Yesterday we arrived in Samos! It was a day for rest and recovery. It was a day of sabbath as we traveled from Athens to Samos. We landed in the early afternoon and enjoyed a leisurely day at the pier for lunch at Robinson's (the best gyros in the world!) and some exploring. This followed by a whole lot of fun in the pool. We then got to enjoy a delicious meal together outside at the hotel.
Pastor David and Pastor Hannah then closed the evening with a beautiful time for devotion and reflection.
Pastor David reminded us that while only for a brief moment, Paul did, in fact, stop in Samos. He then reminded us that sometimes this is what we need - after the hustle and bustle of Athens, Samos is a sacred opportunity for us to slow down a bit, to step away from the flashy and the noise. We were then invited to find our prayer partners and reflect on the ways we hope to live in the "good way" of God.
Pastor Hannah then led the group through a beautiful exercise where we sat with our prayer partners and, together, crafted prayers. Each pair was invited to write down any and all prayers they have on a 3x5 notecard and then each pair prayed their prayer together.
Pastor Gracie then closed us with a beautiful and powerful prayer.
And, unfortunately, we were unable to travel to Patmos today. The winds were too strong, so for everyone's saftey, we stayed on Samos. But, we still had a wonderful day! Instead, we visited the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani, explored more of Samos, shared a delightful lunch with each other, swam in the Aegean Sea, and had dinner in our small groups!
Pastor David closed us with another time for devotion and reflection where, with our prayer partners, we reflected on these two questions:
(1) What stayed with you today? An image, a symbol, a word, or a moment? What might God be saying to you through that? (2) What does this unexpected stop in Samos, this crossroads, have to teach you?
And now, we're off to bed to get some rest before a full day in Ephesus tomorrow!
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