Sep 26, From TURKEY to Neopolis, GREECE

Hi folks!  

On Friday, we crossed the border into GREECE!  Our route of travel was this:  We started from Canakkale, TURKEY (green pin on map), to the ferry ride across the Dardanelles Strait, continued the bus ride (blue line on map) to the GREECE-TURKEY border, said goodbye to Baris, our Turkish tour guide, changed bus, crossed the check point, and met our new tour guide, Eva.  We continued our road trip to Kavala, Greece (red pin on map) where we bedded down for the night.

Interesting bit of trivia:  Canakkale, where we began with a walk from our hotel to the ferry dock, is very near the ancient city of Troy.  If you remember the story of Troy, with the Trojan Horse, we walked passed the Trojan horse that was used in the movie, "Troy", starring Brad Pitt.   It was given to the city after the movie was released in 2004.

It was primarily a FUN travel day, beginning with a ferry ride across the Dardanelles strait.  

This is David and Tina Philpot of Dunwoody UMC, Atlanta, GA.  How happy they are!!

John and Diane Rhea of Dunwoody UMC, Atlanta, GA.

Martha Davis of Dunwoody UMC, Atlanta, GA.

Our destination hotel Friday night was in the Greek city of Kavala (red pin on map).  What is important for us to know is that Kavala is the first recorded European location of the landing spot of the apostle Paul during his 2nd missionary journey.  Today, it is called Kavala.  During Paul's time, it was called Neopolis.  It is from this point that we pick up Acts chapter 16:

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas (near Canakkale where we left today). 

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia (which is part of northern area of Greece today) and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. From Troas (near where we left Canakkale today) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis (today called Kavala). (‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭6-11‬ NIV)

There is a church just two blocks from the shore here in Kavala (Neopolis in Paul's time) that memorializes the arrival of Paul to the European continent:

The mosaic depicts 2 scenes (see next pic):  

1) Paul, sitting on the ground, has the vision of the Macedonian man telling him to come to Macedonia (left half of mosaic, Acts 16:9);  

2) Paul coming ashore (right half of mosaic, Acts 16:11).

Johnny and Ann Stone and their daughter, Susan Unkles.

Want to see where he stepped ashore?

This is a Roman aqueduct in the town Neopolis (Kavala, today)

This was our day Friday.  For Saturday, follow along with me for the remainder of Acts 16! :-)

Ying