The singer who dedicated her life to God by Tanya Llieva

(Amateur translation)
"You have very nice eyes!" I told her in front of the monastery where she lived for 15 years. She looked at me and lowered her eyes and said, "I had!"
The life of the abbot Teonimfi is divided into two periods: the first one as the famous singer Maria Alexioupoulo and the second as a nun in one of the monasteries near Athens. The place where she chose to finish her earthly days. Here is her story:
I was in the Peristeri neighborhood. We were 6 children in the family, I was the biggest one. My mother was from an artistic family, there were musicians and they all had beautiful voices playing the mandolin and, as you know, I was drunk with the song .
My father was a man of God, every Sunday he felt need to go to the church to pray. He preached at home once a week, we grew up with the catechism. My father had such a belief in God that when He spoke of it, the tears were flowing I was a good student and excellent in religion. When I was 10 years old, my dream was to become a dancer, I loved dancing. From all I danced I loved the classic ballet. I remember how I played and listened to wonderful tunes and I imagined the sky dancing in white clothes at I was not convinced by one of my grandfather's friends, a musician. They said, "Why do you do that with Maria? She has such a nice voice, she left to develop her gift. " Eventually one of them played for one of the bands in Ekali promised to take me there to sing and return me home at night. My boss trusted me so I started. There all women showed me great love, I was "I was a pretty girl, very innocent, I had not lived yet. Then I started singing at the" Fairy of Athens " "in Kipseli. Then I started singing Vuogiolaki songs and slowly became famous. When I went to Thessaloniki I met Clala and started I started publishing my first album in 1966. My band was already convinced that I would become a singer. After my first album, I went to sing the Thessaloniki Film Festival and there I won the first prize. Then I went to Spain at the European Festival ,
I found work, left the store, liked the silence, did not smoke, did not drink, did not play cards. I was leaving at 10 am and went back to sleep in the morning. At that time I did not have time to go to church even though I was taught by my family to live in another way. My successes were many. Yet I think it was the way of God and devote myself to Him. Meanwhile I got married, two children, two little girls, Constantina and Eleftheria, were born to me. My husband I did not want to work in the nightclubs and stopped me. That was the time when I was already they were sounding constantly on the radio. Four years later, my husband's job was broken and I had to start working again. It was difficult for me because I had missed much. The same time, with the money I had saved from the songs, I started to produce healthy food ,
They told my whole family only to me. Then there was a phone call from the store that she had not arrived and they asked me if something had happened. I went to the police and from there they said, "Your daughter, madam, is dead. "I did not see anything before I went to the couch and fell down. I turned to God and asked," Are you crying, Lord with me? " It was dawn. Nearly immediately the journalists came home, they gave me tranquilliers, hid all the newspapers not to see my child's face. Then I realized that we were nothing but mud. God helped me recover. We went with my husband abroad I remember when I first entered Eleftheria's room, my second daughter and saw her weeping, I could not bear it. But in front of her I was like a mountain, I did be strong. My breath knew how I felt,
I stayed with my daughter. I did not want to see anyone, I did not want to hear anyone, I did not care about anything. I went to church, to liturgies, felt relieved, felt my soul happy. In 1986 I decided to go to an old man to become a nun. No one has influenced me, I made my own decision. Just me, but I can not say exactly what happened. That's between me and God. First I became obedient and in 1992 I became a nun.

Here come people from all over the world, Greeks from abroad and Cyprus, miracles happen with children who are sick. The Virgin Mary is everywhere and protects me. Please do not write where the monastery is, because I will not open to anyone, just on Sundays .
The one who wants to meet me with his soul and come here to worship, be sure my child will find me. Here are many nuns. I awake every day at 4:30, just come out and talk to God, I write a chant, I'm working in the monastery all day. I've been sleeping for three hours, and that's enough for me. Sometimes I forget to eat but I do not mind. I'm very happy now, my soul is relaxed. I'm not afraid of old age Death, please God take me when he is ready.
In the monastery there is everything, nothing is lacking, God takes care of us. Sometimes I have temptations, but I try to fight them. I have two grandchildren from Eleftheria - Panagiotis Nicholas and Maritana - I love them very much. rules in my life, but God has thought about everything. I would like to become a nun before, but then the Lord wanted it to happen.
And another life to have, I would like to become a nun again. "