Oh my, it's been a long time since I last wrote and much has happened.  I'm usually in a place where it's easier to post on FaceBook, so that's where I've been doing most of my writing.

Okay, so the last time I was struggling with conquering the public transportation, telling you about the fast food here and about my second dose of augmentin,  I know many are praying for me because I have such a sense of joy and laughter that I laugh at myself a lot!

Let's see.  Round 2 of the Augmentin did nothing but cause my stomach to hurt.  I spent the weekend before last resting trying to get better  Monday morning I decided to challenge the metro!  I was NOT going to let an underground 3 line system in Greek get the best of me! I headed off and it took me 20 minutes walking to get to the metro.  I purchased my ticket and had already studied the maps well enough to know which line I needed (the blue one) and what stop I was headed for.  I'm very proud to say I made it with great success!

However, I was headed down to Evripedou which is an 8 story building where Hellenic Ministries uses the 8th floor for refugee men to get showers, and the kitchen is there, then on the 7th floor is a gymnasium floor where they hang out all day and drink coffee. In case you don't know, if you were to sit down and talk to one of these muslim men (they're all muslims) and hear their story of choosing life or death for themselves and their family's, you would feel guilty for all the cushy stuff we as Americans have back home.  It's horrific what these people are going through.  I read someone's post on FaceBook saying why don't they just go back and fight for their land.  This guy was so clueless and it broke my heart.  I still feel awful about what our government did to the American Indian nations, trying to destroy their culture because they wanted it for the land, It's kind of the same thing going on in Syria.  They have to run or die.  There is no option of fighting.

The best part about the Evripedou ministry is that during the day they do a bible study with these guys and about 40-50% are coming to Jesus!!  They've been brainwashed into Islam where Muhammed is to be praised and referred, yet he was a pedophile and so pedophilia is tightly protected as a right in their culture.  Our media is so darn PC that we don't know about stuff like that. Yes, there are good and kind muslims, but it is important to look at their doctrine that they MUST say they agree with.

So anyway, I took the metro and walked another 15 minutes to find Evipedrou then looked around trying to locate assets (that's my assignment and why they need an accountant, to take full inventory of the entire ministry's assets and tag them).  I talked with Brad who oversees the ministry at that centre then headed home.  I was starting to feel really tired and my feet hurt.  Next time I'll just take a taxi, but I wasn't thinking clearly.  I came home and fell asleep, waking up in the morning with a serious deep cough (like I had when I was hospitalised for 5 days in Montana w/pneumonia).  I contacted Stephen, the ministry Financial Controller and my "boss" and let him know I was feeling really bad.  I told him I would go to pharmacy and get stronger antibiotics (yes, they sell them over the counter without a prescription).  Wednesday morning I woke up and he text me asking what he could do to help me.  My answer...GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL!

I went to the ER and Stephen was there all day helping interpret for me,  For a Georgia boy's accent, he does really well with Greek!  Both he, his wife and their 4 kids.  They kept running tests all day long,  Around 5 pm they admitted me because my oxygen levels were low and dropping and they didn't know why,  Glad Stephen was there; I couldn't think clearly at all.  It's amazing what happens to the brain when the O2 drops.  He stayed long enough to see me to my room, then headed back to the office.  He's in the middle of installing an entirely new accounting system (loads of fun, ha ha!). When I selected my health insurance, I knew I'd be going out of the country so needed something that would cover me.  Glad I did. We called and yes, I would be reimbursed at 100% (thank you Jesus!). I crawled in bed and they continued running tests.

The next morning I woke up at 1:30 am thinking it was pm. I was so confused (low O2) and kept texting people asking what time it was.  My watch said differently than my phone, and I couldn't think straight enough to know to see the a.m. on my phone.  I stayed awake until I saw the sun come up and then I realised what happened.  No wonder the nurse looked at me oddly enough when I buzzed her at 1:45 am asking for lunch.  She spoke very little english and said she'd see what she could find.  She fed me and I was very grateful.  I apologised to her later, explaining my confusion.  The next morning Dr. Katarina came in (I can't say their last names, it's crazy!  They're all about half the alphabet.  When the 3 docs came in I asked the one handsome male doc what his name was and I went cross eyed.  Too many letters!  So I told him I would just call him Dr. Z.  Then I asked if he wanted to know my last name and I told him P L U M, 4 letters, easy!  Apparently the nurses and doc's started calling me plum.  I got a good laugh out of that.

Anyway, Dr. Katarina came in and asked if I wanted to know my diagnosis.  I said yes please.  She told me H1N1 Flu.  Pardon my french which I rarely speak, but all I could say was "Oh shit".  I was highly contagious.  I immediately contacted Stephen and let him know and asked that he please let everyone know whom I had exposed to the virus what symptoms to look for.  Fortunately I got there in time and the Tamiflu and have had a quick recovery.  Only 4 days in the hospital, thank you Lord! I grieved for the person who held the metro handle after me and anyone else I had infected like Brad.  So far no one has come down with it.  I've had MANY people praying for me and I can tell.

The night before I was to check out, I woke at 3 a.m. and started surfing Facebook.  I'm normally not a FB user, but was grateful for the entertainment while in the hospital and even at home as I recover.  Greek TV is a joke and has been good to get me off watching TV.  I need to get back to hearing HIS voice and not drowning it out with worldly stuff.  I was convicted.  Anyway, 3 a.m. and I come across something so darn funny that I literally fell out of bed and couldn't stop coughing because I was laughing so hard.  I think it was the one about "I don't know about an inner child, but I do have an inner idiot who shows up way too often".  I still laugh at that.  I post that kind of stuff on my instagram, user name plumbless. I know it was the Lord lightening my heart and filling me with JOY!

So, now I'm home and recovering.  Today I once again lost my stupid kindle.  Well, it's not stupid, I am.  I searched my apartment top to bottom.  Last I remember having it was taking the garbage out.  Guess what fun activity I get to do tomorrow?  I get to go dumpster diving and look for my kindle.  Yay, sort of.  I'm glad none of my co-missionaries live near me other wise someone might take a picture and it'd go viral giving me a whole new nickname.  I've already overcome the getting lost thing (thank you God for Siri who helped me get un lost almost every day when I first walked the 3 blocks to the office).

Well, I think I've gotten y'all caught up since the last posting.  My next work assignment will be to go to the women's ministry building in downtown Athens and get their assets listed and tagged.  Sarah from England runs that and she is unbelievably kind and sweet.  Sometimes I wonder can people really be that bubbly and joyful 24/7?!  I want that!

Blessings to all my family and loved ones!  M