Make New Friends But Keep the Old

The parents of the high school girl I studied with Monday brought me an Easter cake on Tuesday! They couldn't believe that we teach English for free. Easter cakes here are traditionally in the shape of a colomba (dove), and it was delicious!


One of the highlights of my week is the evening women's Bible study of Beth Moore's The Patriarchs. Though I am the only Avanti worker in Florence right now, two former Avanti workers are still in town: Sarah is the church secretary, and Kelly married an Italian and teaches English. Sometimes an Albanian lady joins our little group of Americans, which includes Debbie and Mona, and each week is so refreshing and full of new insights.


My newest English students all attend the university. Tuesday I met with the son of a man who works up at the HUF (Harding University in Florence) villa and wants to be a translator. Wednesday I studied with a girl in law school and her boyfriend. So many of my students have studied multiple languages, and I am very impressed with how much they know and how eager they are to learn!


Frankie Mitchell has been introducing me to her friends here, and I am glad to get acquainted with these ladies so that I can go visit them on a regular basis. Wednesday afternoon we went down the street to the Casa di Riposo (House of Rest). I talked with an 88-year-old widow named Anna for a long time and met a few others. The workers and nuns there were very excited to have a young new volunteer and want me to come back next week. This morning Mrs. Mitchell brought me along to visit Rosaria, who used to be a cook for HUF. She is so sweet and showed us around her house, insisted that I eat quite a few cookies, and gave me a beaded purse. Some of her children and grandchildren have studied English, and she wants me to meet them sometime. Being able to brighten a lonely woman's day simply by paying her a visit is such a joy!


"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." ~James 1:27


My friend Claire is visiting me this week! We went to Harding together and also on a mission trip to Peru a few summers ago, and she is now teaching English in Spain for a year. This afternoon we went up to Fiesole, an Etruscan town with a beautiful panorama of Florence and some Roman ruins.


The death toll from the earthquake is now up to 281 with the search continuing and aftershocks disrupting rescue attempts. Tomorrow is a mass state funeral and national day of mourning. Easter will be bleak for many in the region, so please pray for peace and healing and that good will come out of this!