Please help to ignite the Great Re-Awakening in Europe

JoeySoley · Dec 15, 2024

A Happy Advent 2024 season to all! The Greeks have a very special Advent celebration as mentioned amongst all the countries of the world with Christian traditions, and a celebration for the true original Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas himself. I've attached a picture of the delicious Christopsomo (Χριστόψωμο in the Greek alphabet) that our kids love when we're back in Greece during Advent.

It translates literally into Christ's bread, it's a very special recipe and one of the things that makes Advent and the Christmas season so special in Greece and regions under Greek influence. It's one of the joys for all of us Americans who've made a permanent move to Greece for our missions, makes you feel at home even as you're adjusting to your new surroundings. Make sure to look for it at the Greek bakeries if you're staying or visiting the country any time in December.

Inhocsigno · Dec 20, 2024

Greetings Joey,
Thank ou again for the update on Advent in Greece! We've had one of our recent mission families from Texas move into Patras last year. Although they're still adjusting and learning the language as they commence ministry, the Advent season and the Christopsomo at the bakeries is indeed one of the things they've gotten most excited about and are eagerly reporting to the other teams preparing to make the move!

Inhocsigno · Dec 23, 2024

Greetings Joey,
One of our own mission families in Greece has also been reporting to us on the Advent festivities there and sent some pictures of the Christopsomo bread at a recent community worship event. A lovely display of devotion combined with culinary excellence I must say, just the mere sight of it is making some wanderlust for plenty of us in the other mission countries!

JoeySoley · Dec 24, 2024

Inhocsigno said:
Greetings Joey,
One of our own mission families in Greece has also been reporting to us on the Advent festivities there and sent some pictures of the Christopsomo bread at a recent community worship event. A lovely display of devotion combined with culinary excellence I must say, just the mere sight of it is making some wanderlust for plenty of us in the other mission countries!

Yes the one shame about Christopsomo is it's available only at one time of year, now during Advent. It's one of the best bakery items in the world and one of the treasures of being in this this country. Then again with it's available only around now, that truly makes it something special. It's a big reason all the missionary kids here all moved to Greece to grow up, just love being here during Advent. There are even classes to make their own Christopsomo recipes.

Inhocsigno · Dec 26, 2024

I would not be surprised if several of our own are enrolling in those recipe courses! One of the Christopsomo pictures a member of our flock sent. A true marvel to behold.

Inhocsigno · Dec 28, 2024

And a happy and Blessed New Year to all of you!

Galworth · Jan 1, 2025

Inhocsigno said:
And a happy and Blessed New Year to all of you!

And to you too! Several of our churches all across the SW states have made 2025 "the Year of Missions" especially for our families and ministries headed to Europe, bearing the fruits of years of planning, and we're all excited. Let's make it a great one!

Galworth · Jan 3, 2025

Plus a Happy Epiphany to all of you too as we come up on the first week in January. This is one of the Church holidays that at least for those of us growing up in the US seemed to got left aside somewhat, but it's been a real discovery for those of us who've moved to do the missions in Europe, it's a much bigger holiday in most of there.

People all through Europe really embrace it, large festivities with both the children and adults dressing as the Magi and genuine discussing and talking about the various meanings of the Nativity and what it represents for us today. Especially in the Baltics and south-eastern Europe but now more and more all over. And as always at these events some great food and activities for the kids and families. One of the best parts about mission work, we learn ourselves just as we impart what know and our own inspiration to the flock.

Inhocsigno · Jan 10, 2025

Greetings Galworth,
Thank you for mentioning the special importance of the Epiphany holiday and it's deep origins in the early church. It is indeed true that many of the European churches give special attention to Epiphany, more than has been tradition in North America and this has been one of the more wonderful surprises for many of our American missionaries doing their ministries in Europe, particularly in France and Germany where the holiday is quite prominent.

Inhocsigno · Jan 15, 2025

And too another thumbs-up for the Year of Missions energy! We're on a similar drive with our own church network especially in the Texas-Louisiana-Oklahoma region, with a record number of mission families prepared this year to make the permanent move to their ministry zones and not just in our traditional areas of focus in France, Germany and the surrounding region. We're spreading our wings further and with the help of our mission teams already on-site, picking up the pace especially of new church building and conversion efforts of migrant populations, including new departments of focus like social media (with added expertise especially on video formats like Likee, TikTok, YouTube, Vimeo, Rednote and Dailymotion), Bible and hymn translation, and pamphlet production. Even with modern tech and smartphones, it's amazing how much people especially worshipers still like to have tangible paper print-outs and books. We're even putting together a Christian recipe team to help bring together our new congregants on special occasions. It's going to be a very special year in every site we're doing ministering.

JoeySoley · Jan 18, 2025

So encouraging to hear this sort of talk! We've also been doing a lot reaching out to contacts back at our and of affiliated churches back in the US, for Greece and our other centers of missions. Even if not quite as ambitious in our 2025 goals we've been stepping things up because interest has increased greatly since the past 2 years, even had many in several congregations approach us or our mission organizations on their own first. Hopefully we'll have a record year of our own to celebrate.

Inhocsigno · Jan 23, 2025

Greetings Joey,
Thank you for spreading the blessed news, the Good News of the Lord arrives in many forms and often in the hearts and souls of those dedicating themselves to mission. It appears that drive and excitement for ministry is burning bright this year already, glorious to behold!

Inhocsigno · Jan 25, 2025

And in the spirit of learning more on some of our saints and religious figures taken for granted, strongly encourage reading up on the historical Saint Valentine as his day comes closer. He is a great figure of the Church in a many ways but amongst others he did much to help establish the tradition of available care for the sick, and especially epileptics. Europeans of many denominations celebrate his contributions to church tradition so if you have a chance, read up on his biography and the great things he's done.

JoeySoley · Jan 26, 2025

A thanks to you friend for the mention of the historical St. Valentine. His celebrations are of course more widespread but he is indeed widely known and respected in Greece, just as the historical St. Nicholas is. This is one of the best parts of mission work for the kids when we bring them over particularly, they get to really immerse themselves in church history in a way very hard to otherwise do.

Inhocsigno · Jan 31, 2025

Greetings Joey,
Indeed and on-point to bring up that point about the value of the church history especially for the children in the mission families. We have likewise found this to be the case, that one of the best ways to engage the children in ministry activities is to become engaged in the history of the church particularly in the countries where groups have moved to, even work it into Sunday school lessons and festivals. Perhaps even more in the cases where mission families have made the move with older children in middle school or high school and themselves learning the languages and adjusting to their new homes.

Even the smaller countries in Europe often have their own rich and unique church histories dating back to thousands of years in a number of cases. It's exciting for the kids to connect back to that ancient history and even walk the same church grounds as the church fathers and early saints and preachers did. Greece without any doubt has one of the richest heritages in the world for that.

Inhocsigno · Feb 11, 2025

Here is a good article on the historical St. Valentine soon to be celebrated in ecclesiastical recognition alongside of the secular holidays. 6 Surprising Facts About St. Valentine | HISTORY A detail of interest, "Valentine" was a common Roman and post-Roman name due to it's association with bravery and courage under pressure, and the one we recognize in the church calendar is known formally as St. Valentine of Rome. So with this and his contributions to the church and faith in mind, a happy St. Valentine's Day to all of you.

JoeySoley · Feb 14, 2025

And on that theme, a happy historical St. Valentine's Day to all the committed and hard working missionaries out there. The picture here is believed that it's been inspired by early paintings and descriptions of the actual St. Valentine as he has been known and venerated in Italy and Greece. Our son picked out this picture and recognized Saint Valentine on a mural barely a year after we'd moved and were travelling through Epirus region in Greece for our mission work, from his Sunday school lessons there, just as we were making our permanent move into our now adopted country. It was one of our proudest early moments there, and that and clear reverence that St. Valentine is held in the Mediterranean countries has made him a venerated figure for us too.

JoeySoley · Feb 19, 2025

Oh and on a similar topic, for those who've been messaging us about it, here is an easy accessible recipe for that delicious Christopsomo bread, so you don't even have to wait until Advent to make some for the family!

Christopsomo recipe (Greek Christmas Bread with Walnuts)

A traditional Greek Christmas Bread (Christopsomo) recipe! Discover all the secrets to make the tastiest traditional Christopsomo with this no fail recipe!

www.mygreekdish.com

Although it's of course a big staple in Greece and the Mediterranean around Christmas and Advent and stocked in the shops then, if you learn your own recipe you can make some of it even outside the main seasons when it's usually less available, and it's deeper meaning makes it a favorite especially for the kids year-round. And it never hurts to practice your skills in the kitchen for it! It's a very special kind of bread and recipe, made all the more delicious and enjoyable by the love you have in your heart while making it.

JoeySoley · Feb 21, 2025

JoeySoley said:
And on that theme, a happy historical St. Valentine's Day to all the committed and hard working missionaries out there. The picture here is believed that it's been inspired by early paintings and descriptions of the actual St. Valentine as he has been known and venerated in Italy and Greece. Our son picked out this picture and recognized Saint Valentine on a mural barely a year after we'd moved and were travelling through Epirus region in Greece for our mission work, from his Sunday school lessons there, just as we were making our permanent move into our now adopted country. It was one of our proudest early moments there, and that and clear reverence that St. Valentine is held in the Mediterranean countries has made him a venerated figure for us too.

Whoops, lol as my daughter would say, or Χαχαχα as she now mostly says it (in Greek)--forgot to add the picture. Especially anywhere in the Mediterranean the historic St. Valentine (Άγιος Βαλεντίνος in Greek) remains as ever a great inspiration.

Inhocsigno · Feb 27, 2025

Greetings Joey,
Not a problem, I and my entire group have often done the premature send before an attachment on our mission updates and emails so you have plenty of company, as they say with the French version of lol our groups often use there, "mdr" I believe. And if it's anything it can be a little blessing in its own disguise at times by giving us the chance to re-focus our communications on the messages of love, faith and community at the heart of mission efforts. Or as in your case, to shine a closer light on a great and inspiring figure in the history of the church and our communities.

Please help to ignite the Great Re-Awakening in Europe

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