forever young

Since my last post, I have spent a majority of my days supervising children and teens... The last week in August, I went to the mountains to babysit three kids from church since their mother, a young widow, had to stay in Vicenza and work. The kids, ages 9, 10, and 13, were wonderful, and we had fun taking walks, playing in the park, going on a day trip to Asiago, playing card games, and cooking together. I also helped them with their summer English homework. I thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by God's beautiful creation and getting to spend time with these precious children!

on a walk with the kids

picnic in Asiago

This weekend, several teens from Rome/Aprilia came to visit their friends in Vicenza. The first two days we were in town, and the next two days we spent at a mountain house belonging to a family from church. Not an official youth retreat, this was a time the kids had organized to hang out together before the end of their summer break. Each night we had a devotional centered on the theme of "Why Believe?" Being responsible for a group of teenagers, outside the church camp setting, was kind of a different experience, and thankfully the Padova missionaries helped out as well.

youth at the mountain house

In between these excursions, I added a new English student, a twelve-year-old girl from Moldova whose mother is a friend of one of my students. My other students are continuing to progress, and I enjoy hearing their insights and witnessing their dedication to learn.

I am delighted to report that I have quite comfortably survived a summer without air conditioning. I had to turn on a fan a total of about ten days in July and one night in August, and the rest of the time, weekly rains kept the temperatures between the 60s and 80s, and it was quite lovely. One advantage of growing up near Houston is that nowhere else I go feels humid, even if everybody else thinks it is (here it's 72-82% year-round).

I have now spent several winters, springs, and summers in Italy, but I have never been here during September-December, so I am looking forward to experiencing autumn here, as well as having everybody back in town after the mass exodus that was August, the month when all Italians flee to the mountains or the sea.