Category: Mission

Calling Senior Couples

Catherine and Tim Frodsham. 14 February, 2025

Happy Valentines Day! When I married my first love, LaNae, we planned from the beginning to serve a senior mission, something I had contemplated even since my young mission service in Quebec, Canada. My financial plans, retirement funds, timing for retirement, revolved around serving missions. We wanted to serve at least three, with a year or two in between to visit children and grandchildren. The best laid plans of mice and men. Just a few short years before my planned retirement, LaNae passed away. At the time, single men, well aged such as I, were not allowed to serve missions, and I started looking at other options.

I considered serving as an ordinance worker at the temple. Again, the single man question reared it’s head. A young acquaintance of mine with some disabilities and never married, served at the temple. On his 30th birthday, he was told he could never serve in the temple again. It turns out that at the time, single men over thirty could not serve as ordinance workers. One exception was men that were married in the temple and then widowed. I fit that exemption, but in good conscience, I could not serve knowing that other single men, much more worthy than I, could not work as ordinance workers in the temple..

I did work as a temple engineer. Each Saturday, to allow the full time staff weekend time with their families, I would come to the temple early, greet the night shift guard at the temple door, and then wake up the temple. Turn on and check lights, monitor and log the air conditioning and heating systems, check the chemistry in the baptismal font, wake up and check the audio visual systems for each endowment room and continue the checklist. The walk through took about 2 1/2 hours, and I would spend the rest of my shift indexing, answering the phone, responding to problems, and if all was quiet, walk the temple and converse with the temple workers. At that time, it was the best way for me to be His hands.

Ten years after loosing LaNae, I am on a full time mission with Catherine. From the time I met my second love, we talked about serving a mission. In fact, no desire to serve a mission would have been a deal breaker for each of us. We submitted our mission papers as soon as Catherine finished the semester teaching seminary and were well into our mission on our first anniversary. I wonder at times why it took 10 years to meet Catherine. We could have several missions under our belts by now. I have asked the Lord many times why it is that those who are the most willing to serve, who would make wonderful leaders, missionaries, mission presidents and bring about much righteousness in His kingdom cannot due to circumstances beyond their control, request the call. He has a much bigger picture of His children than I, and though they cannot serve a mission, He will use them and challenge them in other ways.

In the first years of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young would call missionaries from the pulpit during church meetings, even during General Conference. These were not 18 year old boys, but fathers and husbands. They were expected to depart within weeks, or even days. These missionaries left wives, children, farms, businesses, civic and church responsibilities to answer the call. Many had no idea how their families would survive financially while they served. I have nothing but admiration for these early missionaries. It was their mission and their faith that converted my ancestors in England and Switzerland.

Would we have such faith today? How would you, a senior couple surrounded by comfort, children and grandchildren, respond to a call from the pulpit? Could we, with a notice of a week or two, pack up and travel to the other side of the world? “Could we?” is the wrong question. For most of us, the more relevant question is “Would we?”

Humanitarian missionary training conference in Vienna

According to the unofficial statistics I found, about 1/2 to 1 percent of eligible seniors serve missions. Increasing that to even 5 percent, one couple in 20, would mean 5 to 10 times more senior missionaries serving the Lord around the world. In Athens, Greece, we had a humanitarian couple, yours truly, and two senior sisters serving in the remote mission office (the mission president and the official office are in Sofia, Bulgaria). Last month, two more senior couples came to serve in Athens and the whole dynamic of missionary service changed. These wonderful senior missionaries have been called to branch positions, providing a rock of support to our faithful but inexperienced branch president. Visits to members, active or not, are bolstering the faith and the faithful in this historic part of the vineyard. There is a synergy and a spirit of camaraderie and dedication among we seniors.

Rather than a surprise call from the pulpit, we have options to choose when we are going to serve, the length of our service, and to some degree, where we are going to serve. We have cell phones and internet to stay connected with our families, and jet planes to take us home for those events that cannot be missed. I listed all the reasons to serve a mission in my “Serve Now” post, so I won’t list them again. The delightful senior sisters in the office, whom we lovingly refer to as “The Angels of Athens” say it best. “Who wouldn’t want to be us?”

Bulgaria Greece senior missionaries in Ioannina, Greece

However, I need to add a word of caution here. You have no set schedule and few set responsibilities. You are your own boss and you have to be self starting and self-motivated. There is more work to do than you can imagine, but you have to find it and make it your own. Our own mission has been divided into two parts: Serving in France as WSR or welfare self-reliance missionaries and in Greece doing humanitarian work. Very different missions, and in both cases, we invented our mission. We dug in, looked around, asked around, and most important, we laid it before the Lord. If ever this verse of scripture is relevant, it is while serving a mission. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs, 3:5,6. Our paths have been directed as we have served as His hands.

Souliers, Miners, Hardys, Dinkelmans, Frodshams
Life Long friends – Senior missionaries in Lyon, France

We are not assigned over the pulpit to serve missions, but the obligation and the need is no less paramount. Over the years, the church has and is moving away from obligatory assignments. Home Teaching is now ministering. Ward budgets, building and temple funds come entirely from tithing funds. It is easier to attend temples than ever before, and attendance is neither required nor tracked. The church is following the council of D&C 58:26-28:

“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”

The Frodshams and Snyders in Paris, France

Serving a senior mission is not compulsory, and we are all the more blessed for following the wise and gentle council of our Brethren and choosing to serve.

Cathy here, I can’t even imagine being called over the pulpit. That was definitely a sacrifice. Our mission is a sacrifice but not like the early saints. Tim and I have thoroughly enjoyed serving our mission(s). At times we have had to be very proactive and look for ways to serve. Our mission presidents (Pres. Lepore in Lyon, Pres. Soulier in Lyon and now Pres. Nelson in Bulgaria/Greece) are so busy with all of the young missionaries. We Seniors need to be offering time and talents and helping to further work of gathering. It takes prayer and an open mind to see what needs to be done and to be available to answer a call at 10:00 pm to go give a blessing or pick up a missionary or mission president at the Airport. Service is never convenient whether you are serving a mission or serving at home.

I can honestly say yes, I have had bouts of homesickness- even with tears but then I look at my sweetheart and know we can do this and we can do it well. We are giving ourselves to our Savior Jesus Christ at this time and happy to be here in Greece. Now that we are about 4 months from returning home, we feel as though there are so many things we want to do before we leave. It is going by fast. We hope our children and grandchildren have been blessed by our service. That was one of the reasons we came to the mission field.

Both Tim and I had talked for years with LaNae and Zane about serving a couples mission. Our children all knew how important that was for us. We are grateful each other wanted to go right away after we were married. WHAT A HONEYMOON it has been!! Serving in FRANCE and then in GREECE; this was a 2 for 1 mission and we are so grateful to be disciples of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Seriously – WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO BE US?

Note: We wrote this post before learning that Jason Soulier, President of the Lyon France mission had passed away. We love him and pray daily for Sister Jennifer Soulier.

Tags christianity, church, faith, france, grandchildren, Greece, lyon, Mission, missionary, Missionary work, missions, Soulier

Mission

Mavrovouni Refugee Camp, Lesvos

Post author By Tim Frodsham
Post date February 3, 2025
1 Comment on Mavrovouni Refugee Camp, Lesvos

by Catherine and Tim Frodsham 3 February 2025

In the five months of our mission in Greece, we have visited with non-profit organizations talking about refugees, homeless, ROMA and other populations that are vulnerable and at risk. Through all of this, we never visited a refugee camp. The camps are closed to all visitors, and most NGOs (Non-Government Organizations, non-profit organizations to those in the USA) who work with the refugees establish community centers within walking distance of a camp. They supply food, legal help, education, recreation and other services to asylum seekers within the camps.

On Lesvos, a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea, the Mavrovouni refugee camp is located on the sea shore within view of Turkey. We visited with staff and volunteers of CMA (Crisis Management Association) who have rare access to the camp and staff a small dentist’s office and the only pharmacy in a camp housing 4000 refugees. The pharmacy is the size of a small RV, and receives orders to stock the pharmacy once a week on Thursdays. I watched as a young teen mother carrying her baby, stop to pick up her prescription just before the pharmacy closed. I will never forget the worried look on her face as she was told that her prescription would not be available until Friday, two days away.

The dentist’s office, in a nearby now familiar trailer, had two chairs. Doctors and other medical personnel volunteer to work in the camps and many bring their families to vacation while they serve. There was no one in the office at the time, the Christmas season and winter months that follow bring few volunteers. We talked to staff and volunteers from a number of NGOs, and to a person, they are caring and dedicated to serving the one. We got to know Teresa and Efi from CMA as they walked us through the camp and met with us throughout our visit. Their cheerful enthusiasm was surpassed only by their focus and enthusiasm for lifting the one.

As we toured the camp, we watched a woman approach Efi with a question. She was looking for a volunteer organization where she could wash her clothes but she could not read the English and Greek on the paper she was holding. Efi took her gently by the arm and led her along the path until she could point out the container where the NGO was housed. I was impressed that the woman trusted EFI enough to approach her with a question, and that EFI showed such love and tenderness as she led that woman to her destination. They could not speak the same language, but the language of love, acceptance and care speaks louder than words.

It is not all roses and happiness in the camps and among the migrants in Greece. The disposition, motives, honesty and aspirations of the migrants entering Greece are as varied as the migrants themselves. The Greek ministries of migration work unceasingly to find and detain the criminals, child traffickers and aspiring terrorists who are also infiltrating Greek shores. There are legal, moral, violence and other problems in the camps, but most who have entered Greek shores seek safety and some sort of life. We talked to one of the organizations who rescues migrants on the Mediterranean, and they informed us that attempts to cross the sea do not slow when conditions are dangerous, when boats are turned back, when rescue vessels are forbidden to search for floundering rafts on the high seas. They come because they feel they have no choice. The danger they face on the ocean crossing is small compared to the danger they faced in their home country. Refugees pay 700 Euros or more, even in the cheap months. We do not know what some pay during the best weather. The migrants are definitely being exploited. How very sad.

We walked by “Laundry facilities” in the camp. Laundry machines, donated by another NGO, consist of spinning drums cranked by hand. We watched two young men laughing and as they vigorously crank the drums, then wring out pairs of pants by hand. Housing is in ‘containers’ which have a curtain down the middle. A family is housed in each half of the container.

We also visited another organization Catherine found online called “Safe Passage”. They retrieve dinghies, abandoned on the shore and used life vests and rope. They take these materials back to their shop and they clean them and make them into earrings, pencil cases, back packs, coasters, bowls, etc. We went to their shop and purchased a large amount of items to bring home to our grandchildren. We want to tell them the stories of the people who have left their countries because of war and oppression and for their safety. They have brought their children to another land where they don’t speak the language or know the culture. They struggle when they get to Greece too. Greece takes their passports and they have to apply for Asylum. Some of them wait for months or years and some are turned down. Then they receive no help. Some do get Asylum and can move to another country in Europe or stay in Greece. It is a very hard life and a life that is hard for us to imagine. We want our grandchildren to know of how blessed they are when they use that pencil case or wear those earrings made out of a broken dingy left on a shore in Lesvos, Greece.

One thing we have learned from our mission is that we are very blessed in America. We have freedoms that a lot of the world do not have. We need to be mindful of others and do all we can to serve those who are in need.

Catherine compared this with conditions back in the United States; children and adults that have never known a day of hunger or wondered where and when the next meal would come from. Children, teenagers and many adults are no happier at home in the Unites States in all of our opulence than the children squealing with laughter among the trailers and container houses in a refugee camp. Children in the simplest of circumstance. Adversity and trial bring strength. Hardship is an integral part of His plan.

Nan, an alternate restaurant where patrons pay what they can

Before leaving the island, we bore testimony to Teresa and Efi about the humanitarian work of the church, that funds for humanitarian work come from all aspects of life. From the richest of businessmen to the tiny child in primary, donating her pennies. We do this because of Jesus Christ. We do this to follow Him.

We are so fortunate to serve in Greece, this beautiful 2nd world country with such a rich gospel history. We love reading Acts and knowing the places Paul is talking about as he went around preaching the gospel. We have been to many of those places. Greece is in our hearts and we will miss this land and this people when we return home.

Tags Greece, Missionary work, NGO, Refugee, Refugee Camp, Refugees, ROMA

Mission

Prayers vs. Blessings

Tim Frodsham, 28 January, 2025

I have always been an ardent student and advocate of priesthood blessings. When my children were young, I would spend time contemplating, seeking inspiration from the Holy Spirit before laying my hands on my precious charges to bless them in time of need, or time of change. Priesthood blessings were an integral part of important events such as the first day of school, start of college, start of a mission, before marriage and dealing with a problem or crisis. Don’t let this small list hinder you from taking advantage of any opportunity to bless your children, your grandchildren and any others who cross your path.

Quotes in this blog are from the April 2018 Russell M Nelson, “Ministering with the Power and Authority of God”.

“Brethren, we hold the holy priesthood of God! We have His authority to bless His people. Just think of the remarkable assurance the Lord gave us when He said, ‘Whomsoever you bless I will bless.’ It is our privilege to act in the name of Jesus Christ to bless God’s children according to His will for them.”

Using priesthood power, as a father and grandfather, I called down angels from heaven to surround, protect and nurture the children God entrusted to my care. At the time, we were forbidden by church leaders to record these blessings, and it was not until an empty Nester that the brethren encouraged us to record these moments to pass on to our children.

“Not long ago, I attended a sacrament meeting in which a new baby was to be given a name and a father’s blessing. The young father held his precious infant in his arms, gave her a name, and then offered a beautiful prayer. But he did not give that child a blessing. That sweet baby girl got a name but no blessing! That dear elder did not know the difference between a prayer and a priesthood blessing. With his priesthood authority and power, he could have blessed his infant, but he did not. I thought, “What a missed opportunity!”

In a post on my regular blog, I described a hike down the Zion Narrows, where my young scout leader called down the powers of heaven. It was more than a tremendous prayer. There is a powerful difference between offering a heartfelt prayer to our God, and using Priesthood authority to call down the power of Heaven.

“It is a remarkable blessing to serve in the Lord’s true and living Church with His authority and power. The restoration of the priesthood of God, including the keys of the priesthood, opens to worthy Latter-day Saints the greatest of all spiritual blessings. We see those blessings flowing to women, men, and children throughout the world.”

As a young father and scout leader, I also had home teaching assignments to several families, one of which was my youth leader in the post on the Zions Narrows. I was working in my yard one day when he came down the street to tell me his parents were divorcing. He wanted me to come give him and his siblings a priesthood. On entering their home, mom was there, but from the icy reception, I knew she wanted nothing to do with priesthood or blessings. I started with the youngest child, and rather than pronouncing a prayer of council, I gave a blessing. I called down angels to protect and comfort this tiny daughter of God. Child by Child, I worked up the family, using Priesthood power and authority to call blessings, protection and comfort on this distressed family. When I finished the last child, That confused, stressed and shaken mother sat down in the chair for her own blessing. I was honored to pronounce upon her a priesthood blessing as well.

“Brethren, there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God.”

Among other things, the power of the priesthood sets us apart form all the religions and all the sects of the world. We as fathers have a right and privilege to call down the powers of heaven in behalf of our wives, our children, family and any in our circle who request a blessing from God.

Tags blessings, christianity, church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, family, jesus, Ministring, priesthood

Mission

Returning to France

Catherine Shaeffer Frodsham. 19 January 2025

We loved having our young missionaries in Lyon over to our apartment and having their “Amis” (friends) over to have dinner and talk with them. We loved being able to testify of the truths they were teaching. Oh how we loved our missionaries. We consider them our grandchildren!

We kept in touch with them when we moved to Athens, Greece. Elder Tate Last and Elder Enzo Patelo messaged me to let me know that one of our friends who I love with all my heart named YeBei was going to be baptized. I was so excited!!! I had told YeBei that when she was ready for baptism we would fly back. So in October they said come back. I would do anything for YeBei.

I contacted our mission President , President Soulier to see if we could stay in our old apartment that was still vacant since we left. He said check with the office and its OK by him. So we bought out tickets.

A few days before we were to leave for Lyon, the missionaries called me and said there might be a problem. YeBei needed to ask her husband for permission to be baptized. We knew that might be a problem because he was not happy about YeBei meeting with the missionaries and attending our church. He referred to it as a cult. In Preach My Gospel missionaries are told to try and keep peace in families and harmony in the home. When YeBei asked her husband he said no. We were so sad for YeBei. But we went anyway because we had our tickets and our friends were going with us. We had friends from Oregon, the Petrowskys that were coming to visit us in Athens the same time. We said come for a day to Athens and then we are flying back to Lyon for a baptism. They agreed and we were grateful. We rented a car and after we landed we went back to our apartment. I must tell you that it was a bittersweet moment! It was like going home – kind of a weird feeling. I love Lyon, France and we have some very sweet memories there and wonderful friends.

I called our sweet missionaries and they said come to the church building we are meeting with YeBei. So we surprised YeBei and went right to the church, walked in the chapel behind her and she jumped up and we hugged. She apologized for making us come all the way and there was no baptism. We were happy to be there and to let her know we loved her and would support her in anyway we could. It was so wonderful to visit all together.

We went to church the next morning and saw our wonderful special friends in our old ward! It was so nice to see them again. It was wonderful to see Machilo and Munashe and little Elsie! Oh how we love them. Then we say our sweet friend Jeannine Roux who Tim and I love so much. Martine Meyer is so special to me and Teresah and her kids and my sweet Relief Society President Laeticia! Laeticia said her daughter Helena had some news she wanted to tell us. She got her mission call to Washington D.C.!! She is so excited to go. Laeticia and Patrick her husband are going to pick up Helena after her mission and take her to BYU. We are looking forward to having them to our home in Bear Lake when they come. Segolene my sweet, beautiful friend was there! So nice to see her. So wonderful to see our young missionaries there in Lyon!

Then that night I had a dinner at our old apartment and invited the missionaries (6 of them) and YeBei, Machilo, Munashe and Elsie, Martine, Teresah and our friends the Petrowskys. It was a wonderful visit to feel the spirit our good people that we love. I know that YeBei will be baptized. In the meantime, she is involved in the Porte Des Alpes ward and the ward loves her. I am so happy to have met my wonderful friend YeBei. I look forward to the day that we can go to the temple together.

The experiences we have on our mission have taught us how thankful we are to have been able to get to know wonderful, kind, loving , interesting, strong, spiritual people wherever we go. We LOVE YOU OUR FRIENDS IN LYON!!! THE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE MADE ARE ETERNAL!!

Tags Baptism, christianity, church, faith, france, grandchildren, lyon, missionary, Missionary work, missions

Mission

My Niece Emily

by Catherine Shaeffer Frodsham. 11 January, 2025

Sometimes things happen for reasons we don’t even understand. When the call from our Area came to move from the Lyon France Mission to the Bulgaria/Greece Mission we were a little confused, but not for long. Tim and I both believe that when we are asked by our leaders we will do it if we can. We took a week to say goodbye to friends, our sweet missionaries and members we loved and moved to Athens Greece.

I wondered if it was to reconnect with my niece Emily who is around the same age of my daughter, Aubrie. Five years ago Emily married a man Thanasis from Greece and lives in Athens. I contacted her right away when I new for sure we were moving to Athens. She was excited and so was I. We even sent a bag of our stuff to her home, not fifteen minutes from our Greek apartment. She and her husband took us out to a Greek restaurant a few days after we arrived. She calls me “Auntie” and I love that!! Thanasis calls me “Auntie” as well.

It has been so fun to see my niece and to have “family” here. She has taken me to lunch and shopping at “JUMBO”! Probably a cross between Walmart and a dollar tree on steroids. It is a 3 story building with moving ramps from each floor. You have to start at the top and work your way down. If you miss something you have to go back to the top and start over – haha! We giggle as we are shopping!!! Greece is very different from France.

When our sweet Apostle Elder Gary Stevenson came to Athens, I invited Emily to come to our church building and hear him. She was baptized at 8 but lived with her dad and was not active. She came out of love for me. I respect that and I love her for it. It was so nice to have her there. I led a choir of about 25 missionaries which I seem to do a lot of in my life and she was there to hear that.

We had Christmas dinner at her home with the Thanasis family. It was like that movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. Although all of them are beautiful people – no over weight ones but me! They were so pleasant and kind and made a beautiful Greek meal. Thanasis’s dad does not speak English and they were all translating for him and then for Tim and I. It was so fun to be with them and to see how they interact and love each other. It was also wonderful to see how much they love my niece Emily. They adore her and she adores them.

I just found out that Emily is pregnant with her first child!!!!! They are so excited. I am excited for them. I want Emily and Thanasis to experience being parents. Being a mom has brought me such great joy I could not have had unless I was a parent.

I am so thankful that Heavenly Father sent us to Greece to serve part of our mission so I could be connected to my sweet niece again. It will be hard to go home and not be able to see my Emily whenever I want….

I LOVE YOU EMILY!!!

Mission

Our Syrian Refugee

by Catherine Shaeffer Frodsham 5 January 2025

December 27, just after Christmas, we met a pleasant, quiet young man, a refugee from Syria, who joined our church last May 2024. Here, we will call him Zain. When he was in Turkey he found Jesus Christ. It wasn’t with our church but he found Jesus. At that time his Dad disowned him. You see in the Muslim religion, leaving the religion can be a death sentence, literally. He can NEVER go back to Syria. He has had no contact with his father since then. He does secretly contact his mother and a couple of his sisters and sends his mother money when he can, but dad will not accept anything from him.

Zain was just laid off when he talked to our branch president, who sent him to us as Welfare Self Reliance missionaries. In some countries where we have more members and leaders, we have self-reliance groups that can help people get help getting resumes up to date and how to get a better job. In Athens we only have a small branch of about 30 members and do not have the man-power to have self-reliance groups. Through the Central Europe Area, WSR couples are teaching 3 self-reliance groups or classes online, starting Jan. 16. Tim and I will be teaching “Emotional Resilience”. All of Europe and even in the world can join through QuickReg online. Although the time difference would prevent some from taking it outside of the Europe Area.

Zain came to talk to us. Before we looked at his resume or his CV as they call it in Europe we sat at the table and I started asking him about his family and his life in general. Here is his story. He is 23 years of age and has lived in Athens for 5 years. At the age of 16, with his parents, two older and three younger siblings, he left Syria for Turkey. While in Turkey he attempted a boat crossing to Greece. He was put in jail for 20 days and deported back to Istanbul. He tried again in 2018 at age 17 1/2 and paid $700 Euros for a place in a crowded dingy with about 45 people on board. They helped each other throughout the voyage, including the landing on the rocky shore on what we think was the island of Leros. The boat included families and teenagers, with several unaccompanied minors such as himself. After several hours at an army base, they were put in a camp for refugees. There, they gave up their passports to apply for asylum. It is better if you are age 17 or younger as you get more help and there are more programs to help unaccompanied minors. He was there for about 4 months.

During that time many more refugees from other countries came to the island. A large group of Palestinians came and caused riots in the camp which had been very peaceful up to that point. He said some of the Palestinians told them to climb to the highest part of the church – the bell tower and jump to kill themselves. It was very dangerous and Zain was moved with other children off the island to the mainland of Greece.

He was welcomed into a shelter for unaccompanied minors called HomeProject and had a safe place to live. They also helped him receive surgery for his cataracts. He later worked at HomeProject as a caregiver, night guard and translator. He learned English from Habibi. (an NGO that the church has funded for several projects). He then learned more English at Global Connect and received his GED certificate there. Global Connect was started a few years ago by Carolyn Rounds. She served as a full-time senior mission for our church in Greece, fell in love with the people and culture and saw a need that she could help. She held English classes and invited the full-time missionaries to come and help teach and tutor her students.

Zain was one of those students. He felt the Holy Ghost through Carolyn and the missionaries and asked to learn more. He was taught and was baptized in Athens 8 months ago. He worked as a translator, care giver and night security guard, but was recently laid off. He gets a small stipend since he does have his papers and is legal here in Greece.

It has been a journey for us, learning about the refugee situation in Greece, visiting soup kitchens, community centers and refugee camps, and then working personally with a young man who has survived it all, been disowned by his family and yet looks at the church and his future with optimism and hope.

He wants to serve a mission, is trying to save money to pay his living expenses and was looking at a start date of late 2025 or 2026. He did not realize that he could get help from the church to serve a full-time mission and would not necessarily have to work a year or two to save up enough money to do that. We are talking to the branch president on Sunday about Zain starting his mission papers. Can you imagine a Syrian missionary preaching about Jesus Christ. He is a strong, powerful young man. He said, “do I need to know a lot, so I can teach?” He speaks English, Turkish, Arabic and a little Greek. What an asset to the Lord’s Army in Gathering Israel!!!

This young man is in Greece with no family, only members of the church who love him. He just went in November to the Frankfurt Temple to do baptisms for the dead. He loves the temple. How special Tim and I feel to be on a mission in this beautiful country of Greece at this time and to be able to help Zain in any way we can. We are in awe of his courage, his strength, his love of family, even his dad who has disowned him. He loves his Savior Jesus Christ and wants to serve as a missionary. He has had many tragic events in his life but says he learns from all of his experiences, even the bad ones.

We met again today January 1st, 2025 with Zain. Tim helped him get his CV or resume all up to date so he can go find a good job. Tim talked to our branch president, Pres. Anastasios Stimagkiotis, and a new MLS senior missionary couple who just came last month. They are the Kannels. He is a wonderful man who has lots of experience in leadership in the church and is now in the branch presidency. Tim mentioned that Zain wants to serve a mission so they are both taking him under their wing to help fill out mission papers and get him on a mission. That makes us VERY happy. Sometimes we have the feeling that we came to Greece for certain people. Zain is one of those reasons. We love this kind young man.

Zain said today as we ate lunch that the difference in our church and any other church and especially the Muslim religion is “LOVE”. We have love in our church. He felt it and wanted that in his life. What a powerful thing to recognize. May we love all people, all religions, all races, the way Jesus would.

May we all be more like Zain!

Tags bible, christianity, church, missionary, Missionary work, missions, Refugee, Syria

Mission

A Temple in Greece

Tim Frodsham 1 January 2025

When I was a young man, the money for ward operation and activities in our church came from the members, faithful Saints who contributed to ward budgets and held fundraisers. The percentage of full tithe papers in the church was small and tithing contributions were insufficient to cover all local costs. When building a new church building, stalwart ward members again set to work raising money for the local building fund and much of the labor to build a chapel was also donated by members. In one of the wards of my youth, we were building a stake center and I was tasked to sit atop a tall cinder block wall while other members handed up buckets of cement to pour into the blocks for reinforcing. As a child, I was the only one small enough to fit in that tiny space. It is for me a cherished memory.

Temples were also built with funds raised by local members. When a Sophomore in High School, I lived in a remote town in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. The nearest temples were the the Cardston, Alberta Temple or the Idaho Falls, Idaho temple. I never went to do proxy baptisms as a youth, these temples were simply too far away.

One evening, I was pondering Joseph Smith and the revelations incorporated into the Doctrine and Covenants. Each revelation he received was an answer to a question he placed before the Lord. Even the First Vision was in response to his question on which church he should join. These thoughts meandered from revelations received by Joseph Smith to a temple in the North West, and I decided that I needed to do more than hope, I needed to act.

The next Sunday, when paying tithing from my job at a local chicken ranch, I also included a donation to the Seattle Temple Fund. The next week, the branch counselor in charge of finances approached me in consternation.

“What is this donation?”

The Seattle Temple Fund”, I replied

“There is no Seattle Temple Fund”

“There is now”. I answered

I contributed a few dollars to this fund each month, and even continued to donate while I was serving a mission in Quebec, Canada. Six months after I returned from my mission, the Seattle Temple was announced and five years later, the temple was dedicated. When I later saw that counselor he asked me how I knew. I replied that I did not know, but such things happen only with faith backed up by action. The prayers and actions of thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the North West were answered.

The Seattle Washington Temple, courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

My next experience with a temple was in Quebec, Canada. I served under John K. M. Olsen, the first mission president of the then Quebec Mission. The number of saints in the province was tiny. There was a small English branch and dependent French branch in Montreal, and a French branch in Quebec City. Missionary work was slow as the French Canadian people were first: suspicious of everything English or American, and second, they had just “thrown off the yoke” of the Catholic church and as I heard a thousand times “we’re not interested in subjecting ourselves to a new religion”. 23 years later, to my utter surprise, a temple was announced in Montreal.

The Montreal Quebec Temple, courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

While serving a mission in Quebec, I rarely thought about a temple there, even though I was praying and working for a temple at home. Little did I know that the small successes we were having in that mission were not “small” in the eyes of the Lord. I could not have imagined that in little more than two decades, a temple would be announced for this beloved province.

We are now serving a senior mission in Athens, Greece. There are two small branches in this country, one branch in the city of Athens and another in Thessaloniki. reminiscent of my service in Quebec. The apostle Paul preached in both of these cities, the gospel has been here a long time.

How do we prepare for a temple in Greece? We need to find the bishops, stake presidents, relief society presidents and members to form faithful wards and stakes. We need to find the temple president and temple workers who will staff a House of the Lord in this historic country.

I challenge the Greek missionaries and members, young and old, to pray and work for a Latter-day Saint temple in Greece. The bishops and presidents, temple workers and patrons are out there. They need to be found. They are honest and searching individuals and families who seek the truth.

“For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” D&C 123:12

Greece missionaries on Mars Hill, Athens

It is up to us as members and missionaries in Greece to pray, develop faith, and then act. As we seek guidance from the spirit, we will be led to those who are prepared, who have been seeking temple blessings, even if they know not at this time what they are or where to find them.

What a time we live in. The adversary has never been as active in thwarting the Plan of Salvation as today, and the spirit of the Lord, the power of the priesthood has never been as extensive as today. Russell M. Nelson stated:

“So many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and he time He returns ‘with power and great glory’, He will bestow countless privileges, blessings and miracles upon the faithful”

The future of this country is bright. Faithful members of wards and stakes dotting Greece will attend a temple. Genealogy work in Greece will explode as the saints work to accomplish His plan on both sides of the veil. All of this starts with us.

Mission

Thank You President Soulier

Post author By Tim Frodsham
Post date December 29, 2024
1 Comment on Thank You President Soulier

Catherine and Tim Frodsham. 29 Dec 2024

Late last night, Catherine was scanning Facebook, something she rarely does, and found that President Jason Soulier, Mission President for the France Lyon mission, had passed away in his sleep early that morning. We were shocked.

The Souliers started their mission service in June, and we served under them for several months before our urgent transfer to Greece. In that short time, we became fast friends. Catherine, in particular, formed an instant bond with Jennifer Soulier. The couples in the mission office were new, and although we were WSR (Welfare and Self-Reliance) missionaries, we were the most experienced senior couple in Lyon and developed a warm relationship with the Souliers as they began their mission.

In an earlier post, I compared the three mission presidents under which we have served. I love and admire all three of these couples, capable and humble servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for Sister Soulier, far from home, with so many missionaries under her care. Abruptly losing a spouse is scary, heart wrenching and extremely painful. It leaves one numb and in a fog for a time. Tim and I pray for Sis. Soulier as we know how that feels. We wish there was something we could do to help or relieve some of the pain. Tim and I both know there are no words that help but we want Sis. Soulier to know we care for and love her and are praying for her and her family. We pray for their family, children and grandchildren who have lost such a powerful and worthy father and grandfather. We are also praying for our sweet senior missionary friends and our young missionaries serving in the Lyon Mission. They are in our hearts. We love them and are asking angels to attend to all of them. This news has ripped the rug out from beneath all of us and they need our prayers.

Thank you President Soulier for your example. Thank you for you dedication, love, compassion and passion for the work. Thank you for your devotion to, and focus on each and every missionary in your care. Thank you for genuine friendship and Christ-like Example. Till we meet again, till we meet at Jesus’ feet. We love you President and Sister Soulier!

Tags christianity, church, faith, france, grandchildren, lyon, Mission, Missionary work, missions, Prayer, Soulier

Mission

Aubrie and Ben’s Visit

Catherine Frodsham, December 2024

Aubrie and Ben came to Greece a few weeks ago! This momma’s heart needed this visit. It was a short visit but we packed it full! They flew in from San Francisco, layover in London, then flew to Athens. We picked them up and took them to our apartment. We ate Greek food, then they needed some sleep because we were leaving at 9 am in the morning to drive 3 1/2 hours away to Meteora, Greece. Meteora is in northern Greece near the Albania border. It is a beautiful unique mountain area with huge sandstone mountains that rise up and the monks built monasteries on top of these peaks. It is so amazing they could build these so long ago. It is so worth seeing. We stayed the night in Meteora and walked through the town and had several authentic Greek meals. The food is amazing in Greece!

We had a beautiful hotel and then got up and drove to Delphi that is on the way back to Athens – kind of. That was also so beautiful. We could see the Mediterranean Sea through the drive. In fact, after Delphi, we stopped at the Sea and got out and put our feet in the water – well Aubrie did. It was so beautiful! Greece has so much water all around and in and out of Greece. There are 300 islands small and large. One thing we discovered though that it is a 2nd world country. Lots of needs here.

We got back to Athens and went to dinner at our favorite restaurant, about a 5-7 minute walk from our apartment. It is great food. Although , I think Ben ordered lamb sausages and I don’t think he liked that. Aubrie had Moussaka. I had Giant Beans. We all had Greek salad that you can only get in Greece. Greece is known for its feta cheese. You have a huge slab of feta on every Greek Salad. It is very yummy. There is no lettuce, only tomatoes, red onions, olives, cucumber, g. pepper and feta and olive oil and spices. YUMMY.

The next day was Friday and we had a Zone Conference. We also had a few missionaries going home so a tradition in our mission is a testimony at Mars Hill early in the morning to watch the sun rise. The departing missionaries bear their testimonies and the new missionaries just coming to the mission also get a chance to bear their testimonies. Aubi and Ben got to be with us at Mars Hill to witness that special event. We also had Pres. Gerard and his wife from the Europe Central Area Presidency with us for our mission zone conference.

Tim went to the zone conference and Aubi and Ben and I walked over to the Acropolis. It is a lot of stairs and I have been there a couple of times so I sat on a bench and watched the people all around me while Aubi and Ben enjoyed the Acropolis. We then met my niece, Emily in Monastraki square for lunch and she took us to a cool place with more ruins and the museum. Emily married a Greek man 5 years ago and lives in Athens now. It has been so fun to have her here to visit and have family so close. She and Aubrie are the same age and have enjoyed keeping in touch over the years on Facebook and were excited to see each other.

We took the metro back to Emily’s car and she took us to a beautiful outdoor restaurant by her home. She only lives about 15 minutes from me. That was a miracle for us to be so close in this HUGE city of Athens! We had great pizza and visited with her husband , Thanasis. Tim drove to meet us there for dinner as well.

The next day on Saturday we decided to take a boat to one of the close islands – Agenana- the Pistachio island. There are ruins there too. ACTUALLY there are Greek and Roman ruins EVERYWHERE!!! We bought tickets and took the metro down to the port in Athens. There was a BIG storm coming in that day and our first ship cancelled. So we went to another bigger ship and they went for it. So we took that boat to the Island. It was so cool. I think Aubrie got a little seasick. But she was tired too. So it took an hour to get to the island.

On the island Ben and Aubrie decided to take a motorcycle to tour around. Tim and I walked around the little port and had lunch and shopped. It was a great day. It started to rain alot so we found a restaurant to hang out in until our ship came back. It was several hours but so fun to visit and eat and enjoy each other.

The next day was their last day!!! It was Sunday, so we drove to church. Our little branch meets in a hotel right now and it seats about 70 people. We sometimes have up to 50 visiting tourists but we didn’t have that many that day. We have about 30 members that come. So Aubi and Ben were able to see our little branch. There are lovely people there and wonderful missionaries. There was a young man who comes every week but he is not a member. He translates into English for us. IN fact, he was just called as a non-member to be our branches translator. WE LOVE HIM!! His name is Costas.

Costas is the young man making the peace sign

The picture above is at our apartment in Athens and all of the young and senior missionaries serving in Athens. We are few but we are mighty!

Side note: A miracle just happened last week we invited Costas to come to dinner at our apartment along with all of the young and senior missionaries in our branch. The missionary who found him a year ago and taught him the gospel is back in Athens and I invited Costas to have Elder Wahl teach him again in our home starting next Sunday. He agreed!!! We love him. We believe in miracles and things don’t just happen. The Lord is in charge and we know that. We just say what do you want us to do Lord!!

So after church we came back to our apartment and packed up Aubi and Ben. WE love those two so much. We took them to the airport and I cried all the way home. What a wonderful visit. THANK YOU FOR COMING Aubie and Ben!!

Tags adventure, athens, Aubrie and Ben visit, Emily, europe, Greece, Meteora, travel

Mission

Refugee Camps in Greece

Tim Frodsham, 11 December 2024

Back in the days of wood burning cell phones, I took a first aid class from the Red Cross. One of the subjects we covered was approaching emergency situations such as a car wreck or earthquake. The first step arriving on scene is assessment. Whose needs are the most critical? The answer is not the ones who are screaming. Their hearts are pumping and obviously, their lungs work just fine. Their situation may be serious, but they are alive, and at least for a time, they can wait. The ones whose needs are the most serious are the quiet ones, the ones who are silent and still. Their heart may have stopped or they may not be breathing. These are the ones for whom seconds may count, the ones whose needs are most dire.

Distributing Clothes at a community center serving refugee camps near Serres

In Greece, we have a perfect storm of refugee and homeless needs. Most refugees arrive in Greece on flimsy boats or rafts, coming from Turkey or Africa. The branch president of Thessaloniki described the journey of a recent arrival to several of the migrants who attend the branch and was surprised at the minimal response he received. It turns out that most of them had arrived on Greek shores via boat as well. One of the members attempted the boat crossing 20 times before he was successful. Incredible stories of persistence and faith reside right in his little branch.

Refugee Camp outside Serres, Greece

The Greek government ministries are attempting to handle a surge of migrants on budgets that were fixed years ago. We hear much about the situation of Migrants in Athens where we live. We are a metro ride from many of these organizations and visit them often. Thousands are in need of even the basics, food and clothing, and the shouts are continuous about their predicament.

The needs of Migrants in the refugee camps are even more desperate, particularly those on the Greek Islands. They lack the most basic necessities such as blankets and sheets, and winter is here. Scabies and other skin diseases are rampant through the camps. From the islands, we here stories of refugees, including women and children, sheltering in cardboard boxes during the rain. Funding is just not there, and the tiny populations of these islands cannot cope with the surge. The number of unaccompanied children arriving in Greece is also on the rise. Most come on their own, but some lost parents on the ocean crossing to Greece. These are the silent ones. Their plight is every bit as bad as a hurricane or earthquake survivor, but they don’t show up on the evening news. Due to their isolation, they are invisible.

NGO Light Without Boarders outside a refugee camp in Serres

When migrants reach Greek shores, most are picked up, or report themselves to the Hellenic Police, the national police department. The HP are tasked with processing each migrant, checking papers, trying to identify the terrorists and criminals among the many who are simply seeking asylum. This process can take less than a week, or up to six months. At this time, the migrants are put in the queue for an asylum interview. While being processed, they are held in detention centers and cannot leave. Due to the surge in migrants and lack of funding, many in these centers do not have even bedding and basic hygiene supplies.

Habibi Community Center outside a refugee camp near Ioannina

Once released from the detention centers, the Migrants are transferred to a refugee camp, run by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MoMA). Fixed budgets and surges in refugees have left many of the asylum seekers in these camps destitute as well. As in the detention centers, they lack blankets and bedding. In these camps, migrants wait for their asylum interview, which can take months, and then for the results of the interview, which can can take months or even years. During this wait, they receive a monthly stipend from the government, in the order of 70 euros a month. Families receive more, but it is still very small. After several months, an asylum seeker is eligible to find a job, but with unemployment in Greece at 35%, that is difficult. Many find jobs in the tourism industry, but the pay and benefits are small.

If a migrant is granted asylum, they are eligible to apply for travel papers and in many cases, a passport. If they are not granted asylum, they may appeal. Once a decision is made, all loose government benefits, including health care.

JRS Refugee School in Athens

There are many migrants in Greece who were denied asylum or are in Greece illegally. They cannot legally work and have no government benefits. Many women in this situation resort to prostitution, which pays as little as 3 euros a day (about $3.50). We had a woman at our church who was drawn to the missionaries and wanted to be baptized. She walked this very path and wanted to change her life.

Loading food bags at InterSOS

NGOs (Non Government Organization, to those from the states, a non-profit) are doing all they can to assist migrants and other vulnerable in Greece. Vela, an NGO working in Eastern Europe focuses on the unaccompanied children. They have established Safe Zones where the children receive shelter and food as well as medical and psycho-social support. Due to overcrowding and lack of funds, particularly on the Islands, many unaccompanied children reside in the regular refugee camps where they are susceptible to exploitation and abuse. Through the church, we did a quick project to supply blankets, coats and hygiene supplies to these Zones.

Distributing food and hygiene supplies at Koumoundourou Square. Photos courtesy of Ithaca Laundry

The men and women of the Greek Ministries are tireless in their efforts to cope with the crisis, but the asylum and refugee system in Greece is simply overwhelmed, and the humanitarian needs are great. The problem is multifaceted, and as a church, we cannot solve all of these problems, but we can help. One of God’s children at a time.

We love serving in Greece. The stories are hard to hear and the work seems endless, but we are His hands in ministering to those least fortunate.

Tags Asylum, christianity, Detention Center, Greece, homeless, immigration, Missionary work, Refugee Camp, Refugees