When Life Gives You Lemons...

Just wanted to share a pair of quotes that I have been returning to for inspiration as I am in a season of waiting for...whatever will come next!

"Patience is not indifference;

patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock

withstanding all onslaughts."

~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment

when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder

and offered the chance to do a very special thing,

unique to them and fitted to their talents.

What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified

for that which could have been their finest hour."

~Sir Winston Churchill

The job search has proven more difficult than anticipated. Underlying the surface activity of endeavoring to obtain employment are deeper questions of vocational direction, identity, and life goals. Doors have shut, yet countless doors remain to be discovered, evaluated, and knocked upon. At just the right time, the right door will open, and I would appreciate prayers for wisdom and perseverance until the arrival of that blessed day!

As I helped explain at one of the application centers during Vacation Bible School last week, we all experience "lemon days" and "lemonade days." Lemons are inevitable but can be both character-building and heighten our appreciation of sweeter times. Life can be sour, but sugar abounds in the form of support and encouragement from family and friends, life lessons learned, protection and blessings from God, a positive attitude, perspective gained in time, and, above all, the knowledge that GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Hopefully the fourth and fifth graders left "The Lemonade Stand" not only with a vivid distinction between lemon juice and lemonade, thanks to our taste-testing game, but also with a greater ability to locate the bright side in a difficult situation and see God at work. The discussion with the kids demonstrated how we can each make a conscious choice to find a positive element in absolutely any circumstance, following the apostle Paul's admonition in I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice ALWAYS, pray CONTINUALLY, give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

As I am earnestly seeking God's will for my life, perhaps, in a more general and fundamental sense, I already found it a long time ago... Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. Be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Be sanctified. Take up my cross and follow. Live by faith, not sight. Love God. Love my neighbor. Give in Jesus' name a cup of cold water...or lemonade.

The First Seventy-Five Days

Ten days after I returned from Italy in February, two young men in Vicenza were baptized!! [Yes, I should've reported this news two months ago.] Praise God for His incredible work in their lives; I will relate in part their amazing stories as best I can.

Davide (17) comes from a Christian heritage: his father always leads singing, and his aunts and cousins make up a substantial part of our church, but he never attended until after camp last July. At camp he demonstrated a remarkable change since the previous year's camp, completely surprising the counselors. His good friend Marco, whom Davide had actually introduced to the camp, was baptized at the end of that week, and Davide then began to think about taking that step himself.

Giovanni (21) had also been contemplating baptism since last summer. During that time his older brother, who lives in Moldova, where his family is from, was basically on the brink of death and in spite of various medical mistakes miraculously survived. Giovanni wrestled with some hard questions and last summer began working with Davide at his family's company, which gave them an opportunity to talk and reflect together. Marco has also been very close to these two boys and was a great encouragement to them. Being able to witness Marco's growth over the last few months was a blessing, and I am thrilled that now all three can walk together on this new journey of faith. Of course I wish I could be there to see these transformations in person and encourage these boys. The people and places in Italy are all still so vivid in my mind, and being so far away and unable to know everything that's going on in their lives is hard.

meet my new brothers: Davide, Giovanni, Marco !!!

Thank you all for participating in my journey through reading my blog and lifting me and my mission up in prayer. I truly appreciate every comment and word of encouragement! Getting to catch up in person with so many of you since my return has been a delight.

At the end of February I traveled to Searcy, Arkansas (the home of my alma mater, Harding University) and enjoyed getting to see many friends still in town plus quite a few who now live elsewhere but came back that weekend.

dinner with several of my closest college friends who are still in the country

While in Searcy I had three opportunities (two planned, one impromptu) to speak about Italy to large groups. I was the guest speaker for the Women in Missions class in which I was a student three years ago, so being on the other side and sharing what I have learned since then was interesting. I also spoke briefly to the girls in my social club about Avanti in order to spread the word about this opportunity to join God at work. And I "just so happened" to be in town on the weekend College Church was honoring Howard and Doris Bybee for their years of work for the Lord as missionaries in Italy and now with the Avanti Italia program. I was honored to be asked to say a few words at the reception for this wonderful couple who planted the congregation in Vicenza where I was blessed to have the opportunity to work a few decades later!

My mom and I went on a grand Texas road trip (nine nights in five towns) to visit various and sundry cousins and friends and attend the wedding of a dear friend I've known since second grade. Seeing the town where I grew up and the schools where I have so many fond memories was quite nostalgic.

Lamar Consolidated HS reunion at Ashleigh's wedding

Earlier in April I attended a re-entry retreat at my church with the InterMission team who put together the missionary retreat I attended in Italy last August. Hearing the stories of the other participants who had recently returned from the field and being able to discuss the process and difficulties of cultural adjustment with others in my shoes was refreshing!

Last weekend I returned to Searcy for the annual Spring Sing spectacle and got to see many more wonderful people. It was all so exciting that it took my mind off what I was missing in Italy: the Easter weekend youth retreat in Bologna and the fun cultural traditions such as the giant chocolate eggs and the giving of dove-shaped cakes.


In-town highlights between all these travels have included translating letters from Hispanic inmates for the prison ministry, teaching fourth and fifth graders on Wednesday nights, taking advantage of the chance to be in two ladies' small group Bible studies, watching more basketball than I ever have in my life thanks to March Madness and especially the Oklahoma City Thunder, and witnessing the exuberant blossoming of the Bradford pear trees all over town. After having time to rest up and reconnect with family and friends in America, I am about to begin the job search per forza. Pray that God leads me to just the right opportunity!


I suppose it's about time to start unpacking...

"i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)"

Greetings from OKC! Ironically, the only segment of my trip that went according to plan was the flight into Oklahoma City, as the airport was thankfully able to reopen in time in spite of the snow. My first two flights were canceled (fog in Venice, mechanical failure in London), and I ended up flying out of and into two airports I had no intention of being in, resulting in some cross-region and cross-town bus travel with all my luggage in tow. I was glad when the 44-hour saga came to a close Wednesday night and am now resting up in my old home / new home. En route I picked up sinus and ear infections, so prayers for my speedy recovery are greatly appreciated!

My entourage and I getting ready to traverse London:
at least I got fish and chips with minty mushy peas at the end!

Okay, back to my last week: I had lunch with the awesome Padova missionaries, bequeathed Bibles and books to my English students, hung out with my friends, finally finished and printed the church directory (a harder task than it may sound: cue the Hallelujah chorus), organized the Sunday School cabinets, reprised my role as a pack mule many a time in the process of vacating my apartment, received an array of presents, made enchiladas for the potluck, went to the post office four times thinking each was my last trip, created one final church window display, and said goodbye to people and places in my neighborhood, such as the beloved fruit and vegetable market:




Since no one is coming to work in Vicenza after me, I tried to pass the baton to the extent possible. Two of my students, the Ukrainian sisters, and I met up with two of the Padova missionaries at a Brazilian restaurant there so that they could get to know each other and work out details for continued studies. The Sri Lankan family of three (the mother is pictured below) is preparing to move to England next month; they asked me to find someone there with whom they can continue to study the Bible, so I have been working on making some contacts for them. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in the spiritual journeys of each of my students and, though we will continue to keep in touch long-distance, now entrust the watering of these seeds to others and the growth to God!

"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." ~I Corinthians 3:5-9

Four Avanti workers plus David, the director, came from Florence to visit me for the weekend, picking up another friend on the way! It was great to see them one last time! Saturday night we all ate at the home of a family from church, and various church members hosted the guests overnight. Here we are after our delicious dinner:



Sunday we had a combined worship service with the Ghanaians followed by a potluck, in honor of its being my last Sunday. The church presented me with a photo of the congregation and a book about Vicenza that they had all signed. The Ghanaians coincidentally sang my favorite song in Twi and dedicated to me their version of Sweet By and By: we'll see each other again in heaven, if not sooner! Four of my English students came to church for the first time, and another arrived during the potluck when she got off work. One of my little English class girls and her mom also came for a while but had to dash off when the mom, a midwife, was called upon to deliver a baby! I'm glad I got to spend the day with so many of my favorite people.

While everything was being set up for the potluck, I played Jeopardy with the kids to review all our Sunday School stories from the last year, and I was delighted at how much they remembered. I really wish I could be there to see all these kids grow up! Please pray for them and for whoever will be their next teacher!



Somehow I had time to accomplish everything on my massive to-do list plus work in all the last-minute social encounters. I am grateful that I was able to end well and give my all until the very last second.

Sunday night three-generation cake and tea party with my landlords' family!

My last supper in Italia: this sweet family wanted to thank me for my work and temporarily rescued me from the mire of packing and cleaning.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"This is how we know what love is:

Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

~I John 3:16

Time Flies, and So Do I

"'The time has come,' the Walrus said,

'To talk of many things:'"

Thus begins my final post from Italy; it might be somewhat scattered and shall be full of quotes, hopefully less random than this opening statement taken from Lewis Carroll's The Walrus and the Carpenter.

Details and photos of my last week and final Sunday will be coming in a few days, unless the Oklahoma snow thwarts my arrival.

When I began my work with Avanti, I could never have imagined all that would transpire during my time here. I still cannot believe that I have come to the end of this journey. Continuing with the Lord of the Rings trend begun in my last post, here's a thought from Bilbo Baggins:

"It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to."

Even if you do keep your feet, so to speak, you can be swept off to places (physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually) that you'd never have imagined. Each day that you go out your door, whether intentionally embarking on a journey or just going about your daily business, is full of life-changing and life-enriching possibilities.

I now return from this particular, extended journey to the land where I will have a dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, air conditioning, legitimate shower, and car. I really did just fine without all these modern conveniences (except maybe the shower), though a car would've been convenient at times. I will, however, miss being within walking distance of the church aka my place of employment, grocery store, post office, park, utilities company, town square, market, and train station (the farthest away of these destinations at 13 minutes). I have enjoyed living more simply and also experiencing the seasons more fully as I am outside more often here.

The process of giving away possessions, rather than being stressful or nostalgic, has been more like getting to be a belated Santa Claus. I enjoy being able to pass along to other missionaries and church members the blessings I received:

"Freely you have received, freely give." ~Jesus (Matthew 10:8)

The reality and finality of this move is at times hard to fathom, but I know that God will be with me as I make my transition just as He has been all along:

"if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast."

~Psalm 139:9b-10

God's been clearly at work on this side of the ocean, and I trust that this promise will hold true back on the other side as well, though I know I will experience some reverse culture shock. I take comfort in the fact that on all previous returns to America from overseas travels, I anticipated being somewhat traumatized or discontent, but when I got there I really was okay.

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." ~Paul (Philippians 4:12)

"Wherever you are, be all there." ~Jim Elliot

To give you a little insight into the adjustments, whether monumental or superficial, of a cross-cultural worker, here are some differences that have already come to mind: I will... rejoice at the prevalence of free water.. be shocked by the smaller length of printer paper (this has already happened on the couple occasions in which I've come across a stray American sheet).. shed a tear or two upon hearing a hymn that reminds me of Italy.. bemoan excessive air conditioning and revel in sufficient heating.. miss being at a church where I know everyone and can greet them all every Sunday.. be able to run errands more efficiently but miss the feeling of victory at getting something accomplished in Italy.. think of phrases in Italian and not find a satisfactory way to express them in English (some things just sound better in one language or the other).. use prepositions improperly.. find people and places so familiar that it may feel as if I never left..

"But seas between us braid hae roared,

Sin' auld lang syne."

~Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne

{Americanizing the Scots vocabulary = But seas between us broad have roared, since long ago.}

Literally and figuratively, this distance between two years ago and now has been an ocean. People come and go. Relationships change. I am not the same person I was when I left America. Though everything may look the same, everything cannot ever be the same. Mostly positive, sometimes regrettable, it is most certainly inevitable: a part of life and a part of growing up. As a previous stanza of the same Burns poem notes:

"But we've wandered mony a weary foot,

Sin' auld lang syne."

Weary feet, perhaps. Much wandering, certainly. Time elapsed. Hearts encouraged. Transformation and growth witnessed. Love poured out. Wisdom taken in. Experiences gained. Worries lost. Independence enacted. Community felt. Memories made. Innumerable snapshots in my mind.

I can't sum up my time here any better than Paul's declaration in I Thessalonians 2:8:

"...we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

Farewell Tour Part Two: Back to the Beginning

Shortly after my excursion to Catania, I traveled to Scandicci/Florence to visit my friends, former English students, and fellow Avanti teammates. Scandicci is also the home of Harding's semester abroad program, which first introduced me to Italy four years ago, so it will always have a special place in my heart. I was in town for both the Thursday night Bible study and Sunday worship and enjoyed surprising the members who didn't know I was coming.

Saturday I went to Pistoia (a town half an hour or so from Florence) for lunch with a dear Italian-Filippino family, got to see the missionary family there as well, and attended their monthly ladies' Bible study!

some of my very favorite children (Pistoia)

My several days in Florence were sprinkled with many encouraging conversations. It's nice to see my former English students still involved at the Bible School with new teachers! One student (pictured below) thanked me for being her first teacher and told me how her participation in the Bible School has been beneficial not only for her language skills but more importantly for the human aspect: building friendships. She has recruited various family members to study there as well! My friend who owns a cooking school came to church Sunday because I invited her, as she had done the last time I was in town, and remarked at the example I've set for her in persevering through my illness and always having a smile on my face. I paid a visit to the former Bible School cook, now in her 80s, whom I had visited a few times when I lived in Scandicci but hadn't seen in a year and a half. She commented that just five or six days before she had been wondering what happened to that Avanti girl who had come to visit her with Frankie Mitchell. All this to say, I've learned so much and been blessed by the people here, and it's nice to know that I've made an impression in their lives as well!

Also, I partook in two wonderful meals with Rosa (the beloved Bible School cook) and the rest of the Avanti crew, participated in the Monday night ladies' Bible study hosted at the Bible School, and went on my last medieval Tuscan hill town excursion (to Volterra).

the girls in Volterra

A new semester of Harding students had just arrived, including two girls from Edmond who were in my same social club! I can't believe it's been four years since I was in their shoes, nor that since then I've spent almost exactly the same amount of time in Italy as in America.

Edmond/DGR reunion at the Florence church!

Since I've been back in town (in Vicenza), I've had the Thursday night Bible study attendees over for dinner before the study, and last night another friend came over for dinner! I redecorated the church bulletin board with pictures from the last year and also printed off lots of pictures to distribute to the church members. Lots more excitement is planned for the upcoming week, and my motto these days is a quote from the wise wizard Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring:

"All that we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

10 days...

Farewell Tour Part One: Under the Sicilian Sun

This weekend I went down south to visit the congregation in Catania, where I worked during my first month in the Avanti Italia program. Though it had been nearly two years, it seemed like I had seen these friends just yesterday! The buildings and streets were all so familiar, including the intersections in which no direction has a stop sign, not to mention the wide streets and highways with no lane divisions: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" Get ready for a lot of pictures in this post, for some of you know these people and I'm sure would like to see them!


The day before my trip, Etna, the volcano at the foot of which Catania lies, was erupting! The following photo was taken by a church member from his balcony. The flow of lava disappears from sight thanks to a most convenient valley that collects all the lava, protecting the inhabitants below.



I arrived in time for the Thursday night Bible study, which is attended by nearly all the church members. Seeing firsthand the changes in the past few years, since my first visit on a summer campaign in 2008, was a joy: engaged couples now married, babies growing into adorable little girls, and new babies welcomed into several families. The church has also had a relatively large (for Italy) number of baptisms recently: six in 2009 and five in 2010. A man who, interested in studying English and the Bible, had randomly stopped by the church building when I was there two years ago is now my brother in Christ! The most recent sister converted had been struggling with depression and visiting psychologists for years, to no avail, until she met the Great Psychologist, who transformed her life. The Catania church is so loving, active, enthusiastic, and evangelistic, and seeing God at work among them has been such a blessing!


I stayed with the very hospitable Spina family! Saturday morning, Giulia, the 8-year-old daughter, wanted me to go with her to see some horses...

...and on the way home we stopped by the (Ionian) sea! The sunshine and temperatures in the 60s were a nice change from the winter up north.

Stefano Spina, Catania's evangelist, celebrated his birthday Saturday, and so I joined in the festivities with all his kids and grandkids!

Stefano, Rina, and Giulia, my wonderful hosts

Massimo and Cinzia with Davide, the baby I did not even know had been conceived

Saturday afternoon I helped out with the weekly distribution downtown of flyers about the marvelous grace of God. That evening I went out to eat with half a dozen young people from Catania and Paterno (a town about half an hour away and, for all of you from FCCC, the home of the Giordano clan). I set a new record, breaking the previous one also set in Catania, for my latest ever dinner: a quarter past midnight! The "normal" dinner time in Sicily would be 9:30 or 10...or so.

Sicilian supper, technically on Sunday morning

Sunday at church I of course enjoyed seeing everyone again!

Giorgia, Elisa, and Viviana

the amazing Mililli family, who hosted me during my campaign

After church a large group of young adults went out to eat appetizers together.

almost half the appetizer group:

Giada, Nino, me, Sara, Giorgia, Claudia,

Miriam, Massimo, Luisa and the baby on the way

Then for lunch I went to the home of this young family...

Adele, Ester, and Orazio

...along with her sister's family and their mother. They are among the most hilarious people I know, so needless to say it was an enjoyable afternoon. That evening we all went to a gigantic mall, in the parking garage of which we ran into another girl from Paterno and her boyfriend from Rome, who had been supposed to meet up with our group the night before. I love surprises like that!

Somehow the trip gave me perspective on my two years and my life, not to sound vague or melodramatic. I'm so glad I was able to see my Sicilian friends again! Here's a parting shot from my trip home yesterday:

Catania and a much calmer Mt. Etna!

Until our next encounter, I'll echo the words from a framed cross-stitch in the Spina family home:

"May the Lord keep watch between you and me

when we are away from each other."

~Genesis 31:49

Epiphany!

Last Thursday, thanks to the Epiphany holiday commemorating the adoration of the magi, was Padova's annual convegno! Vito Ligorio from Latiano spoke about perseverance, and sessions were held in the morning and afternoon. I helped one of the Padova missionary ladies teach the children's class, in which we examined the topic of prayer! We sang, discussed, read, played, and... prayed.

with some of the ladies at the convegno

Saturday was one of my favorite English classes, even though only two boys showed up. Instead of translating the story into Italian for them (which I usually do to ensure comprehension), I taught them the vocab words and had them translate it piece by piece. They insisted I act out each word, and the translation turned into a very enthusiastic brotherly competition. Somehow we got way off topic, and they were asking me all about Jesus' second coming (our story was about Paul's shipwreck on Malta). They took to heart rather quickly the moral of the story: "When we have hard times, we can remember God's love and care. We can tell our friends, too!" My little students ran to open the window to the street below and shouted this message in Italian to all who could hear! Then they were so engrossed in the craft of constructing a boat that they didn't want to leave when their father came to pick them up. I'm going to miss these kids and all the hilarious and unpredictable moments that come with teaching them!

The other highlight of the week was on Monday when, at the end of a particularly successful afternoon of running errands, the lady at Mailboxes Etc. gave me a gigantic piece of bubble wrap (enough to cover at least one whole person) for free! Oh, the small joys in life!

Please keep me in your prayers for these last few weeks as I wrap everything up and bid my final farewells!

Castles in the Air...and on the Sea!

Happy New Year! I hope you all have enjoyed the holidays and that 2011 will be an incredibly blessed year for you! My mom came to visit me for a little over two weeks, and we ran around visiting the various castles, piazzas, museums, churches, and villas in Vicenza and nearby towns that I wanted to see before leaving the country. We took day trips to Milan, Padova, and Venice and a two-day Christmas trip to Trieste, on the Adriatic Sea a few kilometers away from Slovenia! Here are some of the highlights (except for the amazing art, such as da Vinci's Last Supper fresco in Milan, where photographs are of course forbidden):

Chocolate chip cookie kids tradition comes to English class!

Milan's Duomo...

...the roof of which we climbed on (in the snow)

Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia, the largest waterfront piazza in Italy (Trieste)

feet in the Adriatic

Castello Miramare, on the sea outside Trieste

Prato della Valle, the largest piazza in Italy (Padova)

Doge's Palace with St. Mark's domes in the background (Venice)

sunset from the belltower on the Island of San Giorgio (Venice)