June 24, 2026

Thessaloniki, Greece

Dear Family, 

First of all, I hope everyone is both doing and feeling well, whether you are in Myanmar, , Kenya, Indianna, Nebraska, Alabama, or Mayetta, aka “the greatest city on earth”. It has been a long time since I last saw you all!

While I was initially determined to visit the US and spend my last summer in high school catching up with the Hupp family and working at Dairy Queen, I believe God has opened another path for me. Just a few days ago, one of the summer programs I applied to, despite having initially rejected me, offered me a place at Oxford to engage with and study Mathematics alongside other talented students from across Europe. The program is called PROMYS Europe, and apart from coming face to face daily with very difficult math problems to solve, it will also give me the opportunity to visit England and the Orthodox Christian Monastery of Essex (which I hope to visit for a week after the Math Camp). Only 21 new students worldwide were admitted to the program.  

Personally, I also see this experience as a means to pursue my academic interests intensely, foster my independent living skills, and ultimately glorify my Creator throughout the whole experience. Of course, this does not mean we will be falling out of touch, as I will probably be feeling lonely and calling Mayetta quite a bit.

Besides informing you about these plans, I would also like to ask for your moral and financial support. Grandma and grandpa, I was and am looking forward to the next time I see you and I would have immediately turned down PROMYS’ offer if I didn’t believe it was part of God’s plan. I hope you will excuse my absence this year, knowing that I miss you. At the same time, the unsubsidized cost of the program will be about $1500. Thankfully, more than half of the program costs are covered by sponsors, and our family was awarded financial aid for a lot of the remainder of the cost. Unfortunately, I am currently under the legal working age here in Greece, which means I cannot work to pay the remainder expenses. I would be humbled if you remember me in your prayers this summer, and I look forward to the next opportunity we will have to be together.     

Love to you all,

Thanos Souldatos