Tag: athens

Forever Friends

Catherine and Tim Frodsham

It has been one month since we completed our missionary service in Athens, Greece. As newly weds, we came into the relationship and our mission with separate friends; his and hers. During our 18 months of service, we have made numerous mutual friends, friendships that will last forever, friendships that we have forged together.

Here are missionaries at our last zone conference.

We made many friends in Athens. Catherine befriended Kelly, a sales clerk on Monastiraki Square in Athens, and invited her to share dinner in our apartment. She came, and listened in on a missionary discussion with Kostas. Though she hasn’t attended church yet, she has been attending institute every week. We fed Mahmoud many times in our. apartment and worked with him on self-reliance and finding a job.

Her hair dressers and her nails lady have become fast friends, and cried at her last appointment.

Even at our favorite local restaurant, Catherine always gave the waiters a hug and a large tip each time we came for dinner. They would see us through the window as we approached, and give a hearty wave. It was more than just the money, we spent the time to laugh and talk with them.

Catherine is always on the lookout for those in need on the street. At a strategic intersection on our way to the church, a refugee offered to wash windows while one waited at the stop light. It was a long light, so he could wash two or three windows during the wait. We had the cleanest windshield in Athens. There was also a man who waited outside the grocery store, and was there every time we came to shop. He was the kindest man, with a jovial smile and would tease me every time we came to the store entrance. It was winter and I was always in a polo shirt. He would hold his arms and shiver every time he saw me, and I would feign excessive heat, wiping my brow and fanning myself. Catherine left him 50 euros the last time we shopped and he was nearly in tears.

There were three apartments in our building. Our Landlady lived on the first floor, we lived on the second and the daughter and son-in-law lived on the third. We conversed well each time we met on the stairs or in the ground floor parking. They even invited us to share their Easter meal with us, which we mentioned in our Easter post.

We befriended many members of the branch. Aliki was baptized not long after we left Athens. Gogo is the oldest member of the branch. During one of our branch celebrations, she did a traditional Greek dance. Normally, dancers would throw glasses or ceramic dishes to the ground, shattering them during the dance. Gogo was throwing plastic cups during the dance. Jimmy is an excellent pianist, but his mother could never get him to play for Sacrament meeting. Catherine just needed to ask him once. He played the Sacrament hymn that Sunday, and has since played for the services.

We love the missionaries, whether in our home or at church

One of the greatest joys of serving a senior mission is working with other senior missionaries, and for us, both in the mission and in the area office in Frankfurt. We love these dedicated couples and senior sisters and look forward to many reunions after we return.

On our last day as missionaries, we hosted an appreciation event for all of the people and organizations we had worked with over the last nine months, and who collaborated with the church over the last two years. We have to come to love these dedicated people who follow the light of Christ, even though many of them do not really know what this means. Many we have invited to visit us if they ever make it to the western United States.

We love these new friends. We have served by them and with them. They remind us that, even in a world in turmoil, buffeted by the adversary and his legions, there are many stalwart people who follow the light of Christ and are his hands of comfort and service.

Tags athens, Greece, Mission, missionary, Missionary work, missions, service

Mission

Family from Home

Catherine Frodsham 1 May 2025

We had visitors!!! After visiting Portugal for 4 days where Ari served his mission for our church, Ari and Alyssa flew into Athens on March 18th! It was so much fun hugging these two wonderful kids of ours!! We drove home because it was in the evening and then we walked to our favorite restaurant near our apartment. GREEK FOOD EVERYONE!!!

We had only two days to give them a tour of Greece. So Wednesday we went to the Metro and went to Athens Monastiraki Square. There you can see the Parthenon on the Acropolis. We hiked up the hill and they were able to see the beautiful ruins of the Parthenon. Then we walked to Syntagma square. I am trying to remember if we saw the changing of the guard? but we did for sure go to the Olympic Stadium where the first international Olympic games were held in 1896! I love that stadium. They have a museum where all of the torches from all of the Olympics since then are hung on a wall. It is so cool!!! They have posters you can buy of many of the Olympics, and I bought about 6.

We then took a taxi to Lykabettus Hill which is higher than the Acropolis so you can see all of Athens and the Aegean Sea. It is stunning. It is so much fun to show off our town of Athens. We ate up on top of the hill at a restaurant. CATS EVERYWHERE!!! Ugh…. It was so beautiful to see all of Athens!

We came home and Alyssa helped me with my Appreciation Event Thank you bags. It was very helpful.

The next morning, we went to Sounio which is my favorite place in Greece. It is at the tip of the peninsula under Athens, and it is called the “Temple of Poseidon” I LOVE THIS PLACE! you can see all around the Sea and so many islands are all around. It is beautiful. We then went to lunch right on a beach under the temple of Poseidon. We had some icky fish that Ari and Tim and Alyssa like. See the pictures. Gag me with a spoon!

But I can always find something yummy on the menu. We then headed to Corinth. We stopped at the canal that was built in 1893. Then we went to the ruins of the old city of Corinth where Paul taught the people for about 18 months. Paul was beaten and tried in Corinth. Poor Paul, wherever he went he was beaten, tried and put in prison.

We came home and might have gone to the restaurant again and bakery right by our restaurant. There is good food here in Greece and good baked goods. The Greeks love honey and seem to douse all the sweets in honey like baklava is juicy and smothered in honey. They have an orange cake that is dripping with juicy sweet honey sticky juice. Not my favorite… I told Tim I can’t wait to get home and have a good donut…..even if it is plain!!! The sweets in Europe so far are not my favorite! They look beautiful but they are just sooooooo sweet. the sugar is very different here. They don’t do cakes like we do at home for birthdays. They have cream or honey or different things in them no frosting its different.

So, every night my Ari would yell from his bedroom. “Good night mom!!” Tim and I would just laugh our heads off. Ari has always been my little boy. My last child, my buddy in crime, my sweet little boy. He has my heart. He and Alyssa were hard to say goodbye to because they are so easy and fun to be around. WE LOVE YOU BOTH! Thank you for coming to see us on our mission in Athens, Greece.

Tim and I drove home and washed the sheets because we had more family coming the next day!! Elise and Mike and their four children , Lydia, Mya, Collin and Emma came to visit. They came from Ammon Idaho. Their visit was much longer. They arrived on Saturday. We showed them around our apartment and then took off to the metro and downtown Athens. I felt so sorry for them, the kids started falling asleep on the metro. It is a very long flight from Idaho to Greece.

We took them to Monastiraki Square which I love and we took them to my favorite jewelry story. My favorite girl that works at the store’s name is Kelly and just for information that was her last day at work. It was meant to be that we went that day. She gave me her phone number and wants to go to our church.

We had fun shopping and took them to the Acropolis and Parthenon and the Agora. Then we got an ice cream at our favorite Divinci’s place. Then Mike had a restaurant that he wanted us to try it had great reviews so we walked 100 miles to find it. It was good. Then we headed back to the metro and home. The next day was Sunday so we all got ready for church and they got to attend our little Athens branch in the Illicia Hotel. Yes, we are meeting in a hotel for now while our building is being renovated. I play the keyboard and Collin helped pass the sacrament and Elise said the closing prayer. Everyone is needed in this little branch. They loved meeting our family. Then we came home and I stayed to cook dinner because we were having missionaries and Kostas over for a missionary discussion and dinner. Tim took his family down to the Olympic stadium and Syntagma square and they got back just in time for dinner. We had a great time with the missionaries. We all LOVE Kostas – he is a favorite of mine here in Greece. He met the missionaries over a year ago and has taken the lessons on and off. He was called as a translator for our ward even though he is not a baptized member. We absolutely love him.

Well on Monday I believe we went to Sounio and Corinth and had a fabulous time. See the pictures. On Tuesday Mike, Elise, Mya and Lydia left for Istanbul. So, they got up and drove to the airport or Tim took them. They spent 3 days in Istanbul. We had Collin and Emma and had a ball. I am sure it was not as fun for them but Tim and I took them to JUMBO which is Greece’s dollar store on steroids. They picked out some games and a puzzle and bubbles and nerf guns. YES NERF GUNS. Nana’s favorite. We still needed to do missionary work. We also had zoom meetings that we attended some in our apartment and some in the car! We have a young man named Dimitrious in our ward that is filling out mission papers. He needed an interview with someone in the Area by zoom so he asked if he could come do that at our apartment. Tim took Collin and Emma out for lunch and to play at a little park by the restaurant near out apartment. So Dimitrious could have his meeting in private. He is a great kid and we love him. (His papers are now in Salt Lake and we are waiting to see where he will be called. His parents aren’t members so it is not easy for him to go.)

When Mike, Elise and the girls got back on Thursday night from Istanbul we packed up to go for a few days down the Peloponnese peninsula. Melissa and Brian just arrived today from California. Yay we are all here together. We have 2 blow up beds and 2 couches all being used! The more the merrier! We got up Friday morning and drove to a beach town called Tolo!! That place was beautiful and right on the beach. The kids had so much fun running on the beach and they actually went swimming in the cold sea!!! Yikes!! Too cold for Papa and me. Mike and Elise went in too! Tim and I walked on the beach – so beautiful.

I don’t remember all of the names of the places we drove to but we drove to a Malakasa and stayed two nights at a beautiful hotel. The only thing that was sad was their pool was not filled and they had their beach access closed off. We were just out of season. The kids were not happy but we went to some cool places. We drove to Sparta and Olympia. In Sparta we walked around the ruins and saw the stadium and very cool ruins. We also saw some VERY old olive trees.
I love the Olympics and Olympia is where it all started thousands of years ago. It was so cool to see those ruins. We found the place that the Olympic flame is started for every Olympic game. They get a magnifying glass and use the sun to start the flame.

Then they light the torch and run it in to Athens stadium and then send it to where ever the Olympics is going to be held at. It is so cool to know that history!! We saw some cool castles and whenever we saw something we wanted to look at we would stop. We had a good time. We had our car with 3 girls and Tim and I and then Mike and Elise rented a car and had Melissa and Brian and Collin in their car. We had a great time all together.

Thank you, Mike and Elise, Mya, Lydia, Collin and Emma for coming and spending 10 days with us!! Mike and Elise and family left on Tuesday April fools!! Then Wednesday Melissa, Brian, Tim and I drove to Meteora and stayed up there. That place is awesome. It has to be one of the seven wonders of the world! How did they build those monasteries on top of those peaks?? We had fun there and drove home the next day. Then Tim, Melissa and Brian drove to Napflio to stay on the beach and see that beautiful city. They got home on Saturday and then left on Sunday April 6 – General Conference day! Thank you, Melissa and Brian, for coming and spending 10 days with us! We loved having you with us!!

Then we hurried to do laundry because we were having senior missionaries coming to stay with us for Mission Zone Conference the next week!! Devin and Wendy Lamb came on Tuesday. We love those friends. Devin actually grew up in Newcastle, CA!! Isn’t that funny! Of all of the places! He is much younger than I but we do know a lot of the same people. Frank Delaney who was in my Stake in Roseville and then a Temple Recorder when I worked in the Sacramento Temple Office was Devin’s Bishop! Such a small world. We took a picture and sent it to him!! I will write a different post about our last Zone Conference.

Well, if you all can believe it The Lambs left on Saturday and on Monday morning my Zachary and his wife Rachel came!!! We went to the airport at 9 am and we were waiting at the gate and I get a call and its Zach!! He says where are you mom? I said I am at the airport where are you?? They landed and walked outside?? What??? By the time Tim and I got there, which wasn’t late, actually they were out front! We were both on our phones talking to each other when we saw one another!! I ran to him like a gazelle on a Safari!! He picked me up and swung me around. It was so great to see each other.

But we only had Monday and Tuesday and then they were leaving on Wednesday. My kids don’t stay long? ha-ha! Zach and Rach had first gone to Rome and Florence and had a great time. It is hard to leave littles at home. So, we called my niece Emily and she met us at IKEA parking lot and we picked her up and drove to Sounio. You all know how I feel about that Temple of Poseidon. It is my favorite place in Greece so far. We then had lunch in a little beach town. It is so pretty on the coast. Then we drove Emily to her car and she went home to meet her husband’s family. Then we took Zach and Rach to Corinth. We saw the canal first and then went to the ruins. It is a place where the Apostle Paul spoke and taught the Corinthians. Then we drove way up on the hill above the ruins where there is a huge fortress. It was closed but we have pictures.

The next day we took them into Athens by the Metro. What an experience that is!! We got off at Monastiraki Square and then hiked up to the Parthenon on the Acropolis Hill. Mars Hill is up there as well but they have blocked it off. Tim and I let Zach and Rach go to the Parthenon by themselves because we have been there quite a few times. It is a hike with a lot of marble stairs. We then took them to the Olympic Stadium which is my favorite. Tim and Zach had a race. Tim is a fast runner and I think in the end Zach won but Tim gave him a run for his money. ;-|) My favorite spot there is the museum which houses all of the Olympic torches from all of the Olympics!! So cool. Then we walked to our illicia building where there was a concert for our little branch by a man named ? he was pretty good. It was nice of him to come to our little branch to sing for us. The missionaries brought friends and it was good for us to be there. They got to meet our missionaries we serve with and our friend Kostas. Then the next morning it was time to take Zach and Rach to the airport. My kids come and go so fast!!

Luckily, we are going to see all of our kids and grand kids in a few weeks. We have missed them so. We have great families. Tim and I feel very blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful children and grandchildren!

Tags acropolis, athens, europe, Greece, methoni, olympia, sparta, travel

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

Humanitarian Work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Post author By Tim Frodsham
Post date October 31, 2024
1 Comment on Humanitarian Work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

From time to time, we here about the humanitarian work done by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In conference or in church publications we hear briefly about the amount of money or the number of projects carried out by our church. We also hear critics lament that the church is hoarding money, and we should give it to the poor. It reminds me of the story in John chapter 12; Mary taking an alabaster of expensive oil and pours it on the feet of the Savior. Judas Iscariot complains that a better use would be to sell the oil and give the money to the poor. It isn’t that simple.

As part of my doctoral work, I studied the humanitarian efforts of the western world, and how little impact these efforts had made over the last 50 years. The title of one of the books I researched says much: ‘The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good” by William Easterly. Though the book is out of date, almost 20 years old, his main points are valid today. It is hard to help others through humanitarian work. Roads are built which soon fall into disrepair. Wells are dug which fail after a few short months. Much of the aid given makes the recipients all the more dependent and even worse off when the aid stops. Handing out money only fuels this problem.

Most of the aid given by the west is dictated top down. Money and goods are dispensed by what we westerners think should be done, with little regard for cultures and customs of the people receiving the aid. Giving aid or help in any form requires intense thought and care in how that aid will be received and interpreted by the recipient culture and society. We are all about aid which fosters long term independence and self-reliance. Money alone does not help. Look at the amount of of money poured into the United States welfare system, creating generations of dependents. The U.S. welfare program destroys families and punishes those who try to work their way to independence.

Large foundations and other organizations, when dispensing aid, usually approach a community and dictate the aid they are going to provide. They tell the country or community what they think they need, what service or goods they are going to provide, and what they should do to fix their problems. Any aid given which does not understand and respect local cultures, and which is not aimed at developing self-reliance in the long term is doomed to failure.

The churches approach is not to dictate what we are going to do for you, but “what do you need?”, “How can we help you with these problems”. The church advances slowly into a new region or a new type of aid, relying on the expertise of those organizations already entrenched in the local population. Rather than becoming just another organization in the fray, we learn from those experienced in aid to the region, and consult with local leaders as to what we can do as a church to help them help themselves.

In the past, the church has provided aid through Latter Day Saint charities. The name of the Church was not used. Missionaries wore special tags that did not have the name of the church on them. Late last year, the humanitarian missionaries here in Greece hosted an NGO appreciation event, with catering and gift bags for those in attendance. As we visit the various NGO representatives, many of them mention the appreciation event, and were surprised that we are a church. They assumed we were just another small philanthropic foundation. That has changed. Though we were given such tags in the MTC, we were told soon after that we should wear our missionary tags. We use the name of church and introduce ourselves as missionaries for the church with everyone we meet.

Sometimes this backfires. Recently, a large donation was rejected by an organization in Eastern Europe because those working in their philanthropic wing threatened to quit rather than accept funds from the Mormons. We are not after the honor or the publicity, but people should know in an open, honest manner what our church is doing in the world.

The Nelsons, The Frodshams, Laura Papa (Front, 2nd from left) Eleni Metsa (back right)

We recently met with Laura Papa, the founder of a local charitable organization, METAdrasi. She rejected many offers from foundations and other organizations because there were too many strings attached to the funding. These organizations dictated to her what she needed to do to help the refugee women and children in her care, but it was not what they really needed. She would forgo funding rather than provide the wrong type of help. Her focus is to help refugee women rise above their circumstance and learn to provide for themselves and their children.

We have been in Greece two months, and have met many other wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to the assistance of the poor and needy.

Saffron Kitchen operates in down town Athens, providing thousands of meals for refugees, homeless and other vulnerable people in the city center. They work through dozens of other organizations to distribute meals. Each time we visit their facility, we are overwhelmed by the energy and commitment they exude. They not only feed those who have no idea where the next meal is coming, but they foster independence and self-reliance by hiring and teaching refugees how to cook.

The Irida women’s center in Thessaloniki focuses on women and their dependent children. Many of these refugee women have experienced untold tragedy and horror as they made their way to Greece. Pregnant, destitute, children in their care, the center provides a safe haven where they can heal and receive social and legal counseling.

Ithaca Laundry takes a mobile laundry van to various places in Athens to wash clothes of refugees, homeless and others who have no way of laundering their clothes. They provide counseling as well as people wait for their laundry. There focus is again on self-reliance. Job seekers can now go to an interview with clean clothes. Children to school.

The church has provided medical equipment for several municipal clinics in Thessaloniki and Larissa, as well as a clinic run by Médecins du Monde – Greece (Doctors of the World) in Athens.

One dentist spends two day a week at the clinic providing dental care for refugee children. We love their commitment and their energy.

We asked many of these dedicated individuals what problems they themselves face in this unending work. The response we hear most is “burnout”. Day to day they lift the hands and heal the hearts of those who have passed through unspeakable horror and yet continue to struggle, and in many cases, to thrive.

Many of the people pictured here have little belief or even knowledge of their Savior, but they are directed by His spirit. I pay tribute to these dedicated, caring people who spend their lives in the service of the least fortunate. We are blessed to have met them, work with them, serve as His hands in their support.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is working to gather Israel, both spiritually as well as physically. We are humbled to be the Lord’s hands in Greece. His work rolls forward with each step we take. Each small gesture for good. Each penny donated by a primary child. Each humble prayer that ascends to heaven. A phrase by one of the wonderful senior sister missionaries here in Athens comes to mind. “Who wouldn’t want to be us”. What a joy to be in His service.

Tags athens, bulgaria greece mission, christianity, doctors of the world, europe, Greece, Humanitarian, irida, ithaca laundry, latter day saint charities, metadrasi, Missionary work, saffron kitchen, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints