Because the Word of God Lives in You...

Last weekend Franco Verardi, an evangelist from Puglia (the heel of the boot) and one of the summer camp directors, came to visit. Saturday evening we had a youth conference with about a dozen participants in which he spoke about I John 2:13-14:

"I write to you, dear children,

because you have known the Father...

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God lives in you,

and you have overcome the evil one."

Sunday Franco preached to a combined worship service of the Italian-speakers and the Ghanaians, and we had an agape (potluck). Having worship in a mix of Italian, English, and Twi is quite exciting...and it means the service lasts about two and a half hours. For those of us who stay til the very end, the agape is an all-day affair (we left at 5 p.m.).

If you want to mystify and enchant Italian children, start breaking up uncooked Ramen noodles into your cabbage salad. The little boys, who were running back and forth carrying the ready dishes to the serving table, all inquired as to the nature of this strange specimen and wanted to try a piece. They pronounced them delicious!

After the agape, the kids presented a timely skit of "The Wise Man Builds His House Upon the Rock." Of course they wanted to don all manner of costumes, so by the time we were ready, a lot of the little actors had been taken home by their families, and I was conscripted to portray both the wise and foolish builders.

Jesus narrates as the house is built on the rock.

The rain and the wind attack the house on the sand...

...which "fell with a great crash" (Matthew 7:27)!

Yesterday I added another student: a fourteen-year-old girl from church who is in her first year at a linguistics high school! In other English student news... Who knew the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) could provide fodder for discussion for a whole hour? That's what happens when your student is an event planner and PR specialist! (Normally she reads 3-4 stories each lesson.) Another student is coming three days in a row this week because she wants to "catch up" after missing some lessons while putting her house back together after the flood. She took a placement exam at an English school this week and jumped from level one to level five! I have no idea what sort of rating system this school uses, but I can say that, in my opinion, she definitely wins my Most Improved Student award!

This evening I went to visit a friend from Panama who recently had hip surgery; she is currently in the hospital but will soon be transferred to a rehab facility for more physical therapy.

Just when almost everything appeared to be returning to normal after the flood...yesterday the river behind the church building rose almost to the level it reached on November 1. The Red Cross tent popped up in the piazza again and the volunteers were remobilized (summoned by text message to dispense sandbags): yellow and orange neon vests dashing up and down the street. We also spotted the mayor a couple times, not to mention a plethora of TV cameras and fire trucks. In front of the church building we rigged up some nylon sheets, wooden planks, and sandbags, and all our neighbors did the same. Also in the store next door I helped move anything near ground level up to higher shelves, just in case. Every few minutes the police passed by broadcasting, "Attention! Attention! The level of the rivers is rising! Secure your belongings and cars!"

Today was really lovely and sunny, and the river has calmed down quite a bit, but since the rain is predicted to resume tomorrow, we're leaving the church barricaded, and my English lessons have thus migrated to my apartment. Please continue to pray for Vicenza! Here are some pictures from yesterday.

The river is almost to the bridge, yet again!

The green balcony is on the second floor of the church building.

through the window of the first-floor "auditorium"

through the window, broken by the flood fifteen days ago, of the store next door; contrast the red brick wall here with the second picture below

And for a basis of comparison, here are some pictures from four, four, and six days after the flood, respectively: the water was almost down to normal but still muddy!