After a long, long plane ride, I arrived in Italy and experienced bad jet lag for the first time. The reason for this is that I had a nine-hour conversation on my Denver-London flight with the British guy next to me. He was very chatty and easy-going, and I don't think either of us planned to talk for nine hours. They just sort of slipped by... and we never really reached that awkward pause that you usually do with people on planes. So we just kept talking. It was a good conversation (obviously), but I knew I'd pay for it! I couldn't stay awake on my second flight (London-Milan), so I slept for a couple hours.
When I arrived at the house, the team was there, and many were asleep on the couch. I showered, which was glorious. Then I walked with some of the students and missionary kids to get gellato (sp?). Way to spend my first evening in Italy, right? :) We got back just in time to jump in the cars and drive to church for youth group.
At the youth group it was a bit intimidating. There were all these Italians and all us Americans... and sometimes breaching that wall is a little scary. But I figured, Hey, I'm here. I might as well go see if we can communicate. So I did. And we could! It was great and encouraging, and seemed to break the ice a bit. Pretty soon several of the Italian girls joined me in my row and the service began. Frank taught, and I stayed awake, in spite of my awful tiredness. :)
The next few days were filled with interesting events. Since I didn't journal very much they have run together a bit (sadly), but there are a few things that really stand out in my memory. I'll number them quickly.
1. I got to talk to several Italian girls about attending Ravencrest or other Torchbearer schools. Please pray for these girls - it would be such a neat opportunity, and such an encouragement for them and for their church.
2. One of the ladies at the church (Esther) asked Frank about whether it would be possible to get someone to come stay with her for a while. Frank called me over to talk to Esther, and there is definitely a possibility of me returning to Italy for a longer period. Granted, I'd have to come up with the money somehow, but God has done greater things than that, so I won't be too surprised if it works out. I am praying about this opportunity, for sure.
3. We handed out flyers one morning. Just before we handed them out, we were shown a video about the statistics of Christianity in Europe... and it was sobering. In Italy I believe that perhaps 1% of the people are evangelical Christian. I will try to find the video to post. So we pray that the flyers made it into the right hands and that seeds were planted.
4. Not speaking Italian seriously bothered me. :( If I go back I'm gonna have to spend some time learning at least some basic phrases. Maybe more.
5. There was a crazy festival that we attended in Milan, and there was shaving cream everywhere. I don't know what the festival was for, but it was pretty insane. Mostly, there was confetti, shaving cream, raw eggs and a lot of crazy people.
6. We saw all sorts of cool buildings. We did not see Da Vinci's The Last Supper, because only twelve people at a time can go in to see it, thanks to the deterioration and the extensive care that they must now take to preserve it. But I was closer to it than I've ever been before! :)
7. We got to stay in homes with the missionaries who we worked with. I could hardly believe the great extent of the hospitality. They served us in such huge ways. I felt loved and cared for, and wished with all my heart that I could have given more in return. One my favorite memories is the night where I asked Marni (the wife/mother) how she and David came to serve in Italy. She shared their story and we talked for quite a while. Another night we just hung out with the whole family and the kids postponed going to bed. :) You could tell that they were enjoying having guests as much as we enjoyed being there.
8. Nina - one of the missionaries - is one of the most expressive translators I have ever seen. I loved watching her translate to either language. She really put a lot into it!
9. My heart was captured by the Italians. I loved being with them and hope to return again soon.
It's past midnight here in Hungary. I will try to recap the last few weeks here as soon as possible. There is SO much to say about Austria/Hungary, and I feel I've left so much out about Italy... Ah, if I only had more time!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. All my love to all of you. And if you get bored, send me an email. It's been a while since I've heard from anyone except Candi and my parents.
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