mount athos- day 1

All thanks be to God for blessing me in such great abundance on the Holy Mounyain. I am currently on my way back to Thessaloniki after spending 4 days and 3 nights on Mount athos, greece. I will post by day. I left my pansion in ouranoupolis at 5:50am thursday morning. The ferry left at 6:30am. After 2 days of rough sleep because of nnervousness and excitement, and after months and months of planning, i was finally on my way there. God had actually mqfe it possible for me to go to this place blessed by God whence so many saints had luved, and still live! I was actually going! Then we passed the bend in the peninsula, and i saw the mountain-athos- for the first time. I had plans to climb to the chapel bear the top, but at his point, it still hadnt fully registered. I was so excited! Then we started to pass the monasterie. And i realised i hadnt charged my camera the night before. This meant i had 2 bars of power until the following night, when i reached simenopetra monastery. Oh great. It was so hard to resist the temptation to take pictures of everything. On the ferry, the first people i met were 2 younger greeks. They were going to kafsokalivia, like me. Except they were staing there. They were going to see a father there. For one, it was his first time. For the other, he was a very experienced visitor. When i told him of my plans, they were very surprised. The one ad hiked to the top of the mountain maybe 6 or 6 times. But never this early in the year. He relunctantly said it was possible. I soon learnt that people on mount athos, mounks and pilgrims alike, have a different measure of what is accaptable or "normal". Even though peeople thought what i was doing was crazy, they accepted it; i think probably because they realise that God is in charge, and He makes the impoassible possible. And i would learn that on Athos, this is no rare occurance. I also met a russian monk from st sergios monastery in russia on the ferry. He wanted to come live on mount athos. He said it was easier to praise God here. He was going to visit some friends. He also told me that he didnt like st panteleimon (the only russian monastery on athos. He said the brotherhood was not so good. (so i croased that one off my list of places to visit). He also told me that the 4 day visa was only an excuse to kick people off he told me he stayed for 3 months last time without extending his visa. He told me i should stay linger. Too bad i already jad my flight out of greece booked. Oh well. He also told me good monasteries and communities to visit. I bid him farewell, and walked up the 200meters from sea level to the skete (Small monastic community) of kafasokalivia with the 2 greeks i had met. It was so beautiful, but so difficult. The russian monk had told me, "you can make it to panagia (the chapel o near the top of the mountain if you are strong." after these tiny first steps (panagia is 1500 meters up) i thought "and how am i supposed to make it?" but i knew i had to. I was determined. And i had the aupport of those who i met. Then we met 2 monks at kafsokalivia. The priest gave me his blessing, and i loaded my bottles with water, accepted the sandwich the greek guy gave me, and began my long walk. Somehow (at this point i didnt know why), i knew i had absolutely nothing to worry about. The Lord made it clear to me in the days leading up to athos that i would have to deal with my worries and fears on athos. The words i had with me were i think from psalm 125: those who trust in God are like mount zion which cannot be moved." and i was climbing to the top of a mountain probably not unlike mount zion in some sense. I had to trust. The monk at kafsokalivia told me it would be maybe a 5 or 6 hour hike. I left at 10 am. I had maybe 16 or 17 kgs in my bag. Maybe a bit more at the beginning. I began my hike. Alone. I was walking maybe half hour or less before stopping to make rests. And these were the more substantial rests. I had to stop every 5 mins or so to catch my breath. I thoguht, "i sure aint off to a great start." then at some point i realised that it didnt matter. I would get there when i got there. It was absolutely insignificant what time i got there or how long it took. I didnt have a deadline and i didnt have to prove anything to anyone. I was free. Then i began to pray. The Jesus prayer (lord Jesus Christ son of God have mercy on me a sinner) was a constant source of strength. And so were my gospel tunes. Especially 'i saw the light'. Thats a great one. Although i was too short of breath to actually sing, so i sung them in my head. You wouldnt believe what a challenging way it was. Very rocky in many places and steep! But i thought, "the way to you, Lord, aint easy, but its worth it". In my walk, i passed hermitages, cells, and sketes all along the way. I never saw anyone. Ut i knew there were monks all over the forest around me. It was very cool. Then i made it to the crosspath to turn up and begin the actual jike up the mountain. I reached here just after 1pm. There were warning signs from what i could tell(they were in greek and russian) telling the pilgrim that it was a long and hard path: 3 and a half hours. . I began the ascent. Boy, was it hard. But the view was amazing after not even that far. I walked so slowly. But it was great. I kept thinking about panagia chapel. I couldnt wait to see it. And again, and again, and again, i sill didnt see it. Then at around 4 pm, i finally did see it. I was overjoyed. And i saw someone else there. This would become my friend fromrussia. He didnt speak any english, so i communicated with ukrainian. He asked me if i was going to the very top (another 550meters). I said i didnt know. Panagia chapl had obviously been recently renovated. There was the actual chapel part, then there was a room with a well and fireplace, and a room with maybe 15 bunks. Much better than the wooden planks that had been described to me. Then i went outside, thinking i would sit in my journal. And i began to hike up. Maybe 45 or 50 mintues. I made it almost to the last tree and to where the snow started. I thought, its still probably at least half hour. It could get dark soon, and it is dangerous with the snow. I was also completely satisffied and ready to take my boots off. Then 40 mins of walking diwn, i met the russiqn, nd guess what he asks me? "you wanna go up?" !! I said 'no way. Im done.' but then a sudden change inside. Deep down i wanted to go to the top, and with someone else, it would be better. I thought, 'perhaps this is the Lords doing.' so i said, 'ok, lets go'. We walked and we walked. After about40 minutes, t was 6pm. It was beggining to get darker, and he said tjat perhaps that was far enough. I thought at first, 'is this guy kidding me?!?' i walk all the way up here- again!! After hiking all day long. So i said, "15 more minutes." in those 15 minutes, i had to crush my pride. I realised my drive to get to the top was now out of pride. Plus it was also stupid- it was getting dark, and we were full on in the snow at that poi.t. So at 6.15pm. We took some pictures, and again, with no regrets, we turned around and started the descent. It is a good thing too. By the time we got back, it was almost completely dark. I think it was just after 7pm by then. Then inside, i met a romanian and a russian. I really badly just wanted to take off my boots and go to bed at that point (nearly 9 hours hiking in one day! And mostly completely uphill). But again, i tried to step on my bodies own desires, and talked with the other guy for maybe 45mins. Then to bed. And it was chilly. We didnt make a fire. The good part was, we would leave at 6am the next morning, so we should get a decent 9 hours of sleep (haha- think agai; it was a very rough sleep and long night). But the Lord is good. Day 2 will come later.