"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."