Buona Pasqua!

Easter in Italy is my new favorite holiday! I've heard Christ's resurrection emphasized more in the last week than I have in years, and I love how the Italians joyously celebrate this time of year. Everyone, from shopkeepers to neighbors, has been wishing each other "Buona Pasqua!" [literally "Good Passover"] for several days now, and Easter Monday is even a big deal. Friday night we went to Grassina, a town about half an hour away where the communists put on an annual procession about the Passion of the Christ. Vendors of sweets, nuts, popcorn, and balloons were abundant, and the town square looked like a county fair. We found a pizzeria for dinner, and our waitress happened to be a girl from the church in Florence! After sunset the townspeople put on a show on a hillside about Jesus' life and crucifixion. Unfortunately, excessive rain necessitated the halting of the performance right after the arrival of the magi, and it was rescheduled for Monday night. A dear family from Naples was in town this weekend, so we spent time with them on Saturday and Sunday and had a big Easter lunch with them and a couple other church members!

Today David, Debbie, and I went to a conference in Bologna, a little over an hour away. Many of the churches in Italy hold annual conferences, which are a great opportunity for people from various churches to gather together. This weekend Bologna had a youth weekend for the first time, and today was the culmination of that with a meeting for all ages. A couple young people spoke, and a great discussion ensued. A lot of the youth want to get more involved in the church and in living out their faith, and it was a very encouraging day! I was surprised and excited to get to see a few friends from Catania and some people I had met on my mission trip to Italy last summer!

Ermenita, a university student and member of the Florence church, and I are going to be working together to plan events for young adults and teenagers in the hopes of providing an avenue for encouragement and fellowship, drawing back those who don't really feel part of the church, and creating opportunities to invite friends to join us. We met together on Friday and have begun formulating ideas. Please pray for our efforts and for greater participation on the part of the young people, of which there are few!