Continuity

How is it almost January?  This last month has absolutely flown by, and praise God, evidence of His work in Rome has been everywhere!

Over the Christmas holiday something that was on my mind was the continuity of God's promises and His plan.  We celebrate Christmas in recognition and thankfulness that Jesus Christ came down to earth.  This month I've been blessed with seeing tangible pieces of proof that God is still 'coming' in a sense, by moving through His Spirit in us today.  One day, Jesus Christ will come back to our world victorious again.  He has come, He is coming and moving, and He will come again!

There are so many things I could say about this month.  After three difficult months wondering if I would see fruit of ministry in Rome while I was here, or if that would not come until years later, God has been good in blessing that desire in my heart.  To recap quickly...

• My very first English student that I tutored, now a friend to Taylor and myself, started asking questions a few weeks ago.  They first started with an intellectual interest in the differences between what we believe and the Catholic church, and in just a few weeks he's been brought to a point where he recognizes there is something missing in his life.  God is moving in his heart in an unbelievable way.  He told us that before he met us and started learning about our faith, he was behind a veil but now, little holes of light are piercing through.  ("Veil," really?  2nd Corinthians 3, anyone?)  He's confessed how he has a great life, money, looks, family, girlfriend, etc, but still feels lacking.  He's never met anyone that talks about God as we do, of how He's real and present in our lives.  God has taken an academic, classroom tutor relationship and transformed it into this...and our friend is so ripe for the gospel to seep into his heart through the conversations God creates!
• One of the exchange girls I hosted in Athens and is now a friend of mine here told me the other week that she likes talking about 'religious things' with me, because she sees a difference in authenticity.  Over a simple lunch at McDonald's, I felt the Holy Spirit in a huge way guiding our conversation, leading her questions, and giving me answers to some things I had never thought of before.  On top of that, when she was telling me a story from her weekend and how her key got stuck in a hotel room lock and all the staff said it would not be possible for the door to open without a locksmith, she said she prayed, made her friend pray with her, and God answered by opening the door two minutes later!
• When I was meeting my Italian language partner in a new coffee bar, some Irish study abroad students randomly approached me asking if I was Irish.  The Lord used that to create an immediate friendship with these three, and we hung out twice in the week after before they left for Christmas.  All three have seen some ugly, ugly things with violent conflicts between Catholic and Protestant churches growing up in Ireland, and all are incredibly turned off to the idea of religion, what for whatever reason they accept both me and my faith.  God has literally dropped these friends in my lap, and I could not be more excited about how He will grow our friendships this next semester.  
• Taylor and I were invited to go to an overnight birthday party for a dear friend of ours.  Other than significant others, all the people there had been friends >15 years.  Though that type of party was a new experience for me, we could tell it meant a lot to our friend and validated his friendship with us in the eyes of his childhood group since we were included and chose to come.  I could tell some of them were surprised to see the random American girls there! We're praying that will open doors with the rest of his friends, that it helped show that though we hold different beliefs, we care about them and do not see ourselves 'above' them in any way.
• We had our first prostitute outreach two Saturdays ago, and it was wonderful for our initial contact.  Four women on our team and a new friend who works with prostitutes in a different part of the city went, and we covered the same highway the four of us have been prayer-walking for months.  We gave all the girls (and three transvestites) little gift bags for Christmas, including our theme scripture verse (Isaiah 43:1-3).  Every girl but one took our offer, and several of them talked to us a bit.  It broke my heart actually talking to these girls, seeing how so many were younger than me, bubbly, beautiful, or scared, but I'm thankful the first experience has renewed our passion to pray for these girls and minister to them whenever we have opportunity.  One day the Lord will bring justice to all the trafficked victims, and until that day comes we will petition before Him.  What was also so neat about the outreach is it has given us a conversation topic with our friends (like my Irish friends), who are curious to why we would do something like that for those girls.  God certainly has a way of bringing everything together to bring glory to Himself!

Needless to say, we've been busy here!  Today was the second day of our Italian-American exchange program that we started in August, and so far it is going great.  Please be praying for us over this next week, that the Lord would use this time to create stronger relationships and show our sweet Italian friends Himself through us in vivid ways.  

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

                                               -John 1:14

Remembrance

     How many things a day do you think we forget? A week? A year?  I used to pride myself on my memory because when it comes to events, occasions, important dates or anything schedule-related, I'm like a human calendar...it's a little ridiculous and potentially creepy to those who don't know me.  Yet ever since I set out for this journey for Rome, back to the prep work in the states, the Lord has been gently convicting me of how easily we (or at least I) forget.  With today marking the 70th anniversary of the day "which will live in infamy," I've noticed a few lamenting how our generation no longer remembers the sacrifices from those before us or the significance to this day.  First it saddened me because I see the validity to that tragic thought, but then it got me thinking about how much more we forget about our God.
   
    Jesus said, "...do this in remembrance of me." -Luke 22:19
    Paul said, "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved..." -1st Cor. 15:1-2a
    Moses said, "Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place..." -Exodus 13:3
    The Lord said, "...tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments...so you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God." -Numbers 15:38,40
    David said, "Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.." -1st Chronicles 16:12
    Solomon said, "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth..." -Ecclesiastes 12:1
    God said, "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; i am God, and there is none like me." -Isaiah 46:8-9

      Notice a theme?  The list could go on and on.  There's a legitimate reason that God told the Israelites to set aside holy days and times for festivals...they were to be a time of remembrance, of fresh rejoicing or thanksgiving for how God provided or made Himself known in a difficult time.  Until last year I used to read about the forgetfulness of the Israelites who saw God performing these incredible miracles in the desert, and not understand how they could possibly forget His love and faithfulness.  However, as I was preparing to come here and needed to see God do the impossible to make it happen, I realized I'm no better than the Israelites.  Even today, the forgetfulness is something to battle.  When I have a month where little support comes in, instead of immediately going to the Lord knowing He will provide because He always has, I start to worry.  When I meet someone who breaks my heart because he/she seems so far away from knowing Christ, instead of remembering the 'impossible' conversions by the power of the Spirit, I get discouraged.  Praise the Lord for when I am faithless, He is faithful still!

      God has been gracious enough to encourage me in my ministry here over the past few days by letting me see His work in tangible ways.  Everything in Italy seems to take forever (probably because it does), so often 10.5 months doesn't possibly seem like enough time to make a difference.  That's me putting God in a box though, and forgetting (again) that He has brought me here for a purpose.  One of my students I tutor in English started asking me questions during our conversation lesson about my beliefs.  For whatever reason He wanted to drill me with questions about my faith and why I believe what I do, as well as hear differences from the church I know to the Catholic church and school he's experienced.  That's totally and only God.  When I was looking over an old prayer journal, I saw how the Lord had answered (and provided for) three of my four running requests from that summer in 2010.  I'm sure if I looked over all the things that had to come together last year for me to get here, I wouldn't even be able to keep up writing down all the ways God was faithful.  Yesterday I had a great lunch and hangout time with a girl I've been praying for since August, and I'm seeing how God is honoring and growing an unlikely friendship in a way that can only be attributed back to Him.

     While I'm away from family and friends at home, I truly am thankful for this holiday season.  Since the week of Thanksgiving the Lord has been giving me blessed reminders of all I have to be thankful for, all the reasons I can give Him praise no matter the circumstance or season of life.  We took Communion together around the lunch table on Thanksgiving, and I like how it was incorporated into our meal with a sense of normalcy because remembering what Christ did for us should be a constant part of my daily life.  I finally got a picture of our whole team together (yay, holidays), so now you can have faces for the team when you pray for us!

Thanksgiving, and my Rome family :)

Thanksgiving already?

     It's crazy to me that Thanksgiving is tomorrow.  Over this week I've forgotten that multiple times, but naturally Italians do not celebrate or note the American holiday so life goes on like normal here.  Between a weekend in London visiting a sweet friend who frequents Rome often and another weekend with a wonderful visit from my dad, the last few weeks have quickly come and gone.

    Monday evening our team hosted a cultural event for our Italian friends to introduce them to Thanksgiving.  Since Italians don't eat dinner until 8-10 here, we did it around aperitivo time (6-8) which is essentially a pre-dinner appetizer slot to hold you over until the meal.  Our intent behind this Thanksgiving aperitivo was to yes, allow them to experience the goodness of Thanksgiving food, but also to give a brief talk on the history of Thanksgiving in the US and what the Bible has to say about giving thanks.  We had an excellent turnout, filling the whole of our gallery room.  The girls I invited told me they enjoyed hearing about our holiday, and it was a neat way to mention the spiritual reasons we have to be thankful without scaring them away.  Plus, everyone loved the food (how could they not?)

Displaying the 13 kilo (27 pound) turkey

         While it’s sad this is the first Thanksgiving I won’t be with my family, I’m looking forward to celebrating with my family in Rome.  Our team is doing a big meal together with all the usual foods, aside from the ones that require ingredients we can’t get here.  Monday was like a teaser, sampling different dishes, so it’ll be great to sit, eat, and take the Lord’s supper together.  Though we can’t get any of the classic football games here, the sport will still hopefully be incorporated in the day through a movie of some sort!

Watkinsville Worship in Rome

     Goodness, time is flying by. I can't believe this week marks 2 months for me in Rome; there is still so much I hope to do while here, and I certainly see why most missionaries stay for at least a few years.  Everything in Italy takes time!

     Last week was Italy's anniversary for being a unified nation-150 years, to be exact.  Friday night Taylor and I went with one of our friends and students to a patriotic celebration in Piazza del Popolo.  An Italian composer and conductor, Ennoi Morricone, gave quite a show there with his orchestra.  It was definitely a cultural experience, seeing carabinieri and Italian officers everywhere, people waving Italian flags, memorial posters constructed...much like a 4th of July parade in the states, except here the carabinieri have Valentino designer uniforms.

Joining in the spirit of the night

         One of the things I heard once I arrived in Italy and was being prepped on what to expect with cultural personalities was how Italians tend to cancel appointments when it rains.  At first I thought that was just laziness, but yesterday I got to experience the 35 minute walk back to my apartment from the university in the rain.  After about 5 minutes of walking and thinking of all of those who travel much farther than I to come, I understand completely the choice to stay inside!  That's only one of the many differences between figuring out how to meet students or plan events here, for people really do need to take rain checks.

     In the last week I've had several appointments with students, which has been wonderful.  Two of my friends here (Silvia one of the exchange girls who came to Athens in August, and Marco, who I tutor in English grammar) have both decided they want to help me practice my Italian through language exchanges.  It has been really helpful to be able to practice one on one with someone, so the conversation stays at my level, so I'm hoping these sessions contribute to my Italian improving more quickly.  

     I also had a really good lunch with Claudia (another student who did the Athens exchange) on Monday, and heard a neat story.  She was asking me if I found a church here that I liked, since she went to WFBC with us when she was in American and saw the community.  While we were talking about that, she mentioned that she still plays to the WFBC worship cd I gave her, and her family even joins her in listening!  While they're only listening to it now for the change in musical style (for as Claudia said, "[her] church music is, God forgive me, boring"), the lyrics in those songs are completely gospel-oriented.  Since no one in her family speaks English as a native language, it could be a way they practice and have to evaluate what the words mean, which is an exciting avenue for the Holy Spirit to begin working in that household! 

     

Light Prevails in the Shadow of Death

     I think Psalm 23 is one of the first passages in the Bible I remember recognizing, for as often as it is referenced in the church I heard it from a very early age.  Right now I'm reading through Isaiah and pairing it with a psalm a day.  A few days ago I read this famous psalm again, my prayer being, "Lord, reveal this to me in a new way."  He is so good He blew me away with fresh revelations from this psalm, for verse by verse it was full of implications for my time in Rome.

     One that stood out to me especially was verse 4, when David talks about walking through the shadow of death.  Often at our team meetings in house church, when someone is struggling with finding words to describe an encounter or feeling sensed somewhere in the city, all he/she can come up with is 'dark.'  As I was journaling after thinking on Psalm 23, I found myself writing on how sometimes living in Rome feels like being in the shadow of the valley of death.  There is so much darkness here, darkness that can be hidden by the beauty of antiquity or bustle of the city, but darkness that lies underneath the crowds nonetheless.  

     Darkness has been on my mind so much over the last month, I think ever since I saw a photograph by an Italian friend of mine at the studio's inauguration that we are still displaying in our space.  He captured this beautiful picture of a dark cloud directly in front of the sun, the presence of which is evidenced by the rays bursting from behind the cloud.  Every comment on that photograph had a spiritual theme, whether it be the clear expression of the Lord or someone saying "it is almost as if a God exists."  My friend titled this picture "Dove sei? Non ti vedo."  Translated, that means "Where are you? I do not see you."  The irony to the title is heartbreaking, for all I see when I look at his picture is how the heavens are proclaiming the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).  

     This particular friend of mine has been my friend since literally day one for me in Rome.  In this last month he seems like a walking example of the darkness in this city, and he even describes his dominating mood as being in "the dark place."  There is such a storm in his heart, and it's hard for us on the team to see it because we know God is chasing and calling him to be His own, yet surrender when you know you will potentially lose all your friends and will definitely drastically change your lifestyle is a very difficult thing.  Unlike in the States where we as the church can offer one seeking an alternative from his/her former lifestyle, an instant place of community with love, acceptance, and support for new believers, Rome has no such thing.  This friend of mine has been impressed on my heart in the last month, affirmation the Lord is working on him since my roommate and two other team members feel the urgency to contend for him in prayer more than ever.  I would love it if you would join with us in praying for him too.

     A couple of days ago we had a surprise afternoon of wonderful weather, so I took advantage of it to explore a picturesque part of the city I had not been to before.  While I was on my walk I was thinking about Psalm 23 again and praying for my friend and all the others I have met here so far.  I was having fun with my camera, toying around with some artsy shots.  For some reason when I saw an Italian flag hanging out of one of the apartment windows I felt I should stop for a bit and see if there was anything I could capture, which felt strange because nothing other than the flag particularly caught my eye until I saw how the sun was trying to peek around the dark apartment building.  God spoke to me so clearly in that moment, while I was noticing the contrast of light and dark around the Italian flag, to tell me although it is dark in Rome now, His light will burst forth in this city...just like my friend's photo of the light behind the clouds, the Lord will make Himself known.  As if that wasn't enough, while I'm processing that huge "whoa" moment, my ipod randomly started playing "Furious."  I walked home feeling so excited, reminded that God still holds to His promises, He has a plan for Italy, and He will be exalted among the nations (Psalm 46:10).

     

His love is deep, His love is wide 

And it covers us
His love is fierce, His love is strong
It's furious
His love is sweet, His love is wild
And it's waking hearts to life

Italians love cookies

    Despite all the nutella, gelato, pastries, tiramisu, fine chocolates, etc. you can enjoy in Italy, a good ol' American cookie is nowhere to be found.  It's the same for brownies and the vast majority of baked goods we appreciate so much.  Taylor (my roommate and coworker) and I have already seen how to use this to our advantage with shamelessly getting the students to like us and creating ways to spend time with them.
   Friday night we hosted our first movie night at the studio, so students could come and practice English in a completely non-academic setting and (hopefully) have a good time.  You never really know about the turnout for events without prior connections, and since the majority of our invites were mass announcements we expected about 3-5 people to show.  When we got an email from a girl expressing her disappointment at having to miss our event due to a medical appointment, we were surprised and thought people might actually come (Italians are notorious for not committing to anything in advance, so getting a 'regrets' email is pretty out of the ordinary).  Reid (another team member) was at the studio with us while we were setting up, and gave us the exciting news there was an actual gathering of people waiting outside.  Approximately 16 students came, 3 of whom joined Taylor and myself afterwards for dinner.  Looks like our bribe for American sweets worked, and the Italians loved the oreo balls and classic chocolate chip cookies we made that morning.  It was so funny to hear one of the girls talking about 'the biscuits' later and how they're much better than Italian biscotti, which made me think "well of course, they've got heaps more butter and sugar...but you don't need to know that."

stalker snapshot of half the group

     This morning in the first level English class we TA for, several people asked when we'd do another event.  One girl even asked if we could show a movie in the morning sometime since her evenings aren't free.  It appears God's given us a neat way to make friendships with the people that are so hard to get to know, so we're excited about that!
    I also ran into a girl who came Friday night, and she mentioned the cookies again.  I made the (obvious) connection that if she had never had one before, she certainly hadn't made any herself, so we have a baking party planned in the near future.  Italian girls especially are more closed off to strangers and people outside their group, so maybe baking will be an opportunity to create quality time and earn the chance to start friendships!

Storms

     Well it's been a bit longer than I intended since last writing, but things have been a little crazy in Rome over the last week.  Let's see...we began our prayer walks for the prostitutes and trafficked victims, classes are in full swing, I've started language appointments with one students and have others lined up, Kyra and I got stuck on the periphery of the city one day with her two little girls waiting on a bus for 2 hours that never came (typical), my documents for a permesso di soggiorno (like a yearly Italian green card) were finally accepted for processing, and more.  Really what defines the last week here though is the massive protest that many of the students I work with were involved in.

      What started out as a large but peaceful protest, like those that occurred globally last Saturday the 15th, became a huge, destructive event.  One of my Italian friends lives near the Colosseum, and he ventured out during the afternoon to check on his car since he heard several had been set aflame.  He couldn't even make it the few blocks away where he had parked, for angry militant protesters were clashing with the pacifists defending themselves and the carabinieri (police) who had to resort to tear gas and water cannons.  People were hurling stones first into bank windows, then into other people.  Francesco described it as "civil war."  Speculators think one reason the violence escalated to such a degree was in response to Berlusconi's confidence vote released the day before, so it will be interesting to see what follows.

The start of the 'Occupy' protest on October 15

One of the many awful pictures of the violence that ensued

       Classes this week were relatively normal, after talk of the protest and sharing different stories died down.  Everything shut down today though, because we had a torrential downpour this morning. Before I thought it sounded a little sad that Italians cancel appointments and don't go to work/school if the weather is bad, but that was evidence of how American I am.  We forget the effects of rain and wind since we get to drive everywhere, but when you're looking at a 30 min-hour and half commute via public transportation and walking to anywhere you want to go, it's a different story.  Our metro stop actually flooded earlier, like points all over the city, so we were all blessed with a rest day because there's literally no way to go anywhere.  While the rain was bad the main reason for flooding was that the drains are never cleaned so they clog up and take a while for water to go through, with how bureaucracy is here it's doubtful that a cleaning system will begin anytime soon.  

neighborhood of our studio and metro stop

     In order to add some levity to this post, I can tell you that Saturday night I finally got to fill my fried chicken fix.  Coming here I had a feeling that would be one of things I missed the most, and boy is that true.  Italian food is amazing, but no permanent substitution for Southern cooking! Kyra, one of the women on the team, and I cooked a southern dinner for a few of the girls here.  Since you can't find the same ingredients here as the US, and those you can find that were imported are much more expensive, it was quite a treat.  Also on the food note, at house church Monday I was telling a team member how I asked my mom to send peanut butter and goldfish (along with a huge list of other missed items) in her care package.  His response? "You know you're officially a missionary when you ask for pb and goldfish.  We've all done it."  Looks like even in the small things, I'm getting a fair taste of this kind of life!

New Space, New Classes...Gladiator Throwback?

  Well goodness, this last week has been busy and the new semester has officially begun!  Thank you to everyone who was praying for the opening of our studio, it went extremely well! We had many more people show up to check out the artwork and meet us than expected, so that was exciting.  It's already so nice just to go to work in the studio and be able to schedule English appointments there. 

Sara and Silvia, two of my Italian friends who came to the inauguration

Half of our team at the close of the night, with our super professional Intercambio Italia sign
(our partner business to accredit our English tutoring)

     Next Tuesday, so one week from now, we will have our very first  Comunità Connection at the studio, the Bible study we're starting for university students..  That will be quite interesting, because for one many people here don't give God a second thought, and two, those that do are not accustomed to the idea of reading the Bible for themselves and having freedom to share opinions and ask questions.  We hosted the team leader in Milan for a few days who came to support the opening, and were able to learn a lot from talking with him on how they have started and kept their Comunità Connection going over time.

    In the midst of all our team excitement, classes have officially started at the university.  One of my jobs here is to help out in three of these classes, comparable to being a TA (teacher's assistant).  Now that classes are rolling, Taylor and I have already had requests from students for weekly or biweekly English appointments.  That's fantastic and will hopefully generate more Italian friendships, as team members have seen in the past years.

    To enjoy our last bit of beautiful weather before the rainy season and take a break between busy days of work,  three of the girls I hosted in Athens coordinated a picnic day on Saturday for us.  Sara, Silvia, Manuela and I have been trying to get together as a group since I arrived, so that was fun and a great opportunity for some pleasantly surprising conversations.  It was funny because we went to this park on the outskirts of the city, away from tourists, but somehow stumbled upon a gladiator festival.  Only in Rome, right?  Even better, the Romans the event attracted had trouble themselves understanding the re-enacters (accents vary greatly across Italy, and these ‘gladiators’ had strong Milanese accents), so for once I wasn’t the only one struggling with interpretation!

One of the fights we saw, with lots of Italian smack talk in the process

Ready for Inauguration

      Tomorrow brings our team in Rome to a long-awaited day…the opening of our studio!  This day has been prayed for and worked towards officially since the contract for the space was signed in June, but really this marks a significant sign of progress over the past few years.  Before having this building, team members just met students for English lessons around the city, and there was no central space to encourage people to visit.  Now, this building will serve as a place where we display the pieces from rising artists, give English lessons and homework help, hold our new Bible studies, and more.  Basically, it will play a huge role in giving us a real presence in this community. While the place looks awesome after all the work that’s been done, it is truly just a means to create better relationships with these students to share the gospel over time

     Please pray for our team, the inauguration of the studio tomorrow evening, and how the Lord will use that space from here out.  Surprisingly we are expecting many more people to arrive than we previously estimated. Not counting all the friends and family that our photographers whose work will be displayed tomorrow will bring, over 70 have confirmed. Since Italians rarely confirm to anything in advance, that’s exciting.  In addition to that, the (café) bar owner next to our studio has been looking forward to this day as long as we have, and has been doing major PR for us in the local area.  Hopefully tomorrow night we can establish relationships with new people, and those who come in that door will sense something different about the studio’s atmosphere because every part of that space has been covered in prayer.

     Yesterday was really neat, because it was our team fasting day.  While house church was a little more subdued than normal since we were all feeling the effects, it was awesome to come together and pray for the inauguration tomorrow and wisdom in our stewardship of the studio God has given us.  I’ve never been a part of a team fast before, and seeing the unity of our team in bringing the new studio and the people we love here to the Lord was a huge blessing and something I will always remember.  Not going to lie though, the pancakes Kyra made to literally break the fast this morning for Taylor, Cristina, and I before we did a final clean up at the studio were probably the best pancakes of my life!

stoked about pancakes, especially with syrup (a luxury in Rome)

"Missionary Graveyard"

     No one likes the word "graveyard."  It's sad, it's ugly, and to many, it's creepy.  I think that's why this stuck out to me so much when I heard it today so casually from a team member when she was telling me about learning of the "graveyard for missionaries" during training before moving to Rome.  After hearing it once, I was curious and googled it online and surprisingly found it’s a fairly popular term for this beautiful country (one blog article is now included in my links).

     After more than two weeks in, I've been able to hear from 4 team members about their start and work here, and from our leader, a brief synopsis of research he did upon arriving in Rome several years ago and about the ‘progress’ of missionaries before us.  That’s been encouraging to me, to see and be reminded the things I’ve been struggling with over the last few weeks are not unique. 

    Okay, back to the missionary graveyard.  Why?  Well for starters, this city is the darkest place I have ever lived.  Whenever friends have been messaging me with the “how’s Rome?” question, that’s the first thought that comes to mind.  I’m aware there are many, many regions in the world that are just as desperate for the light of Christ, so I am only comparing what I know from my own experiences.  There are spirits of oppression and depression here that are so strong, and start to weigh on you over the hours away from fellow believers. 

     An interesting thing that I heard earlier this week is how Roman Catholics are different than anywhere else, and boy do I see that.  Here, Catholicism isn’t something that’s chosen, but it’s a cultural definition you are born into.  Basically, if you’re Italian then you’re Catholic- for many, that doesn’t indicate a basis of faith. The idea of choosing a belief system for oneself is totally foreign to Italians, and a point they have to stop and process the testimony of a believer, when they here how one used to live for self, then chose to live for Christ.

     Another reason Italy, and Western Europe in general, is so difficult to invest in spiritually is because relational ministry is slow.  Sometimes it takes years to see the fruit of your labor in the Lord, through the building blocks of one lunch or hang out at a time.  When we think missionary, we think of third world nations where we can meet physical needs, or we think of countries with outwardly forceful governments where the name of Jesus is hidden from the people.  We think of places where you hear exciting statistics where hundreds of people come to God in one event.  We don’t think of places that serve as common vacation spots, much less places where there are churches throughout the city streets and people are living more than sufficiently.  We really don’t think of places where you can spend a year of your life and maybe see one person give their life to Christ.  In these places it is very easy to feel defeated living and serving, and these places have some of the highest turnover rates for missionaries staying and returning in the world....hence the idea of a graveyard for missionaries.

     My team leader uplifted me yesterday just by saying Italy has a dire need for believers simply to come here and live their life.  There are so few here who really love the Lord, with that reckless abandon, Jesus have my life because I am so thankful for You, love.  When Italian students hear the name of Jesus, they automatically assume one of two things: 1. Catholic (insinuating cultural or hypocritical) 2. Cult.  While fortunately we do not live in fear of physical persecution in our faith, this environment is a whole different kind of hostile.  Much of our work here is literally doing life with these people as a follower of Christ, slowly removing the rocks of lies so we can sow in seeds of truth when opportunities arise.   That takes time and that opens up a whole new doorway for constant spiritual warfare and feelings of worthlessness, discouragement, and frustration.  Praise the Lord for the promises in His Word…even when we can’t see the results of our obedience, we can trust His Spirit is at work and He has some sort of plan.

       What’s God’s plan for the world? Every tribe and every tongue shall sing praises (Rev. 7:9) and He shall be exalted among all the earth (Psalm 46:10)…that includes Italy.  Despite whatever the enemy tries to tell us otherwise, despite what we see and feel, God is at work and His glory will shine!  

Making Friends

Well it was quite a busy weekend, but great for relationship building!

Friday I got to meet with four Italian students who came to Athens, GA for a ten day cultural exchange I helped in hosting shortly before I came to Rome.  It was great to see those girls again, some familiar faces in a new place.  After our official meeting two of the girls, Manuela and Sara took me to one of their favorite shopping streets. It's neat, Manuela and I already had some sporadic spiritual conversations over the weekend, so I'm hoping those questions continue.

Manuela insisted on treating me to a common treat here in the summer, basically the equivalent of a slushie.  It was the first time I've seen ice since leaving the states, a commodity you don't think to appreciate until you're without (much like with a dishwasher, dryer, car, and other things I'm getting used to not having).

Slushie guy shaving off chunks of ice for our drinks.
He seemed to enjoy giving suggestions on flavor combinations for the American's first granita.

We got to spend a good part of Sunday together as well, going to lunch at McDonalds by the Spanish steps (quite a hot spot here) and the gardens at Villa Borghese.  It was funny because Sunday was actually Sara's first time at Villa Borghese and I had been several times before when studying abroad, so in that small area I knew more directions than a local.  For those that know me and my (supposedly lacking) abilities with directions, that's pretty rare.

The overlook in Villa Borghese where you can see the entire city,
with Manuela in the center and Sara on the right.

Friday evening I met a friend of Taylor's and Cristina's (two girls on the team) from the UK, Pippa.  The rest of the weekend I was with those girls and a few others from Italy.  It was so great getting to have time just to hang out with the three girls and start forming real friendships.  Taylor and Cristina because they are the only believers here close to my age and going to be my core accountability and encouragement here.  While quite different in beliefs than me, Pippa is so sweet and really funny, so I enjoyed just getting to know her and beginning a friendship I believe will carry through this year.  We're already making plans to go visit her in London in November, and I'm so excited to have these girls in my life within a week of moving!

Cristina, Taylor, me, and Pippa

Yesterday afternoon Cristina, Pippa, and I went out for a picnic to enjoy the first feel of autumn.  Riding down to the park together was pretty amusing, because we realized while we all spoke English, we each had strong accents- Australian, British, and "the cute southern twang."  We're all about cultural diversity, it looks like there will be random nations represented in our group as visitors come and go throughout the year!

Settling In

     The suitcases are unpacked, jet lag is no longer an issue, I have my own set of keys, and I can at least find my way to the supermarket-I guess that means I'm beginning to settle in!

     Fortunately the apartment I share with my roommate, Taylor, is certainly spacious enough for two even though it is the classic "European" layout.  I'm thankful to have my own room, and we have a couple of little balconies that can each fit a few chairs.  There are three different keys I'll have to get used to in order to get in, one for the gate, one for the building, and a massive skeleton key for our apartment itself.  For someone that struggles with just a front door key, that'll be a laugh.

Balcony that attaches to our kitchen and that has become my
favorite spot to enjoy coffee and reading in the mornings.

We live in the southern part of Rome, outside of the center walls (where most of the historical monuments are located that come to mind when we think of Rome).  Yes, I have a Rome mailing address now too, which is quite exciting!

Via R.R. Garibaldi 119 E/5

Roma, Italia 00145

     Italian culture is far different than I even anticipated from prior knowledge and hearsay.  Becoming a part of a truly relational culture is going to be more difficult than my American, independent self realized.  Last night I went out with Taylor and her Italian friends for the first time and started to pick up on the subtle little things that will require me to check myself often.  Since we were tired long before it looked like anyone was ready to go, I thought that we could just walk back to our apartment with another friend of ours.  In the states that wouldn't be a big deal at all, it's quite common for someone to drop in or duck out early from a group gathering, and no one thinks anything of it.  Here though, if we would have left before the group was ready to go, it would have been quite offensive.  Glad I learned that early in the game!

     Be in prayer for the Italians as a people group.  Because they are so relational, it's evident that they are ripe for the gospel in the aspect of a relationship with Christ.  The challenges will be earning their trust and acceptance, something that will not come quickly or easily, and diminishing skepticism towards religion.  Thankfully our God can move mountains, so He can most certainly build bridges and soften hearts!

I'm here!

Well it has been an absolutely crazy ride, but I’m finally here!  After the flight from London two of the mission team members were waiting for me at the airport, ready to take me to the typical Italian welcome dinner of pizza and gelato.  My apartment is awesome, my roommate seems great, and now it’s time to begin life and Rome!  Even Google greeted me in Italian upon this first login.  Four months ago when I received this opportunity to serve college students in Italy as part of a church planting team, it was hard to imagine actually getting to this point. 

Praise the Lord for the pieces of confirmation He graced me with all summer long, for remembering His character and faithfulness has kept me going through all the doubts, fears, and uncertainties leading up to today.  Between being denied on my first attempt at a visa, worrying about enough financial support coming in to simply get started in Rome, trying to get everything together to move, struggling through saying goodbye to so many people I love, exhaustion from combating spiritual attacks, and wondering if I’m truly the person who will be made competent to do this job, it has been an emotional rollercoaster. Whenever the voice of the Holy Spirit was too soft for me to hear myself, God graced me with affirmation on this path to Rome by words of reassurance through others.  Specific moments of clarity are still very vivid in my mind:

-There was the service at Watkinsville First Baptist where Pastor Carlos talked about our need as a church to pray for workers for the harvest, for people to be so moved and filled with the urgency of sharing the gospel now they have no choice but to go.  I remember crying the whole last part of his message, knowing he was talking about me as the Spirit moved to erase doubts I was already having only two weeks after committing.  A few of my girlfriends surrounded me with prayer after the service, and we all just sat there crying long after chairs were cleared and people were gone (I imagine then the boys around us were completely clueless as to why there was a mess of sobbing girls).

-Two specific moments from Superwow camp this summer, the first being when I was driving back to camp with my new crutches and really annoyed with God.  When I was asking why, He simply told me “you need to learn to receive grace.”  Well, He was right (as always), and the whole first week at camp I was broken of self-sufficiency, as I had to rely on others for help.  Three weeks later on our last night in Jekyll together, the staff blew me away with an envelope of almost $1,800 they had collected for my trip.  While I was worried about not actively raising support because I was at camp, God completely took control and literally dropped money in my hands. 

-The college ministry worship service and my commissioning at WFBC, when I was completely enveloped by a crowd of prayer warriors so great I could not even see who was beyond the first few rows.  At that moment I felt the Lord’s love and peace in a special way like never before, and knew I was not going to make this move alone.  Our God is not confined to time or space, and only mere distance will be separating me from that part of His family, my Athens family. 

           

There are far more I could share, all tales of God’s goodness in meeting me where I was, with beautiful members of His body who have truly loved and encouraged me on this journey. Thank the Lord I am blessed with some absolutely amazing people in my life.  I have been blown away by the love and support of family and friends who have stood alongside me over the last few months, and who I know will be lifting me up in prayer and encouraging me while I’m away from home.  Whenever the voice of the Holy Spirit was too soft for me to hear myself, God graced me with words of reassurance through others.  Despite doubts, fears, crazy emotions, and anxieties, I am finally here!

My job description for this year really is perfect. It ties together my first commitment to the call to missions at a winter youth retreat in 7^th grade, the attachment to Italy after a spring break trip in 10^th, the compassion for the people after studying in Rome a semester my 2^nd year, the desire to serve in ministry from recent months, relational and organizational skills I have acquired through internships with a youth group for a summer and SWAT Ministries last school year, group teaching experience I received from Superwow, and even my training for a business degree in Economics.  When I go over the list anew, I’m reminded of how detailed our God is and how we are uniquely and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14).  I will be teaching English classes and business seminars, arranging social activities, doing administration work, critiquing resumes, and meeting students at the university and inviting them to our facility.  All of these things are simply means to make relationships with college students, so I may be the broken vessel for the Lord to shine through and reveal His love to them in a new way. 

I assure you not all posts will be this long, but consider this the background; the prelude for all that will come this year. I am excited about the things I don’t even know are coming, for after all, God always goes above and beyond our wildest hopes and dreams (1 Co. 2:9).  To Him be all the glory, and to us the honor of giving it all back to Him (Is. 43:7).   

            Countdown to Rome= complete!