As we made our way back to Athens and real plumbing, we stopped at two world class locations. The first being Delphi, the belly button on the earth and the second, The Monastery of Ossios Loukas, which may be closer to the heart of the earth. Contained in this beautiful church were mosaics dating back to the 11th century. Along with the exquisite examples of Byzantine mosaics was the Saint who founded the monastery, Ossios Loukas. Laying incorrupt while awaiting Christ's return, he joins his work that to this day stands as a witness to the Glory of the Kingdom.  Campers and staff alike took time to pray and reflect on their lives. We then all joined in a small prayer service led by Fr. John.

Getting a letter from home is a great way to start an incredible day!

Driving through the country  gives both campers and staff plenty of time to reflect on the days events.

We were greeted by one of the monks and led to the chapel containing and Icon written by Saint Luke.

This Icon is almost 2000 years old!

"Speechless be the lips of the impious ones, those who do not reverence Your great icon, the sacred one, which is called Directress, and was depicted for us by one of the Apostles, the Evangelist  Luke." - from the Small Paraklesis

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A camper lights a candle before venerating the icon.

Fr. Jason and His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta. 

Deep within the cave we all took turns drinking from a spring. Mega Spilaion was founded in 362 A.D.  Being surrounded by such ancient reminders of our Faith is hard to comprehend. 

His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios took time to spend the day with the campers and share from the wealth of his knowledge. His Eminence grew up in this area which proved to make for a thoroughly enjoyable excursion.

Even with a tight schedule, there's time to soak in the incredible view!

Inside the Cathedral of Saint Andrew's.

Below a camper venerates the Skull of Saint Andrew.

Other campers spend time admiring the beautiful Icons.

Campers gather outside the Church.

 July 6, 2009

A 15 minute walk to the town of Glyfa to attend the Divine Liturgy at St. Marina ….was a beautiful way to start our second Sunday at Ionian Village. The church was filled with mostly Ionian Village Campers….and local villagers.  The church was beautiful and the locals welcomed us with open arms and love.

Following our walk back, the campers enjoyed freshly made Loukoumathes for breakfast!  Photographs were taken of each cabin and also the entire camp today in front of  our Chapel.

Sundays are when family visitors may visit campers.  I watched one grandmother as she reunited with her granddaughter.   They had not seen each other in four years, so their reunion was an emotional one.  

Before dinner, the campers went to the beach to for an annual tradition here at IV.  Making sand castles in the sand has been enjoyed by many who have had the opportunity to come to IV.  The teamwork and creativity of each cabin produced some truly amazing results. 

Our evening came to a close with “music night”!  Each cabin was given three minutes to sing or perform. These young people are remarkable….they are imaginative, humorous and respectable.  Some campers gave an individual performance. This was a day to remember.

Some of the Ionian Village campers singing a hymn to the Mother of God.

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Ionian Village Campers Singing

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The Ionian Village was awash today in red, white and blue colors to celebrate the 4th of July, America's Independence Day.  At the start of the day we celebrated the Orthros and right after the service our celebrant Fr. John had us all sing together a great and favorite tune of mine, God Bless America.

4th of July Festivities from Ionian Village

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4th of July and Carnival Sponges

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All the campers join in with the hymns.

Sharing the depth of the Faith on a daily basis exposes the kids to the richness of the Church.

Fr. Chris senses the icons.

The daily services reinforce the role Orthodoxy plays in our lives.

The day was filled with events and activities but generally a spirit of thanksgiving for the great country we live in and left a week ago to visit the land of our ancestors.  All of the counselor and campers remain truly united and thrilled to be here as you will hear from the interviews that are posted from Emmanuel and Rachel as campers to Jacob, John, Christine and Eleni who are counselors.  They still have many days together and much more to see and do.  Truly the friendships created here will last a life time.

Listen to campers and staff share what Ionian Village means to them!

Christine Cassimus Raps About Ionian Village

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Drew Baker - Program Director of Ionian Village

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Christine Whitton - Ionian Village Counselor

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Eleni Alevizos - Ionian Village Counselor

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Emmanuel Elderkin - Ionian Village Camper

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John Cocolis - Ionian Village Counselor

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Rachel Brown - Ionian Village Camper

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After a full day of activities we had a wonderful dinner together followed by a dance in honor of Greek Independence Day.  Tomorrow we will all walk about 1 mile to the local church of St. Marina in Glyfa to celebrate the Divine Liturgy as one family.  I am truly looking forward to this event as it will be my last day reporting to you from the Ionian Village.  Several volunteers have offered to begin to offer blogs and interviews so I hope you will continue to stay tuned.  

Getting ready to celebrate in grand style!

What's July 4th without ice cream? 

Father Chris from the carnival

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Signing off from Greece,

Fr. Chris

Today was filled more activity as the we switched roles and half the camp went to a different location.  Those who went to Olympia yesterday went to the Castro today and vice versa.  The only difference is that those of us who went to Olympia yesterday were treated to an incredible lamb and potatoes meal while those who went today which is a fast day ate macaroni.  Sorry about that kids...boy am I glad I went with the first group.  The food in Greece has been exceptional if I do say so myself.

Like true Spartans, our small group of campers fended off a much larger mass of tourists as we blocked the path for a group photo.

Olympians in the making. Campers enjoyed racing on the very track used in the first Olympics, unfortunately Bob Costas was not covering the event.

I want to also share some thoughts with you on the Castro we visited today.  Castro Chlemoutsi sitting on a hill overlooking the beautiful waters below was once one of the largest castle's in the main land of Greece.  It was built in 1220 by the Franks atop a 300 yard hill, it is considered the most beautiful and genuine example of French architecture of the 13th century in Greece.  Take the time to Google this impressive place and you will also see the names of people we know in the Orthodox Church such as Kolokotronis and Constantine Palaeologos.  A must see for the young campers.

NEE, PA, VOO, HUH? Campers learned the basics of Byzantine chant.

Once we returned from the excursion we settled into the regular routines of Orthodox Life session and activities.  In the evening we experienced our first Night with God.  This included sessions on: Byzantine Music, Saints and Icons, making prosforo, participating in the sacrament of Holy Confession and a general faith questions and answers segment.  You can actually hear a brief audio recording of part of the prosforo making class taught by Michelle, Presbytera Becky assisted by Presbytera Georgia.  Five priests prepared themselves to hear the confessions of these precious young souls as they took the evening to do some soul searching.  Frs. Mark, Jacob, John, Chris and Christopher spent over two and half hours this first night to begin to hear the confession of the campers.  From the looks of things many have expressed a desire to have their confessions heard which is a wonderful occurrence that should keep us busy for most of weekend.

Fr. Chris shares the beauty of God's forgiveness with a young camper before hearing her confession.

Father Chris talks about the sacrament of confession

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Tomorrow we will be on the grounds of the Ionian Village and at night we will have a Fourth of July celebration.  On Sunday we will walk from the camp to the local village in Glyfa where the priests will celebrate Liturgy in the local Church of St. Marina.  Stay tuned!

Fr. Chris

Fr. Mark starts out the day with chapel.

Interview with Father Mark

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This morning as the sun rose the entire camp was put into motion.  Half of us left to visit Ancient Olympia and the other half to the Castro nearby in six buses.  The counselors and campers were very exited to be leaving the grounds for a brief ride to these two historical sites.  While enroute the campers received an over view of the significance of each site which you will hear about in our audio interviews in more detail.  

In between travel, campers found time for the beach.

I traveled with the group going to Ancient Olympia.  After visiting the sites of the Temple of Zues and seeing the place of the lighting of the torch which accompanies the start of the official Olympic Games every four years we went to the Olympic field and each camper tried out their skills in running the entire length of the stadium which used to seat over 40,000.  I confess I was not up for the run in the incredible heat. It did not however seem to affect the young campers.

Half the campers spent the day in Ancient Olympia.

After Ancient Olympia we boarded our buses again and our group went to a very modern Best Western Hotel for a delicious lunch and a refreshing swim.  Once back on the grounds of IV we returned to our schedule and then a brief and much needed rest.

Vespers were again celebrated as we do every day and Fr. John spoke again about the Sacrament of Holy Confession which will be offered to the campers starting tomorrow evening.  After a brief discussion in the amphitheater we went to the IV beach for dinner, dancing and fellowship.  We had a fulfilling time of fellowship with one another as the sun set over the Ionian Sea.  

Another unforgettable day for all!  Tomorrow we switch places.  Those of us who visited Olympia will visit the Castro and vice versa.   Please continue your prayer for us.

 After a long day, everyone walked to the beach for a sunset picnic.

Fr. Chris

Tour Guide Introducing Olympia

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Tour of Olympia

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More Tour of Olympia

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Olympia Stadium

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Our day began with prayer and as usual ended with prayer.  However what transpired at the premier Orthodox Christian Camp in the world in between was far from ordinary.  The morning began with a request for me to accompany the doctor of the camp to the local hospital with one of the campers who badly sprained or had possibly sprained her wrist.  Due to the proper preparation of the IV staff by those in charge a doctor is always on call and on the campus to meet the medical needs of the campers and counselors.  Much to our delight the young lady faired well and returned to the camp about five hours after our departure.  I think I will reserve my comments about the medical system in Greece for now.

The day was filled with special activities and fellowship.  Young campers met with the priest who had traveled from the states to share the treasures of the Orthodox faith and spoke about many issues facing them today.  By far all of the young people I met were connected to their faith but were concerned about living out that faith while in high school or with their friends.  Let's face it being an Orthodox Christian in a world where anything goes can be a real challenge.  We discussed the various ways the young people can strengthen themselves and stay close to the church.

More Arts & Crafts... camp always has strings attached.

Another masterpiece in the making.

Soccer can sure take it out of you... thankfully cold water is never too far away!

Frs. Mark and Jason asked the I lead the evening Vespers which I gladly did.  It was truly inspiring to hear the young voices of the campers as they lifted their hearts to the Lord.  At the end of the service I began to share with them some thoughts about the sacrament of Holy Confession which all will have chance to participate in this week.  We spoke about the sanctity of the sacrament, the frequency of participating, what is a sin and what types of sins are confessed.  It is possibly one of the most uplifting of all services in our faith and I believe everyone of the campers will participate this year.

Pity the staffer on the delivery end of this throw. Wet sponges add excitement to the evenings activities.

Last but certainly not least was the evening event which tonight was the Carnival.  You will see many of the pictures Cameron took as well as the multitude of campers who participated in the various events and hear some of the events in progress.  If you listen carefully you might recognize some of the voices.

After a "serious" day of camp, there is nothing like a little Karaoke to lighten things up and get in touch with our inner Elvis.

Tomorrow it is off to Olympia.  Good night from the Ionian Village.

Fr. Chris

Ionian Village Impressions

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This being our second day of camping with IV we really did not know what would be happening except for the standard schedule which we were given.  tune. Mark and Jason did not let us down.  Much to our pleasant surprise the incredible energy and the guidance which the young people receive at the Ionian Village only continued but today even on a greater plane.  From the morning service all the way to the evening activity of Junk Yard War.  I cannot tell you impressed I am with the quality of the staff and the campers.  Everyone at this point even just a few days into the camp is melting together into one family.  Are you wondering what Junk Yard War is all about?  Make sure you view some of the pictures to find out!

Orthodox Life classes today focused on our relationships with one another and how important they are in the light of the relationship which has no bounds which is the Holy Trinity.  The evenings events were about team building and doing things together, even if it was building cars from junk.  You are just going to love these pictures. Tell you friends and relatives for sure to tune in.  

Students spend time in spiritual reflection and solid teaching in their Faith.

Students continued to stream onto the Athletic Field for kickball, into the pool for community swim and into the arts and crafts area to make things to bring home throughout the day.  Three wonderful meals were served to the staff and campers and not one complaint was heard.  Well, at least at my table.  Each day we even sing Happy Birthday--IV version that is--to those celebrating their birthday.

No matter how hot the Greek sun, the campers wanted to be in it.

Relay races only foreshadowed the fun ahead later in the evening.

Campers get ready in their "Junk Yard" cars for the big race!

Earlier in the evening, campers sang the Greek National Anthem for bonus points.

You will also hear some of the interviews I did with the children of the parents who attended the summer program. Frankly I am very impressed and humbled by this effort of our Holy Archdiocese and I thank our Archbishop Demetrios for his continued guidance.

After a long day at camp, the kids take time for Vespers.

Tune in tomorrow for a another day of fun at the camp.

Father Mark Leondis

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Junk Yard Cars

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Opening Ceremony of Ionian Village

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We arrived late yesterday to the beautiful grounds of the Ionian Village to begin one week of coverage and sharing.  Ionian Village for me has special meaning.  As I entered the flowered and well-manicured property I remembered my days here as a chaperone over 30 years ago.  Thousands of young people have come here from all of the Archdiocese, lead by their most capable priests and outstanding staff members they witness and explore the best that Greece has to offer while searching the inner most depths of their soul to connect with God and possibly even reconnect with Him as well. 

Saint Iakovos Chapel awaits another summer of campers and memories.

There time spend here will be filled with activities, trips to historical centers, venerating the Saints of the Church, Orthodox Life Classes, Hellenic Culture class (if you listen carefully you will here this class learning the Greek National Anthem), Athletics and much more.  You will also hear their voices in prayer during both the Orthros and Vesper services as well.

I was especially thrilled to see the bright shining faces of these wonderful young people as they began to form new friendships with their fellow campers.  By the way parents who send their children to this camp have nothing to worry about when it comes to food.  The food is delicious.  The dedication of the priests, Frs. Mark, Jason, John and Chris, along with the seminarians and counselors was obvious for everyone to see. 

What's Summer camp without Arts & Crafts? 

As we report to you each day (of course depending on our Internet Connection) we ask you to follow this profound trip with your family and friends.  Come back as often as possible and let us hear from you on our blog.

Fr. Jason takes some time to share his thoughts on IV.

Signing off for now.. Fr. Chris

Introduction to Ionian Village and a talk with Father Jason

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