Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Feel the Rhythm...



Feel the ryhme...
Get on up, it's MENSA time!!

That's right, folks, I am a licensed cafeteria goer.

Bring on the primis, secondis and contornos.
I'm ready for fish on fridays and two euro and eighty cent meals.

We get to eat lunch with students and start conversations in a normal way!!
Initiating with people will always feel kind of awkward, but over food--hey--that's common ground!

First the visas, and now mensa cards!
We're on a roll!

Saturday, February 10, 2007

A new frame of mind



I took this picture on our retreat this week and it just happened to perfectly fit my title.
Imagine that!

I was so encouraged by our retreat to Ronta.
Beautiful mountains.
Peaceful rain.
Quiet.

It was a great time to process the past few months and start to look ahead.

We are titling our break a "divine disruption."
Scripture is full of them.
Believers confused by the Lord's timing.

David is appointed King and then gets chased around for years.
Jesus tells the disciples that He is leaving and then tells them to wait in Jerusalem.
Don't you think they wondered why?

The Lord's plan often looks different than what we think it should.
And that's okay, because we trust, hold tight to Him, and obey.
And He takes care of the details.

The retreat was also great to cast a new vision.
Well, really the same vision, but it was time for us to get back on board.
We want to see Jesus transform lives here in Florence.
But we have several new ways to go about doing just that.

We have noticed a common thread in the salvation of the four new believers here.
They all were reading the Bible on their own.
They were all exposed to Christian community.
And they all heard the story of life change in someone else.

So that is what we are going to run with.
Getting them the Word.
Getting around them in fellowship.
And sharing our stories, or the stories of other Italians.

We have changed up the teams.
We have changed up the leadership structure.
And we have lifted our eyes up to see that, yes, the Lord is doing a lot in Italy and we will wait for His timing in Florence.

Thank you Lord for this time.
Thank you for holding my troubled heart.
And I thank you for the hope that these three days have brought.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Readjusting

America vs. Italy


vs.


The differences are sometimes overwhelming.

The past few days have felt so normal, and that is exactly why it feels so weird.
Shouldn't it feel strange to be here?

As much as I love this country and it's culture, I really loved my time at home.
I feel so at home in both places, but I never realized how hard that would be.
Yes, I miss my car, my dryer, and Target, but my Italian friends make me want to come back time after time.

My brain is constantly on overdrive.
I have five months to really invest and dig in here,
but always lurking the back of my mind is the nagging,
"What next?"

I have all these contradictory desires.
Dreams and visions for the ministry here in Florence.
Adventures and goals for life in America.

Lord, where do I belong?

Well, jet lag+ re-entry= rambling.

All this to say: I am here. I am alive. Ministry starts next week.