Playing Catch Up

Well, to state the obvious I'm a bit behind on updates.  My intent and goal before leaving for Italy was to write at least once a week, but now I've joined the ranks of what I hear happens to everyone the longer they're gone and a month later I'm trying to play catch up.  Although, if anyone could tell me what happened to February and if it even occurred this year, that'd be great...how we're already in March is beyond me!

February has been a wonderful month, full of the Lord's goodness.  The start of March has already been difficult, though full of the Lord's goodness.  Thankfully His goodness never depends on our circumstances, for He is always constant, always good, and always love.  Since it's been so eventful (hence the lapse in posts), I'll go for the brief recaps here:

• February started with a legendary snow for Rome.  For the first time in 26 years, Rome had snow that stuck to the ground in the first weekend.  Needless to say, the Italians were freaking out and it was quite amusing.  We didn't just get one weekend of snow, we went through the "crisi di neve" ("snow crisis", as quoted by the mayor of Rome) the second weekend too.

true to Italian style, of course this random
sidewalk snowman is smoking

• My language partner (a friend from the exchange) and I have started meeting for lunch fairly regularly.  At one of our more recent lunches, the Lord opened a door for a spiritual conversation and she started talking about what she believes, doesn't know, and how she wants to decide something for herself.  We are starting to read and discuss Matthew together, and as we made that decision she said "Maybe this will give me the answers I'm looking for."  Yes, Spirit, may that be!

Dad & I in Orvieto

• We had a few weeks off from classes and appointments since the semester at the university ended in early February.  The given break worked perfectly for me, because this month the two most important men in my life came to visit me and I took a mini-vacation.  My dad landed the weekend of the second snow, and we took a day trip to a small medieval town outside of Rome, Orvieto.  He also treated me to my first real burger since leaving the states (good ol' Hard Rock Cafe), and we had a great daddy-daughter weekend.  A couple days after he left, my boyfriend made the trip.  Long distance isn't the most fun thing, so it was wonderful to have a week actually together at my halfway point in Italy.  We had great time going around Rome, Florence, San Gimignano, and Bracciano. 

Jonathan & I in front of Castel Sant'Angelo

• The day before Jonathan left, my computer started dying that slow and painful Mac death.  This is the main reason I haven;'t been able to write in so long, I've spent a good deal of time trying to revive it.  Thankfully my team leader is a Mac guru and God will even perform technological miracles, so at the moment my computer is holding out!

• We finally had our sex trafficking awareness seminar last weekend.  Originally we had it scheduled for February 4th, but the Lord through the snow changed those plans.  We had a great turnout, and after giving basic info about sex trafficking and showing the Candy Shop (dubbed in Italian), the attendees engaged in a discussion about this problem and how we can help combat it.  Since the seminar we've had interest from a few of those who came about joining our outreaches to the women and transvestites, and we are so excited.  Even better, not all of those who want to help are believers, so we're praying the Lord will use this to bring freedom also to them!  

• March 1st brought some sad news from the home front.  After a long, full life, my Granddaddy passed away.  While ultimately I'm praising God for bringing him home, reuniting him with his wife, and giving him a new, restored body, being away from my family now is extremely difficult.  The last couple of days have really given me a picture of what it feels like for full-time missionaries...sometimes you just get so frustrated being so far away.  You can only go through trials and sadness with loved ones at home through prayer, same as you can only celebrate joyous occasions with a Skype call or email.  I'm thankful the Lord has given me this experience away, for now I have a better idea how to pray for missionaries who are geographically separated from family and friends indefinitely.