas Eve dinner at the church. We put three tables together to make one big table so we could all sit around it. These are great young men! We think they enjoyed the afternoon and evening.

We stopped and took a picture of this lighted ship in a little town on the 23rd of December when we were on our way to visit some members of the Branch.

This is the lighted "tree" in the park across the street from our house. It is there all year, but they turned the lights on about the middle of December.

This huge wooden tree is in the square in Kalamaria. Dennis is standing in front of it. It is lit at night. There is a little village of tiny houses where the children come & do various activities like make a wooden ship, decorate cookies, or get their faces painted. One little house was where they went to see Santa. There was a big stage where live performers perform and a big merry-go-round for the kids to ride. We saw lots of children with their grandparents and/or parents. It looked like a fun place for them. It continues through the second of January.

We had to show you a picture of Roza, only one of three endowed members of the Branch. Here are Dennis, President Todi, Roza (yia yia Roza, as she is affectionately known in the Branch), and her daughter in front of the gate to their humble home. they live about 30 minutes outside of Thessaloniki.

This is the big lighted ship down in the center. It's very beautiful and representative of the many lighted ships used for Christmas decorations.

Our Christmas stockings hanging on the wall above our table.

Our little tree in our apartment with our twelve days of Christmas & our gifts-- just waiting for Christmas morning!

During the holidays, we often hear music played from the gypsy carts in the street. This time we had a live accordian player. Dennis ran down & got his picture.

The Branch

This one was selling huge cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower--all very fresh & nice. He has melons, too, or whatever he grows that is in season.

Thursday is our lykee (?) day. Every neighborhood has a day when a street is blocked off and there is an open market (lykee). They sell all kinds of fruits, vegetables, fresh fish & miscellaneous other things--clothing items, purses, etc. It starts early in the morning & ends late afternoon. These two pictures aren't on the lykee street, but are close by. They just set up and start selling. This one sells eggs from the hood of his truck & wine of his own making from the back. This is just on the side of the street by a busy intersection. You'll notice the Pireaus Bank (yellow sign) in the background which is where we go to pay our rent. You have to take a number at the bank to be waited on & often the wait is very long. (ie., 45 minutes or more)

We thought you might enjoy seeing all the people about whom we write home. This was Emmanuela's baptism on November 23rd. Almost everyone who was at church came to see the baptism in the Aegean Sea. Baby Hannah Nelson is in front. Next row, left to right, are Irini, Georgia, Julie Nelson, Bella (an investigator), Vivian, Pres. Todi, Maria (mother of Irini & Georgia) and Liana. Back row: Fred, Elder Meister, Anthony, Emmanuela, Spencer Nelson, Sotirie Tanto (Emmanuela's fiance), Elder Stephensen, Elder Rice, Larry, Dennis, Barbara, Elder Gardner, Elder Gladson, Elder Schmaal, Elder Grossman, and Beauty. Elder Roderick was taking the picture.