I am happy to spare myself the difficulty of trying to find the right words to sum up the wonderful time I had in Greece, and let my host speak for himself:
Mission Report: Thassos, Greece, April 2014
May 6, 2014
It had been over 10 years since Tim was last in Thassos, Greece, yet when we saw each other at the airport in Thessaloniki it felt as though only a short period of time had transpired. Yes the signs of age could easily be traced on both our faces but so also could the joy of reuniting and collaborating for the work of the Lord. We picked up from where we left off, and caught up with each others' news.
On Easter Sunday I introduced Tim to the Thassos Christian Fellowship where I pastor. He skillfully outlined how the four gospels paint the complete picture of our Lord Jesus Christ as king, servant, son of man, and son of God from the cradle to the cross. It was just wonderful to see how the Word of God speaks so eloquently for itself, and especially when given with simplicity by such a gifted teacher as Tim. As I told him, I had nearly forgotten how well he presents the Bible line upon line and precept upon precept. I thank God that he accepted my invitation to Thassos, sacrificially leaving his family during the Easter holiday to come all the way to Greece to refresh my memory and bless us so much.
In the following days he taught two classes, "The Prosperity of the Lord's Servant " and "The Week of Millenniums." It was so sobering to hear that in these selfish times the Lord is still our portion and our true treasure. How encouraging it is to know Jesus is on his way any time now to take us to his father's home in heaven. Everyone who attended was greatly enlightened and uplifted.
Already we are making plans for a unique retreat to be held here in Thassos in 2015, during which Tim will be presenting his entire two-week Bible programme.
Later in the week I had the added joy of baptizing my eldest son Michael. When Michael was a young child, Tim had dedicated him to the Lord at Lydia's baptistry in Philippi, and now he assisted me in this service. This was very touching indeed.
We concluded our time together in Thessaloniki, hosted by the lovely Bourloglou family. On Sunday night we had an evening fellowship at the Pourikas home with friends old and new. Thank you for giving us such a warm welcome, Giannis and Gianna, and Ilias and Aleka, and for making us feel so at home with you. You make me so proud. Thank you Todd for your servant's heart in reclaiming Tim's lost suitcase and sending it to Thassos, and for keeping us company and driving us around Thessaloniki. You are a true brother and friend.
In closing I want to thank you Tim for your labor of love and your consistent walk with God. Those special times of teaching, relaxed conversation, and wise counsel while sightseeing around beautiful Thassos are precious to me. I look forward to having more of them in the near future.
Warm greetings to family and church
Dimitris Pelidis
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