Though the Mountains Quake

In case you heard about the earthquake in central Italy early this morning, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am alive and well! I am about 200 miles away from the epicenter in L'Aquila and did not feel anything. The earthquake registered at 6.3 on the Richter scale, and at least 26 towns were affected with 130+ dead, 1,500 injured, and 50,000 homeless. Please keep this area in your prayers!

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
~Psalm 46:1-3

This afternoon I met with four new English students for the first time! In addition to conversing with them to get to know them, I began studying the Gospel of Mark with each of them. The student would read a passage and ask questions about any unfamiliar words, and then we would discuss the content and proceed to the next story. The students vary in their level of English and knowledge of the Bible, and I am excited to get to know them better and see their progress! One young lady is from Marseilles and has been in Florence a few years working as a tour guide; she is from a nominally Catholic family and said she is spiritually searching. I am also studying with a high school girl, a young lady studying to be an interpreter, and a young man who is a free-lance public relations specialist. I'm looking forward to meeting more new students in the next couple days!