We picked up Bro. Dave, Bro. Todd, Sister Amy, and Sister Holly from the airport as we dropped off the Lees this past Tuesday. Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning and afternoon, we all headed down to the platea in downtown Thessaloniki and had a great time passing out tracts and conversing with many Greeks about salvation. Those times seem so far away (only three or four days removed) that I cannot recall the names at this time. I usually write people’s names down when I talk to them in Amerika, but I know the Greeks would not prefer that unless they either initiate it or have given you permission. And God help you if they find out that you have taken pictures of them unawares.
I do remember talking to Yanni (John) at the fish market Wednesday and asking him about directions to any used bookstores in the area. He was very kind and friendly and gave me Greek directions on where to find some. When I handed him a gospel tract, he face lit up and he beamed a huge smile and told me how much he appreciates what we are doing. He told me several stories of how God had spared his life several times while friends of his were killed and he walked away without a scratch. He knows it was God. He told me that he would send people to our church. He told me to come back the next day after 3:00 pm so he could personally are me to the used book stores so I wouldn’t get ripped off. I assured him that my mother had transfused some Jewish blood in my Greek veins and that I would be okay. I could not tell whether he was glad or not that I told him we were not Jehovah’s False Witnesses.
I left Yanni and met my wife and we headed to the old book stores mingled with antique and old furniture stores. All Greeks can spot us immediately as foreigners by our clothes and backpacks. I tried to get the book seller down to 10 euros from 15, but he wouldn’t go for it, so I left empty handed. As I was trying to bargain with him, I could hear a very familiar tune coming from the next door business, one of Greece’s most famous Revolutionary War songs. By the time I stepped into Christos’ store, he had put on a different 33 1/3 rpm record. When I mentioned the name of the song that he had just played, he was flabbergasted that I would know that song. But he told me he just finished playing the most famous Communist ballad from the Greek Civil War after WW II that uses the exact same notes but uses completely different words. I asked him if he had any old Greek dimotika folk songs he was selling. He did not, but we had a very good and long conversation. He told me he was an avowed Communist and explained to me how much he admires people like us doing what we are doing because it takes much work and courage to go against the tide. When I gave him a gospel tract and invited him to church, he realized that it’s the same church that is right near his house and that he’s seen before. He promised to be there this coming Sunday. On my way out of his store, he told me to wait, that he wanted to give me something. He rifled through some old LP’s and handed me a double album of old Greek dimotika folk songs from his own private collection! I was speechless. He said, I’ll see you Sunday.
That Wednesday evening, Bro. David Brown taught on witnessing for Jesus. What a great Bible study of courage and boldness! All the Americans and one Australian were present with Kyrios Telemachus. Right in the middle of Bro. Brown’s Bible study, Fani entered the Bible study. After the service was over, he told us that George, a friend of his, had told him about us because he had received a tract downtown from someone. Fani is a saved Greek evangelical with some ld fashioned beliefs. He had a great conversation with Kyrie Telemachi because they knew the same friends from the same old church. Amen! He said he enjoyed the Bible study and told us, if the church ever needs any repairs or needs something, to call him and he would fix it or do it without any charge. I overheard Kyrie Telemachi tell Bro. Brown how amazed he is at how much Bible knowledge Bro. Brown and the church here have. After church let out, the missionary team went out to eat with Kyrie Telemachi for pizza, salad, souvlaki, etc. It was afterwards that the van would not start, but then later started.
On Thursday morning, the van would not start. We decided to wait one more day to see if it would start and drive it to Panagioti the Honda man instead of towing it there. The men took the car in while the ladies took two buses in and met us downtown. It was a great day of witnessing and conversing with Greeks. I met Stellios, who is a very, very nice and kind man and appreciated what we were doing. He is very philosophical and we spent quite some time talking about God and salvation. He told me a famous Greek saying that my father-in-law tells me often: When you knock on deaf people’s doors, do you think they will answer? Please pray that while we speak to them on the outside, the Holy Ghost of God will speak to them on the inside. Remember! No conviction, no conversion.
Wednesday, Thursday, and or Friday, I did some street preaching, as did the other men. I always finish with the Greek National Hymn. This is to let the Greeks know that we are Greek and to differentiate us from the False Jehovah Witnesses who believe in cowardice and treason instead of patriotism. A couple men had come up to me to encourage me to keep doing what we’re doing and to preach louder.
There were many people who either stopped to talk with my wife and I or they were brought over by the non-Greek-speaking members of our team. There were too many to list and remember. Unlike Amerika, I make it a point not to write their names down on my 3 x 5 cards unless they initiate it or they give me permission first. God help anyone if they try taking a photo of a Greek without their permission! But several men and ladies came and voiced their encouragement for what we were doing and expressing their strong opinions about how corrupt the Greek government and the churches are.
On Thursday evening Markoula (?) and Maria, both Jehovah False Witness ladies, stopped and talked with me about the Bible, Jesus, and salvation at one of the busiest pedestrian walkways in downtown. They were some of the nicest young ladies I had ever met. We must have talked for 20 – 30 minutes. Many, many scriptures were gone over and over about the deity of Jesus Christ.
Although the low temperatures and strong winds have made it a challenge, our hearts are warmed by the response we have been getting the last couple weeks. I am personally amazed at the fact that members of the teams that have come to Greece to witness for Jesus have learned enough Greek to converse a little and / or preach in Greek! It has really been a blessing to me personally.
When we returned to the mission home (the men in the car and the women via two buses) Thursday evening, we met Bobby the oil furnace technician (whom my wife had previously called and made an appointment with us at 7:00 pm). Although I looked and thought I saw no oil, the furnace did indeed have oil and the furnace just needed to be re-set. Bobby showed my wife and I the settings and I then showed all the men the control switches and gauges Bobby showed me. One of the men tried starting the van, and the engine started! We immediately left for Panagioti the Honda man. Getting turned around on the way, we stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. When I gave one the three men tracts, one of them told me he was already saved and goes to the Evangelical church. We dropped the van off and we haven’t heard from Panagioti yet.
On Friday morning, the men took the car and the ladies took two buses (again) to the platea. We set up the banners across from each other at our regular place. We were taking turns holding the banners and the men took turns preaching. While I was preaching, four big rough-looking guys walked past me about 30 – 40 feet away and one of them shouted in Greek, wait until Hrisi Avgi (Golden Dawn) comes. That is the new upstart political party that has been falsely labelled neo nazi, but is very pro nationalistic and very anti-immigrant. Sound familiar? Anyway, I shouted back, let them come. I like them. The Golden Dawn feeds, clothes, and protects Greeks only! I don’t blame them, seeing most of the crimes are being committed by the immigrants and the Greeks are fed up with 25% unemployment and very difficult times.
I am not sure if I emailed you about this or if it the email was lost, but on Monday, a Greek named George called me and asked if he could come to church and that he is struggling and could use some help. I gave him the address of the church and I told him that I would ask the pastor. I plan on giving his family some food.
I have had Greek people give me Jehovah False Witness tracts, tracts from evangelicals and Pentecostals, etc. Theodore has been coming by the last week. He is Orthodox, but he has been visiting various denominations. He can be very interruptive at times when I am speaking with other Greeks. But I have talked about his need to get saved, come to church, and help us. He has said he would come to church. He has taken tracts and has started putting them on cars and at different places, he tells me.
I gave a priest last night a tract and he was reading it for at least 50 to 75 feet as he walked away.
Today, I gave a priest a tract and he started yelling (Greek normal volume talking) at me as we exchanged a brief conversation concerning salvation. He said he was in a hurry for something, but that he would be right back to show me some scriptures on why I was wrong. I am still waiting for his return.
Nikos stopped by and we had a very good discussion for at least 20 minutes concerning God, the Bible, Jesus, salvation, and various other topics. We were reading from the Greek Bible. Nikos is, as most Greeks are, very educated in Greek history and he was very knowledgeable about many other subjects. He knows very well about the coming one-world religion to be ruled by the antichrist and the computer chip mark of the Beast. By the time he left, I gave him the Greek Bible we were reading to have when he asked me for it and we exchanged email addresses to keep in contact.
Vasili is 70 years old, walks with a cane, and he stopped and talked with me while I was holding one of the banners. He has had a very hard life. We talked for about 15 minutes. He gave me his home address and asked me to write to him from America.
Two Mormon women decided to use the corner nearest to us to peddle their Hellish garbage, so I went to the corner and interrupted them speaking with two other foreign English-speaking women and telling them about Jesus and what kind of Hellish doctrines they believe in. I gave the Canadian girl one of our home church tracts before they left and then I proceeded to barrage them (with love) with the 66 calibre AV 1611 until they decided it was time to leave the corner.
My wife and the rest of the team were continuously bringing over Greeks so that I could talk with them. I feel that my Greek has improved much these past two weeks due to my being forced to interact and speak with Greeks. Most all of the Greeks (especially the women) dress immaculately and first class (although, very unfortunately, very worldly). I amazed with how many fur coats and shopping bags I have seen coming out of stores walking past beggars on the streets. Unemployment here is about 26 percent. Taxes have gone up on everything and pensions and retirements have been slashed to unbelievable levels. Heating oil (thousands of dollars to fill up their tank) and gasoline ($8.00 to $10.00 a gallon) are through the roof. A quick glance into the bars and youthful hot spots and hangouts at night reveal a packed house on Friday and Saturday evenings. Someone’s got money somewhere. When Greece entered the EU, the real estate prices skyrocketed to untouchable levels. The children were partying off their parents’ equity and living high on the hog. Those times are now over. The real estate prices have collapsed. Instead of going out four or five times a week, they are now going out maybe two or three times a week? The expensive name brands are being worn by most. But the suicide rate is at its highest ever. We have witnessed demonstrations, strikes, police closing down vendors for unpaid taxes. This is the height of their Christmas season. The lights and decorations are reminiscent of Amerika. But it is a more family-oriented and a cleaner environment on the streets. Just tonight we witnessed a group of about 50 Orthodox ladies all in dresses singing spiritual Christmas carols in Greek with megaphones. There are dozens and dozens of vendors. There are guitarists and singers playing and singing and hoping for coins in their coffers. There is an ice skating rink being used quite extensively. There has been traditional folk dancing with Greeks dressed in the old folk traditional dress dancing the old Revolutionary War dances. To the consternation of many of my fundamentalist brethren, I partook in the folk dancing. There is an open air market during the morning and afternoon hours that cover, approximately, eight to ten square city blocks. You can find just about any food product, fish, nut, meat, herb, clothing, souvenir, commodity, utensil, or any other item that you are looking for. Chestnuts are roasting on open fires. Satan Claus is called Agios Vasilis (Saint Basil). Jeremiah 10 trees appear in stores and homes. It is a festive spirit. The phrase for Merry Christmas is Kala Hristoogenna, literally meaning “Good Christ’s Birth.” Most Greeks are too proud to take a tract. They walk past with head held high, strutting themselves toward Hell without realizing it. Praise The Lord for the many humble Greeks who have stopped to encourage us and to show interest in our endeavors.
There is so much more to write. As I said, this is only from my perspective. The other six adults could tell the same kinds of stories. I could hear Bro. Brown preaching clearly in Greek. I could hear Bro. Joseph preaching from very far away while standing on the bench seat and reading scriptures and preaching in English. The police officers walk by and have taken tracts from me. There is no doubt that an impact has been made here and the walls of Normandy are being scaled, thus far without any casualties. Soon and very soon, the beach head shall be taken. Please send reinforcements! When we have not been out in the streets handing out gospel tracts, Gospels of John, New Testaments, and Bibles, we have been busily folding tracts and stamping Greek New Testaments. My guess is that we may run out of tracts within another week or two at this pace. The war for souls goes on and victory is in sight! Although we already have the victory because we’re on the winning side! There’ll be plenty of time to rest when we get back to Amerika. I commend all the teams that come over here on their own time at their own expense to try to reach the proudest, most stubborn people on earth, the people of my heritage! Zito Hellas! His Word shall not return void! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Amen and amen.
There is so much more to write, but my memory is failing me.
Your servants for Jesus’ sake,
John & Irene Koletas
