Goodbye Italia!

We should be up in the air by the time this is posted. Part of us are ready to get back and part of us are wishing we would never leave.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to have come here though! We will continue to pray for the people we have spoken with, gave a tract to, or shared our lives with. We have planted the seeds. We pray God will give the increase.

God's ministry is not over. Now we will go back and share the Gospel of Jesus where we are. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Praising the Lord!

I am so thankful for the opportunity to go up and talk with my neighbor more about the Lord today! I was able to give her a Bible and show her where Salvation is talked about in Scripture. I will continue to pray for her... that her eyes would be opened to the truth of the Word of God. She agreed that men are fallible and that Scripture is not.

I am praising the Lord for this and I hope you'll join me in praying for her and her family! They are such sweet people and I'm so glad for the chance to meet them. I hope this will only develop in to a lasting friendship ... although a bit long distance! One day, I hope to see them in heaven!

A Visit to a Nearby Lake

Our dear neighbor, Alina, took us to a nearby lake today. She wanted to take us last week and it just didn't work out. Soooo, because of our being here one more week, it all worked out! Praise the Lord! We had such a great time together and I was able to talk with her more than I ever have before. The children played and Dave took a walk. It was such a delightful morning. God is good!



There were sheep just 2 feet in front of us as we arrived at the lake. They are all herded by sheep dogs! The surrounding countryside was just beautiful!

Ashlyn had such fun getting in the water. It was nice and warm. Her dress got a little wet, but she had a great time! The water is so clear. The two lakes in this area are from a volcano (LOL!) and so the sand is different and heavier. I imagine that is why the lake is so clear... all the dirt stays at the bottom.

Daniel and Addie found something to climb on, of course. In the summer time, this place is very crowded. They have all kinds of games to play - volleyball, soccer, paddleboats and such. Today it was just us and the beautiful scenery.

The children all loved playing in the sand and building a lake of there own, complete with a dam. They also tried to build a waterfall ... not sure how that all worked out. They had a great time though.

By noon, it was time to go home. It was getting to be warm and we were hungry. The climb back up was a long one and it was a good thing we left when we did. There's a good reason these people take a reposo (rest) in the afternoon!

I am so glad we had this opportunity. Thank you God!

This and That

All our bags are packed. The cupboards and refrigerator are bare. We were to fly out today.


However, it was not to be. It seems there is a volcano that has a broken valve. Most European flights have been cancelled for days. The world must stop and stand in awe of one of God's creations and there's not a thing they can do to prevent it.

I took a walk today. It was a beautiful day and the Monday Market was going on about two miles from us, up the main road. I decided to go by myself and enjoy taking the long way there. Thank you, Lord, for a sweet husband who is willing to substitute teach!

I wish I would have brought my camera so that I could take pictures along the way and then show you. The wildflowers are all in bloom. There were many that I didn't recognize, but then there were also red poppies and buttercups. The yards and gardens were blooming with lilac, wysteria, daisies and lavendar.

The countryside was beautiful. The farmers were out tilling their fields. I heard the sound of chickens and saw the sheep grazing on the hillside. An Italian Nonna (grandma) stopped and asked me my name. I now know what a field of artichokes look like.

I arrived at the market, bustling with every other Italian person in town. The vendors shouted out their goods to sell. Shoes, clothes, purses and linens were hanging over head and lying on tables below. Beautiful plants were all in a row and a booth with fruits and vegetables looked so colorful.

Now, I'm home. The children are all using their imaginations to have their own market in our living room. Math books are put away for the day, but the learning continues, even if they don't know it!

Yes, we must stay here for another week. Life goes on no matter where you are. I'm just a travelin pilgrim, looking forward to my heavenly home. Can you imagine what sights and sounds I'll see there? The wonder of it all, is that all the sights and sounds will be irrelevant compared to the sight of THE KING.

Springtime in Italy

Spring Has Sprung Here in Italy

Everything is looking so green and colorful.

I thought you'd like to see as well ....

and my favorite ...

Gratituesday

As this is our last Tuesday in Italy, I thought it fitting for me to say how grateful I am for the opportunity the Lord has given us in being here.

We travelled through Rome today. People were everywhere, from all locations and from all walks of life. My family was together. I thought back to the last 10+ weeks. I really had a lot to thank the Lord for.

What I am most grateful for, is how the Lord is changing me and teaching me. Only HE could do something like that. Little lessons are all around me. He has used the time here to show me some important things about Himself and about myself.

My goal now, is to not go back and waste what I have learned. Routine sets in. Comfort. I hope you'll keep me accountable!

Update

Another beautiful day in Italy is now over. The children are all in bed. The place is amazingly quiet. I'm getting verrryyy sleeeepy....

We've just returned from a week in Germany and Venice. We had a very nice time. It was a great little side trip for us and profitable as well.

Some highlights ...

• We were able to see our past exchange student from Germany and were able to meet her parents! What a privilege! Dave was able to have a pretty in depth conversation with her father about having a relationship with God, not just a religion.



• We were able to work with an Independent Baptist church there in Germany and passed out about 1000 tracts to people in the city. The church provided the tracts, we provided the leg work.



• We were able to see some old and dear friends in Venice. They are Italian and it is always interesting when we get together! We had a great time over dinner and conversation. We have been able to share the Gospel with them as well.

Please pray for our friends ... Katharina, Deiter and Barbara, Attilio and Luciana, Francesca and Giuvani. They are all unsaved as far as we know. We'd love to see that turned around!

A Good Day

For those of you who have been praying for us, we would once again like to say thank you!

We have had a busy week. Each day has seen at least one of us going in to Rome, if not all of us. It has been a productive week, as far as our purpose is concerned. The Catholic church here has had much going on and there have been many, many people from all walks of life and from many countries here to take part. We have done what we could.

Some of you have asked how things have gone. We'd like to give you a few details about Friday.

Dave and Daniel went early to the V*tic*n area. The service there did not begin until 5pm, but there were people lining up at 2pm when they arrived. It was very difficult to pass out any tracts in that area, so they went to the Subway stop where many of the people get off. They were able to pass out tracts there for about an hour. They also gave out a few English Bibles to some. One lady from Virginia wanted to talk with them further. It seems she used to be Presbyterian, but converted to Catholicism. Dave tried to share scripture with her. Please be praying for her. God knows who she is!

There was also a service later that night at 9pm, near the Coloseum. This was for the 14 stations of the cr*ss. The P*pe presided over this service as well. Thousands of people were waiting from as early as 5pm. Anna and the girls arrived then and the others arrived around 6:30pm. As we started passing out the English/Italian tracts, we suddenly had people lining up to receive one. Some were asking for two or three so they could give them to their friends. Granted, they did not know exactly what they were asking for, but what eagerness. We passed out all the tracts we had left. Many people were glad to see that the Scripture was in English! Praise God the police did not try to stop us here as it is part of Rome and not V*tic*n City.

Our prayer now is that these people would not be blind to the Word of God. We pray their hearts would be opened to the Truth of Scripture and that they would seek a relationship and not a religion. Please continue praying with us!

Our American Meal - Part two

Our American Meal went well. We had a good time introducing some new things to our friends upstairs. They are so very nice and we couldn't ask for better! I almost didn't get this picture! I apologize for the darkness, but it is the best I have.

My girls did such a great job! They decorated the table so sweetly! They were very well-behaved ( I threatened no dessert) and Alena's girls were so sweet to play with them for a little bit.

Dinner tasted good and they asked questions about how it was prepared etc...

I was not able to talk to them about the Lord. I did tell them that we wanted to thank God for our food before the meal. This was a little different for them, but they received it fine. They were only with us for about an hour, so the timing just wasn't right to talk further.

Here is the recipe for the meatloaf we had. I have never been a meatloaf person, until I found this recipe. The sausage makes it taste so much better! I was able to find all the ingredients here, except the sausage was only in links and not ground. So, I had to take it out of the links to mix it with the ground beef. I also had to go from memory, so if your a friend of mine and I've given you the recipe before, it may be a little different. If this recipe is new to you, I hope your family will enjoy it as much as ours!

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb ground sausage

1 can finely chopped tomatoes

1 cup bread crumbs (I made my own)

2 eggs, beaten

2 T oregano

2 T basil

1 T rosemary

1 lg garlic clove crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure to get everything mixed together thoroughly. Form two loaves. Place in two bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. Enjoy them both, or freeze one for another day!

Gratituesday - Learning to be Content

As our time here in Italy is drawing to a close, I have been constantly thinking, wondering, worrying even, about what we will do and where we will be when we return. This seems to be a constant struggle for me over the past couple years. Some days I gain the victory and other days my flesh shows its ugly head. Remember, the name of this blog has a purpose? Hebrews 11:13,15,16 scroll down to the bottom of the screen.

Over the last few days though, I have been seriously praying over my attitude and really trying to give it to the Lord. I am so thankful that He has been giving me a verse here or a song there to remind me of Him and His plan. I do not need to worry about this. God has a very special place for us. He has a perfect plan for my husband and how he will provide for us. Do I need to try to figure this all out on my own? NO WAY! I ask myself, "Why would I want to interfere with the God of the universe?"

So that you can rejoice and be encouraged, I thought I would share a couple of the things God has used this week in my life. I just kind of happened upon them and I am so glad I did! I hope you will enjoy them too...

This is an older hymn I found ...

How happy's every child of grace; That feels his sins forgiven!

"This earth," he cries, "is not my place, I seek a place in heaven;"

A country far from mortal site, Yet, Oh! by faith I see,

The land of rest, the saint's delight, A heaven prepared for me.

A song that I came upon. .. I don't know anything about the singer, good or bad, but I appreciate the words of the music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1llIIhBMCjU especially the words "You have taught me heaven's my true home".

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for...
The evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Thank you to Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers for hosting this each Tuesday.

American Dinner

I am so excited. We have invited our neighbors upstairs, who also happen to be who we rent from, over for an American Dinner. They have said yes and so tomorrow, I plan on cooking them an American meal.

I wasn't sure what was exactly American. It seems like we eat food from just about every other country! I guess when I think about it, the first thing that pops in to my head is McDonalds, or a hamburger and fries etc... That didn't sound very good to me... I was looking for something a little more, shall we say, upscale? Anyway, my next thought was meatloaf. Don't know if that is exactly just American either. What do you think?

For the sake of time and lack of knowledge on my part as to what is truly American, I have gone with the following menu. Our family will love it anyway and hopefully, our neighbors will too.

• Meatloaf
• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Peas

I was going to make a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake for dessert, but she asked if she could please bring dessert. It will be Polish, so how could I refuse!? She is Polish and her husband is Italian.

Please be praying for our evening. We have become very nice friends and I would love the opportunity to share the Gospel with her.... well even if we weren't nice friends, but you understand what I mean...

I hope to take pictures, so join me again later this week for an exciting episode of "An American Dinner". Aren't I in a silly mood!

A Special Request

Our whole reason for coming to Italy at this time of year is because of the Easter holiday. Thousands of people come to the V*tic*n area to be a part of the celebration and to hear/see the P*pe. Some are looking for Spiritual answers. Some are just looking.

Today, our family went in to Rome. We spent some time in that area of the city. What we saw confirmed what we thought and have read. There are many preparations going on for this holiday and lots of people are there to see and be a part of what takes place, beginning tomorrow... Palm Sunday.

We have a special request for you. Please be praying... please continue praying. We have saved a couple thousand tracts to pass out during the next week. This is very minimal compared to how many people that will be there, but it just takes one tract to get in to the right hands.... someone who is searching.... someone who's heart God has already been working on. We want to be led by the Lord so that He can lead us to that individual/s.

Some specifics for the next week... so that you can pray more specifically....

• Palm Sunday - passing out tracts near the V*tic*n



• Tuesday - hoping to go pass out tracts near a Jehovah Witness Conference



• Good Friday - passing out tracts before/during the P*pes big speech



• Easter Sunday - passing out tracts near the V*tic*n

Again, we are so thankful for the faithful and fervent prayer of the righteous. We cannot do this alone!

These were the "little" screens they had set up. This one is in front of Saint Peter who is holding the keys to heaven, or so they say.

The tour busses were all lined up after dropping off their passengers.

Spring Cleaning

It is a beautiful day here in Italy. Sunny skies and about 21 Celsius. It is a wonderful Spring Cleaning day!


A day to open the windows and let the fresh air come in!




The children and I have scrubbed and cleaned from top to bottom. My hubby even did the dishes! The floors are swept and scrubbed. Everything is dusted. The windows are washed.




All of the sheets have been taken off the beds, they've been washed, and are now out to dry.

The laundry hamper is empty and everything is right with the world! Ok, maybe not everything, but at least in my little corner of the house.

Such A Blessing!

We were so thrilled, yesterday, to receive a letter in the mail! It is one of our biggest highlights here in Italy!

We were all sitting around the table playing a game together. There was a knock on the door, and the landlady was standing there with a letter for us! How wonderful. Everything stood at a standstill until we saw who it was from and what it was.

We were greatly surprised and excited to find a card that said "Thinking of You" and signed by so many good friends from the church we attend in Oregon. It was filled with special notes and hugs and smiles.

It was also filled with a little dvd. We couldn't imagine what was on it, so, of course, our game was postponed yet again! We popped the disk into the computer and were so pleasantly surprised to find still more hugs and smiles! This time we could actually SEE the smiles!

I cannot tell you what a huge blessing this "little" act of encouragement has meant to us. We are so thankful for the thoughtfulness of this and for how the Lord used these people to minister to us.

And still others have done so many other "little" things. A packet of yeast, an e-mail, a little chat on Facebook! We are so blessed. From the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you!

Encourage and Uplift others, so that others can encourage and uplift still more ... isn't that just like what the Family of Christ should do.

Busy Weekend!

What a busy weekend we have had! Friday we were out and about in Rome again. Dave had signed up to run the Roma Marathon and we needed to get all the paperwork involved. We had a good time and enjoyed the Marathon Village that was set up for all the runners. While we were in Rome, we also went to a market and walked around. The markets are always interesting places to walk. We also went to one of the largest churches in Rome, aside from St. Peters. We met a man outside the church. His name was Franklin and spoke fairly good English. We were eating our lunch, so we shared a cookie and a tract. Dave tried to give him an English Bible, but he said that he didn't need it. The man felt as if he was going to heaven and knew everything he needed to know. He was a very religious, philisophical person and felt that all were religions were fine.



While Dave was going to be running the Marathon this weekend, the children and I thought we would run the 4K Fun Run. It WAS a lot of fun and so glad we chose to do it! Here is our day in pictures...

We got up at 5:45am, so that we could take the train in to Rome. Adrenalin pumped in!

Now we get to ride on the subway without about 80,000 other people who participated.

OK, we weren't ALL on the subway TOGETHER, but it WAS a lot of people!

This man was standing up on a little hill and preaching to the people below. He spoke in English and so the kids and I stood and listened to him for a little while. Dave was already lining up for the Marathon. Not sure who he was exactly, but what we heard him saying was "right on the money". I felt so sorry for him though. Many people were mocking him and jeering him. I wanted to encourage him with a few "AMENS" and did, but how couragious of him!

This was one of the really fun things in the Fun Run. There were people with flags and bikes, dogs and balloons. There were instrumental bands playing on the corners as we walked by. At the beginning of the race, they played the Italian anthem and we walked by the "Mayor" of the city, or whatever they call him here. The military were all around him. Helicopters were above us taking pictures of our Fun Run and of the Marathon that had started just before our race.

The race started near the Coliseum. It was unbelievable the amount of people that were in the race. There were many more doing the Marathon. This is just one of the many pictures that I took. Everytime we turned a corner, I wanted to take a picture. Walking through the city was so picturesque and amazing! It was a great way to see everything and go down some streets that we hadn't been down before.

The race was sponsored by McDonalds. Here are two very proud spokespersons! After the race was over, Ronald McDonald himself was there and signed their hats! Wow!

Walking through the streets together. They did such a great job! The race was about 2.5 miles long and they all walked it the whole way, hills and all! Well, ok, Ashlyn did get just a little bitty piggy back ride towards the end.

Yeah! We made it to the Finish Line! Not a moment to soon too!

Such good work deserves a very special treat! Mommy treated them to a gelato while we waited for daddy to get done! Too bad they weren't from McDonalds, ha!

Gratituesday - Sonshine in My Soul

We have been in Italy for about six weeks now. I can't believe it! To be honest, some days it seems like forever ago and other days not so much.

During that time, I would say that 5 out of the 7 days of the week have been rainy or very cloudy. No complaining, because I have lived in the Pacific Northwest, but it does start to work on my mood.

This week I am rejoicing because it has been sunny now for 4 days straight and I am loving it! It just really adds a new "spring" to my step! I think it must be that way for a lot of people, even in Italy. The whole town seems to come alive. The birds are chirping, the flowers are popping out and things are starting to look so much greener. The sky is blue and the water glistens.

I started thinking about all of this, and I love the analogy it gives me when we start to let the SON shine in our soul. Doesn't it give you a fresh "spring" in your step! Doesn't it make you just want to shout and sing His praises! When your soul has been washed and cleansed with the Word of God, when you've been forgiven and when your attitude is right... your whole person just comes alive.

I hope you are experiencing some Sonshine in your soul today!

Heavenly Sonshine, Heavenly Sonshine

Flooding my soul with glory divine

Hallelujah, I am rejoicing singing His praises

Jesus is mine!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

A Night on the Town

My dear husband and I had an opportunity to go out for a very nice evening together on Saturday. What a treat it was! We have had the privilege of coming here to Italy three times now. Each time, whether for vacation or for ministry, we have had young children with us and no one to trust to be a babysitter. That's been ok, because we are so thankful for these little "arrows" God has given us and most of the time it is a real pleasure to have them around us. This time though, we are living in the same building with a very nice fifteen year old! We have been able to get to know her pretty well and with her mother being right upstairs, we felt that it was ok to leave the children with her for a couple hours. Enough said..... on with our evening!


We left the house about 7:45pm. This is actually early for dinner here in Italy. Dinner is a very late meal! There is about a five minute walk down to the old center of the city. We got there and found a nice restaurant, as far as we knew! Our judgement proved right! We were greeted with the typical Buona Sera (good evening) and shown to a table. We asked the server if she spoke English, and of course, she didn't. Thankfully, we had our trusty little dictionary!


My husband and I shared a very nice antipasti (appetizer) of baby shrimp in a lemon and olive oil sauce with fresh bread. Our next course, Primi, was pasta. My husband had the Fettucini with fish from the lake. I had Penne pasta with salmon in a cream sauce. Both were very delicious! We tried our best to think of how to recreate them! Our last course, dolci (dessert) was Tiramisu. We shared a piece. Typically, an Italian would have a full course meal of a lot more things, but we were so full. Not sure how they do it, but I can understand why their dinner meals take so long! They must have to wait to get more room!


We had a very nice evening and really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. The conversation was wonderful as well... no interruptions! The children had a great time with Eliza... movie and monopoly... and we were so grateful for the opportunity. She wouldn't even let us pay her!


Such a nice evening!


Here is a picture of the town. Our restaurant was about half way up the hill. I don't have a picture of the two of us, but I took this one this afternoon and thought it looked nice.

Guest Post - A Day in Rome

I am so privileged to give you a guest host for today's blog entry. I have had the opportunity of knowing her for the last eight, nearly nine, years. She is an honor to know and I can, without a doubt, say that she is one of the true loves of my life. Without further adiou may I announce my first born daughter....

Once upon a time, Abigail went to a market in Roma. There were shawls and clothes, shoes and pocketknives, bikes and all kinds of other stuff. There were people begging and lots of tents and shoppers... lots of shoppers! It was very crowded. There was music and campers and food, like hot dogs, pizza and little snacks. My brother liked the pocketknives. One had a light on it and he would like to get it next time we go there.

The same day that we went to the market, we also went to the Coloseum. We saw people who were white with spray paint on them. There were pretending to be statues. A person with a gold cloth on them and a mask was dressed up like a Pharoah. There was a person with silver paint on him, but I couldn't figure out what he was. Mom said she saw a lady balancing a fish bowl on her head that had water in it, Then we saw a man with a crowd around him. Then we saw the Coliseum and the Metro (subway) station next to it. We went home on the Metro.

The End

Sowing a Seed, Fervent in Prayer

We've been out "on the town" today. It is a beautiful day here in Italy, so we took advantage of it. What a difference a sunny day makes! The whole town seemed to be out.

I've added the following people to my prayer list. I don't know their name, but so thankful that the Lord does. One day, I hope to see them in heaven!

• a nice Nonna (Grandma) that we met on the bus. She was just talking away with Ashlyn and Addie, in Italian of course! I understood that she had seven grandchildren and she told us their names. We gave her a tract and she gave us a little Catholic book!
• a lady that we met on the subway. She was studying her English. We talked for a little bit and Dave gave her an English Bible and an Italian tract. She was very grateful and couldn't believe we would give her such a gift. Dave said she could practice her English better with the little Bible.
• a nun that we saw on the subway. Our littlest was mesmorized by her. She wondered if the lady had any hair! She spoke a little English, but we gave her an Italian tract. I often wonder what the nuns think when we give them a tract.

"For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth" Romans 10:2-4

Gratituesday - May I be Honest?

We've now been in Italy three weeks. The "vacation" phase has worn off and reality has more or less set in. May I be honest and tell you, from one human to another human, that it's right about now that I start feeling a little depressed, discouraged, and a little lonely. We are so far from home, without a soul to talk to. I am in a country where I may or may not see the benefits of our labour. It is raining and raining and raining ... shall I go on?

As easy as it may be for me to meditate on those feelings, I am learning... slowly... that I need to turn that around. The best way to do that, for me, is to look at all the things that I have to be thankful for. My focus needs to be on Gratitude, to keep the right Attitude!

So, here goes... What do I have to be thankful for right now?


- a very nice landlady, who, as soon as her company leaves, I am going to invite over for tea.

- a wonderful husband, who, inspite of the rain, is delivering tracts all over this countryside!

- a wonderful God, who works through me, inspite of myself! Sometimes, when I don't even know it.

- the weather prediction of a sunny day on Thursday!

- a very nice lady in Texas who wrote us a letter!


I could go on and on .... Honestly!