Day 2: Trip to Old Corinth and Epidavros

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me." So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the Word of God.

    Acts 18:9-11

Today was filled with both challenging and edifying experiences. From having early morning conversations at breakfast to cleaning up after sharing a very late dinner together and all the incredible experiences in between, we undeniably grew closer as a group. After we ate breakfast (yummy Greek yogurt, fruit, cereal, and paninis), we immediately got on a bus to get started with our day traveling to Old Corinth and Epidavros! We even got our first official group photo.

 

As we drove past the gorgeous and blue Mediterranean Sea, we stopped at the Corinth channel (left photo), which in addition to its amazing view had bungee jumping and a few shops. No one bungee jumped... this time! We continued our trek up to Old Corinth with a breathtaking view of Akrokorinthos (right photo). Its springs are a source of water that flows down from the mountain still to this day.

Our next stop was the Corinth Museum. Its surrounding land is still an active archeological dig site. The remains of the Temple to Apollo is one of the first things we could see as we walked up the hill to the museum.

 

We took time as a group to read through Acts 18 and reflect as we walked where Paul walked. We sat in the Bema seat where Paul sat when he was tried and forced to stand humiliated where the whole town could see him. During this time of reflection, I thought about the words Paul wrote in Acts 18. Despite the fear he must have had, he stood up in courage and confidence in the Gospel of love and truth God had called Him to share with Greece. It was sobering and encouraging to be face to face with the reality Paul faced in the very ground we walked on.

Next, we walked over to Gemelos for a delicious lunch, which included tzatziki (Τζατζίκι), saganaki (σαγανάκι) which is fried goat cheese, fresh orange juice with mandarin oranges (unlike anything I've ever had before), and so much more. After we finished eating, the restaurant surprised us with ice cream!

Then, we walked back to the bus to head to Epidavros, which is only about an hour further past Old Corinth. We explored another museum, which had so many incredible reflections of the history of the city as well as Greece as a whole. These grounds also have many active archeological digs taking place even now.

Once we exited the museum, we got to experience the Amphitheater of Epidavros, which was only recently discovered and excavated in the 1990s. Epidavros was considered a healing place, so those who came seeking healing would be treated through various holistic methods that included but sometimes went beyond physical or medical treatment. One of the things required of those seeking healing was regular exercise, diet, and participation in various art forms, including theatre! We all got to take turns standing on the center of the amphitheater to experience the unbelievable acoustics, and make the trek up to the very top of the stairs.

On our drive back to the Greek Bible College, we stopped on the edge of a road at Cenchrea, which is where Paul was last encountered before he left Greece for good. It felt unreal walking on the ground Paul himself walked both in the beginning of his ministry journey in Greece as he entered the city of Ancient Corinth and as he departed by boat at Cenchrea.

We had a full day! What might be surprising is that my favorite moments were the bus rides to and from our stops. We dove more deeply into the context of 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy, and I was able to see the beautiful theme of God's unconditional love through some of Paul's teachings. It was truly a monumental day in my own faith, and I cannot wait to see how God continues to move in each of us over the next few weeks!

- Hannah Burkowske